Thank you SWB (Brave Writer Content)

[kristinannie]

I have to say that I was very disappointed with the Greenville convention this year. My husband and I are new homeschoolers and my parents live in Greenville so it is really convenient for us to attend. Last year there were wonderful speakers and booths. This year there were still a few wonderful speakers, but not nearly as many. The exhibit hall was also a little disappointing. The attendance was WAY down.

 

I love going to these conventions because I like to actually see the curricula before purchasing (I have spent a lot of wasted money on things I have just seen samples of). I don't like that they are limiting who can come to the conference. I also don't like any conference that makes vendors sign a statement of faith. I was told I would have to sign a statement of faith to work at our pro-life center here and I couldn't do it. I am Catholic and would have to deny my religion to sign it.

 

The state of education in our country is terrible. Many people homeschool because of that. Others homeschool because of religious reasons. Some people, myself included, homeschool for both reasons. We are such a small (albeit growing) minority. I don't see why we can't all stick together and help each other out. I don't understand why things have to get so ugly.

[KnitWit]

I am a Christian, but I resent any curriculum provider or conference speaker assuming that unless THEY tell me what to believe, how to dress, how to parent, what to eat, whether my kids should go to college or not, how my kids should go about finding a spouse, etc. etc. then I won't be able to discern those things for myself.

 

I have not attended a conference in years. I just refuse to pay the money to anyone who thinks they can filter ANYTHING *for* me. *I* get to choose whom I want to hear from and whom I want to pass on...not anyone else.

 

I would LOVE to attend a conference that credited ME with some intelligence and knowledge of MY family and offered me a SMORGASBORD of speakers/materials from which to choose with only one rule...it all HAS to be centered on ACADEMICS. No religion. Honestly. Live out your OWN religion. Show it in the way you behave. You don't have to trumpet it or cram it down people's throats. Live it and we'll all know.

 

Please...give me ACADEMICS to choose from (I own a Bible already and attend the church of my choice), tools to teach from, skills to teach with.

Edited April 20, 2012 by MSPolly

[Kathryn]

ITA with SWB's comment on her blog post:

 

But conferences seem, increasingly, less focused in education and more on lifestyle: whether that’s back-to-the-earth, drop-out-of-the-system, or build-God’s-kingdom-through-home-schooling. Check out the workshop offerings at your nearest conference, and look at the percentages: how many of the workshops are dedicated to teaching and learning? and how many focus on parenting, marriage issues, family dynamics, church matters, theology, bread-baking, organic gardening…?

[1pageatatime]

I know, second post, but I'm legit.;)

 

It is incredibly outrageous the WAY in which GCH went about their weeding. Ignoring JB's phone calls for the application for months, then receiving a vague rejection letter, signed " The GCH." :confused:

 

Hats off to SWB.:)

[A.Balaban]

ITA with SWB's comment on her blog post:

 

That. And her comment about not planning on attending conferences for the 2013 convention season. I don't think she quite cares if GHC doesn't invite her back next year.

 

Thank you, SWB! WTG.

[melissel]

Ugh, I'm just seeing this. I'm so disappointed, but not terribly surprised anymore. I was still on the fence about attending Hartford, but this is the nail in the coffin for that decision. I will also write and tell them why. While I'm an atheist and a secular homeschooler, I'm willing to ignore quite a lot when attending HS conventions. But not this. I give up.

 

I'm sad that I already own what I need from Julie. I'd buy it now if I didn't! And while I've been looking for a used copy of WWS to save a few bucks, I'm going to order from PHP instead now. Thanks for standing up for what you believe in, Susan.

[Mommyfaithe]

Wow. just wow. Has anyone else read email from Brave Writer regarding the Mid-West Convention? Julie Bogart/ Brave Writer was not invited back to the Mid-West (Great Homeschool Conferences) this year. The email said that Susan has invited her to be in the WTM booth and share product samples, though she is not permitted to sell at the conference. Thanks, Susan, for continuing to be a voice of sanity when these strange, inconsistent decisions are made.

 

Seriously??? Julie Bogart is one of the most gracious homeschool moms I have ever had the pleasure to do business with, and it is because of her writing classes that my dd found her writing voice.

 

Susan, I always knew this about you, but I will say it again, and again, and again: YOU ROCK!!!!!!!!

[ELaurie]

Here's a link :001_smile:

[eschuetter]

Wow. Not sure i'll be going back next year. Wish there was a better option near Cincinnati. GHC's website says they do not 'filter' their presenters/exhibitors. Not sure I believe that.

