Russ's email to Woody did not say to stand by for a decision until the board meeting. It said that a couple weeks ago they checked it out and came to the conclusion to cancel the convention. At Wausau we were told that Moraine and Mount Vernon were both interested in having us. As I recall, and I don't always recall correctly, they were both turnkey convention proposals. Meaning all we had to do was show up and the people in those sites would plan the convention for us. It was also stated at that time that Moraine was considered to be too expensive although no figure was stated to us. We were the told that they would check into it further to see if the price could be brought down. At some point after that we were asked to vote for one site this year and the other site would be next year. At the time of voting one would have to assume that the details had been worked out as acceptable. If not, why even vote on it? As for the timing of the newsletter. As I said the December newsletter had an announcement that the convention would be held in Moraine. The January newsletter did not have that announcement. If they had the time to remove the announcement, they had time to replace that announcement with something else such as a cancellation and an explanation. I guess I have to say it again; I am not aggravated that the convention is cancelled as much as I am at the communication from the EOC. I have understood in the past that the principles of EOC and some of the older knowledge members of the EOC have been resistant to use email and this list. I have heard some of them say that there is too much misinformation out here but they don't try and contribute and dispel that misinformation. As they centuries go by I am less and less tolerant of that attitude. I don't know how many members are in the EOC but there are 633 members of this group. Many of them don't know there is an EOC, Skyport or Univair although John does represent Ercoupes and Skyport very well here. Let me make this clear. I DON'T HAVE ANY DESIRE TO RUN A TYPE CLUB. But as a 20+ year dues paying member to the people who do I do have the right to speak up although no one at the EOC will know because they are not members of this list. Now then, I also know that it is a lot of hard work to put on a national convention. It also seems half of this year has been wasted and there is not enough time left to put on a conventional convention as you all have come to expect. Woody got us all thinking when he stepped up to call the Holiday Inn and get a good rate. Then someone suggested an informal flyin get together because so many people wanted to go to the museum. Other folks volunteered to do other stuff. So I say this to be clear. I DON'T HAVE ANY DESIRE TO PUT TOGETHER A NATIONAL CONVENTION. But if the desire is still there to get together as a flyin and see the museum, do some flyouts and cookouts I'm in. This is probably not the year to bring your non aviation loving spouse because there will not be any organized quilting bees or trips to a pottery barn unless someone wants to organize it. This will be informal. Woody is going to call Moraine this week and see what the terms are for using their airport. If anyone wants to camp at the airport we will see what arrangements would be needed for that. If we all think we would like food at the airport it might be better to go to Middletown because they have a Big Boy restaurant. I can call Middletown to see their arrangements. This is also the new home of Skyport so maybe it is fitting to go there. If I am allowed I will bring my camper up and stay at the airport in it to great arrivals and take them to their hotel and car rental. I can bring a grill and we will have an informal get together for as many days as we want to plan for. We can car pool to the museum and /or people can go as they please. There are many other Dayton aviation sites pertaining to the Wright brothers, Huffman Prairie, etc to see. I have to admit I have not been to most of these sites but I understand you can spend several days seeing all of it. We can plan some flyout to Sportys, Urbana, my hangar etc. Bring your own tie downs and don't expect a well oiled machine. There will be no convention fee so you will get what you paid for. So who still wants to come?
Kevin1 --- In [email protected], "Ed Burkhead" <e...@...> wrote: > > > > Kevin and everyone, > > > > (Info on organizing and running convention below.) > > > > Posting the information about the convention is messed up, but that's due to > the problematic situation. Those who had volunteered to host the convention > were from Minnesota, if I recall correctly. > > > > In their check-out, they determined it would be too expensive what with > commitments, reservations, high costs, etc. They let us know their thoughts > and we, and especially a few great people (like you, Kevin), wanted to have > the convention anyway. > > > > I'd heard it said the board of directors would make the decision on January > 31. That's today. So, it makes sense it couldn't have been in the January > Coupe Capers which is mostly written in December and usually posted well > before the end of the month. > > > > I was part of the crew for the Iowa National Convention way back when. Here > are some of the things we arranged. > > > > National conventions usually have these things: (don't let this scare you > - more info below) > > * Rooms at a local university and continual shuttle busses. > * A block of rooms reserved at a group rate. Call in for yours before > a certain date to get the group rate. Any not taken by that date revert to > the motel for general use at regular rates. > * A banquet room, caterers, food, etc. for the big banquet. > * Door prizes. Often they try to have a door prize for EVERYONE > there. Lots of door prizes. > * Work with the FBO/airport management > * Have space at the airport, usually an empty or partially empty > hangar for tables inside out of the rain. This is used for meals, resting > out of the sun, seminars and general hangout out. > * Lots of tiedown space. > * Extra tiedown stakes and ropes for those who failed to bring theirs. > (Some flyins with rocky ground can't be penetrated by some anchors. Some > ground is so soft spiral stakes won't hold. Know the conditions. > * Events for non-pilots. These are often tours to local non- aviation > landmarks or shopping centers. > * Events for pilots. Besides poker runs, bomb drops, and spot landing > contests, there are seminars and special pilot-interest side-trips. (i.e. > the aviation museum). > * Transportation shuttles to motels > * Transportation busses to both kinds of tours. > * Ground crew for the airport to direct incoming planes to parking > spaces. (And, someone to measure out and mark parking spaces.) > * Cleanup to police up out messes to we can be good visitors to the > airport. > * Help with fueling is sometimes done by volunteers. > * Registration and taking money. > * T-shirts - creating and selling. Special convention sew-on patches, > ditto. > * Food at the airport. Often breakfast. Always lunch. Sometimes > supper. Often arranged with a local organization that does this as > fund-raising for their club. > > (I think the EOC has a book of advice for organizers. Most groups make a > moderate profit for the EOC between registration and selling stuff. But, > they also often pay for bus or van rental and more stuff.) > > > > As you see, there can be a lot of stuff. Here's what I think is essential: > > > > * Coordinate with the FBO/airport for permission to come. Decide > where to park the planes and mark the rows. It'd be nice to have permission > for some people to camp by their planes. > * Volunteers guide planes to the parking spot. > * Food of some sort at the airport or nearby. Could be packaged. > Could be self-grilled hot dogs (heck, it could be COLD hot dogs). We could > make our own pancakes. Cheese sandwiches. Send someone with a car to > McDonalds. (Google Earth doesn't show anything that looks like a restaurant > within walking distance unless there's food at that fancy swimming pool > complex NW of the hangars. Does the security fence keep us from walking > there?) > * Transport to aircraft museum. > * Restaurant with back room we can have Saturday dinner in. Buffet, > pizza, other - does NOT have to be catered banquet. Wheels to get us there. > [Note that door prizes are NOT required. (Huge number of door prizes often > makes for an almost intolerably boring part of the banquet. Please, please, > please avoid that. If door prizes are done at all, I'd prefer to see fewer > than 10. That's MY humble opinion.)] > * Transport to one or two local motels. People can make their own > reservations. At least one motel is inexpensive enough we don't have to > mess with group rates. > * Optional but very nice to have: Someone who can host a mechanical > seminar. > > > > I think that the actual requirements can be organized by a couple of people. > Volunteers can be from among the attendees. > > > > What do you think, guys and gals? Can you organize a minimal requirements > National Convention? > > > > Ed >
