AAFA 1st Annual Meeting and Family Reunion October 15, 1988 Guest Quarters Hotel, Atlanta, GA
The Whole Bunch
Seated: 2 of the 3 AAFA co-founders,
Gilbert K. Alford (AAFA #0019 from Missouri, and holder of several important AAFA offices) and
Lodwick H. Alford (AAFA #0011 from Georgia, and future AAFA President).
Standing: Pamela Alford Thompson (AAFA #0030 from California, and first AAFA ACTION editor),
Milton & Roberta Folds (AAFA #0049 from Georgia, and our hosts),
Tom Queen (non-member and newly discovered distant cousin of Pam's who never joined AAFA),
the late Elizabeth Alford Williams (AAFA #0040 from Mississippi),
Faye Alford Cannady (AAFA #0077 from North Carolina),
Raymond Alford (AAFA #0071 from Virginia, future AAFA VP and Faye's brother),
the late Eleanor P. Alford, and
the 3rd AAFA co-founder, the late Julius Mosby "Pooley" Alford (AAFA #0013 from Mississippi, and future AAFA Treasurer).
Also present at the meeting but unavailable for the photo was Nancy Alford (AAFA #0029 from Georgia and the first AAFA Secretary) and
Eva Frances Alford (AAFA #0085 from Georgia). Gil's wife Mary was the photographer.
Hosts were Roberta Alford Folds and her husband, Milton. At that time, there were 163 member families in AAFA. Only 11 member families,
totaling 14 persons, were present. Half of the 14 were from Georgia. Other states represented were 2 from Mississippi and 1 each from
Virginia, North Carolina, Missouri, and California.
Friday night we met and enjoyed a lovely buffet dinner at the home of our gracious hosts, the Folds. The meeting began at 9:00 AM on
Saturday and was over at noon. The members approved the AAFA logo and Alford badge that was designed by Mr. James Haynsworth
at the request of the board of directors. Members present voted to continue the next year with the same officers. Members selected
Texas as the site for the next meeting. The 14 people at the first meeting could not know that the following year would bring great growth
to the association, with ten times the attendance at this next annual meeting!