Re: [Killietalk] Lonely hearts/ convention costs/ etc.

[RFeilzer at aol_com]

In a message dated 4/19/05 1:10:29 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
killiman at iquest_net writes:
3 hours making noise we can hear from 20 moles away
Is that measured from nose to anus or side to side?  Sorry, just couldn't 
resist.  There is actually nothing in the rules that says that the convention has 
to be held on Memorial Day weekend.  If another suitable 3 day weekend could 
be found, Indy could hold a convention.  Having chaired the '93 convention in 
Redondo Beach and having heard all the complaints then also, I nominate the 
EKK group to do the 2006 convention.  In '93 we used a hotel at the beach, got 
the rate down from $120/night to $69/night and there were numerous complaints 
about the cost of the rooms.  Our members personally shuttled people from the 
airport to the hotel and back.  We drove those who wanted to go to Death Valley 
and back, around a 12 hour round trip, to see the pupfish habitats.   We made 
absolutely no money on the convention, brought in 3 international speakers, 
provided the most amazing bunch of wild diapterons I've ever seen, had a 
complementary tri-tip barbecue and beer fest on Sunday after the auction and yet we 
only managed a 120 participants.  Such are the inevitable costs of putting on 
a convention, it's just not possible to do it for free!  It is the main fund 
raising function for the AKA annually and we should support the convention.  
It's the intangibles that make the convention so special.  You get to hang out 
with a couple hundred kindred killi people in a setting the provides nearly 
limitless possibilities for camaraderie, learning and cavorting one weekend a 
year.  Consider it your killie mecca, everyone should make the effort to go to a 
national convention at least once, after that you'll be back.  
The down side can be the toll it takes on the local club putting on one of 
these events.  The amount of time required of the volunteers is mind boggling 
and all too frequently kills the spirit of the local club members.  Ever wonder 
why there hasn't been a convention in the LA area since '93 or the SF area 
since '88 (or '89, I can't quite remember)?  It's a year of dedicated work that 
culminates in many sleepless nights as the convention actually approaches.  
It's a thankless task for those dedicated few volunteers who take on this 
monstrous responsibly for the love of the organization.  Having been there and done 
that, I feel like I can say please show some respect to those putting on this 
years convention and lets support them however possible.   

Russ Feilzer in sunny California

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