John, you need to find an app for your iPhone to teleport BBQ from
Brady!
- Pete
On Dec 3, 2009, at 8:23 AM, John Brooks wrote:
Well Rudys or not.....the break even for that convention like many
others was a very narrow window.....at 105.....the convention made
money.
The late choice of Rudys was made when the other catering arrangements
proved more expensive......due to excessive transport charges from
Austin.
Sent from my iPhone
On Dec 3, 2009, at 7:05 AM, Joe Ranzau <jran...@gmail.com> wrote:
Oh, come now... Bizarre is not one of the many adjetives I would
use to describe Ron. (if my memory is correct)
I also think it had to do with catering Rudy's BBQ. Not cheap.
Stefan et al make damn tastey food at the right caver price.
Joe
On Dec 3, 2009, at 8:43 AM, John Brooks <jpbrook...@sbcglobal.net>
wrote:
The "bizzare" hat pass was initiated by someone in attendance, not
the TSA, when it was noted in the TSA meeting that the convention
did not break even.
The causes of being over budget were:
1. The Knox Ranch was expensive
Sent from my iPhone
On Dec 2, 2009, at 5:56 PM, "Carl Kunath"
<carl.kun...@suddenlink.net> wrote:
Some of the recent comments about the TSA spring convention are
thought-provoking and a bit amusing.
First, let's establish exactly where we stand geographically.
Look at this map
http://pages.suddenlink.net/carl-kunath/
100-250_miles_from_Burnet.jpg
to find the point most central to all known Texas caving groups
(we need a circle with radius = 250 miles). Since Texas is a big
place, and since we don't often have the option of choosing where
we want to be and when we want to be there, some TSA members are
going to have longer journeys than others. That said, it's not
too realistic to have the Convention at the extreme edges of the
group territory. In years past, it's been as far west as San
Angelo, but mostly it's been within that inner 100 mile circle
centered on Burnet. That's really handy for Austin, San Antonio,
and others on the I-35 corridor but not so good for Houston,
Midland, Wichita Falls, and Lubbock. It's better to gather at a
central location rather than in Wichita Falls, Houston, or Midland
-- places that would inconvenience 95% of the attendees.
David Locklear's emphasis seems poorly placed. He is more
interested in the recreational possibilities in the immediate area
than in the Convention itself. The Convention was not designed to
be a recreational weekend except as opportunity and inclination
may allow. Earlier Conventions would usually have one or more
field trips available for Sunday but were set so as not to
conflict with formal Convention activities. It is, after all, a
CAVING Convention and should not be oriented toward bicycling,
kayaking, hiking, bird-watching, swimming, or whatever.
The TSA Convention was conceived as an annual gathering where
information could be shared in a somewhat formal setting with
others of like mind. To that end, there are some requirements.
There must be a meeting room large enough for the expected group.
The room must be made reasonably dark for media presentations.
Climate control is almost a must as the spring weather in Texas is
unpredictable.
The room itself should be somewhat acoustically dead.
There must be appropriate space to display the photo and map salons.
There should be "crowd control."
Lacking crowd control, we find that if camping is just outside the
door, people continuously wander in and out of the room while
presentations are taking place. It's probably better if camping
is at least a few miles away so that people are either at the
Convention (isn't that why they are here?) or at the campground --
at least until more considerate behavior is evidenced. Recently,
some convention attendees have been rude in the extreme and some
tended to gather in the back of the room and carry on as if
nothing else was happening. The last Kerrville convention was the
worst I have ever seen in this regard.
Historically, Conventions were held at scholastic locations and
the camping was remote. The evening meal was sourced individually
either at a nearby food place or prepared at the campground. The
present-day pattern of cavers cooking for the crowd may be more
hassle than it's worth. Eliminate the need for kitchen facilities
and choice of venues is far simpler.
The Convention that Preston Forsythe referenced where a hat was
passed to offset a financial shortfall was at the Knox Ranch near
Wimberley in 2006. Convention registration was noted as 110 --
about average for recent years. No explanation was offered as to
why the Convention was in the red but that's not really the
point. To pass the hat was rather bizarre. TSA has a plump
treasury that could easily cover the shortfall. So what if it
lost a little money? If the Convention had come out financially
ahead do you think those in attendance would have received a
partial refund?
===Carl Kunath (Attending since 1962)
