Subject: [Harp-L] Re: New Era of SPAH conventions

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

Mike:
 
I'm with you (and most of us East Coasters agree....we ALWAYS have to  
fly)...never get to drive either to the Mid-west or now to the West Coast  
Conventions...so while everyone else is moderately happy we always seem to come  
up with the short end of the stick.  
 
I'm fairly new to SPAH and the other conventions, but since this will be my 
 9th Convention in a row I think I can have a bit of a say:  it isn't  
'just' the number of people a club has to put on a convention I don't  think - 
if the club members are willing and able, but if they have the  wherewithal 
and expertise to handle a convention of the size of a SPAH...but in  addition 
whether or not the rest of the SPAH membership is willing to come to  the 
East Coast to attend a SPAH. (I've been told enough times that the reason  
SPAH was always in the Mid-West or West is because the majority of the  
membership lived there and refused to travel outside of their comfort  zone. I'd 
love to know if that's true. Perhaps the geography has altered  over the 
years?)
 
Val Redler and Phil Caltabellotta are doing a yeoman's effort to  bring 
back GSHC, but the costs of putting on a SPAH in the New York, New  Jersey area 
might be considerably higher than in other states...although it  could be 
something their club might be willing to look into,  however from the little 
I understand of the process, various clubs  submit their proposals to SPAH 
and have to have a plan as to how many people  they can host, their ability 
to handle and host a SPAH, etc. A new club  just might not be willing to take 
on such a huge task, although I can't speak  for them...I wish they 
would...Maryland too is most definitely appealing to me  since my sister and family 
live there.   
 
Then there's Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia,Washington,  DC?     Most of 
the Florida attendees could drive  up - (or at least get a much easier 
flight than a lot of them have access to  now), and the northern Eastern people 
drive down. It's still a lot  better than a plane flight every year for me, 
and I'd personally be thrilled to  attend a SPAH in any one of those states.
 
Maybe if we Easterners make enough noise, show just how many of us there  
are? So feel free to add my name to your list if you're starting one  <G>
 
Warren's just said Minnesota's  the pick for next year.  Yet  another 
looooong plane flight for us although on the bright side it  will add another 
'never before visited' place for me. 
 
As far as being able to afford it?  I give up  other vacations...make SPAH 
my main vacation sometimes extending it by  taking a few extra days to see 
the sights. I've had to forego the Smooth Jazz  Cruises I've been dying to go 
on for the last 3 years. It isn't the optimum  solution but gets me there. 
It isn't so much the SPAH costs  themselves....more that I have a houseful 
of animals and  the logistics involved getting in a house/pet sitter for my 
time  away as well as having to board a couple of elderly pets with my Vet 
which  becomes difficult to justify doing more than once a year.
 
Elizabeth
 
"Message: 11
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:53:36 -0400
From: Michael  Easton <diachrome@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] Re: New Era of SPAH  conventions
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx


This isn't directed at SPAH or  any one person. Just an emotional  
question.

Why the hell can't  we get a SPAH convention on the East Coast??
Don't the East Coast clubs want  to host it?
Columbus was the closest we came a few years ago.  I was  able to  
attend it because
I did the 9 hour drive from my  house.

I've been a SPAH member for around 11 years. The location  logistics  
make it difficult
to cough up a plane ticket and other  travel expenses for 4 days in the  
midwest or west coast. I don't know  how some of you
are able to afford to attend these every year.  Frequent  flyer miles?   
Gov't bailout money?

I know this came up in  the past and a lot of us were glad to see SPAH  
in Columbus.
A few  of us local players  talked about going to the NJ convention now   
since Buckeye is no longer an option and
SPAH has mostly been out of our  reach.

I would like to see the NJ or VA clubs host it  sometime.   Maybe even  
the new Md. club at some point.
Is  it a volunteer issue with these club?


MIke


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