texascavers Digest 1 Jun 2009 11:28:52 -0000 Issue 766
Topics (messages 10795 through 10800):
Re: Texas borders
10795 by: Mark Alman
Re: TX Convention Daily Schedule
10796 by: George Veni
ICS preregistration
10797 by: Mixon Bill
10799 by: George Veni
Looking for help to give ICS participants a place to stay or a ride!
10798 by: Ann Scott
10800 by: Brian Vauter
Administrivia:
To subscribe to the digest, e-mail:
<[email protected]>
To unsubscribe from the digest, e-mail:
<[email protected]>
To post to the list, e-mail:
<[email protected]>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--- Begin Message ---
>From the NM cavers a little west of here...
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/texas_constructs_u_s_border_wall?utm_source=c-section
Mark
----- Forwarded Message ----
From: John Lyles <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Saturday, May 30, 2009 1:46:31 PM
Subject: [NMCAVER] Texas borders
A little Texas humor....
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/texas_constructs_u_s_border_wall?utm_source=c-section
_______________________________________________
NMCAVER mailing list
[email protected]
http://caver.net/mailman/listinfo/nmcaver_caver.net
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
-----Original Message-----
From: Preston Forsythe [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, May 29, 2009 1:01 PM
To: [email protected]
Cc: Jim Borden
Subject: [Texascavers] TX Convention Daily Schedule
I am curious what is planned for the last day of convention-Sunday, July 26?
-----------------------------------------------------
Preston and all,
The last day of the International Congress of Speleology (ICS) is
traditionally planned for the General Assembly (GA) of the International
Union of Speleology (UIS). This is when commissions that met during the week
present their results, and issues raised and proposals made at the GA at the
start ICS receive final discussion and are voted on. These includes the
presentation of awards, selecting the next UIS Bureau (governing board), and
selecting the site for the next ICS. In theory, the idea is to not have any
other events go on so everyone will have the chance to participate in the
GA. In practice, not everyone is interested in the GA so other concurrent
events occur. What we planned was:
* Vendors open until noon
* Various caving trips
* Cave restoration workshop
* More talks/sessions
On that last item, if an ICS can't squeeze in all of the talks during the
week, some spill over into the last day. This year, though we have over 500
papers to present, we've managed to fit them into the schedule for the
previous days. Having just realized that, as we are finalizing the detailed
schedule (to be released soon), a couple of days ago we decided to open up
Sunday for last minute, unscheduled talks. There are people from around the
world now returning from expeditions and projects with their latest results
(J2 team, are you listening?!). While it is too late to add them to the
formal schedule, we'll hold 2-3 large rooms open for them to give their
talks on Sunday. Potentially, that Sunday could have some of the most
exciting talks of the ICS. We still have some details to work out on this,
but I'll send a general announcement on this new session in a week or two.
To see the latest general schedule, updated a week ago, go to:
http://www.ics2009.us/weeklysched.pdf
George
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Besides the preregistration going up on June 1, note that the deadline
for any preregistration at all is June 7. Why this ridiculously early
cutoff for the convenience of preregistration I have no idea.
--Mixon
---------------------------------------------
He who renders warfare fatal to all engaged in it will be the greatest
benefactor the world has yet known. - Sir Richard Burton
----------------------------------------------
You may "reply" to the address this message
came from, but for long-term use, save:
Personal: [email protected]
AMCS: [email protected] or [email protected]
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
The cut off is June 8th, not the 7th. The reasons are far from ridiculous.
Unlike an NSS Convention, ICS registration has a lot of complications with
dozens of trips, international quirks (like credit card companies declining
charges because they were made out of country without prior approval),
special registration options, translating messages, etc. that often take
huge amounts of extra time. About one third of the registrations we get
mailed or faxed in have errors (no expiration dates for credit cards,
contradictory information, wrong information, etc.). On top of that, we have
the unprecedented issue of refunding and rearranging dozens of registrations
because of trip changes as a result of White Nose Syndrome. Many of these
details and adjustments take 10 or more e-mail messages and phone calls to
correct. The Registration Committee has put in heroic hours to give prompt
and good service, but some of the more complicated issues they need to
resolve require more time when they can focus on them.
More than anyone else, I would love to extend that cut-off date. If things
go well for the Registration Committee, maybe we will extend the date. It
would give us better certainty in planning and ordering materials for the
ICS. But if they can't do it, we won't. We are walking the line between
increasing our certainty in planning while responsibly and correctly
handling funds and key ICS arrangements.
George
-----Original Message-----
From: Mixon Bill [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Sunday, May 31, 2009 8:43 PM
To: Cavers Texas
Subject: [Texascavers] ICS preregistration
Besides the preregistration going up on June 1, note that the deadline
for any preregistration at all is June 7. Why this ridiculously early
cutoff for the convenience of preregistration I have no idea.
--Mixon
---------------------------------------------
He who renders warfare fatal to all engaged in it will be the greatest
benefactor the world has yet known. - Sir Richard Burton
----------------------------------------------
You may "reply" to the address this message
came from, but for long-term use, save:
Personal: [email protected]
AMCS: [email protected] or [email protected]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Visit our website: http://texascavers.com
To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected]
For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Dear San Antonio area cavers---
I'm looking for any folks who are NOT going to the ICS early and who
may be able to pick up some folks at the Amtrak train station and put
them up for a night and then deliver them to the Airport the next
morning for free shuttle transportation? Or, would a volunteer driver
be willing to pick them up that late and bring them to Kerrville?
I have 2 people arriving at 10:25 pm at the Amtrak station on the
evening of Friday the 17th. I also have 4 people arriving the evening
of the 18th at 10:25 pm. If you think you could help out, please
contact me off list ASAP at [email protected] to get more details.
Thanks!
Ann Scott, ICS Airport and Transportation Committees
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
As someone who rides the amtrak system through Texas quite a bit, just
a word of caution for those picking up folks using Amtrak. The line
through Texas is seldom ever on time. It is among the worst in the
Amtrak system for on-time schedules. I have arrived in San Antonio as
much as an hour and a half late, and I have never arrived on time. So
be aware of these conditions.
There is a section on Amtrak's webpage that will give you an updated
schedule for a particular train. And yes, there's even an iPhone app
for that.
And as an aside, even for it's lateness, it is still an incredible way
to travel. You learn to deal with the lateness. I didn't say tolerate,
but you cope. Gotten more books read while riding the train to and
from Dallas. And it's cheap.
Brian Vauter
Sent from my iPhone
On May 31, 2009, at 10:18 PM, Ann Scott <[email protected]>
wrote:
Dear San Antonio area cavers---
I'm looking for any folks who are NOT going to the ICS early and who
may be able to pick up some folks at the Amtrak train station and
put them up for a night and then deliver them to the Airport the
next morning for free shuttle transportation? Or, would a volunteer
driver be willing to pick them up that late and bring them to
Kerrville?
I have 2 people arriving at 10:25 pm at the Amtrak station on the
evening of Friday the 17th. I also have 4 people arriving the
evening of the 18th at 10:25 pm. If you think you could help out,
please contact me off list ASAP at [email protected] to get more
details.
Thanks!
Ann Scott, ICS Airport and Transportation Committees
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Visit our website: http://texascavers.com
To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected]
For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
--- End Message ---
