[20034] in APO-L
Re: summer conventions
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Derek Cashman)
Wed Jan 27 11:07:17 1999
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1999 08:08:36 -0800
Reply-To: Derek Cashman <cashman@YAHOO.COM>
From: Derek Cashman <cashman@YAHOO.COM>
To: APO-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU
The summer convention idea does have some very good points, but it
seems as if the majority on APO-L seems to support the status quo, and
is just in favor of maintaining tradition.
True, having the convention between x-mas and new years is good
because that is when everyone is generally available. But I still
don't see how a summer convention would radically change this. When
would we have it in the summer? If you have it in June or July, you
would have more of a conflict with summer classes. Although this
would be minimized by having the convention in early August, the 1st
or 2nd week. Late August is when classes are starting up again, so
that wouldn't work out too well, but the first too weeks is almost an
ideal holiday in the academic world because summer classes are either
over or winding down, and professors like to take vacation at that
time as well.
I wouldn't think that alumni would play into this in a major way,
mainly because if you request time off long enough in advance, most
employers are willing to work around it. Once alumni establish a
family, they generally want to spend the x-mas holidays with their
families instead, and a convention between x-mas and new year's would
make it a little more difficult.
One other really good argument for a summer convention is weather.
Yes, the temperatures in august are considerably warmer than the
temperatures in december. But look at the roads as well. The odds of
being involved in an auto accident due to slippery roads/ice are
definitely greater in december than in august. I have known a few
brothers that were involved in auto accidents going to or from the
national convention. And I think it's already been mentioned that
airfare is much cheaper during august than december (btw, last year, 0
people died in an air traffic accident). So the safety/transportation
issue seems to favor a summer convention in august.
This may not change anyone's minds, because unfortunately when it
comes to changing tradition, people are so concerned that, "this is
the way it's always been done, and we can't change it." But the
bottom line is that, if it is safer to get to the convention, allows
us for more time to get things done, and is just as easy to plan
around schedules, why not give it a shot? Who knows, an august
convention may actually attract an even larger number of brothers than
a december convention!
I really wish people would be more open minded and at least try it...
==
_________________________________________________________
Derek Cashman (cashman@yahoo.com)
President; Richmond VA Alumni Association
Alpha Phi Omega
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