Summer Seasonista Gathering! What do you think?

I first teamed up with TheOnlyUkeThatMatters back in Season 10, and since then I've had the great fortune and pleasure of jamming with him several times as well as with Librainian and Myrnaukelele. I'm hooked. Can't get enough of you folks, and as great as it is seeing you all each week here on UU, I want to meet you all in person for a great, big Seasons jam/hug. I've been casually throwing this idea around for a while and, with a supportive nudge from the wonderful Ginny, I figure why not just throw down and get to it?

To that, I propose we set a date and a place and whoever can make it, great! Maybe there could be numerous small gatherings on the same date, depending on where you live? For us over here on the west coast of America, may I propose the weekend of July 19/20?

Now, organizing large groups of people is not my forte, nor do I have tons of time to set it all up, so I'm hoping that whoever is interested in gathering would also be interested working as a team to help set it all up, whatever that may entail. Who knows, it may just be three or four of us or a hundred. Whatever the number, an unforgettable time is sure to be had.

So, what do you think?

Cheers,

Sean

Well yippee, Sean! This would be sensational AND it would serve to keep the Seasons powered up for another year. Thank you for the shout-out. I wish I could help you because organizing is my superpower.

I'd suggest a few things:
1. Try for a few regional Seasonista get-togethers with maybe an overnight.
--Portland is a great location for the NW (Strumsilly, Myrna, Chelle, Portlandians, Northish Californians like TCK, Dougf, Caukulele).
--Arizona is a good location for the SW (nudge, nudge, Lelouden), for Southern Californians, plus 29moons and GaryC1968. OR someone in greater LA area could set up a daytime get-together that Angelenos could drive to for the day.
--Wendy already suggested a NJ/Philadelphia location for that quadrant, but maybe for July someplace closer to Uke4ia and Frisbee Fred would inspire some people to head into New England.
--Dave~Wave, Rex, sillydave could be the be a critical mass for a central area.
--Atlanta seems a good place for the SE Seasonistas to meet.
--UkeyDave's house would be great for all the UK Seasonistas to meet.

2. Let someone be the point person for each regional get-together...primarily to make the first decisions and then to answer questions and broadcast information to those attendees.

3. Keep it small; don't try to replicate UWC. Let any 2014 get-together be a model/lesson for how to make the next one better.

4. I think you need an inexpensive place for various people to stay (campground, RV park, cheap motel) and a place for people to hang out and play and socialize (barn, legion hall, middle school multipurpose room, nightclub in the daytime, big house). You'd need some ideas about food/drink, but not necessarily a plan.

5. Think about spouses/kids, if attendees are on a family trip. What will they do?

If you want other ideas, I've got 'em in buckets, but I'm not located in a place to create a gathering, and MrT and I already have travel plans this summer that will include meeting some Seasonistas in Europe .
.

PS--Put your location on this Seasonista map: http://tinyurl.com/qb7zk8z
Then you'll know who's close by you.

I'm just posting this trying to be helpful. We set this up last year in Ohio and I would call it an unqualified success. A couple of dozen players and about 30+ attendees all together.

It was great fun and very easy-going. It's about time to refresh the event page for #2.

Start at the bottom and work your way up...

https://www.facebook.com/groups/174474386072931/

and

https://www.facebook.com/events/383359925141666/

I would be willing to do a round up for my area but I can tell you that July is when even the Arizonan's flee the state. Mid jun, july, aug, and sept it is triple digits. However I do have a place in Greer Az that whoever wanted to gather there would be great. Greer is close to NM for any of you that might want to do a Az vacation it is a great spot to go and many people around the country visit. Check it out and let me know. There are lots of cabins for rent in greer and it is beautiful there. Check it out and let me know what you think. Also if people wanted to wait until later in the year I could be a central location for people. Give me your thoughts

GinnyT11 said:

PS--Put your location on this Seasonista map: http://tinyurl.com/qb7zk8z
Then you'll know who's close by you.

Click to expand...

Hmmm, according to this map Lumpy Wafflesquirt is Spongebob Squarepants in disguise ;p

redpaul1 said:

Hmmm, according to this map Lumpy Wafflesquirt is Spongebob Squarepants in disguise ;p

Click to expand...

I suspected as much. Hey, awesome disguise, Waffles!

lelouden said:

I would be willing to do a round up for my area but I can tell you that July is when even the Arizonan's flee the state. Mid jun, july, aug, and sept it is triple digits. However I do have a place in Greer Az that whoever wanted to gather there would be great. Greer is close to NM for any of you that might want to do a Az vacation it is a great spot to go and many people around the country visit. Check it out and let me know. There are lots of cabins for rent in greer and it is beautiful there. Check it out and let me know what you think. Also if people wanted to wait until later in the year I could be a central location for people. Give me your thoughts

Click to expand...

Greer is only 4 hours from Albuquerque!

