1.A chance to meet friends from the Forum; make new friends; learn more about lighthouses and how to help save them.
2. To visit lighthouses that might not usually be accessible to an individual traveler but rather open for tour because of our group numbers. To have some serious "meat" added to the itinerary: meaning some lectures and classes on lighthouse history, lighthouse preservation; keeper's experiences -- presented by knowledgeable lighthouse authorities and historians (because of their studies or their own personal experiences with lighthouses); speakers like Ken Black of the Shore Village Lighthouse Museum in Rockland, Me, and Board member for the new Statin Island Nat. Lighthouse Museum; Preservationists such as the gentleman who was to be the speaker at the N. GA HL seminar which just got cancelled due to snow; living lighthouse keepers (Connie Small could probably furnish a taped commentary to accompany her slides (as seen by NELL this fall); and other names recommended by all of you. Serious activities to go along with the fun of a reunion.
3.I would like to take home an exclusive piece that represents a lighthouse visited during the reunion. And of course wonderful memories of a great reunion and the many great people I met.
4. I would like to meet my fellow wackos who have so enthusiastically supported our current project. Also to meet HL collectors from my NE area who I do not know yet. This would be an experience of making meaningful new friendships for ongoing communications about lighthouse topics.
5. Last year's price kept some from attending. Hopefully being able to pick one's own motel would help. And this would allow us to have more to spend on the auction; donations to lighthouses; and to buy some items at the company store. Maybe $250 each.
6.Do away with having quite so much packed into one day from early AM to late night. Make the reunion a few days longer, so that there isn't a need to pack so much in to each day; and also to allow for a greater variety of events, such as seminars. Do away with the mass group breakfasts and concentrate on just fun lunches and nice dinners (many people don't eat a big breakfast and would rather use the time elsewhere; would also cut down the price). Don't put us all into one big hotel. Let us choose from a list of accommodations and just establish group rates at various economic levels of motels and hotels. Don't try to crowd the entire reunion into one ballroom or lobby. Hold it at a larger convention center that is experienced in serving vast quantities of meals; where there is more room to spread out into separate rooms for various activities: seminars, forum get-together room; HL club room for state HL'ers to meet others to join or discuss new club formations; company store; computer room for St. John for instructions and demonstrations via digital projector onto a large screen; display room of HL products, and so on.
7. Comments: allow more people to attend so that no one has to be left out and disappointed. Set up a credit card system for members to use at the auction. More money would be made for lighthouse donations if we could bid and buy using our cards. No one likes to carry large quantities of cash with them. A chance for members to sit down and visit with members of the Younger family. I would like to see a film/video produced that would show how a HL piece is made from start to finish, in US and abroad, (without giving away any vital secrets).



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ladylightkeeper