by Kort E Patterson, Editor
This is my 12th annual expression of surprise that I'm still serving as editor of Region 7's newsletter!
One of the most noteworthy differences between this anniversary issue and a dozen years ago, is that many of the pieces in this issue were written in response to the contents of the previous issue. I can't say that editing criticisms of my own words is my favorite activity, but it's cleaner work than begging in the street for submissions - and a whole lot easier than writing an entire issue of filler pieces! Makes me wonder if there is some extraordinarily insightful/inciteful turn of phrase I could put in the newsletter that would spark a continuous stream of material...
2006 will be Intertel's 40th anniversary! I've only been a member since 1992, and so missed out on most of Intertel's history. However, I have been a member long enough to get rather attached to the organization. As such, I've come to appreciate the efforts of those who kept it going until I could join, as well as develop a fair amount of affection for those who have been involved since I joined. I happen to think that Intertel has good reason to celebrate its upcoming anniversary, and I get the impression I'm not the only one.
The pace of preparations for our 40th anniversary AGA has been accelerating as we get closer to July. Our committee has expanded and is now holding "official" meetings as we move from planning to making arrangements. It looks like we'll have an excellent assortment of presentations for the amusement and edification of the troops on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. We're recommending that expeditions to the most popular local attractions set out early in the AGA (Wed. & Thurs.) to avoid the weekend traffic and crowds.
One of the most problematic factors is not knowing how many Ilians and their spouses, offspring, and guests will be attending. There have been rumors that a significant number of members who have infrequently or never before attended an AGA are intending to come to Portland. We also have a fair number of local area members who have indicated they intend to either day-trip or stay at the hotel. Guesstimates of the number of attendees range from a few more than made it to the last couple of AGAs, to double or more.
Of course, how many of these vast hordes of potential attendees are actually going to show up, will remain little more than a shot-in-the-dark guesstimate until registrations start to come in. Needless to say, not knowing how many attendees to plan for is a source of considerable anxiety. Send in your registrations as soon as possible - if only out of compassion for the AGA committee! The sooner we get a handle on the numbers, the better we'll be able to prepare a good time for everyone.