Pueo said:

How about you all just come to Oahu for vacation? That would be GREAT!
Or, come to the Ukulele Festival and we could all play together as the Seasonistas!
I am for sure going to UWC this year, so I don't think another mainland visit is in the cards for 2014.
I would really love to do this sometime though!

Click to expand...

I like the idea of meeting on Oahu!
I'm heading to UWC again this year as well- we'll have to play some tunes!
I'll be in southern Illinois on the suggested weekend celebrating my mother's 90th birthday and being part of a huge family reunion. But you all carry on- have fun ukin'!

I suppose I could travel to the big city...Just tell me when and where. July works SOOOOO much better than the June dates of UWC (which are in the last week of school), but man, we are supposed to do this on the river. Cassini Ranch comes complete with a morning bird walk and the promise of a Peregrine Falcon- just saying
All I gotta do in July is put pants on (often a challenge) hop on my bike with my uke and set my Easy Rider Soundtrack to repeat.
Oh yeah- cheap is good as well.
We need to do this

Oahu sounds amazing but not quite in my reach... well not this year anyway

I would certainly be up for a UK meet in the Summer however, what fun! I've plopped myself on the Google map and Ginny's tipsheet looks like excellent advice to me.

It would be nice to co-ordinate various global meets/weekends so each group can all wave and cheer on Skype or something... use the tech to bring us ALL together at once. But I appreciate that may be a little ambitious with timezones and weekend availability etc... but you know, worth pondering.

mikef said:

Oahu sounds amazing but not quite in my reach... well not this year anyway

I would certainly be up for a UK meet in the Summer however, what fun! I've plopped myself on the Google map and Ginny's tipsheet looks like excellent advice to me.

Click to expand...

Mike - you'll never believe this, but I was in the Blue Bell this October just gone (16th)! I stayed a night in the Halkyn Travelodge while I was visiting my cousins down in the Quay! We even won the pub quiz!

Oh, & btw, the Halkyn Little Chef does the best scrambled eggs I think I've ever tasted (believe it or not)!

redpaul1 said:

Mike - you'll never believe this, but I was in the Blue Bell this October just gone (16th)!

Click to expand...

Get away! Well peel my tangerines! I literally live a 2 minute walk from the Blue (by design of course)... I thought it sounded rowdy last October

As well as being my local I've played in there countless times (it's a great music pub) and even designed the tap badge for the Dark Blue beer (it's also a GREAT ale pub). Small world. It goes without saying, next time you're up, DO let me know

Linda - in off season, there are great deals to be had, and decent weather. There is a wonderful resort in Scottdale that goes pretty cheap, and off season for them extends from April through early December. Let me know if you want more details.

Pueo said:

How about you all just come to Oahu for vacation? That would be GREAT!
Or, come to the Ukulele Festival and we could all play together as the Seasonistas!
I am for sure going to UWC this year, so I don't think another mainland visit is in the cards for 2014.
I would really love to do this sometime though!

Click to expand...

I will definitely be in Oahu this summer. July looks mot likely. It would be way cool to combine with the Uke Fest there!

GinnyT11 said:

Well yippee, Sean! This would be sensational AND it would serve to keep the Seasons powered up for another year. Thank you for the shout-out.
I'd suggest a few things:
1. Try for a few regional Seasonista get-togethers with maybe an overnight.
--Portland is a great location for the NW (Strumsilly, Myrna, Chelle, Portlandians, Northish Californians like TCK, Dougf, Caukulele).
--Arizona is a good location for the SW (nudge, nudge, Lelouden), for Southern Californians, plus 29moons and GaryC1968. OR someone in greater LA area could set up a daytime get-together that Angelenos could drive to for the day.
--Wendy already suggested a NJ/Philadelphia location for that quadrant, but maybe for July someplace closer to Uke4ia and Frisbee Fred would inspire some people to head into New England.
--Dave~Wave, Rex, sillydave could be the be a critical mass for a central area.
--Atlanta seems a good place for the SE Seasonistas to meet.
--UkeyDave's house would be great for all the UK Seasonistas to meet.

2. Let someone be the point person for each regional get-together...primarily to make the first decisions and then to answer questions and broadcast information to those attendees.

3. Keep it small; don't try to replicate UWC. Let any 2014 get-together be a model/lesson for how to make the next one better.

4. I think you need an inexpensive place for various people to stay (campground, RV park, cheap motel) and a place for people to hang out and play and socialize (barn, legion hall, middle school multipurpose room, nightclub in the daytime, big house). You'd need some ideas about food/drink, but not necessarily a plan.

5. Think about spouses/kids, if attendees are on a family trip. What will they do?

If you want other ideas, I've got 'em in buckets, but I'm not located in a place to create a gathering, and MrT and I already have travel plans this summer that will include meeting some Seasonistas in Europe .
.

