Convention 2011
 

As many of y'all know, I made a promise years ago that, if my chapter ever was a serious contender for the Golden Lion Award, I would go to Convention for the first time. And... it is! So, I don't know if I'm going to the whole thing or for just part of it, but if anyone has a schedule, I'd love to hear about it - especially the Awards Dinner (or whatever it's called) and when they have the "new products" available. I'd also like to meet up with the rest of the GC sisters who will be there, and also some of the Badge Trend ladies.

So, does anyone have plans?

I have yet to go to one myself, but would love to this year... The only problem is that I will have a baby that is only about 11 weeks old at the time...

honey, you know you're going to have to carve out some time for the AZ contingent of Badge Trends, right?

honeychile, I would LOVE for you to be able to attend the Convention! Hope it works out.

That & the Golden Lion would be my reasons for going! Pray that I can swing this financially!

I think I'm going this year. Saturday should be the day to attend, if you're picking -- that's when the big awards banquet is. And if your chapter gets Golden Lion, they invite all the alumnae present to come up and receive it -- I got to do that last Convention and it was great!

I can't wait to see the details! The chapter's trying so hard to get as many Alpha Iotas there as possible - pluse I need to see my Badge Trands posse!

Just mentioned it to hubby. We have to figure out the budget for this year's wanted vacations though. We'll see if I can swing it or not.

Convention is awesome! I'm so thrilled that you will be coming Honeychile. I cannot wait to meet you!!!!!

Wednesday is opening banquet. This is nice, it is semi-formal. You will get a gift from the Phoenix Alumnae Association (in 05 it was dream catchers, my idea I rock!). There will be a toast, the blessing, dinner, probably a tribute and then a speaker. Before opening banquet, you get to meet grand council. It's kind of cool. I kind of forget "their still my sisters" because they are in these "high" positions.

Thursday: Philanthropy lunch- awesome, all about RMH, you can't go wrong. Thursday night is Diamond 4-point awards. Sometime during this day is the parade of the flags (where you were all white). I believe voting is also done on this day as well (for voting participants).

Friday: Alumnae and Old Timers dinner. AWESOME. They do the anniversery (spelling isseus) awards (10-25-50 years of membership), you do the convention song. That is so fun to see who has been to the most conventions. Most will sit down after the first one. I will get to stand for 3, I feel special :D. Oh the old timers you tend to dress for the theme.

Saturday: Panhellenic luncheon, Diamond Awards banquet. The formal dinner. The one and only time that you get to wear your pin with a formal dress. After all the awards you light the "candle" (a flashlight) and they call the roll. When your chapter is called you turn on the flashlight and stand. It's very cool, but I'm at the end of the list, (my collegians even further than me on the list). We then head outside and do the adpi sing along.
I believe on this day they do initiation. Each time I've gone, I've actually seen women initiated into Omega Alpha (the AI's). I'm sure they'll have AI's for this one. It's more a Q&A. It's supposed to show the collegians (and advisors) HOW initiation should be running. You get to see grand council performing it, so it's pretty cool.

Friday afternoon is on your own. They might set up activities for you to do as groups. The hotel is super close to the biltmore area of phoenix. The biltmore area has an AMC theaters, shopping, a cheesecake factory. I know I'm renting a car, but I'm not sure what I'll be doing that day.
There's malls, the zoo's, museums, it just depends on what you want to do.

Definitely will have to arrange a GC Adpi gathering.

When do they do the 10-25-50 year ceremonies? Please tell me it's not Friday afternoon! How about the Golden Lion day?

Doh! I just realized that ADqtPiMel answered me about the Lion!

They do the ceremonies on Friday evening (according to the program from 07 that I have in a scrapbook).

I will be there with the chapter that I advise. I am SO looking forward to it!

For those of y'all who have attended recently, without airfare, how much would you budget?

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can either A: go as the advisor for the chapter I advise or B: swing this one financially - we'll see what happens.

Honey, I think last time ('07) was about $800 for full-time attendees (which basically covers all "events", meals, convention business/workshops (if you're not a voting delegate), etc. There's parttime registration, which I think was about half that, but then you add in the meals you want to attend (I may have some of these details a little off - blame a VERY hectic and stressful work week).

Hope this helps!

I can't believe Convention is like a month away. I'm so excited.