[Colleen in NS]

Here's a link :001_smile:

 

That whole story is so sad, esp. the sense of not belonging, after putting herself/family/company at risk again.

[SonshineLearner]

I'm curious about how her posts are "Un Christian".... I understand them not supporting her as a Speaker, if they are Christian (Christ followers) and she does things like.... I don't know.... is going against one of the major Christian points. I wonder if they look at everyone's personal blogs. Again, I wonder what was so horrible :( (And actually kinda wonder if they are right; generally public speakers/people don't post anything that would cause them loss of profit :()

[SonshineLearner]

How did Handwriting Without Tears get in?? There are all sorts of people on the list who don't seem to be specifically Christian.

[kathkath]

I didn't see Moving Beyond the Page there this year. Does anyone know about that?

[Farrar]

How did Handwriting Without Tears get in?? There are all sorts of people on the list who don't seem to be specifically Christian.

 

I assume it's because it's a larger company without a single front person who can be picked apart and scrutinized. Also, because things like this are inevitably random, cliquish, nasty, personal, and... so forth.

[ksr5377]

I wouldn't go to the convention if it wasn't in my backyard, well, okay, a 20 minute drive from my backyard. I would love to go to a convention that is in Northeast Ohio, but I can't justify it with this one right at home. I hope the people at GHC get their <ahem> Stuff together.

 

I WILL be checking out Bravewriter. I need a new writing program. I purchased the one from Memoria Press, but I can return it if I find something I like better ;)

 

 

What convention is in northeast Ohio?

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Wow, that is unbelievable. I haven't attended a convention but I sure as heck won't attend a GHC now. I am devoutly Christian Catholic that is pretty darn conservative FWIW.

 

I don't think that I saw any vendor selling explicitly Catholic materials (though I'm willing to be corrected as I didn't hit every aisle).

 

And I was very offended by the Chick Tract catalog in the goodie bag that included books explaining how Catholics were not Christians. In Cincinnati of all places, to be including a catalog like that was very off putting. (And is probably an indication of why Kolbe wasn't in a booth.)

 

I did see one woman in Islamic dress and wondered what she made of it all.

[mommymilkies]

I don't think that I saw any vendor selling explicitly Catholic materials (though I'm willing to be corrected as I didn't hit every aisle).

 

And I was very offended by the Chick Tract catalog in the goodie bag that included books explaining how Catholics were not Christians. In Cincinnati of all places, to be including a catalog like that was very off putting. (And is probably an indication of why Kolbe wasn't in a booth.)

 

I did see one woman in Islamic dress and wondered what she made of it all.

 

I also saw her. It made me glad to see diversity there. I hope she was treated well. I was also very offended by those anti-Catholic materials. I am not Catholic, but was raised that way by a stepfather for awhile and I have a great respect for the religion (it's one I've considered going back to for years). Especially in Cincy with SO many Catholics, it was very distasteful. That wasn't the only anti-Catholic thing I got there as a freebie. I threw them away as soon as I got them, though.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

and I also think we oughta' fill the inboxes at GHC to overflowing with requests to invite Julie Bogart to return next year ;)

 

I have some definite opinions about the GHC. I have enjoyed the last two years, but am tired of the judgement about who is XX enough to participate. I found that about a third of the workshops were worldview, world origins and parenting topics that just weren't the point of my driving 10 hours each way to attend.

 

My plan is to write up my observations and comments and send it not only to the convention organizers, but to the vendors I purchased from. I'm hoping that if vendors realize that these attitudes may affect the number of available customers, they might exert some influence on the convention and/or choose to support a homeschooling convention circuit that is more about homeschooling.

 

I may even note how much I spent over all at the convention. (When I went over to Dr. Carol Reynolds' booth, Janice Cambell was there. She recognized my friend and I and quickly moved over with a smile and a comment about what good shoppers we were. :D)

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Oh, imagine... a conference with Susan, AND Julie, AND MCT, AND Jim Weiss, AND Peter Enns, and...

 

*swoon*:001_wub:

 

Lukeion and Kolbe and Art of Problem Solving.

[SonshineLearner]

As someone who is YE, probably agrees with the viewpoint on YE that Ken Hamm has... I think that this is crazy. I've wanted, for year, for our HS Conference in PDX Oregon to be "Home Education" focus, instead of "Keep your kids out of Public School Focus". I would be driving to WA if they still had SWB and Pudewa and others who I would love to hear...

