Updates on Work and Other Things
Posted by Brian at 12:12 pm on Monday, September 24, 2007
Hey everyone! I noticed we have gotten some new members to the site, so welcome. Anyone can join our little community here- check the links on the right for information how.
Tomorrow Steve and I are going to Miami to meet with Geri Dutra and Pam Vanness, our convention coordinator. We’re going to watch a rough cut of the ‘07 Convention video with her to help her envision what convention will look like- I’ll let y’all know how it turned out. Doubtful there’ll be any major information to come out of the meeting; it will mostly be procedural and logistical work. The next time anything big will come out will be after October 21st, which will mark the end of the Fall Planning Meeting. Check back with us and/or the NJCL site for information on what happens then. Personally, I’m looking forward to the meeting and showing off Miami to the National Committee and Exec. Board.
One of the things I’d like to do with this site, once more people know about it (and if you’re reading this, go tell more people about us 
), is to talk about how exactly we’ve brought about this event. If you look back at previous conventions and wonder, “Could my state ever do this?,” this will be for you. Trust me, when I found out Ohio was hosting, “scared” would be an understatement. And I still am scared, a little; I probably will be until the last bus rolls out on August 2nd (then I’ll get sad as usual). But the work so far has been fun, and it’s really given me an insight into how this all works. So I’ll likely post following any of our meetings just to show you what we discussed and what it relates to in the whole grand scheme (without giving away any surprises...of which we’ve got a few 
).
Here’s a few initial things you’ll need if you want to host in the future:
Get someone who’s insane dedicated enough to put time and work into it. Truthfully, get two. Again, if you’re reading this, that someone could be you. It does take time, but it is time well spent.
Talk to NJCL’s Convention Adviser. Currently this is Martha Altieri, though her term is up this summer. She’ll send you a list of requirements for the convention site (and there are a lot).
Find a site. This is the key; a lot of places book camps far in advance, so the sooner you can pounce on a place the better. Key things are facilities for sports, a large assembly space, and dorm rooms (they’ve nixed places in the past primarily because of lack of beds or lack of GA space). With that said, you might be surprised the universities and schools in your area that have the required amount of accommodations.
Also, it doesn’t necessarily have to be in your state. I believe that Maine and Massachusetts are co-hosting the 2010 convention in New Hampshire. Not many could accommodate a set up like this, but it might open up your thinking.
Once you have a place and a university contact, talk to the Convention Adviser for the next steps. Once it’s confirmed, one of the last things to do is…
Get your state JCL excited! This will be a great opportunity for your state, but it’s also going to take the whole state to pitch in and help out. There are so many things that need to be planned, acquired, and set up, two people can’t do it alone. Get teachers and students organized into committees to address specific areas of need, then get them working on those areas as possible (some things, as we’re finding out, really can’t start until after Fall Planning, but things like the Invitation and merchandise can be worked on whenever). If you have state sponsor gatherings outside of Convention, utilize those times, as well as state officer meetings- again, everyone from sponsors to students (and parents) can provide something to the cause.
That’s all for now. If you like what you see, or want to see something different, write some comments to us. Valete!
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