In case I do not make it, my vote on doing the AKA convention is a no and on the WCW thing if you are confident you can handle it... go for it. Have started seeing the controversies swirling online that threaten the AKA and really do not want to participate further in the fray.

I'm afraid the convention is a done deal. The only question right now is whether we should do WCW. That will depend on whether other people are willing to help.

Barry

I have received a proposal from the Red Lion for use of rooms on the weekend of April 13, 2012. To summarize it they want $94 a night for room PLUS they want $1200 for the use of the meeting rooms to which would be added the standard 22% service fee (thus totaling $1465.

For me, this is unacceptable. We'd lose money and, I suspect at that room rate, attendees.

I called the Clarion. Their rooms are not available on either April 13 or 20 weekends. Bill Stone cannot attend if we have it on the weekend of the 27th and I'd like to accommodate him. The rooms at the Clarion are available for the weekend of May 5. The manager told me she would honor what we had in our contract in 2010, which was $80 room rate and free use of the meeting rooms.

So, what is your feeling about having WCW on May 5. Some might argue that we are competing with the convention but I don't believe that. Not many from the west coast are able to get to the convention anyway and those that would go would probably go to both. I don't believe that having WCW at that time will hurt the convention at all.

Please give me your opinions too sweet.

Barry

Sorry, but the 18th is out for me. I have prior engagements the 17th and 18th. If we have a good summary posted after the fact, maybe we could chime in/volunteer.

May would be great! I have to agree with you Barry about the whole convention conflict. I mean this WCW is really geared towards all us folk that live on this side of the country anyway.

If I am unable to make the meeting in december, I am still offering my design services. I hope that I can attend more meetings in the future.

I can't attend on the 18th, but could on the 17th.

I think WCW on May 5th would work.

Starting the meeting on the 18th at 11:00 is OK with me. I can't attend/host any other day. If you find another host and day that's OK too.

May 5 is a better time for me for WCW because I'll be out of state April 9 - 13. Which also means that I won't be here to help receive fish that week.

I don't think we'll have enough help on WCW without the help of our friends from BC, so it's important that Bill Stone and others attend and I think it will be tight anyway.

Jim G

May 5 would work as well as any other day for me.

I'm not inclined to WCW the same month as AKA as it will mean I have to choose between one or the other and I was half hoping to attend the AKA as it's the 50th anniversary convention and AKA needs the support.

I would prefer we postpone the WCW, it's too risky given how late it is in the calendar, the fact that we can't have it in April, that we'd lose money and that we'll soon afterwards need to get busy for the AKA convention in 2013.

Barry & all,

It will be difficult for me to attend any meetings in the near future. If there is any way to connect via Skype or conference call that would be great. Or if someone would be willing to transfer the topics discussed at the meeting into the forum, we can hash out more details here.

Personally, I do NOT think we should skip WCW this year.

For anyone who doesn't want to help that's fine, but on the flip side don't complain. At that point you don't have the right to.

On that note, I can't do a lot from Bremerton, but something I can do from a distance is take care of the donation requests. I still have all of my contact information from the last time I did it. So let me know if that would help out in any way.

Also, I am willing to help with anything at the show. (Registration included) I won't ask that of Brandy thou because I want him to enjoy the show ;)

I received an email from Bill Johnson and Fred Farner asking for details about the show. Fred and Patti also said that they would like to participate/help out where needed.

Bill Stone and his crew are a huge asset to us! They are fantastic and I agree that we need to do our best to work with their availability.

That is all for now :)
*Jess