[20042] in APO-L
Re: summer conventions
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Amy C Masters)
Wed Jan 27 15:50:00 1999
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1999 15:49:53 -0500
Reply-To: Amy C Masters <acmast01@ATHENA.LOUISVILLE.EDU>
From: Amy C Masters <acmast01@ATHENA.LOUISVILLE.EDU>
To: APO-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU
In-Reply-To: <2.2.32.19990127171031.006e338c@camail1.harvard.edu>
As a sectional chair, I have a couple of problems with the idea of a
summer convention:
1. None of my chapters are active over the summer. It isn't feasible for
them since so many brothers go home. However, they all do fundraising for
the trip, and not having that last semester would cut into their funds for
the trip-- which would result in lower attendance. I'm fully aware that
the intention here is to get more chapters to come, but in my experience
brothers who attend the convention have a higher retention rate. So
lowering the number of brothers attending, in my opinion, shoots us in the
collective foot over the long run.
2. Though this is a STUDENT organization, the participation of alumni is
necessary to the workings of the Fraternity as a whole. Having the
convention in summer would cut down on the number of alumni able to
attend, particularly those who work for colleges and universities. Most
of them close between Christmas and New Year's, so these people already
have time off work, which they then spend "working" at convention-- and if
you don't think it's work, ask Jerry Schroeder about running the floor, or
anyone who got subpoenaed to reference committees more than three times.
It also would cut into participation at summer programs like the SRW and
CPW's, which are weekend-long conferences, and take up too much time to be
held at the same time as convention. It would also tax the resources of
the National office, which has to deal with registration for all of the
above events as well. Members of the National Board would almost have to
take the summer off to attend everything that requires their attendance.
3. A third problem is financial. Though air fares tend to be cheaper in
the summer, this could be cancelled out by the fact that hotels would be
more expensive. People travel more in the summer, and hotels would not
have to be as competitive with their prices-- they'll book the rooms
anyway, and with people who are a lot less trouble than a bunch of "rowdy
college students." And if you're choosy enough, and book your flights
early enough, the air fare isn't a problem. I flew Delta out of
Cincinnati for less than $160. it cost less to carpool up with a member
of my staff and leave the car in long-term parking than to fly out of
Louisville. We drove 100 miles, and saved $200 total on the trip.
Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of getting people together over the
summer. It's just that we already have a number of mechanisms in place
for that, and they are vital enough to the running of the Fraternity that
I don't think anything should make them a secondary priority. If actives
have to choose between going to a CPW or going to convention, which do you
think they'd pick?
I think that's about the extent of my complaints, so I'll hop off my
soapbox now...
Sincerely YiLFS,
Amy Masters
Section 67 chair
