A small, but enthusiastic group of Blumenfeld family members met in Berkeley in August, 2005 for the 23rd annual family picnic. The weather was perfect and, even though we didn’t pitch our traditional blue tent, we were all very comfortable in the sun and the shade of “our” tree. Lee again made her “famous” deviled egg sandwiches, which were great, even though they don’t make thin sliced Langendorf white bread any more. The main topic of conversation focused on how the generations can inspire the rest of the family members to rekindle their interest in the family genealogy and thereby renew their attendance in attending the picnic.

For whatever reason, we were late notifying the family members this year and setting the date, so maybe that had a little to do with the small attendance. We all agreed that next year will be different, with early letters being sent out, close connection follow-ups being made and key cousins contacting their family groups. In addition, we have a new, expanded web site to keep everyone posted with the latest information and news. Email and letter responsibilities have been gladly accepted in a share-the-effort spirit and we will be encouraging the frequent interchange of news and ideas among the family members.

The lifeblood of the family ties lies with the younger generations and it is this group that needs to be inspired to appreciate their family history and genealogy. Unfortunately, the young ones don’t always feel the importance of learning about and maintaining the family connections, so we have our work cutout for ourselves. In this regard, we are attempting to expand the family tree with additional information, so everyone will have a new sense of the relationship to his or her far-flung cousins.

- Rich Albert

2005 Picnic Photo Album