So i know that I took TOOOOO many shoes with me to Pitt this past summer and I know that VST was nothing compared to Convention but I highly suggest tennis shoes (for walking) and flip flop/sandals for meetings because Texas will be getting hot by this time of year... not as bad as August/September but it will be warmer than you might think.

Also... I am a laid back kind of girl... I wear jeans 3 out of the 5 days for work. So here is a suggestion for all those sisters like me... what you might consider "casual" is not "casual" at AGD events... at least that is how it appeared to me. So if you think jeans and a t-shirt is casual, step it up a level. Besides shoes, I took too many t-shirts for sure. Think more along the lines of jeans and polo-shirt or forget the jeans all together and go with nice capri slacks and nice casual dress shirt. Just a suggestion from someone who had an eye opening experience last summer.


Speaking of events at convention... I thought they did more workshops than are presented this time. Are they trying to limit "job-specific" workshops for VST years? Or are the workshops/presentations about normal?

So I did some numbers and I could still attend... I would only be 30 weeks along by then so I could still fly and travel. So I don't know... I will see how things go.

Pardon the Interruption
 

I see that you'll be in San Antonio and going to the Knibbe Ranch one night. Our 2004 Convention was there & we had a ball the night we went to the ranch. It was a fun, laid-back casual night.

Best wishes for a great meeting.

Workshops last go round were mainly prior and after convention. Attendance at the ones after convention was sparse, so that idea was nixed this go round. My gatherings as workshops have been created have been that the arrangements for hotel meeting space were made with that idea in mind - hotel meeting space was actually at a premium during convention proper, and I can tell you that resulted in less workshops being offered than were originally planned. There is also a different philosophy in place with the workshops that are offered: much like the new community structure where you see a mixing of alumnae and collegian in roles and responsibilities, most of the workshops are designed to be applicable to collegian and alumnae alike, so that guided the selection of workshops that are being offered this go round, too.

Job specific offerings/discussion one can find at the roundtables, as well as the offerings the day prior to convention. Those topics will be advertised to those who select roundtables as part of the registration process. It was chosen not to include that information in the registration packets because of the information overload that would cause.

Convention is definitely more formal than VLC was. Generally, day time is business casual and evening is dressy. Denim is usually not appropriate (although it's going to be so hot that I can't imagine wearing denim in that heat anyway!).

I agree with Dee - convention dress would be on the dressier side of business casual during the day. White dress and shoes for initiation, and nice dress/semi-formal/formal dress for Feast of Roses - you see all of the above the last night.

The philanthropy walk will be walking clothes... so by my count, that's at least 4 pairs of shoes minimum.

Last convention I managed to get everything into a carry on. Don't ask me how! Sheer determination, I tell you. This convention? Not so much.

I usually screw up my fee by getting blisters, etc. before Convention begins and hobble around the rest of the time so I better not this year!!

Hubby was going to meet me afterwards for vacation but timing is iffy b/c we put the house up for sale yesterday and he wants another job.

Still planning on flying out of Bham..just haven't figured out the day and time (prob Wed.). One of the advisors wants to share 2 per room but I told her I could only afford the 4 per room price since I'm paying for it myself. Not sure if an extra collegiate is going: (she'll prob have to pay the majority of funds herself). So far, it's the CA, CP, me and prob the FA.

The shoes I wore the first day last time gave me horrendous blisters on day 1. The other pair of shoes I had brought for both day time and some evenings also rubbed on those same blisters. I could barely walk at times last time. It was awful. This year, I'm shoe shopping earlier and more carefully.

yes, me too :).... but what a great excuse!

I got my plane tickets today, Northwest airlines, Jun. 17-24 (arriving a day early and leaving a day late), Detroit to San Antonio, non-stop for..... (drum roll) $229!!!!!!!!!

Just booked tickets for about $285.

The Atl airport is 20 minutes from my house but tickets would be about $200 more!!

Travel from Bham to Dallas to SA and back on the 18th -23th. Thought about staying that extra day, but didn't want the extra hotel cost

Accidentally booked to return the 27th b/c hubby was originally planning to go and I didn't realize that I made a mistake until I emailed someone my plans:eek: Thankfully, Expedia was able to do a 1 time courtesy cancellation. Otherwise it would be at least $130 extra in penalties.

Audrey emailed, looking for a roomie for Convention. I referred her to you!

My hubby and I love our bed so much that it is hard for us to go on vacation. We have to have king size because other than a beach... why leave home?

Of course, now that I've made my plane reservations to drive from Atl to Bham and then fly, today Airtran announces that in June, it will start having Atl-San Antonio flights!:mad:

ah - God Bless Air Tran! And you, too, AGDLynn for alerting me to the new fare!

Because of y'all I was able to get a ticket on Delta for $179!

So much better than the $460 it was yesterday.:D

You can give me my commission at Convention. ;)

Just thought I'd mention that Convention is less than 3 months away :)

And I mailed my registration this morning!