PS--Put your location on this Seasonista map: http://tinyurl.com/qb7zk8z
Then you'll know who's close by you.

Click to expand...

Thanks so much Ginny! Great ideas there. Way to get everyone thinking.

ukemunga said:

I'm just posting this trying to be helpful. We set this up last year in Ohio and I would call it an unqualified success. A couple of dozen players and about 30+ attendees all together.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/174474386072931/
and
https://www.facebook.com/events/383359925141666/

Click to expand...

Thanks for posting this.

myrnaukelele said:

I like the idea of meeting on Oahu!
I'm heading to UWC again this year as well- we'll have to play some tunes!
I'll be in southern Illinois on the suggested weekend celebrating my mother's 90th birthday and being part of a huge family reunion. But you all carry on- have fun ukin'!

Click to expand...

Myrna, I just threw out that weekend as a suggestion to get the conversation started. When would be good for you? When will you back in Portland to visit your daughter?

TCK said:

I suppose I could travel to the big city...Just tell me when and where. July works SOOOOO much better than the June dates of UWC (which are in the last week of school), but man, we are supposed to do this on the river. Cassini Ranch comes complete with a morning bird walk and the promise of a Peregrine Falcon- just saying
All I gotta do in July is put pants on (often a challenge) hop on my bike with my uke and set my Easy Rider Soundtrack to repeat.
Oh yeah- cheap is good as well.
We need to do this

Click to expand...

Again, that weekend is just a suggestion, so throw out ideas if you've got 'em. I agree that, at least for me, June doesn't work very well. Kids are in school which might make it difficult for others who have kids and/or have a teaching career.

SO, for us here on the west coast, suggested locations are Cloverdale, Portland and Eugene.

mikef said:

I would certainly be up for a UK meet in the Summer however, what fun! I've plopped myself on the Google map and Ginny's tipsheet looks like excellent advice to me.

It would be nice to co-ordinate various global meets/weekends so each group can all wave and cheer on Skype or something... use the tech to bring us ALL together at once. But I appreciate that may be a little ambitious with timezones and weekend availability etc... but you know, worth pondering.

Click to expand...

That's pretty much what I was thinking also. A number of smaller groups and we all Skype like crazy. Fun!

greenie44 said:

I will definitely be in Oahu this summer. July looks mot likely. It would be way cool to combine with the Uke Fest there!

Click to expand...

So it's looking like possible Hawaii, West Coast and UK gatherings so far. Super! Oh and Linda, you were mentioning something about a SW get together, but not in July eh? Come on up here where it's a bit cooler! Or feel free to throw out some other dates that might work better.
I'm excited we're slowly starting to get this ball rolling.

For those thinking of developing a Seasonista gathering:

I believe it would be wise to let each one sprout and grow in its own way, and at the right time for that locale. It would be extremely hard to coordinate them all, PLUS—some Seasonistas might want to travel about and hit more than one.

Re Portland vs Eugene...
In Portland, there are three Seasonistas who can sleep in their own beds (and might have a couch for another person to crash on). In Eugene, everyone would have to find lodging. That's money that can't be spent on adult beverages.

ukuLily Mars said:

I suspected as much. Hey, awesome disguise, Waffles!

Click to expand...

I think someone moved me after I set up the map, Possibly in error, who knows. I have put me back in the right place now :^)

http://tinyurl.com/qb7zk8z

GinnyT11 said:

For those thinking of developing a Seasonista gathering:

I believe it would be wise to let each one sprout and grow in its own way, and at the right time for that locale. It would be extremely hard to coordinate them all, PLUS—some Seasonistas might want to travel about and hit more than one.

Re Portland vs Eugene...
In Portland, there are three Seasonistas who can sleep in their own beds (and might have a couch for another person to crash on). In Eugene, everyone would have to find lodging. That's money that can't be spent on adult beverages.

Click to expand...

Good points Ginny, especially that last one. I figure I'll create a separate thread for the West Coast Gathering, and/or a FB page just for that event, once there are enough people interested, and I've already PM'd some folks about that. There may need to be one Portland gathering and one CA gathering, on separate days so folks can go to both if they like. Alan brought up this point as well.

BTW, if there are any west coast Seasonistas I haven't contacted yet, let me know. It would be nice to get as many of us together as possible.

I am going to just sit back and see how this developed. I will do what ever needs to be done as far as helping with organizing my area. The dates are going to have to come from the people interested in coming. As Greenie says scottsdale is more of a midway point for everyone. I spend a great amount of time going back and forth to my cabin in Greer AZ during the summer heat. I have room up there to house people and was thinking it would be a great place for families that might want to vacation during the summer months because of the accommodations ( cabins rentals and camp grounds) but it is a bit of a distance for California people. I will be tied up during the month of april but after that if there is enough interest I can be available to meet/organize where ever people want to go. I will warn you that I am a non-drinker so you may find me quite boring