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JAMAICAN
WATERSLIDE TEAM
ANNUAL MEETING 2002
This is intended to
be a little different from normal trip reports submitted by
individuals because this is a group trip report from all of the
members of the Jamaican Waterslide Team. The report won't get into
travel or airlines, because each member had their own
experiences with that, and will be submitting individual trip
reports as they feel the urge. Most of the group used Go Classy
Tours who had negotiated an excellent rate for our group and
provided great service. Because of their intervention,
many of us were also able to take advantage of the Super Clubs
promotion awarding a free nights in September 2003 for each night
paid for in September 2002.
Our Team converged on Hedo III
during the period 7 to 14 September for our third annual
meeting. This year, despite the fears associated with 9/11
we mustered almost 60 members, many of whom had been at Hedo
III during 9/11/2001, but included many new members and first
timers as well. All in all, we feel the trip was a huge
success and as our members were getting on the bus, many were
discussing plans for next year already.
This year each
member was greeted by our welcoming committee who provided
refreshing drinks, personalized necklaces for everyone and big
hugs to let them know they had arrived in Paradise.....(at least
until the welcoming committee sampled too many drinks and had to
be benched). Each member also was given a personalized
door card with the team logo. Tattoos with our logo were applied
daily at poolside to some rather interesting parts of the
anatomy to further indicate who were members and who were not.
Some folks even came back several times a day for
renewals.
Our mascot, "Seymore T Butts" was in attendance at
all events and led each group down the slide. He also
visited many of the activities and locations at the resort and
stopped in to chat with General Manager Kevin Levee in his
office one afternoon (we have the photos to prove it). To
learn more about Seymore, you
can read about his legend on our
web page at www.JamaicanWaterSlideTeam.com/seymore.html.
Although our group was small in
comparison to others, we were well known by the staff and welcomed
with open arms. The hospitality by everyone was
unsurpassed and the best we have seen in previous visits.
Occupancy at the resort was low, so there was no problem with
over-crowding, restaurant reservations or any other events.
In fact, our group made the week for non-members who were
vacationing on their own.
The resort itself was in
"reasonably" good repair (Jamaican style), but everyone seemed to be
happy with his or her accommodations. The front desk
staff, quickly moved those who were not, and everyone appeared to
have been very satisfied. It really is a beautiful
location though, and despite the rocky nude beach, the grounds are
spectacular with the now mature foliage.
We had no
problems with anyone (staff, guests, Vinnies or locals) except for
one night. The local, who has been regularly
reported on Denny's board as lurking in the hot tub, was dealt with
by the group firmly, and summarily escorted off the
property. That problem should not reappear.
Food
continues to be excellent, depending on your tastes, and the service
continues to be excellent, except at the Main Bar, where service
continues to be poor. Reservations at the two theme restaurants have
improved and can only be made one day prior now. The
restaurant staff seemed to enjoy joining in our fun and jokes,
especially at Munahana.
The Team ran several events of
our own that were lots of fun. On Sunday, because the disco is
quiet, we had our own theme party called "Wear Mesh and Glow"
which was really wild. We brought so much "glow stuff" we
made the disco look like Times Square. We also held a
Chinese gift exchange party for the Team early one evening in
the Piano Bar, and most of the gifts were too wild to describe
here. That was followed by a Team dinner the restaurant staff
organized for us out on the deck by the pool. One of the big
highlights was the renewal of wedding vows by one of our
couples, where many of us shared their happiness by launching
hundreds of bubbles through the air as they celebrated in the
oceanfront-wedding gazebo.
We also sponsored and led most of
the "Bar Dancing" in the disco, and many of our members held court
around the Quad Pool bar during the day, because they were too
tired from the Bar Dancing (or too hung-over) to make it all the
way over to the nude pool area. Our regular daily group
breakfast was dedicated to rehashing the events of the previous
evening and reminding those who had forgotten, what they REALLY did
last night.
The keys to the week were our Team Captains,
(some of whom were impeached and replaced for being drunk on
duty) but they got things moving. We had our own Nude Slide
Captain who organized our several daily trips down the slide
(we're really sorry we gave her a whistle though). Our games
Captain kept things moving when the E/C's were not around, and
our Gift Party Captain kept that event moving smoothly. Our
two (M/F) Massage Team Captains made things fun for several
customers (figure that one out for yourself) and have
reservations for customers for next year already.
Our official count for nude slides for the week, according
to our Captain was 1,4"69" (1469), a figure which she attests
to. We also had some other firsts, like the "Mooning " of the
Disco one night from inside the slide, and several other
"mooning events at various locations. (On your next trip to the
disco, check for the JWST mark inside the waterslide.) We never
could figure out why "mooning" at a nude resort was so funny, but
you had to be there.
The strongest memory most of us have
are the strong bonds of friendship and comradely formed in the
months prior to the trip as we exchanged thoughts and ideas in
chats and Emails. Although most of our members had never
met in person, many new friendships were cemented during the week,
and the bonding was apparent in the fun and games, jokes and
pranks we played on one another. What was fascinating to most
of us was that no one cared what a person did for a living, how
old, young, heavy or thin they were, or how much income they
had. All that was evaluated among the members was the
warmth and respect accorded to each other. All that mattered
was that you be a person of good cheer and good spirit.
We have
two sayings in the JWST and they are:
If something happens
that is great it's known as: "It's a beautiful thing", coined
by one of our members last year and used many, many, many times
this year. Our second saying is a slogan that says it
all: "If you're not having fun, you're doing something
wrong"!!!!!
For staff, we offer special thanks to Michelle
Davis, PR Manager and our staff Liaison; Paulette Lewis, Front Desk
and Reservations Manager; Nola, Main Dining Room Manager, Bevon
and his Entertainment folks especially Romeo and Teddy Bear (who
claim to be honorary members), all the bartenders in both pool bars,
waitresses and waiters in the restaurants, especially Sasha and
Michelle at Munahana, Christine in Guest Services; and lots of
others who are too many to name. Finally our special
thanks and accolades to Kevin Levee, General Manager, for his
leadership and hospitality.
Overall, the Third Annual
Meeting of the Jamaican Waterslide Team was a huge success.
Even though held on a week when many Americans were remembering
the tragedy of last year, our group remembered in our own way by
returning to the location where we first heard the devastating news
last year. And as they did last year, our Jamaican friends
remembered the day with us by offering a special candlelight
memorial service, with both Jamaican and US flags held aloft
together by staff members, and the singing of God Bless the USA by
Lee Greenwood with all of us, American, Canadian and Jamaican
and other nationalities singing together. For that
remembrance, we all are deeply grateful to our Jamaican
friends.
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