Re: GWA Meeting Critique

**"gardendesign" g*@enter.net**

Jeff:

	I read your post to GWL this afternoon.  Thanks for your
well-considered input.  It might be difficult for me as a
member of the board AND a member of the local arrangements
committee to have the distance necessary to fully appreciate
your response.

	But I can and do sympathize with everything that you've
said.  In years past I've come home from this symposium
exhausted, elated, educated, enthused, and barely conscious.
 I've never been bored but I've always been sleep deprived. 
I've found that it creates the germs of the best new story
ideas and future comedy/dramas.

	I will never undertake to be a bus captain for five days
running.  I also appreciate afternoon naps and the ability
to choose my time of day to arise and the speed at which
that should occur.  I love taking leisurely strolls through
lovely garden spaces.  I needed more time everywhere to
network, harmonize with nature and photograph in empty
garden rooms.  It didn't happen for me and I suspect it
didn't happen for anyone.  Today I feel every one of my one
hundred and six creaking years.  And yesterday I had to come
home to spend eight hours in the car driving to Penn State
to retrieve the second car that my son had driven there on
Tuesday.  I'm taking next Tuesday off!

	I don't agree that all of your "assumptions" were
pre-acknowledged by either the board or the LAC.  In fact,
we were constantly challenged to present a program that was
both more flexible and less demanding than any previously
symposia-scheduled, "all-day" bus tours.  The only "all-day"
tours were on Tuesday.  That left it up to the individual to
select one or more of a variety of things to do.  If you
approached this symposium as a buffet instead of a banquet
you might have been better fed.  Of course, I--like
you--wanted to "just do it all!"  I may have to rethink that
attitude in the future.

	Unfortunately, I don't see any recent, current or future
LAC committee contouring the schedule to an aging
demographic.  Every committee wants to maximize the waking
hours to see, feel, touch, smell, hear, and know the local
site.  The conversations between the board and the LAC get
heated to the point of division on the what, when, where and
how of it all.	A compromise position would be to have a 3:30
to 5:00 optional tour of the "Hotel Facilities" that might
accomodate all of us.  I was staying at the Hilton the
entire time.  When I wanted to take a nap, I had to leave an
extra 1/2 hour to make the return trip.  In rush hour, it
was a long as 1 hour.  Not convenient!

	I can't speak to your Assumption #2.  I certainly think
that the keynote this year was the best and most
Internationally recognized specialist that we've ever had. 
I didn't for the moment think that he was talking down to
his audience.  His challenge was for us to rise to his
level.  I can't say that I attended many of the other
breakouts because of the other work I was cross-scheduled to
do.  I do know that Anne Marie did an excellent job of
connecting the attendees survey of 2005 with the program
that she developed for 2006.  There has never been more or
better communication between the board and the LAC.  I think
that she did an absolutely fantastice job with few
resources.  Contrary to your statement, many of the speakers
were non-members.  Many, in fact, had never attended at all.
 

	The issue of paying speakers the "going rate" has been
raised at every board meeting I've ever attended.  I
personally think it's a good idea.  I schedule 36 speakers
in 55 slots at our state winter conference and we never get
a break on speaker's fees.  This organization has been
especially lucky to get the quality they've gotten on the
budget they've constructed.  Perhaps you can help us provide
a means to gain a more broadly based speaking ends???

	For the future LAC committees, I think we need to explore
the concept (as most other organizations do) that not
everyone can do everything.  It might add value to this
conference and gain added rest to weary feet.  I think
counter-scheduling events might make it easier to control
the large (and largely uncontrollable!) crowds.  It would
also allow for a predetermined choice of events that would
let the members choose between climbing a mountain or lazing
by the pool.  (I hear Bob groan!)  But, because our
population is so diverse, we will never again be able to be
all things to all people.  We should just stop trying and do
what we do best:  offer the best communications, tours,
networking, staffing, trade show, and eating conference in
the green industry.  Simple.

	And, since I sat in front of her most of the way, I'm
interested in knowing what Nancy thought of the tour on
Tuesday to the Lehigh Valley...

	Thanks for putting some of this in perspective for me and
letting me sound off about many of the things that also
irritated me.  I appreciate the moments I've just stolen to
write this.  Our wrap-up meeting is on Tuesday...

Kirk R. Brown

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