My local HS group cancelled their convention

[Moxie]

My hope is that they learned that all homeschoolers aren't conservative Protestant, young earth, save the children from the big bad world types. But, I bet they were just losing money.

 

Eta--truth be told, I'm a bit sad about it. I loved the convention when I started homeschooling 10 years ago. But, dang, it really jumped head first into an ideology that I could not support.

Edited January 3, 2016 by Moxie

[Guest]

Perhaps they simply couldn't compete with the Great Homeschool Conventions. Many smaller conventions are ceasing.

Maybe but the closest one is 3 hours away.

[Guest]

We used to have a great local convention and the same thing happened. I was a real loss.

[mamakelly]

I've homeschooled for 15 years and never been to a convention.

[DawnM]

Our local one had its last conference last year.  Attendance was WAY down and they have decided it just isn't worth it.  Several vendors had already pulled out because they found our small conference not lucrative enough.

 

The reasoning I heard was that with online resources, people weren't attending as much.  You can watch speakers online, order cheaper online, etc.....

 

 

[DawnM]

I've homeschooled for 15 years and never been to a convention.

 

 

I went to one when my kids were preschoolers.  

 

I have gone to man a booth at our local one, but never attended any sessions.

 

Truth be told, I went to so many when I was working full time and hated every single one of them, so my attitude about conferences/conventions is quite tainted.  

[bettyandbob]

Well, our closest convention is 5 hours for me and we have folks that travel further than that. So, traveling 3 hours would not be a big deal from our small town.

 

I swear I'm going to make it to a GHC before dd's last year, to hear my sil speak. Wah--that means this spring! https://www.greathomeschoolconventions.com/speakers/kathy-kuhl/

Yes, if you haven't, you need to. She's great!

[OneStepAtATime]

Kathy Kuhl was an awesome speaker and someone I needed to hear.  She was at a smaller convention and I am soooo grateful she attended that smaller convention.  Yeah, Kathy!  :)

 

I am sorry that smaller conventions are dying and many that still exist are also becoming very rigid in ideology.  While you can get stuff on line and you can hear speakers on line, it really isn't the same, at least for me.  I want to touch the material and browse extensively and ask lots of questions in person.  I have learned a lot at conventions because others were asking questions or sharing info that I hadn't even thought of yet.

[HomeAgain]

Our convention here is more like a Christian family retreat with homeschooling on the side.  90% of the talks are about being managers of the home and how to have a Christ-centered heart.  Well and good, but not what I'm looking for, and I'm not going to pay just to go shop.

[justasque]

Conventions run by local hsing groups require a LOT of volunteer labor.  It takes a full year of hard work by several people to put one on.  Acquiring a facility, inviting speakers, finding vendors, creating a budget, coming up with seed money, advertising the event, and creating a budget that makes attendance affordable is a daunting task.  As hsing families organize in less-formal groups using online tools to arrange activities, there is less need for the more-formal groups, and fewer people willing to volunteer to run them.  Also, in the past local groups had monthly meetings, often with speakers from the community, giving those speakers a gentle beginning to public speaking and creating a pool from which to find speakers who had hsing experience and were not selling a product.  As more folks get their support from on-line groups and forums, fewer go to monthly meetings (which also take some effort to organize and run), thus "homegrown" speakers without a business agenda are rarer.  I've gotten a lot out of local conventions over the years, and I'm sad to see them go.  
 

That said - if you want a convention, grab a friend and together try creating one, on a small scale.  All you really need is a building with, say, two rooms (one large, one small) - a large home will do in a pinch.  Invite 8 local friends or acquaintances to speak on their areas of experience - not as experts, necessarily, but as someone who is a bit farther on the walk than others.  Hold four talks in the morning (two timeslots - one talk in each room), then again in the afternoon.  In between, gather in the larger room for a brown-bag lunch together.  Charge a nominal fee to encourage folks to register ahead of time.  Small "continuing education" events like these can be a real energy boost for hsing parents, and can help them find ideas and resources that will enrich their hsing journey for years to come.

[Miss Tick]

That said - if you want a convention, grab a friend and together try creating one, on a small scale. All you really need is a building with, say, two rooms (one large, one small) - a large home will do in a pinch. Invite 8 local friends or acquaintances to speak on their areas of experience - not as experts, necessarily, but as someone who is a bit farther on the walk than others. Hold four talks in the morning (two timeslots - one talk in each room), then again in the afternoon. In between, gather in the larger room for a brown-bag lunch together. Charge a nominal fee to encourage folks to register ahead of time. Small "continuing education" events like these can be a real energy boost for hsing parents, and can help them find ideas and resources that will enrich their hsing journey for years to come.

Wow. That is inspiring. Planning something like this sounds so reasonable when we have just finished a long break and haven't yet started back. I'm going to write down your guidelines and go give this some thought before February comes, with its dark days. Thanks!

[Seasider]

Our local one had its last conference last year. Attendance was WAY down and they have decided it just isn't worth it. Several vendors had already pulled out because they found our small conference not lucrative enough.

 

The reasoning I heard was that with online resources, people weren't attending as much. You can watch speakers online, order cheaper online, etc.....

Your second point is exactly my experience. No need to jump through the hoops of anyone else's timetable, location or unsatisfactory choice of speakers and themes - I can find almost everything I need with a few keystrokes, not just to catalogues, but to videos, blog articles and library books on home school topics.

[Mimm]

My hope is that they learned that all homeschoolers aren't conservative Protestant, young earth, save the children from the big bad world types. But, I bet they were just losing money.

 

Eta--truth be told, I'm a bit sad about it. I loved the convention when I started homeschooling 10 years ago. But, dang, it really jumped head first into an ideology that I could not support.

 

Well, if you want you can come to my town and party with all the conservative Protestant, young earth, save the children from the big bad world types at our convention. ;)

[justasque]

Wow. That is inspiring. Planning something like this sounds so reasonable when we have just finished a long break and haven't yet started back. I'm going to write down your guidelines and go give this some thought before February comes, with its dark days. Thanks!

 

If you want to do it on a smaller scale, plan a single-topic evening.  Brainstorm with a couple of friends what you'd like to hear about and who in your community has some experience with it.  Then ask them to come and give a talk for you.  Hold it at someone's house in the evening, or perhaps at a park in the afternoon.  There *are* lots of things available on the web nowadays, but it's nice to get carefully curated information too.  If someone else has weeded through what's available on a particular topic and can whittle it down to an hour-long talk plus some Q&A and a handout for where to find more info, they can give you a head-start on the topic.  

 

And don't underestimate the energy boost from the fellowship with other hsing parents.  I know lots of folks here are introverts, or rural; if that's the case this might not work for you.  But for others, this kind of event can energize you, can give you some things to think about or try, and can help you meet other parents who are at the same stage as you or facing the same questions. It's a way to build local community, and in the DIY world of homeschooling, it can be helpful to have a group of like-minded, like-stage friends with whom to pool resources, create activities and opportunities, and get low-key ongoing support.

 

If your small one-topic event goes well, try another.  Or schedule a regular time for them - the first Friday of every other month, say.  Build the community you need!

[RootAnn]

Finally might make it to a homeschool convention this year. Promised dd#1 to take her with me if she works really hard this year. So far, it isn't looking like we're going to get to go. (She wants to work the booth with her online spanish teacher.)  :crying:  But maybe second semester will be better & we'll head to Cincinnati.

[Farrar]

The convention circuit is so toxic. There are good speakers and vendors, I know, but so much of it is so icky and the way groups have been trying to use conventions to "control" homeschooling and put forth a particular ideology seems so messed up.

 

I like the VaHomeschoolers one. There should be more small conferences like that - focused on real education speakers and furthering the community.

[mschickie]

Our state convention is now becoming smaller regional events.  Dh and I are planning on making the long drive to Cincinnati this year so we can attend GHC.  All he needs to do is make the stupid hotel reservations.

[Rachel]

Well, our closest convention is 5 hours for me and we have folks that travel further than that. So, traveling 3 hours would not be a big deal from our small town.

 

I swear I'm going to make it to a GHC before dd's last year, to hear my sil speak. Wah--that means this spring! https://www.greathomeschoolconventions.com/speakers/kathy-kuhl/

Come to Cincinnati!

 

Kathy Kuhl is a wonderful speaker! I've heard her a couple times and even my husband looks forward to hearing her perspective.

[cmarango]

Found a homeschool buyers co-op deal for GHC registration.  We are headed to Cincinnati this year...not because I feel the need to go, but because my dd enjoys seeing how many other homeschooled children there are, and she gets a weekend alone with me.