[CrucialCrimson]

Attended all except one national convention (had a baby that summer) - it was STRESSED to me by the soror/mentor that an annual "Delta Budget" (to cover local, regional and national commitments) of about $1,500 is required (that warning came in the early '80s so it's easily $3000 now ), so I've always budgeted for it - I've also attended about five Delta Days in DC - some years I was able to get my employer to pay for some of it. I was also told not to go just to hang out and be a "pirate" and I have lived by that. Sorors shouldn't be there as spectators, but as FULL participants - I tell sorors now that if they can't afford to register and travel then skip a year and save that money for the following year because it is still costing you money to "hang out"- it's not like you have to pay for everything at the same time, always pay your dues in January, if you wait too late then you are trying to cover dues and registration costs around the same time, register as soon as registrtion opens, put a deposit on your hotel and make your travel arrangements a month or two later and then worry about the final hotel cost!! I don't really practice a "commercial" Christmas, so I start focusing on registration fees for DST and other organizations in December and start rolling them out in January!!