2019 Lawrence Lo Memorial New York Toy Soldier Symposium (3 Viewers)

[Louis Badolato]

Is there any interest in a full weekend New York Toy Soldier Symposium, like we used to host before Larry Lo passed away? There would be an opening dinner Friday night, lunch, dinner and tours of collections and local airpower and armor museums Saturday, and further tours and a farewell luncheon on Sunday. For those who may not recall, the sponsors (just me, since Larry passed) provide all the food and drink Friday through Sunday except for the farewell luncheon. Since the Westcoaster has been cancelled this year, I thought it might be time to bring back a full scale symposium.

If enough people are interested, and we can pick a date convenient for the attendees, I will reach out and invite manufacturers, like Andy & Gordon Neilson of King & Country (who attended the first 7 or 8 Symposia), John Jenkins (who attended one) and Ken and Erika Osen of Britains (who have attended 4), and this time, I would invite dealers like George Guerriero, Tin Tyler and Matt Murphy who could set up shop for collectors who want to take something home.

Those interested in attending, please PM or e-mail me, or respond on this thread. We need to select a weekend in either March, April or May to hold it, so please post some suggested dates on this thread if you are interested in attending. Obviously, if Andy, John Jenkins or the Osens want to attend, their scheduling needs will weigh heavier on picking a date.

 

[Louis Badolato]

Okay guys, looking at everyone’s concerns, how about The weekend of March 23rd? If that works please let me know on this thread or via PM or e-mail. If I get enough firm commitments it’s a go!

 

[Louis Badolato]

Ken and Erika Osen of Britain’s and Hudson & Allen have agreed to attend as the guests of honor.

I will post Hotel information on the forum shortly, for those coming from out of town. There are 4 local hotels of various expenses.

If you plan on attending my wife’s fantastic formal opening dinner please PM or e-mail me ASAP. We can comfortably sit about 20-24 people in the dining room, so spots will fill up. As of today 11 dinner seats are taken.

 

[Louis Badolato]

I am thrilled that Mike Thornton, the head of the New York Historical Society, is joining us for the Symposium! ^&cool^&cool^&cool^&cool^&cool He is working with Rich (and hopefully me if I make the cut) on some dioramas for the NYHS museum in the City. :salute::

 

[Louis Badolato]

Gentlemen,

There are still as many as 6-8 seats available for the opening dinner (we can seat as many as 22-24 people). I'm hoping to give my wife a final number soon so she can begin planning the dinner. Anybody whose on the fence (like Chris), now is the time to jump on the bandwagon for what I think will be the best Symposium in years!:salute::

 

[Napoleon1er]

I'm in!

 

[ucla1967]

Hi Louis,

When are you going to send out the "logistical" details for the symposium? For example, which airport should we fly into? What are the names of the hotels you are recommending? Which is closest to you home? Do we need to rent a car? Thanks.

Mike

 

[Louis Badolato]

Hi Louis,

When are you going to send out the "logistical" details for the symposium? For example, which airport should we fly into? What are the names of the hotels you are recommending? Which is closest to you home? Do we need to rent a car? Thanks.

Mike

Sorry Mike, here are the details:

The best airports to fly into are JFK and LaGuardia. It is less convenient to fly into Newark Airport (New Jersey) or MacArthur Airport (further out on Long Island).

The hotels in the Roslyn area are:

The Hilton Garden Inn Roslyn - (516) 626-3600 - $148 per night

The Roslyn Hotel - (516) 625-2700 - $104 per night

The Holiday Inn Express Roslyn - (516) 627-2460 - $101 per night.

The Glen Cove Mansion - (877) 782-9426 - rooms and suites ranging from $149-169 per night and up.

 

[ucla1967]

Sorry Mike, here are the details:

The best airports to fly into are JFK and LaGuardia. It is less convenient to fly into Newark Airport (New Jersey) or MacArthur Airport (further out on Long Island).

The hotels in the Roslyn area are:

The Hilton Garden Inn Roslyn - (516) 626-3600 - $148 per night

The Roslyn Hotel - (516) 625-2700 - $104 per night

The Holiday Inn Express Roslyn - (516) 627-2460 - $101 per night.

The Glen Cove Mansion - (877) 782-9426 - rooms and suites ranging from $149-169 per night and up.

Thank you Louis. Which hotel is closest to your home, or does it matter since all four are in Roslyn? Should I rent a car?

Thanks.

Mike

 

[Louis Badolato]

Thank you Louis. Which hotel is closest to your home, or does it matter since all four are in Roslyn? Should I rent a car?

Thanks.

Mike

They are all pretty close. The furthest is Glen Cove Mansion which is about a 5-10 minute drive away. The local attendees and I usually drive everyone around, so renting a car is not necessary unless you are going to stay longer or make separate excursions.

 

[ucla1967]

Hi Louis,

I may have missed this, but I need to tie up some logistics loose ends.

1) What time is the Friday night dinner? I want to be sure and book a flight that arrives in time for me to get from JFK to the hotel (Hilton Garden Inn) to check in and then to your house.

2) What are the approximate hours of the farewell luncheon on Sunday? I don't want to book a flight too early and miss this event.

3) What is your address and phone number? Just in case I get lost.

If you wish, you can send me an email rather than post that information here. matara42@roadrunner.com

Thanks,

Mike

 

[Louis Badolato]

Hi Louis,

I may have missed this, but I need to tie up some logistics loose ends.

