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Never been to any homeschool conferences.

Oh, wait ... a few years ago, since we're Baha'is, about 6 or 7 Baha'i homeschool families got together outside Chicago at the Baha'i House of Worship, just for a few hours. That was nice. But not a conference. More like a get-together. :)

I would not attend a religious homeschooling conference, since they probably wouldn't approve of me. Funny thing, now this is really funny, as in coincidence funny :lol:, the night before last, I dreamed that I somehow went to a very Christian homeschooling conference, and I was not liked or approved of one little bit :tongue_smilie: :lol:. It was a bit scary and I was very relieved to wake up. I think it had something to do with the fact that the day before, we'd been disagreeing with someone about the possibility of Sarah Palin becoming the next President :lol:.

Okay ... off to leave this thread before pqr or someone comes after me :leaving: :lol:.

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I haven't been to a conference period, but would not be comfortable at a religious one unless it was liberal and inclusive. My mom was actually going to fly with me to the one in Cincinnati this year but it seemed too religious for me for the money (though I really wanted to see Dr. Perrin and SWB). I just know overall I wouldn't be comfortable.

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who has never been to a religious homeschooling conference?

 

Just wondering.

 

I have never been and I'm "religious." (Although, admittedly, I'm hoping to make one this year for the first time in our 10+ homeschooling career. Now, if only this baby will cooperate!)

 

*Oddly, the entire reason we're hoping to go this year is for the speaker and not actually to see any curriculum at all. :) I wonder if that's normal?

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I have never been and I'm "religious." (Although, admittedly, I'm hoping to make one this year for the first time in our 10+ homeschooling career. Now, if only this baby will cooperate!)

 

*Oddly, the entire reason we're hoping to go this year is for the speaker and not actually to see any curriculum at all. :) I wonder if that's normal?

 

Which speaker do you want to hear?

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I've never been to any homeschooling conference either of any kind.

 

I've never been to any (of any kind) either. I used to want to go to look at curricula, but it never worked out. Now I just don't worry about it since my oldest homeschooler is already a junior in high school and we have college prep plans already figured out.

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I've never been to any (of any kind) either. I used to want to go to look at curricula, but it never worked out. Now I just don't worry about it since my oldest homeschooler is already a junior in high school and we have college prep plans already figured out.

 

We have a large religious homeschool conference in my state (Virginia) and I attend every year, but only buy a shopping pass (this year, it's $20).

 

But...not all curricula is available at a religious homeschool convention! (At least that's the case at this one....others may be different).

 

I can find the traditional secular curricula providers such as Saxon Math, and usually don't have trouble finding English or math programs that I'm interested in, but the science and history curricula available leaves MUCH to be desired if you're a secular homeschooler!

 

I've learned to view history and science programs that I'm interested in online or by finding someone in two of our local homeschooling groups who use the curricula and looking through their materials.

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I've never been to any (of any kind) either. I used to want to go to look at curricula, but it never worked out. Now I just don't worry about it since my oldest homeschooler is already a junior in high school and we have college prep plans already figured out.

 

:iagree:Yep me too. I'm in the same boat. I either never had the money at the time of the conventions, or couldn't take the time off to go (ours are 4 hours away from where I live and are usually a weekend thing) so I never went. But now, we're starting High School next year and we're almost done I don't have the desire to go anymore.

 

I guess I'll be joining ya'll on the HS board soon. :) I'll be coming eager to pick your brains and glean from your wisdom. :)

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I went to the Cincinnati one last year and I'm going to the Memphis one TOMORROW:party:

 

Those are as religious as I can bear (pretty darn, but still including some speakers and vendors I want to see). I would consider going to an even more religious one if it were very close to me - not more than two hours away - and if I could just pop in for free or a reduced price for vendors and/or a used curriculum sale without paying for speakers.

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Well, I'm probably the only atheist who's been to two Christian homeschooling conferences...

 

I went to my first one because I was new to homeschooling. I vowed not to do that again!

 

Then the next year, Susan Wise Bauer was there! I had to go to see her speak. I know I won't have to go again, because SWB is never going back to that one either! (CHEC in Colorado.)

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I have never been to a convention. I have heard that some of the religious conventions make you sign a statement of faith before you can enter.......while we are technically Christian it is against our beliefs to sign a statement of faith.

 

I saw this on a different thread and it surprised me. I've been to several that were sponsored by religiously oriented groups. Some had SoF for the sponsor groups (in the sense that they stated what their faith tenents were, not that you had to agree to join), but I have missed needing to sign one to attend a conference.

 

The only one I can think of that might do this is really more of a parenting, Godly family rearing conference, with maybe a little homeschooling on the side (as in, they aren't even billing it as a homeschooling conference).

 

I guess you hang around long enough, you'll see everything.

