So if we tried to plan a chance for us all to get together - would you be more interested in:

1. A get togther where we would all meet share a few meals, do a few activities togther and just have fun.

2. More of a convention type atmosphere where we had speakers and classes and planned activities.

Personally - I'd rather have just a fun get-together. Especially our 1st try at this. I would worry about planning classes and speakers and end up not having the attendance necessary. These people and things would likely require deposits.

Another issue we would have to consider is the time and effort it would take for someone to put together a convention. I know I wouldn't want to take on that responsibility, I just don't have the time or energy.

A get-together, but if somebody knew the fun spots of wherever the get-together is, that would be the best.

I am on a board for people with the same rare neurological disorder and many got together last year at Cape May. They did a couple of fun things together (a theater thing comes to mind), but mostly hung out at the hotel or on the becah, had meals together, and just had fun. Since they all want to do it again this coming summer, it sounds as if they had a great time.

A "becah" is what they call the beach at Cape May!

LOVE cape may... one of my favorite places around!!!

and yes, conventions DO take a lot of organization and time to set up, and if you don't have enough people - like a few hundred - it's not really time or cost effective. i worked on the program for the society of women engineers annual convention in nyc... what a HUGE amount of time and energy!!! some of the members worked on it full time, while their companies paid their salaries! it was viewed as a HR investment. not that we're talking about anything on that scale, but those DETAILS will kill a person!!

i'd be happy with hanging out time, and a choice of a few activities just to get the old joints moving... and GOOD FOOD!!!!!!!!

eh, who needs speakers?? gotta pay for them, you know? heh.

I personally like conventions. If you don't know people or are nervous around "strangers" (even ones you've talked to on-line) you can get to know people through activities and such. Also, if someone is new to the group, they don't feel left out. I also like the idea of people sharing stories that you might not get to hear unless you got to know them.

Panels don't have to be paid, they are comprised of people within the group. Some speakers will need to be paid but I couldn't think of who I would want to hear speak.

As for being time or cost effective, conventions are neither. Now, that doesn't mean they worthless or cost more than they charge (because why would people throw them) but it does mean that take a lot of energy.

I like the idea of a casual get together, but it's been such a long time since I had a place to go and get all dressed up, I would like to go some place that I can get all dressed up. That is one of the things I like about conventions. But it would be cheeper to just make some plans and just do them!

Bella23

I think we can have a casual get togther and get dressed up and I also think that we can find a place where each of us can kinda tell our story and our progress. Don't cha think!!!

I think a convention sounds like something the sisters @ 3FC would put together. It's a big undertaking, not that it wouldn't be totally worth it. But for our first time out I think we should play it low key.

yeah, we can make it kinda convention like, have nametags and whatnot, but just have each other speak. we could have nominations or volunteers to speak and they could prepare. like... i dunno, maybe jiffypop on how she's lost so much and is still going, snowball1 (kayla) on how to keep up with weightloss when pregnant (cuz i know she'll do it!), etc.

oh geez, holly. although i'm more than willing to shoot my mouth off at anytime, anywhere, it's not a huge mystery about the weight loss.

the first 97 pounds came off after the powers that be discovered i had sleep apnea and put me on a bipap machine.

the next 170 pounds [that's right, another official weigh in today!] came as the result of gastric bypass surgery!!!

i still have 40 pounds to lose, and then they're planning to take about 20 pounds of excess skin off of me... and then the real struggle to keep it off starts. or continues..