Host was Jean Wilson. The membership had grown an even 100 to 350
by this time. There were about 70 member families represented with
a total of 108 present. Twenty-four North Carolina families were represented
and 12 from Texas. Other state-families present were: seven from Virginia;
four each from Georgia, Louisiana, and California; three each from
Florida and Mississippi; two from Missouri, and one each from Massachusetts,
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Colorado,
Arizona and Washington. No changes were made in directors or officers.
The Friday night reception, paid for by those attending, gave attendees
a chance to socialize with friends and relatives. After the morning
business meeting, Saturday afternoon was devoted to the Alford Family
Forum. Gil Alford's presentation showing the Alford ancestry of each
attendee and how the various Alford lines tie together was a high
point of the meeting for many -- so popular that the Forum became a
part of each succeeding meeting. A Saturday evening "banquet"
was added, with speakers and awards, and on Sunday morning an informal
Alford history workshop proved to be very useful. The president announced
the establishment of the Alford Hall of Fame with the following inductees
in order as listed: Mrs. Lewis O. "Tressie" Bowman, editor
of an early Alford newsletter, "Alford Family Bulletin";
Gilbert K. "Gil" Alford, Jr., editor of "About Alfords";
and Pamela Alford Thompson, editor of AAFA ACTION, first published
in June 1988. Since many members trace their Alfords back to that
area of North Carolina this was a site fertile for research.