1) What time is the Friday night dinner? I want to be sure and book a flight that arrives in time for me to get from JFK to the hotel (Hilton Garden Inn) to check in and then to your house.

2) What are the approximate hours of the farewell luncheon on Sunday? I don't want to book a flight too early and miss this event.

3) What is your address and phone number? Just in case I get lost.

If you wish, you can send me an email rather than post that information here. matara42@roadrunner.com

Thanks,

Mike

Mike,

Friday Night dinner will start with a cocktail hour around 7:00 p.m.

Usually the farewell luncheon ends around 4:00 p.m.

I will e-mail you my address and phone number.

Regards,

Louis

 

[Louis Badolato]

I ordered the food for Friday and Saturday!

Friday night dinner (cocktail hour starts at 7, dinner once everyone arrives) will be a 20+ pound Turkey, with all the trimmings, 9 lbs. of my wife's famous brisket, Salmon, my wife's homemade matzoh ball soup, and dessert is assorted pasties from Buttercookie Bakery. As of right now we have 15 places reserved for dinner, but could sit six more, so those of you who still are considering coming can be accommodated.


Lunch Saturday is a 3 foot American Hero, a 3 foot Italian Hero, potato salad, macaroni salad, cole slaw, fruit salad and a cookie tray from Deli on the Green.


Dinner Saturday is Shrimp Cocktail, Salad, Caprese Salad, mini-crab cakes, baby lamb chops, Swedish meatballs, penne alla vodka, egg plant rollatini, string beans almondine, braised short rib and Chicken Caccatori from Iavorone, a terrific Italian Pork Store. Desert is assorted brownies and pies from Diane's Bakery.


Look forward to seeing you a week from Friday!! :salute::

 

[ucla1967]

Mike,

Friday Night dinner will start with a cocktail hour around 7:00 p.m.

Usually the farewell luncheon ends around 4:00 p.m.

I will e-mail you my address and phone number.

Regards,

Louis

Thank you Louis. I received the email with your contact information.

Regards,

Mike

 

[Louis Badolato]

Just finished the alcohol shop for the weekend:

For the Whiskey drinkers, I added 12 year old Glen Morangie Scotch and 12 year old Single Malt Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey to my usual selection of everything from Johnnie Walker Blue to 18 Year Old Single Malt Jameson Cabinet Select.

For other hard liquor drinkers, I have a nice selection of rums, vodkas, and gins.


For the red wine drinkers, I chose Bertani Amarone, Stags Leap Artemis and an Australian Cabernet called "Mollydooker - The Maitre'd" to what I already had on hand. For white wine drinkers, I have a nice selection of Chardonnets, Rieslings and Moscatos (desert wine).


For you beer drinkers, you can choose from Sam Adams Boston Lager, Heineken, Heineken Light, and Stella Artois.

 

[Louis Badolato]

Alright gentlemen, the opening dinner is 4 days away! I am really looking forward to this weekend. I am especially looking forward to seeing friends I only see once or twice a year, like George (Warrior) Chris (Currahee Chris), Steven Chong, Ken and Erika Osen and Mike Tarrantino. If everybody shows up and has a good time, then all of the effort and expense of setting this up will be totally worth it.:salute::

 

[Louis Badolato]

Is anybody who is coming to the Friday dinner passing Newark Airport? One of the attendees is flying in to Newark and could use a ride. Thanks in advance!:smile2:

 

[Louis Badolato]

The Symposium starts tomorrow! Send me an e-mail or PM if you need my address or directions.:salute::

 

[Louis Badolato]

I posted the photos I took of the Symposium on the Symposium threads in the King & Country and Britains forums, and will re-post them here. I am hopeful that some of the other attendees who took photos, like Mike (UCLA1967) - who had a real digital camera instead of just an I-Phone like me - post their photos as well.


By nature of a report, we had a total of 13 adults and 2 at the kids table for the opening dinner at my house, including Steven Chong and his lovely wife Anna, Mike Tarantino (UCLA1967), Rich Schuster (NYSoldiers) and his lovely wife Madeline, Sandor Farkas (Napoleon1er), and Ken and Erika Osen from this forum. The next day Chris Yoeth (CurraheeChris) and his lovely wife Jill joined us. After lunch at my home, we viewed Rich Schuster's magnificent collection, then the American Armor Museum, then returned to my house for dinner, where Ken and Erika showed off some of their soon to be released figures, including George Herbert Walker Bush as an Avenger Pilot, a WWII sailor with an attractive blonde, Rosie the Riveter and a WAC. Ken and Erika also presented me with a really nice Zulu War vignette with Zulus overrunning a medical wagon. Sunday morning, Mike, Steven, my son Alec and I tried to go to the American Airpower Museum, which was closed because they were setting up for a special event, then went to the Cradle of Aviation Museum. After Mike left for the airport, Steven and I had a nice farewell dinner at a local steakhouse. Afterwards Steven and Anna took my family out for a terrific dinner at Cipollini, the best Italian restaurant in the area. I had a fantastic weekend, and I hope everyone else did a well.:smile2:

The attached photos are from the opening dinner.

 

[Louis Badolato]

Here are some photos of the second day, including some shots of Rich's collection, the American Armor Museum, and dinner while Ken and Osen displayed their new releases: