Maggie,

I think the concept is potentially a good one.

I subscribe to a newsgroup that is backed by a professional
organization - the American Ceramic's Society (ACERS). While there are
many subscribers who are members of ACERS, most are not. Subscribers are
potters and ceramic's artists from around the world, most of whom are in
the USA, Canada, and the UK. There are some 3000 plus members world wide.

Each year ACERS sponsors a conference that draws newsgroup members from
all over the world. And each year that conference is held in a different
geographical location in the USA. The crowd  that attends is relatively
large caonsidering it draws most of its attendees not from ACERS members
but from the newsgroup membership. While most attendees are from the US,
many are from Canada, and some come from the likes of Denark, England,
Wales, France, Brussels, Germany, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, and
Japan.

The fact that this conference moves from year to year seems to deter no
one, if they wish to go. Some attend every year regardless, others atend
only when the conference is being held somewhere close.

All of that being said, it is possible that such a gathering could work
for the Vanagon group, but it would take a huge amount of planning and
co-ordination. Plus, the fact that our group is based solely on our love
of the Vanagon, gives it a whole 'nother perspective. There is no
financial backing as with the ACERS conference, and there is no
professional membership to drive it .... just a loose gaggle of Vanagon
nuts.

If such a conference were within my reagion - the traditional southern
states, I could see myself going every year - it's only a days drive to
most of them. But if it were central or western or northwestern US, I
would go every few years.

So it is something to chew the rag over.

Regards,

John Rodgers
88 GL Driver
Chelsea, AL near Birminaham

Maggie Dew wrote:

>I think it is worth giving it a try to see what kind of response there is.
>Of course, the geographic issue is the limiting factor.  I am temporarily
>located in Oklahoma (hot and humid in summer) and the left and right coast
>get-togethers are a bit far for me to go without having an extended period
>of free time for driving (and the money for gas).  The idea of shifting the
>gathering to different areas sounds good in theory, but how many people will
>still be able to make the long drive on years when it is far away?    Banff
>is nowhere near "central" in location in regard to North America.  Lincoln,
>Nebraska appears to be (on Google Earth) about as central as you can get -
>just to use a city as a landmark.
>
>Maggie
>'85 Subaru-Westy "Anne Bonney"
>
>
>
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