I'm biting the bullet and decided to go with AirTran. I know that there will a penalty but it will be worth in time-saving and gas$$ saving.

I love convention season!

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. will be in Orlando in July. I am too excited for this is my first convention!

So I now know that traveling this summer is out... I just spent three nights away for work and I am wiped out. Hopefully in two years, I will finally be able to go!

We'll let you know as soon as we can where we'll be in two years! It's kind of nice to know that even if you can't make it one year, there will be another one!

I'm hoping it's somewhere I can drive in less than 8 hours, lol.

Are there any advisors out there looking for a roommate for convention? Please let me know. I would love to share costs. Thanks!

Have you tried contacting Deanna C. at IHQ? Or the Marriott itself?

I want to go to Convention SO BAD and VandalShyster and I are both in terrible need of a vacation. I had planned to attend a particular archaeology field school this summer that would not only be affordable, but flexible enough to allow me to attend Convention. Now that is up in the air and I may not get my field school, but if I do get an alternative one it may be during Convention.

I'd much rather be in a nice air conditioned hotel with my sisters in San Antonio than digging up a stinky old mammoth with people who may not be showering on a regular basis :( Srsly, I should have picked the field school in the British Virgin Islands with cabins on the beach and a cook.

ETA: It is almost confirmed I'll be on a dig during Convention :(, I'll know by May 1st at the latest. I've already been in touch with a sister in the departure area, and I'll bring some sort of paraphernalia in the event I make an amazing discovery and pictures are taken. I will be sleeping outdoors, so send me good thoughts from your air conditioned and running water equipped hotel rooms.

Shuttle Question
 

Okay, so I called to make a reservation and she said I didn't need a reservation that I could just buy a ticket at the airport.

So...how do we get to use the Web Coupon. I know it's only $2.00 but I have a feeling I'll need something to drink to cool down while waiting...and yes, I'm talking about a Coca-Cola..(Lord, I hope that' s not Pepsi Country.:p)

San Antonio is still the South, Lynn, albeit west of the Mississippi. We can only pray they honor their heritage :D. Maybe they even have larger-than-life-Texas-sized bottles of Coke?!
Ah, we digress...

One of the things I had to ditch from my suitcases on the way to Chicago, when I found out I couldn't check baggage on the train, was a 12 pack of Diet Pepsi! I most definitely hope some Pepsi products are available in that hotel!

Appreciation Roses are embroidered red and buff rose stickers that people can place on their nametags. They come with a card where you can write a note to the sister you're giving the appreciation rose to.

You can order them now, or you can purchase them at Convention. It is fun to give the Appreciation Roses to sisters during Convention. Some sisters get so many you can barely see their name on their nametag! I loved receiving them too...I'm geeky and I've saved the notes and my nametags as convention mementos.

I'm so sad that I can't attend this year. I really wanted to go. :(

I am SO pumped for Convention!! This is my first time getting to go and several people from my chapter will be present as well as the Junior Circles and Alumnae Chapter people from Charlotte. This is definitely going to have to be my "vacation" for the year!

Alpha Gamma Delta Convention 2008! San Antonio!.

(That's the name if you want to search.) Pm me if you need help, lol.

Of course, there's a Facebook group!:D

Ahh...facebook another great internet site to spend any existing free time I have... and yes...I am part of that group!

I was asked to be the flag bearer for Alpha Psi Chapter, Ferris State, a resolved chapter in Michigan. I'm very excited :)

WAY COOL!
 

:cool:

Dee,
For those of us not attending, can you post Convention Pictures (hmmm...looks like another thread)

If they use the same service as last time (or a similar one) the professional ones will all be available online! I will try very hard to take lots of pictures and share them but I do tend to get so busy that I forget to take my camera out. Between all of us who are going, I'm sure we'll have a good selection!

MB: I think I have 3 places to be at once during flag bearing rehearsal, but I'll just have to juggle. I think two of the three things end at 5 and flag rehearsal starts at 5. Note to self: Comfortable shoes are a must that day!

Mr./Ms Jury Person, could you please excuse my hubby early from jury duty. He has to pick me up from the airport 3 hours before the end of your day.:p

T - 22 days.

T - 20 days before I get on a plane :).

I found out today that I might be needing to pack an LCD Projector. Anyone want to imagine how that might fit in my luggage?

In your carry-on? Seriously, you might have to ship some of your stuff to the hotel if you're going to pack an LCD.

ETA: I think I need to print out a couple day planner pages for Convention. I truly think that I'm triple booked, more than once... I have now been asked to be a Deputy in the Epsilon Pi ceremony and there is a rehearsal that goes along with that also!

ETA (again!): I changed my flight so I'll be leaving SA on the 23rd instead of the 24th. My time off bank was going to be too dangerously low if I took that extra day off. The change in flight cost less than the hotel for the extra day would have, so I guess I saved money too.

Seriously - I'm so in touch with that it isn't even funny. And I'm betting I may have just triple/quadruple booked you with an email I sent you!