I heard a bird from the Great Lakes area chirping about the expensive lodging in the summer and the colder weather in the fall. He was sunning himself in my Drake Elm tree. The bird also let it be known that in October the rates in Florida are cheap and the weather is fantastic. This bird overheard some people talking about how great it would be to hold the 2005 HL Reunion in Daytona Beach FL. Why do you think all the birds come to the south during the winter(snowbirds also)? They're not crazy. The weather is great. Take it from someone that spent the first 18 years of his life in Erie PA.

Rich,

You make good , valid and logical points- unfortunately I don't think it will happen that way.

The Great Lakes Area Lobby has been working feverishly lobbying for this one to be in their neck of the woods. All indications are that they will be successful in their quest.

It's always nice to go to different places and that area of the country has much to offer and has not been part of the Reunions yet.

So, I'd say if it happens it will happen in the Great Lakes area. I still think it is only a possibillity, not a definite that a Reunion will happen at all.

Dennis

C'mon, Dennis, have a little faith! Think Great Lakes...2005! I'm counting on it!

Sorry, Rich, great idea but your state has one of the only two regionals this year. Rally not for 2005 but for 2008 to come alive and visit the Sunshine State.

From the land of cold and snow but not as bad as Buffalo!

Bob

Bob,

Sorry. I'm a bit of a skeptic at this point. We'll see if any info is forthcoming at the Regional in Florida next month.

It would be the perfect place to announce any plans.

The announcement can't be too far off based upon past Reunions.

Dennis

Great Lakes.... 2005 !

Bob,
The Regional is a great place to make the anouncement from. Harbour Lights has had the last 3 out of 4 Regionals within 80 miles of one another over the past 4 years. What better way to check out the accomodations and facilities? On top of that the Southern pieces far outsell the Great Lakes pieces which means there are more HL buyers here then in the Great Lakes. There may be more Forum members in the Great Lakes but what area sells out the fastest when a new lighthouse is put out? Check the statistics and I think that the Southern lights sell out almost immediately. The collectible shows in the Great Lakes are not even happening anymore so that means the customer base is no longer there. The customer base is still active here in the Southern states. This is truly a rumor that I'm going to push.

First of all Rich, over 50% of the collectors at the last two Regionals in Florida were from the North and most of them were from the Great Lakes area... The same was true of the Long Island Regional and there was almost double the amount of collectors at the Grand Rapids Regional, than the next biggest turnout, which was the one in San Diego...

While it is true that HL's does sell well in Florida, there is no way that they out sell the Great Lakes states, especially if you are going to group them together.. Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio have a lot of HL collectors.. The Florida lights recently have sold out because of the reduced production size as much as anything else..

And personally I love the Four different Seasons.. especially Fall in the Great Lakes!!

All good points Paul and I will admit that there were a lot of Great Lakes participants at the Regional here in Florida. If I still lived up there and had a chance to come to Florida for a Regional I would probably do it to get away from the snow and cold. I'm just trying to stir some conversations and get some juice flowing. The fall is a beautiful time of year in the Great Lakes and truly the Great Lakes people deserve a Reunion but is there the capacity to house 500-800 people anyplace that is reasonable? While some can afford the $1200-$1500 that it will cost for this 3 day Reunion, should I choose to not pay those prices where can I stay that won't cost an arm and a leg? That is my concern about having it in the Great Lakes during the Aug-Oct timeframe. On the other hand, Daytona's rates during this time frame of Aug-Oct will usually run $125-250 for a three day weekend depending on where you stay and the lighthouses and activities around Daytona/St. Augustine/Orlando/Jacksonville/Silver Springs are second to none and all within 80 miles of Daytona. What will be will be and hopefully it will be announced at the ST. Augustine Regional.

Also, I mentioned the Southern lighthouse area and not Florida when I said that Southern lighthouses sell out. I can't think of one that has not retired by selling out instead of finding an early retirement. This is not true of several Great Lakes lights. And it has nothing to due with the reduced amount because the reduced numbers did not start until a couple of years ago. It would be an interesting statistic to find out just how many Forum members come from the Great Lakes states that you mentioned and how many come from below the Mason-Dixon line like Virginia, North Carolina, South Caorlina, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, West Virginia, Tennessee, Missippi and Misouri. Have I missed any? Maybe John can answer that question.

It will probably be the Great Lakes but don't forget the South. There is a heck of a lot of HL based support down here where it is going down into the 30's tonight.

You alllllllllll listen up.
This is the main Reason for a Reunion in Florida.
Rich and I haven’t been to one yet and it looks like the only way we are going to be able to go to one is if it is close.
I think I speak for Rich also when I say.
We just want to be able to go toooo.

AMEN to that Daniel. When I get older and finally retire maybe I can go all over the country. Until then if it ain't in my backyard you can forget it with the job I have.

How about a poll Rich to see if there are more forum members from the north or the south? And dont forget Slower lower Delaware we be south also.

Great Idea! I'll make one up.

Well, the poll to see just where the Collector Forums members are from has been running since the 11th and so far 47 members have voted. We have a dead tie between the Northeast and the Southeast at 13 votes apiece. The Great Lakes region is coming in 3rd with 11 votes. The remaining 10 votes are distributed over the rest of the regions with the Northwest area not garnering even a vote. As it stands now the powerful Great lakes area had better get their Forum members to vote or the Northeast and/or Southeast may just win this contest.

Everybody that's a menber should vote so the bragging rights for the most Forum members in an area cannot be contested. Even the lowest primary gets a better turn out then 4.3%.

The only result of the poll I can see is that the area's are confusing and over-lap...

Well Paul, why don't you create your own poll and split the regions the way you see it. I did the best I could.

Yeah, Paul!

Could we please have the southen MID-ATLANTIC region represented in yours!

Judy
Somewhere in the southen state of ole Virginy in the DELMARVA Peninsula of the Mid-Atlantic states near the grand Chesapeake Bay, sipping my mint julep and twirling my parosol.

My comments about the division of VA into the Mid-Atlantic region were not directed at Rich, but to the 'mapmakers' considering VA is not part of the South and was all in fun. I wasn't confused. I assumed (dangerous word I know)without having actually looked at a HL brochure, that Rich's divisions were the same as used by HL.

By the way, I drink 'sweet tea' and use SPF 45 to maintain my Southern lily-white complexion.

Having spent 8 years living in Northern VA and another 3 Years living in Virginia Beach, I wouldn't want to be out on a Saturday night in any part of Virginia and call it anything but a Southern State. You might find yourself on the other end of the Mason Dixon line before you knew it.

We have the north, south, east and west, and all that is between. Then, we also describe states by regions. The poll discussed in this thread divided the USA into regions.

I am a native Virginian. I've lived the majority of my life in the great southern state of Virginia. I was born here, grew up here, and went to school here. I raised my son here. I've sold a lot of southern soil here, and bought my share too. I'm very proud of my southern heritage, and think of myself as pure southern.

I'm also VERY proud to live in Virginia as part of the MID-ATLANTIC region and have had the pleasure of enjoying all that emcompasses, such as the magnificant Chesapeake Bay.

Although it's in fun, there is no debate as to whether Virgina is one or the other. It is most certainly both!

Judy

Thanks Judy. That is an excellent explanation as to the heartfelt allegiance to an area and the actual geographical location of that area. The next time I even mention (if I ever attempt to again) the areas of the country, I will follow Harbour Lights Brochures listing a Southern Region, Western Region, North Atlantic Region, Great Lakes Region and International Region and let the people choose where they feel they live.

Virginia = Switzerland
:p

Virginia = Mid-Atlantic...and I don't care what the brochure says! :p