[20045] in APO-L
Convention Timing
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Scott Begin)
Wed Jan 27 20:29:47 1999
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1999 19:05:10 -0600
Reply-To: Scott Begin <sbegin@MCS.NET>
From: Scott Begin <sbegin@MCS.NET>
To: APO-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU
In-Reply-To: <199901271005.EAA06243@Mailbox.mcs.net>
There has been a lot of discussion on this topic as of late, I have seen
some points not being discussed.
Many people have suggested that having a summer convention would be easier
for some people to make. That may be true, but as some people have
suggested that having it in May or June, because it is after most schools
are done and before most summer type stuff starts up.
Unfortunately, it isn't quite that easy. Even within Region 6, there is
almost a 2 month span between when chapters end their normal academic year.
Some of the earliest out include Eastern and Western Michigan (both end
the last week of April, if I remember correctly) and stretching to the
University of Chicago, ending about June 15. If you try to schedule a
convention anywhere during this time, you are going to have that convention
fall during someone's Exams somewhere. For those that say they can miss a
week of school for APO, let me ask, were you ever away from school for non
academic reasons during your Finals week???
OK, so you decide to have it Mid June / July. Now, you are smack dab in
the middle of summer jobs (where you usually can't get / afford vacation),
summer school (where missing a week of school is closer to missing 2-3
weeks of classes), and other conflicts.
OK, let's try having it just before you get back to school. Again, you
have a 2 month period where people are heading back to school, from Early
August to Late September. Yes, you can get away from school, but for a lot
of people, financially this is a bad time (I just paid tuition, books,
security deposit, rent, and utility hook up, I can't afford to go
anywhere), even if the time doesn't conflict with classes. If the
convention falls during the move in week before classes start, it can be a
problem for some people (I liked having time to get stuff moved in, play
the drop and add game, get books/supplies, arrange job schedule before
classes started). If the convention falls during the first week of classes,
that can cause problems when you consider that in some classes, if you miss
the first week of class, you will be lost.
Another point to consider is momentum. With the December convention, not
only is the problem of academic conflicts removed (most schools get at
least 2 weeks break at the holidays), but because the convention is so soon
after school takes a break, you can keep promoting up to the end of school
(for those late deciders), do last minute travel arrangements (especially
for those driving), and be available to give registration info to those who
decide to attend at the last minute.
In the summer, if you have to schedule it late enough to not interfere with
anyone's finals, for a number of chapters, you have a month or more where
you can lose that momentum. In addition, I've seen brothers who don't know
when they leave school what there schedule will be like in 6 weeks (It was
a more common problem than you might imagine) and wouldn't commit to going
(and when they are ready to commit, they can't get in touch with someone).
Another point, when there is a month or more break from the end of the
school year, is that many chapters wind things down toward the end of the
year (even if they don't change officers), and may not be enthused about
planning for a summer convention. Yeah, I don't like it to happen, but
I've seen it happen in many chapters.
I pledged in Spring 1988, and have made 3 out of 6 conventions since then.
I didn't make Denver in 1988 due to lack of finances (and I expected
Chicago would get the 1990 convention, which was much closer. It didn't
happen).
I didn't make the 1994 convention due to my inability to get vacation at
the right time (At my job, one out of four of us could be gone on
Thursdays/Fridays. One guy always took vacation in December to watch his
kids, locking me out of the time slot).
I didn't make the 1998 convention due to finances (really couldn't afford
it), vacation (I wasn't going to commit to airfare if I was possibly
changing jobs and not having the vacation time available. Previous
constriction on people on vacation wasn't a factor due to my promotion,
additional staff, and procedure changes that required less people), and
family issues (my sister was coming home for Christmas from Tokyo for the
first time in 10 years.
My office stays open between Christmas and New Years (and will until the
New York Stock Exchange closes during that time), even though it has been
increasingly dead that week, both in terms of skeleton staff and few
customers buying or using our stuff.
In general, with my current job, it is much easier to take vacation in the
summer time (and I can usually take it on shorter notice without problems)
than in December. That may change at some point in the future, if I change
jobs.
There are probably as many people who have problems scheduling summer
vacations as people scheduling Christmas vacations (and the occasional
people who have both problems).
We can debate it as long as we want, but no matter when we schedule stuff,
we will have people with conflicts. This is a good thing, as it indicated
how diverse we are that people have other things going on besides APO, even
if it doesn't seem that way at times. I think the idea is to maximize
chapter representation. The best way to do that is to schedule the
convention when there are minimal important (read academic is the most
important) conflicts. That calls for a Christmas to New Year convention,
love it or leave it.
Yours in LFS,
Scott Begin Epsilon Beta Alumnus, Central Michigan U.
Sec. 48 Staff Zeta Gamma Scouting Advisor Emeritus, Valparasio U.
sbegin@mcs.net Gamma Sigma Scouting Advisor, U. of Chicago