I can listen to liberal Christians, secular, and others... without thinking that they are right about...Everything!!

I am interested in the 2nd step of home education. "Now I have them home, how do I actually educate them." I am so not interested in... "My kids are homeschooled and so they are so much smarter than public schooled children."....

Believe me, I'm sick of we are better than them.... philosophy... that happens in so many situations.

:(

[Colleen in NS]

... the Chick Tract catalog in the goodie bag that included books explaining how Catholics were not Christians.

 

Seriously??? They were handing this out in an official convention goodie bag??? I didn't even know these tracts were still around! I can't believe they did that there!!!!!!!!!!! What is the point of giving these out at a home education convention?

[Farrar]

The Chix Tract thing just completely puts a final nail in their legitimacy coffin, doesn't it? I mean, really.

[Susan Wise Bauer]

I agree with Colleen. As I just posted on the spinoff thread, I was not aware that the Chick Tract catalog was in the welcome bag until *today*. I'm appalled that I was in any way (even indirectly) associated with this, and I'll be following up with GHC immediately.

 

SWB

[SonshineLearner]

Is there a Chick cartoon about Homeschooling? Hmmmmm

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

I have some definite opinions about the GHC. I have enjoyed the last two years, but am tired of the judgement about who is XX enough to participate. I found that about a third of the workshops were worldview, world origins and parenting topics that just weren't the point of my driving 10 hours each way to attend.

 

My plan is to write up my observations and comments and send it not only to the convention organizers, but to the vendors I purchased from. I'm hoping that if vendors realize that these attitudes may affect the number of available customers, they might exert some influence on the convention and/or choose to support a homeschooling convention circuit that is more about homeschooling.

 

I may even note how much I spent over all at the convention. (When I went over to Dr. Carol Reynolds' booth, Janice Cambell was there. She recognized my friend and I and quickly moved over with a smile and a comment about what good shoppers we were. :D)

 

I completely agree. I found it interesting that the majority of the folks I would consider focused on classical or rigorous education programs and texts were grouped in one corner together. While this was convenient for me, I would have rather had more exercise going from booth to booth than feeling that everyone interested in this type of product had been herded into one corner.

 

Many of the vendors in that corner were more than happy to spend and extended period of time discussing their wares, their educational philosophies and answering my multitude of questions in general. They probably need to know how much I value their product, their time, and their presentations. They also need to know that the behavior of the convention organizers will put me off attending future conventions and it may change how I do business with them or if I hear of any new or revised products.

 

Seriously??? They were handing this out in an official convention goodie bag??? I didn't even know these tracts were still around! I can't believe they did that there!!!!!!!!!!! What is the point of giving these out at a home education convention?

 

They most certainly were there and were as offensive as can be imagined. It bothers me that no one thought it might be a bad idea to include this as a free gift. (In light of SWB's post while I was typing I should add that I am commenting on the convention organizers and not the vendors and speakers who may not have known nor had any control over the situation.)

 

IMHO, polarizing an event this large never works out well in the end. I think the polarization was evident in the speaking schedule and organization of the vendor hall. I'm glad some of the vendors and speakers are making all of this public. I appreciate their honesty in the face of how it might affect their business.

Edited April 24, 2012 by JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst

[Colleen in NS]

I agree with Colleen. As I just posted on the spinoff thread, I was not aware that the Chick Tract catalog was in the welcome bag until *today*. I'm appalled that I was in any way (even indirectly) associated with this, and I'll be following up with GHC immediately.

 

SWB

 

:bigear:

[dangermom]

:svengo: SERIOUSLY?? Somebody put Chick tracts and anti-Catholic materials in the bags??

 

Now I'm really glad that I couldn't afford to go to the Long Beach GHC. I had been feeling a little wistful about it (despite the kerfuffle echoes) since it's the last chance to hear SWB speak for a couple of years. Susan, I'll be buying some audiofiles instead.

 

I cannot even express how outrageous and horrifying that is.

[stripe]

For me, and I think for many, if not most, of the people on this board, be they Christian or not, one of the central purposes of homeschooling is to teach our children to think for themselves and turn a critical eye on the world around them. This black and white, my way or the highway attitude is antithetical to that. Thus it doesn't really surprise me that there will always be factions of some sort.

