Over on Facebook, we've started a discussion to determine if there is interest in an independent event in 2013. You can catch up on it through this text, then post replies here if your are Facebook shy or over on Facebook if you are already a member:

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Is there interest in a collector-organized and operated Harbour Lights "event" to be held somewhere in the summer of 2013? Perhaps in the Great Lakes area, Maine, or the Northwest Coast? A weekend event for re-connecting with those who used to attend the Rosemont/Navy Pier trade shows or the Harbour Lights Regional Events.

Please give some feedback, including what we might do at such a gathering and where you'd like it to be held. If you'd be willing to volunteer to help organize such an event, let us know. Ask questions now. If you wouldn't or couldn't come, let us know that too.

We've got 103 members, can we hear from a good percentage of you?

Jim Johnson and Hilari C. Seery like this.

Judy Fernandez Newblom Would Harry and/or Youngers be there? I vote for Pacific Northwest.

John Chidester ‎Judy Fernandez Newblom: Bill and Nancy Younger and Harry would be invited... but thinking at this stage is to get an event outlined, then check their availability for a specific place and date and see whether they could make it.

Randall Ronne We would be interested. It would largely depend on when as we have week long trips in March and August. A long weekend would work best for us. Great Lakes (Lake Huron) woudl be great. Other places would depend on the plans.

Amy Wacker While I have never attended an event in the past, I would be interested now. Would like the NW as we have not visited there yet (just moved to AZ from NJ last year), but the Great Lakes might work depending in time of the year. Any acess to local lighthouses, especially those not normally open to the public would make the event special. I wonder if piggybacking on an established lighthouse event like the Great Lakes Lighthouse Festival would make this easier to coordinate.

Michael Babischkin I'd be interested in attending depending on where in the Great Lakes we're talking...

Pamela Cook I would be interested.....doesn't really matter where to me, and I would be willing to help out somehow.

Twiggy Holmes Hi John I would be interested in an event of this kind. Could help with some organizing. If I had a choice it would be Maine in Oct. for the foliage time, plus all the lighthouse in the area. But anywhere is fine with me, I would do my best to attend.

John Chidester ‎Twiggy Holmes, I shouldn't have limited it to summer, I guess. Other suggest dates as you wish.

John Chidester ‎Amy Wacker - welcome to a fellow transplant to Arizonan. I shouldn't have limited the scope to just those who have attended events in the past. All interested in collecting Harbour Lights or in lighthouses in general would be welcome.

Amy Wacker John - we live in Tucson. Not exactly a great location for a lighthouse enthusiast(!), but can't beat the weather. Where are you?

Eric S. Martin Hi, unless my money situation improves, I most likely could not go unless it was in Florida. Good Luck.
take care, Eric

Hilari C. Seery Would love to attend - Great Lakes sounds great to me have never been so would be a new adventure, also think spring or autumn would be better cost wise.

John Chidester Lakes Erie and Ontario would have many lights I haven't yet seen. Perhaps meet mid-way in Buffalo or Niagara Falls?

Hilari C. Seery Buffalo woul be good lights there to see!

Current as of 05-08-12 @ 10:41 AM MST

I would only be interested if it were held in the Daytona Beach area. With my wife's serious back condition an hour or two is the longest trip we can make.

Sharon & I will come where ever
RIP

Would love to join but depends on my wife's health. Been a rough couple of years on that front and we don't know what to expect from day to day, let alone months. Early October is great weather and rates are much better. Summer is definitely out for us busy Cape Codders.

1st Reunion: San Diego, CA.
2nd Reunion: Providence RI
2rd Reunion: Baltimore, MD
4th Reunion: Mackinac Island, MI
5th Reunion: Alaskan Cruise

Many signing events, regionals...

Been there, done that...and would do it all again!

Will be visiting Mackinac Island this summer, especially since it's in our backyard.

A collectors event in Spring 2013 in South Carolina, Georgia etc. would be nice!!

A collectors event with Split Rock, MN., and Upper Peninsula Michigan lighthouses in the summer 2013.

A collectors event in Fall 2013 would be beautiful on Lake Ontario, Niagra Falls, Vermont, Connecticut, Maine etc.

Any help with planning, can assist.

Would be able to make a Great Lakes area event...

Mike

I would love to go. Fall would be nice.
Off to Natucket with NELL on Wednesday.
Fran

I would go. Great Lakes or Maine sounds good...but anywhere would be great. I am willing to help also.

We'd be interested

If my ability to travel changes, we'd be interested in attending and also helping in any way possible.

My husband and I would be interested if it was in the Great Lakes area. It's hard for him to get enough time off work to travel any farther than that.

Remembering that the very first "unofficial" gathering of forum wackos was at Rosemont (Chicago) in 1999 I believe? And Paul has the photo to prove it. My kind of town, Chicago is...haven't been there since '02 was it?

I'll be there if it's in the Great lakes or FL areas.

Sorry John didn't see those extra characters when I submitted this the first time.

heck I'll even be there for Maine if that's where we end up.

Just to clarify, Eric. If it's in the Great Lakes or in Florida, are you saying you WOULD be there or are you saving you have already BEEN there and wouldn't come?

THAT WOULD BE OUR FIRST CHOICE

Wow...Split Rock and UP Michigan...that does sound great!

Better get something going fast if it's planned for a tourist area like Split Rock (Duluth) or Mackinaw. Hotels fill up fast and get expensive in summer. MW

Dont see much talk about this here or on Facebook. Summer's running by fast...

We are talking about this for NEXT year 0 2013 - not for this year.

Guess that makes more sense...I should pay better attention!

Fall of 2013 might be possible for us to the Great Lakes region. We have never been in the area of the US.

Kathleen

Little over a year later, did anything ever take flight with this? Not enough interest? Just curious.

Mike

Nothing came of the idea to this point.

It would be awesome to pull together some sort of get together! :)