How many National Conventions of your GLO have you attended?

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by Always AlphaGam

Atlanta 2001 was my very first Convention. I've also attended the 2004 Centennial in Chicago and 2006 in Indian Springs. MAN -- that was HOT.

I was hoping to attend the one in St. Louis but it doesn't look like it'll be possible. There's always 2014!

1993- Chicago
2001- Atlanta
2004- Chicago
2006- Indian Wells (way too hot)
2008- San Antonio (hot, but not as bad as Indian Wells)
2012- (coming) St. Louis

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

Right, but this year's is double the registration cost from that Convention, and $200 more than the last in Orlando. And the part-time registration is pay per day, which I think is a little different from how they did it in the past. I don't really want to fly to Denver for just two days, and I find the business sessions to be really interesting. So yeah, I just find it disappointing...the costs are out of line, IMO...I mean, I just went on an 11-night Caribbean cruise for $900, and that included all meals and lodging.

Exactly why I haven't gone the years I haven't gone. I've only had one of those paid for by the Fraternity because of the position I held at the time.

Originally Posted by Titchou

So your national organization and alumni chapter don't pay all your expenses as a delegate? Between the two, they will pay for all of mine as alum president.

Originally Posted by Sciencewoman

They pay nothing for an AC chapter. I've always paid my own way, because I hate to take money from our AC for it. The big alumnae chapters have sufficient funds to subsidize their delegate, but it's hard for the smaller chapters like ours. I wonder what other GLOs do? I think one of the reasons it's expensive is that it's a profit-making venture...that's typical for conventions held for non-GLO organizations.

Our ACs have to come up with the funds to send a delegate. I'm in a small one, 5 paying members per year, on average, so they can never afford to send someone. We can't pay $300 a year each so the President can go. Collegiate chapters get some funding for their travel expenses. The list of volunteers whose registrations and travel are paid is getting smaller all the time because of the expense and volunteers get a stipend, but that's becoming pretty small compared to total costs. It's a difficult situation. I know the Fraternity isn't making money from Convention. The hotels charge a lot of money for renting the meeting rooms, the equipment such as projectors, etc., and for meals. If you look at what people are charged for weddings at hotels, and multiply that by a number of meals, a number of rooms, etc., it adds up very quickly. There is a certain level of opulence expected also, which makes it more difficult. Then you add the cost of the clothing you may need to buy for the various occasions and, well, it is a pricey venture.