 

But I think a fair number of people hs to keep their kid in a safe bubble, without talk of anything that might offend or conflict with their views.

[lauracolumbus]

I'm just flabbergasted. First the Julie Bogart flap, and now the Chick Tract. I had no idea what this was. I had a fellow Catholic ask me afterwards if I had received one in my bag. I hadn't. I didn't know what they were until now. They are VILE.

 

As much as I and my kids love the Cincy Conference I can never go back unless GHC does something major to make amends. Ugh.

 

BTW, Seton had a booth at the Conference.

 

I have noticed in the past couple of years that most speakers interject some aspect of 'worldview' when it is not appropriate as if they have to check that box for the powers that be.

 

I'm very sorry about all this b/c I thought that there were more educational opportunities this year than last. Maybe b/c I went to more RFWP and Zaccaro sessions.

 

Laura

[KnitWit]

I have read parts of Julie's blog. She is a Christian, she is just not an *evangelical* or *fundamentalist*. But she *used* to be and she has blogged extensively about her struggles with it all.

 

There are many here who have walked that path.

[AvasMom]

I'm so annoyed with myself...I hate anything resembling clutter, especially paper clutter, so I immediately flipped through everything in the bag and tossed all but the Memoria catalog (had my own folder of highlighted schedules and the vendor hall...I have issues ;)) I was a woman on a mission this weekend and had no time for fluff...lol! So I didn't see the controversial tract and missed the action. Dangit.

[Susan Wise Bauer]

Just got this from Brennan Dean:

 

***EMAIL QUOTED TO END**

 

 

The following is an email response we sent to a couple of our Catholic friends / attendees that wrote to us:

 

Thank you SO MUCH for bringing this to our attention, and please accept our sincere apologies!

 

 

 

These “convention bags” were provided by a third party company, Great Stuff Convention Bags. As many homeschool conventions use their services, and as we had used them several years ago without incident, we did not review the materials in the bags prior to their distribution.

 

 

 

As you may or may not be aware, we have “Featured” convention speakers that are Catholic. And, our friend and advisor, Attorney David Gibbs III, represented Terri Schaivo’s parents (also Catholic) in their fight to save her life. Please know that we were equally shocked and disappointed. We have contacted the convention bag company, and instructed them to remove this from our convention bags for the upcoming events in California and Connecticut.

 

 

 

Again, our sincere apologies! We’ll take extra care to ensure that something such as this does not happen again.

 

 

 

================================================

 

The following is from our MidWest FB page:

 

Eva Roll Loved the conference and found great resources. Hated to find the Jack Chick catalog in my hand- out bag. Prejudice isn't Christian and he has so distorted the truth about the Catholic church it has bred much prejudice. By the way on pg32 he criticizes Billy Graham... Please get rid of this hand out for future conferences.

17 hours ago · Like

MidWest Homeschool Convention in Cincinnati ‎Eva Roll - Our apologies! A 3rd party company does those hand-out bags, and does so for a lot of homeschool events. We've already had that material removed for our future conventions. We'll be more careful as we move forward. Again, please accept our sincere apologies!

5 hours ago · Like

 

Eva Roll Thanks so much for removing the Jack Chick hand outs. I appreciate your attention to this matter! God Bless.

3 hours ago ·

========================================================================================

[angela in ohio]

I wouldn't go to the convention if it wasn't in my backyard, well, okay, a 20 minute drive from my backyard. I would love to go to a convention that is in Northeast Ohio, but I can't justify it with this one right at home. I hope the people at GHC get their <ahem> Stuff together.

 

I WILL be checking out Bravewriter. I need a new writing program. I purchased the one from Memoria Press, but I can return it if I find something I like better ;)

 

Have you been to CHEO before? :001_huh:

[angela in ohio]

I don't understand this convention anymore??? If they really did kick Julie out for not being Christian enough, then why are MCT, Prufrock, the online charters, etc. there? They invite some great classical speakers, but then they have more fo the "coupon clipping" talks, too. They seem to be all over the place. I thought it was one couple/family, but from the outside, it bears the marks of being run by a group who don't agree with each other.

[Farrar]

Even if it was an outside group that did the bags, I guess what's bothersome about it is how extra random it makes the Julie Bogart thing feel. They're extra controlling about *some* things and not about others.

[KnitWit]

Even if it was an outside group that did the bags, I guess what's bothersome about it is how extra random it makes the Julie Bogart thing feel. They're extra controlling about *some* things and not about others.

