[Harp-L] Re: New Era of SPAH conventions
Location, location, location
SPAH was actually founded by a group of harmonica enthusiasts in the
Detroit area in 1962 and incorporated as a Michigan 501 nonprofit in 1963. Hence
SPAH's Troy, Michigan post office box. Some of those early members still
reside in Michigan. And that's why SPAH conventions were limited to the Detroit
area for most of its history.
I have no idea why SPAH never met on the East Coast.
SPAH started when some 200 harmonica players responded to a classified
newspaper ad (remember those?) in 1962 and the large group was divided into five
harmonica Detroit suburban area clubs under the umbrella of SPAH. First
there was a spaghetti dinner and eventually there was a convention. A hotel
at the Detroit Metro Airport was used as the convention began to draw people
outside of the Detroit area so they could fly in and take a free shuttle to
the hotel.
I have attended several of SPAH's annual meetings, starting in Detroit,
over the years and every time somebody complained about the location of SPAH
conventions, the answer always was: any city that wanted a SPAH convention
needed a strong local harmonica club to assist in running the convention. I
never heard any other controlling factor. Remember, the Detroit area always had
a strong group (s).
In recent years I have traveled to St. Louis, Kansas City, Denver, Dallas,
Milwaukee, Columbus for
SPAH and the Grand Canyon for a harmonica seminar.
Are there published rules for determining how the SPAH convention site is
selected? If so, I've never seen them or heard about them. Does the local
group have to guarantee a convention hotel deposit?
Where do most SPAH members live now? Only the SPAH membership director
knows.
Maybe there's big cluster of SPAH people somewhere?
Me, I'm looking forward to Lake Wobegon SPAH next year!
Phil
In a message dated 7/25/09 10:34:37 AM, EGS1217@xxxxxxx writes:
> Mike:
> I'm with you (and most of us East Coasters agree....we ALWAYS have to
> fly)...never get to drive either to the Midwest or now to the West Coast
> Conventions...so while everyone else is moderately happy we always seem to
> come
> up with the short end of the stick.
> I'm fairly new to SPAH and the other conventions, but since this will be
> my
> 9th Convention in a row I think I can have a bit of a say: it isn't
> 'just' the number of people a club has to put on a convention I don't
> think -
> if the club members are willing and able, but if they have the
> wherewithal
> and expertise to handle a convention of the size of a SPAH...but in
> addition
> whether or not the rest of the SPAH membership is willing to come to the
> East Coast to attend a SPAH. (I've been told enough times that the reason
> SPAH was always in the Midwest or West is because the majority of the
> membership lived there and refused to travel outside of their comfort
> zone. I'd
> love to know if that's true. Perhaps the geography has altered over the
> years?)
>
> Val Redler and Phil Caltabellotta are doing a yeoman's effort to bring
> back GSHC, but the costs of putting on a SPAH in the New York, New Jersey
> area
> might be considerably higher than in other states...although it could be
> something their club might be willing to look into, however from the
> little
> I understand of the process, various clubs submit their proposals to SPAH
> and have to have a plan as to how many people they can host, their
> ability
> to handle and host a SPAH, etc. A new club just might not be willing to
> take
> on such a huge task, although I can't speak for them...I wish they
> would...Maryland too is most definitely appealing to me since my sister
> and family
> live there.
>
> Then there's Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia,Washington, DC? Most of
> the Florida attendees could drive up - (or at least get a much easier
> flight than a lot of them have access to now), and the northern Eastern
> people
> drive down. It's still a lot better than a plane flight every year for
> me,
> and I'd personally be thrilled to attend a SPAH in any one of those
> states.
>
> Maybe if we Easterners make enough noise, show just how many of us there
> are? So feel free to add my name to your list if you're starting one <G>
>
> Warren's just said Minnesota's the pick for next year. Yet another
> looooong plane flight for us although on the bright side it will add
> another
> 'never before visited' place for me.
>
> As far as being able to afford it? I give up other vacations...make SPAH
> my main vacation sometimes extending it by taking a few extra days to see
> the sights. I've had to forego the Smooth Jazz Cruises I've been dying to
> go
> on for the last 3 years. It isn't the optimum solution but gets me there.
> It isn't so much the SPAH costs themselves....more that I have a houseful
> of animals and the logistics involved getting in a house/pet sitter for
> my
> time away as well as having to board a couple of elderly pets with my Vet
> which becomes difficult to justify doing more than once a year.
> Elizabeth
>
> "Message: 11
> Date: Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:53:36 -0400
> From: Michael Easton <diachrome@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [Harp-L] Re: New Era of SPAH conventions
> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
>
>
> This isn't directed at SPAH or any one person. Just an emotional
> question.
>
> Why the hell can't we get a SPAH convention on the East Coast??
> Don't the East Coast clubs want to host it?
> Columbus was the closest we came a few years ago. I was able to
> attend it because
> I did the 9 hour drive from my house.
>
> I've been a SPAH member for around 11 years. The location logistics
> make it difficult
> to cough up a plane ticket and other travel expenses for 4 days in the
> midwest or west coast. I don't know how some of you
> are able to afford to attend these every year. Frequent flyer miles?
> Gov't bailout money?
>
> I know this came up in the past and a lot of us were glad to see SPAH
> in Columbus.
> A few of us local players talked about going to the NJ convention now
> since Buckeye is no longer an option and
> SPAH has mostly been out of our reach.
>
> I would like to see the NJ or VA clubs host it sometime. Maybe even
> the new Md. club at some point.
> Is it a volunteer issue with these club?
>
>
> MIke
>
>
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