I am going and am very excited!!!

I still don't know for sure if I'm going or not -- hopefully I am!

I can't go (my husband doesn't have time off of work cause he only started this job a few months ago, so no one to watch the girls) :-( But you all have a wonderful time.

SO bummed to miss Convention again this year, but I'm hoping the next one will work out :)

Have fun, GC sisters attending - and *please* try and take a GC group picture (that's always the best part to see on here :))

So far it's me, Lady Pi, Azureblue, possibly ADqtPiMel and while she doesn't post to often WLFEO.

Convention is only two weeks away! I am SO excited, and my collegians are thrilled to be going.

What's everyone doing on the free afternoon?

Also, the Leadership Consultants have a blog about Grand Convention, and it says that the opening banquet is "nice sundresses", but in the registration packet it says semi-formal. I bought a VERY cute ADPi themed sundress, but also bought a new semi formal dress. Each dress could easily work for another day, I just can't decide which one to wear the first day!! I don't want to be under dressed, but it would be the perfect opportunity to show off my "ADPi" dress. Any advice from people who have been before?

I am so excited!!

If you haven't seen the blog that LadyPi referred to, it is here:

http://alphadeltapigrandconvention2011.blogspot.com/

I will be spending the free afternoon at the pool! I can't wait :)

Hi ladies! I usually lurk around here, but I was wondering the same thing about the sundress comment on the convention blog. I have been to several conventions and I have always considered the opening banquet as cocktail or little black dress attire. Despite the "sundress" comment on the blog, I think this is still what you will see most ladies wearing.

When the blog says sundress, I think she means a dressy summer dress... like something you would wear to a party or wedding, not a day dress. I'm afraid this might be a little confusing for the collegians who may interpret sundress to mean a more casual dress.

I'm probably overthinking this, but I tend to do that when it comes to clothes!

Officially one week until Grand Convention!

Lessie- Glad to have another ADPi on the boards! I am definitely wearing a dressy dress and not a sundress. I would always rather be over dressed than under dressed! Plus I got a letter from our DTD and she said semi-formal, or LBDs.

I've been really strict with myself this summer, and I think I have enough to buy the Crown Turquoise badge!!

We need to get a GC picture!

Opening banquet is usually considered semi-formal. I'm wearing a LBD.

I second this!

We should pick a day and time to meet for pictures.

What about Friday for the picture?

I have not been able to sleep well for a few days because I am so excited! Luckily I won't have to worry about sleeping tonight, I have to leave for the airport at 4am, which means I have to be up at 2am, which means I'm just going to stay up, haha!

P.S.- I am definitely ready to stimulate the economy on this trip!:p

I'm not going after all -- but I hope everyone has a lovely time in Phoenix!

Received a message from ASUADPi last night, and got the chance to quickly talk with WLFEO on the phone (as well as ASUADPi) the night before....next convention location has been announced!!! :)
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Dallas! (I guess I better start saving now, because missing two conventions has stunk!)

A friend of mine represented Chi Omega at your Panhellenic Luncheon yesterday. She said it was fabulous! You have "flags" representing the other NPC groups?! Cool.

Why wasn't I born rich?! I just found out tonight that my chapter, about whom I once said, "Well, they're now masters of their own destiny" after a disappointing recruitment, who was once known as "the little chapter that could" won the Golden Lion!!! Congratulations to Alpha Iota!! They worked HARD for that Lion!! They were one of 13 Chapters to receive the Golden Lion, and one of only three new inductees.

When I heard that they'd received it, my heart went out to you, Honey - I *know* how much you wanted to be there! :(

Congrats to your chapter, and all of our Golden Lion chapters!

Seriously, I started to cry! With joy, of course!

Back from convention and recovering :) It was a packed one where we lost our free afternoon due to all the business that needed to be conducted :) But so happy to see sisters and get my violet rejuvenated :)

Congratulations on your new office - we're very proud of you!!

Seconded! Congratulations, adpideltaup (and our other lovely sisters for all your work leading our sisterhood into the future!) :)

I thought of you when it was announced. I knew how much you wanted to be there.
They did an excellent job presenting Alpha Iota with the award. They talked about how the chapter struggled and it was essentially through blood, sweat and tears that now they were receiving Golden Lion.

Okay everyone start saving for Dallas. I expect all of y'all to be there ;)