 

True.

[pdalley]

Our big state one is very political. They won't even have SWB because she's not the right kind of Christian. :glare:

 

:iagree: I am so tired of not finding a homeschool convention that refuses to teach us how to you know - teach?

 

It really - to me - is a slight on my Pastor and my church that they feel the need to cram worldview down my throat. Heck, my kid's faith is much stronger than my own and they know the Bible much better than I ever did.

 

I'm going to finish the thread to see what I can order from Bravewriter. I unliked GHC and liked Bravewriter. I really am sick of this legalism on the part of these conventions.

 

I really feel alone sometimes and when they pull crud like this it makes it even worse. :confused:

[pdalley]

I am a Christian, but I resent any curriculum provider or conference speaker assuming that unless THEY tell me what to believe, how to dress, how to parent, what to eat, whether my kids should go to college or not, how my kids should go about finding a spouse, etc. etc. then I won't be able to discern those things for myself.

 

I have not attended a conference in years. I just refuse to pay the money to anyone who thinks they can filter ANYTHING *for* me. *I* get to choose whom I want to hear from and whom I want to pass on...not anyone else.

 

I would LOVE to attend a conference that credited ME with some intelligence and knowledge of MY family and offered me a SMORGASBORD of speakers/materials from which to choose with only one rule...it all HAS to be centered on ACADEMICS. No religion. Honestly. Live out your OWN religion. Show it in the way you behave. You don't have to trumpet it or cram it down people's throats. Live it and we'll all know.

 

Please...give me ACADEMICS to choose from (I own a Bible already and attend the church of my choice), tools to teach from, skills to teach with.

:thumbup::hurray:

 

This sums it up for me. So very well put.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I chatted once with the workshop coordinator of a state convention far away from Ohio. I was volunteering to give a workshop on ROTC and Serive Academy applications.

 

One of the take aways was that this conference gave priority to workshops to featured speakers and vendors.

 

If this is a common m.o. then it might explain some of the vitamin and coupon clipping workshops.

[ErinE]

I've been listening in to most of this post, agreeing that it's a credit to SWB's character that she hosted Julie Bogart in the PHP booth.

 

I'd never heard of Chick Tract until it was mentioned here. What reasonable person thinks these cartoons are okay? I've been considering attending a convention, if not this year than two years from now (assuming SWB is back on the speaking circuit), but it certainly won't be a GHC convention.

[Colleen in NS]

Just got this from Brennan Dean:

 

...

 

Thank you for updating us.

 

Even if it was an outside group that did the bags, I guess what's bothersome about it is how extra random it makes the Julie Bogart thing feel.

 

I wish I could understand this situation. The GHC FB page I have doesn't have a thing on it about it. But people are commenting about it. It does seem so random.

[Tenaj]

The thing is, unless I'm missing something, the GHC conferences are much more inclusive than the other conferences available. At least that seems to be the case in Ohio. Are there other organizations holding large conferences that have more of a variety than GHC? I have looked at going to CHEO in northern Ohio in the past, and decided to go to GHC because the selection of workshops, speakers, and vendors was so much more diverse and extensive.

 

I enjoyed the conference in Cincinnati but I can see why some are annoyed by the offerings and the censorship. The thing is, those sessions that were not about academics -- parenting, teen track, YE science, couponing, etc. were well-attended so there is a market (including myself) that enjoys those subjects as well as the academic sessions. I'm just not sure that a conference centered solely on academic techniques would draw enough attendees and vendors to make it a success. It certainly would not be nearly as large or complete as the GHC conferences are at this time.

[*Lulu*]

The thing is, unless I'm missing something, the GHC conferences are much more inclusive than the other conferences available. At least that seems to be the case in Ohio. Are there other organizations holding large conferences that have more of a variety than GHC? I have looked at going to CHEO in northern Ohio in the past, and decided to go to GHC because the selection of workshops, speakers, and vendors was so much more diverse and extensive.

 

I enjoyed the conference in Cincinnati but I can see why some are annoyed by the offerings and the censorship. The thing is, those sessions that were not about academics -- parenting, teen track, YE science, couponing, etc. were well-attended so there is a market (including myself) that enjoys those subjects as well as the academic sessions. I'm just not sure that a conference centered solely on academic techniques would draw enough attendees and vendors to make it a success. It certainly would not be nearly as large or complete as the GHC conferences are at this time.

