Comments on: YAR meetup in San Jose

By: Denver Steiner

Denver Steiner — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 05:04:48 +0000

I was at convention two years ago and was actually a camera man for the adult convention, so I have a bit of an idea what to look forward to. I’ll be a delegate this year. The way they organized it two years ago was they had a different topic each session. Some of these topics included Mennonites participation in politics, heath care (I think, or perhaps that is this year), as well as voting of conference restructuring. The delegates sat in table groups, and had discussion time, and then would send a representative to the mic to summarize anything worth discussion to the rest of the larger group.

So I’ll use the word intriguing to describe the experience. Not always exciting, but if enjoy discussion topics surrounding the Mennonite institutional church, it should be interesting.

Just wanted to give a quick plug, BikeMovement will be doing two seminars, as well as the documentary from the 2006 trip will be shown Thursday night.

Jason, I may have extra room if you are still looking.

Hope to see some of you there!

By: eric

eric — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 17:58:15 +0000

Folknotions et al,

I’ll also be there, post-college-age and glad to meet up early on. Most of my time will be at an agency booth in the exhibit hall. I’ll also have a cell phone and email access (eric [at] meyerbros [dot] org), and will be looking for a pint of something-or-other when I’m off. Contact me if you want more contact info or to schedule something.

Hope you enjoy it. I haven’t been there in about six years (when I ran lights for the youth convention and gave a workshop on youth and militarism), so I’m curious what it will be like too. See you there.

By: Katie

Katie — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 15:52:48 +0000

folknotions,

Kudos to your congregation for sending you to get this experience. Hopefully it won’t shock you too much. I’ve heard many people say that the Mennonite world is a tough nut to crack and if you are new (or an outsider for any reason I’ve learned), it can feel pretty closed. I hope that isn’t your experience.

Will you be there as a delegate from your church or there for the experience? Either way, I’d be happy to meet up with you early in the conference over a cuppa coffee/tea or a pint (if you’re into that kinda thing). Nothing like a few hours of delegate sessions to make a pint sound pretty good.

I haven’t joined the cell phone revolution yet so we’ll have to plan a meet-up the old fashioned way, with e-mail. Or maybe the big notice board the convention provides for meeting up with people. I think the conference is likely to provide a lounge space for young adults and there is a good chance I’ll spend a lot of time chilling there too. That would probably be your best bet for seeing other young adult people you can easily connect with.

As far as workshops…I’d tell you to go to mine but the application I sent in from BMC wasn’t one of the “chosen ones.” Big surprise there.

So, I hope your experience there is great. You can email me at katie (dot) hochstedler (at) gmail (dot) com. If you want to use the notice board, just put it in the H section with my name on it.

That goes for anyone else too, I’d be happy to meet up with folks at the convention.

By: folknotions

folknotions — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 13:50:42 +0000

Gang,

I’ve never been to this conference. I have only considered myself “Anabaptist” for about 9 months and my congregation thought the best way to help me grow in that was to send me to conference; however, I’m going alone.

I’m 23, I feel a bit older than college folks, but I don’t think I’d be considered an “adult”.

I’m not really sure what I’m asking, but the conference office in Indiana has been less than stellar in helping me with this problem. Any good workshops that I should definitely attend, late night stuff going on, etc? I feel like a total outsider to all of this.

By: Skylark

Skylark — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 03:56:32 +0000

I only wish I could. The only way to get the time off work would be to cut into my week of vacation in August, for which I already have booked flights and lodging.

I asked if y’all were doing the adult or youth conference because when I went to the Nashville youth conference, my youth pastor’s wife said she would never want to be part of the adult conference because it seemed boring and staid by comparison. Now, that was one person’s opinion about something six years ago.

By: Katie

Katie — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 03:26:34 +0000

Skylark,
I’ll be primarily at the adult one, or rather the “young adult” one, but really, same thing. My church made me a delegate so I get to sit in on all those exciting meetings and vote on stuff. Not sure about other folks. I think it sounded like Tim and Eric are doing the adult thing too. You thinking of coming now?

By: Skylark

Skylark — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 04:36:20 +0000

Are y’all going to the adult convention or the youth convention?

By: Jason

Jason — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 21:27:12 +0000

I’m feeling quite the fool about convention. In January I went conscientiously through all the details of registering the seminar I’ll be leading about AMIGOS, but swiftly avoided registering for the conference itself. So I’m doing that now, but don’t have a place to stay.

But perhaps this blooper may provide an opportunity to share space with other YAR folk attending… Does anyone have a place (hotel or otherwise) where I could crash on the floor and help with costs? (you could respond at shenkja(at)earlham.edu) Getting a room to myself just seems silly.

By: j evans

j evans — Tue, 29 May 2007 22:18:11 +0000

Been peeking in at this blog. I dig. I’d like to meet up and I’ll be at the event as well.

By: Katie

Katie — Fri, 25 May 2007 15:05:02 +0000

Denver - I was thinking we would probably go as a group to some local restaurant. I looked around a little online so I’ll try to show up with a few options for the group to decide on. I’d take suggestions if anyone has any.

I couldn’t bring myself to get the whole meal plan from the convention either. My frugal/cheap tendencies really flinched at those prices.

By: Skylark

Skylark — Fri, 25 May 2007 02:41:58 +0000

I wish I could go. :-( Y’all better post about the highlights, or I will be seriously disappointed in my YARs.

By: Denver Steiner

Denver Steiner — Fri, 25 May 2007 02:04:11 +0000

I’ll be at convention and would be up for supper Wednesday. I didn’t go with the convention meal plan… Any thoughts where supper would be or is will it be an impromptu place? My e-mail is: denver@steiner7.com

Tom, sounds like you have your hands full.

By: tomdunn

tomdunn — Thu, 24 May 2007 13:24:13 +0000

I’ll be out there, but I will also have 36 high schoolers with me. I’ll keep the YAR get together in mind, but I make no promises.

By: folknotions

folknotions — Thu, 24 May 2007 12:27:21 +0000

Eric, Tim, Katie,

Yay! I will be in San Jose; I’ll be arriving late Monday night and leaving early Thursday morning (my beautiful yet humble little church could only afford so much). I will be by myself and am hoping to meet some folks out there; who better than the YAR’s? Wednesday night supper sounds great. you can e-mail me at folknotions@yahoo.com if you want to set up some more plans.