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I never thought of going to a local one here just for the vendor hall. The nearest is about 90 miles away, but doable. I have never been interested in our state's two, secular homeschooling conferences - way too unschooling for me based on the workshops offered. I really would love a classical and secular or a nice blend of religious/secular conference out here but it seems both of our state homeschooling organizations cater to the unschooling crowd. (Nothing against the unschooling crowd; it just isn't my cup of tea. And by tea, I mean real drinking tea made with loose herbs. :lol: )

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No and I'm a Christian!! I have had ample opportunities, but I try to stay away! Although, a friend brought back a cd for me of a mom talking about how she included her littles in the homeschool day. It was so encouraging and doable and I loved how special she viewed the preschool years. She had like 13 kids or something and was the real deal loving mommy I want to be and she was FUNNY! I would have liked to have met her in person. Still, the religiosity that can/is found in these gatherings just gets to me. Ugh!

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I've never been to any homeschool conference. It just never occurred to me, honestly. When SWB had the big 10th anniversary of the WTM conference I would have gone, but we had a scheduling conflict. Other than that, I just don't see the need.

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No and I'm a Christian!! I have had ample opportunities, but I try to stay away! Although, a friend brought back a cd for me of a mom talking about how she included her littles in the homeschool day. It was so encouraging and doable and I loved how special she viewed the preschool years. She had like 13 kids or something and was the real deal loving mommy I want to be and she was FUNNY! I would have liked to have met her in person. Still, the religiosity that can/is found in these gatherings just gets to me. Ugh!

 

Sounds interesting. Who was the mom?

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I haven't been to any conferences yet. I'm planning to go to the Northeast HS Conference in Philly because I'm excited about a bunch of the speakers. However, I was looking at the agenda for the Memphis one last night and was surprised by 1) just how MANY workshops and sessions there are! and 2) just how religious the whole thing is. I don't know why I didn't expect it to be as overwhelmingly religious as it actually is. It made me a little wary, but there's at least one workshop per session that I'm comfortable attending, and I'm still excited to see MCT and SWB and several others. The rest I can ignore :D

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Why not?

 

I knew it would be a religious one, that didn't bother me. I just wanted to meet other homeschoolers and attend some of the sessions (and shop the vendors, of course). I went and tried to pay for an entry pass. I was asked for either my homeschool association membership card (as in membership in their HS association) or my church membership verification. I didn't have a church membership, so I asked if I could just join the HSA. They said sure, but membership required one to sign a statement of faith. I couldn't lie, and they wouldn't accept the application without signing that part, so I just went home.

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I've never been to any homeschool conferences. I live close enough to attend CHAP and could probably share a ride to save on gas/parking, and part of me thinks I ought to go this year, just because I could, without needing to tote a baby along. But I'm not much into listening to speakers, and I use mostly free or used curriculum or my library, so I'm not really sure what the purpose of CHAP would be for me.

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I knew it would be a religious one, that didn't bother me. I just wanted to meet other homeschoolers and attend some of the sessions (and shop the vendors, of course). I went and tried to pay for an entry pass. I was asked for either my homeschool association membership card (as in membership in their HS association) or my church membership verification. I didn't have a church membership, so I asked if I could just join the HSA. They said sure, but membership required one to sign a statement of faith. I couldn't lie, and they wouldn't accept the application without signing that part, so I just went home.

 

Wow.

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I've been thinking about attending the Great Homeschool Convention in PA this year, and looked into details as these discussions about conferences have taken place. However, I am really thrown by the presence of two of the speakers at the top of the roster--Ted Tripp, the author and proponent of spanking as a parenting practice, and Ken Ham, the president of the Creation Museum.

 

I understand the need for a plurality of views, but some are so distasteful (spanking, for example) or foreign to me I wonder what it indicates about the general tone/general culture of the event. I'm not afraid of being exposed to new ideas, or learning more about views I don't understand or accept, but I that's not why I'd attend a conference. I also know that there are many talks and workshops to choose from. I notice that many of the speakers' bios address their faith, which signals to me that the "culture" of the event will be of a non-secular nature. Which is fine, but not something I would travel for.

 

And I really would relish a chance to have something of a homeschooling boot camp.

 

I'd love to hear SWB, Puweda, Zaccarro, and a few others. I do know I can take what I need and leave the rest.

 

Thoughts?

Edited by yellowperch
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I knew it would be a religious one, that didn't bother me. I just wanted to meet other homeschoolers and attend some of the sessions (and shop the vendors, of course). I went and tried to pay for an entry pass. I was asked for either my homeschool association membership card (as in membership in their HS association) or my church membership verification. I didn't have a church membership, so I asked if I could just join the HSA. They said sure, but membership required one to sign a statement of faith. I couldn't lie, and they wouldn't accept the application without signing that part, so I just went home.

 

Wow is right. :crying:

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I'd love to hear SWB, Puweda, Zaccarro, and a few others. I do know I can take what I need and leave the rest.

 

Thoughts?

 

This is my plan. I'll only be going to the sessions I want to hear--not the keynotes or worldview or parenting stuff. I'll be alone, so I don't need to think about the sessions the kids are in. I'll be hanging out in the vendor hall, but non-secular materials don't bother me. The rest, I can ignore.

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