 

IMO the bolded says quite a bit about the state of things in the homeschooling world. If more home educators will come out for a couponing seminar than a lecture on educating it certainly reflects poorly on our community as a whole.

[Susan Wise Bauer]

I'm just not sure that a conference centered solely on academic techniques would draw enough attendees and vendors to make it a success. It certainly would not be nearly as large or complete as the GHC conferences are at this time.

 

I strongly suspect that's true.

 

If you had an "education only" conference, it would be much smaller. On the other hand, if you removed all the non-education-related booths from the Cincy vendor hall, you'd have a much smaller band of vendors--so the educational offerings at both conferences might end up being about the same.

 

SWB

[stripe]

IMO the bolded says quite a bit about the state of things in the homeschooling world. If more home educators will come out for a couponing seminar than a lecture on educating it certainly reflects poorly on our community as a whole.

I agree with you that it's troubling, and I wonder why it is so. Is it because people want to do their own thing? Or what?

 

Is it because people are willing to learn new tricks for saving money but want "hands off my homeschool," and don't want to be told what to do? Mother knows best and all that? I find myself wondering after reading articles about how "I'm the best homeschooling mother on earth because we start each day with a prayer, so whatever happens next is better than the school-prison down the road." The trouble with trying to lay the "Little House" independent lifestyle stuff on homeschooling is that people forget that some farmers starved to death. Not everyone magically made it by the power of positive thinking.

[angela in ohio]

I agree with you that it's troubling, and I wonder why it is so. Is it because people want to do their own thing? Or what?

 

I don't think that's the main issue. From what I see IRL, it's complacency ("No matter what we do, it's much better than the public schools. They don't learn anything there.") and/or anti-intellectualism ("They can't be both Godly AND educated. You have to choose, and I choose Godly.") and/or logistics ("I have to find the easiest open and go curriculum that my child can do on his or her own because I just don't have time.") Between those three, 95% of the homeschoolers I meet wouldn't have any interest in attending a talk on how to teach.

[Tenaj]

IMO the bolded says quite a bit about the state of things in the homeschooling world. If more home educators will come out for a couponing seminar than a lecture on educating it certainly reflects poorly on our community as a whole.

 

I'm not saying that the couponing seminar attracted more people than the more academic offerings at that time, just that it was well-attended.

 

I'm not sure that it really reflects poorly on the homeschooling community. It more likely says that on that day, at that particular time, at that particular conference there were enough people (mainly mothers) interested enough to attend a seminar on the possibility of saving money on their grocery shopping bill to make it worthwhile for the conference organizers to offer that seminar.

 

I went to the couponing seminar :) I had been busily pursuing more academic sessions for a few days and thought that maybe a class on couponing would inspire me to improve my skills in that area. Homeschooling moms wear many hats and I do use the conference to inspire me in many areas, academia being only one.

 

I think I would be more likely to pursue only the academic sessions if there was a specific "track" that was progressive during the conference. For instance, if there was a specific subject that was studied more in-depth. For instance, "Latin camp for Moms of many" that would start at the beginning and progress so that I would actually LEARN something rather than just hear once again why it's important to teach Latin - I already know that . . . give me some meat! I was attending most of Adam Andrews Lit sessions this weekend and enjoyed them but there was no obvious progression - lots of overlap - I was inspired but would have enjoyed having several sessions of him demonstrating different levels of book analysis (not just the children's books that fit neatly into an hour).

[KnitWit]

I strongly suspect that's true.

 

If you had an "education only" conference, it would be much smaller. On the other hand, if you removed all the non-education-related booths from the Cincy vendor hall, you'd have a much smaller band of vendors--so the educational offerings at both conferences might end up being about the same.

 

SWB

 

I'm not sure that smaller is a bad thing. It would be more manageable on many levels.

 

The provision for extreme couponing, taking in all your food via smoothies, prearranging your children's marriages, being told what to believe if you have not yet figured that out, etc. is obviously already made. I don't think an "education only" conference needs to be a monster. In fact, less overwhelming is a good thing. It is frustrating when you feel like you have to choose between viewing materials you are considering using and listening to speakers. And then there is the issue when all the speakers you want to hear are scheduled to speak at the same time! A smaller conference could allow for both without competing times. kwim?

[1pageatatime]

nm

[6packofun]

I have no idea what happened but I guess I have gone to my last GHC. i will start going the the big state ones.

 

 

If you don't know what happened, why would you make such a black or white decision about it? LOL