More on the Betsy-Tacy Convention

Me in front of the Betsy-Tacy bench in Manakato, MN, Autumn 2007 and with my super good sport husband, below.

23 Things on a Stick: Betsy-Tacy Bench
Originally uploaded by cleery

2009 Betsy-Tacy Convention, July 17–20! more details are up at:

http://www.betsy-tacysociety.org/

This kind of thrills me:

Essay Contest

" So get out your sharpened pencils and Ray’s
Shoe Store notebooks—this year’s essay contest topic is: The Woman in the Betsy-Tacy Series That I Most Admire.
Focus on one or more of the following in your essay:
✿ Why she resonates with me
✿ How she reflects the role of women circa 1910
✿ How she affects the series as a whole "

I would like to enter!

And there's always the food:

Friday evening: Ice cream at Heinz’s
✿ Saturday morning: Traditional Ray breakfast
✿ Saturday lunch: A Betsy-Tacy picnic
✿ Saturday evening: Dinner in the Great World
✿ Sunday morning: Continental breakfast
✿ Sunday evening: Betsy’s Wedding reception and Sunday Night Lunch
✿ Monday morning: Waffles with the Hawthornes (butter and syrup unlimited!)

And these fine programs:

Great World Costume Party — Saturday evening
"Back by popular demand! Dress to impress and amaze on Saturday night. Bring your favorite costume related to the books or to the Great World trip. Prizes awarded to the best costumes. Don’t miss out!"

Muster Your Wits and Your Feet” Dancing Lessons.
Have you ever wanted to learn to dance like the Crowd did? Would you like to see a Turkey Trot up close? If so, then this session is for you! Learn dances from the Betsy-Tacy era and see demonstrations of some of your favorites. No dance experience needed, just a desire to have a great time and a love of Betsy-Tacy!

Here's the plan:

Agenda (subject to change)

Friday, July 17
3–7:30 pm Registration
6:30 pm Ice Cream at Heinz’s—meet and greet the Crowd!
7 pm Welcome address, and Keynote speech by Kathy Baxter
8 pm Introductory activities and games

Saturday, July 18
7:30 am Traditional Ray breakfast
9 am Tours of Betsy’s and Tacy’s Houses, Mankato, and Cemetery begin
12:30 pm Betsy-Tacy Picnic
1:15–4:15 pm Children’s Program (pre-registration required)
1:30 pm– Tours of Houses, Mankato sites, and Cemetery continue
6 pm Dinner in the Great World, including displays of the sites seen on Maud’s tour of Europe, and Costume Party
7:30 pm “A Visit to the Great World” by Julia Nephew
9 pm Optional activities with the Perfectly Awful Girls!

Sunday July 19
7 am Continental Breakfast
Note: Sunday morning is considered “free time,” which you may spend sleeping in, exploring Mankato, attending church, participating in one of the activities offered— whatever you like!
7:30 am “Betsy and Tacy Go Down the Big Hill” 5K Walk/Run
8:30 am “Early Service” Betsy-Tacy Spiritual Talk led by Linda Gesling
9:30 a.m. Party games with the NEWBETSYs (pre-registration required)
Group games: Speed Scrabble, trivia contests, and more!
9:30 am Walking tour of Deep Valley (cont.)
11 am Lunch and tour of Murmuring Lake/Point Pleasant (pre-registration required)
Party games with the NEWBETSYs (pre-registration required)
1:30 pm Tours of Houses, Mankato, and Cemetery continue
Party games with the NEWBETSYs (pre-registration required)
5:30 pm Amboy Theater presentation of “Betsy’s Wedding”
6 pm Betsy’s Wedding reception and Sunday Night Lunch
7 pm Panel of descendants of the families of the Crowd
8 pm Silent Auction results and Essay Contest winners announced

Monday, July 20
7:30 am Waffles with the Hawthornes
9 am Breakout sessions:
• Grandma Slade’s Stories of Mankato
• From Frog Legs to Friendship: Syrians in Mankato
• The Violent Study Club Looks at Vera Neville
• Book Discussion Groups
• Restoration of Betsy’s and Tacy’s Houses
• “Muster Your Wits and Your Feet” Dancing Lessons
11 am Address by author and Lovelace fan Meg Cabot
12 pm Adjourn
Lunch and tour of Murmuring Lake/Point Pleasant (pre-registration
required)

This sounds super fun to me. The only thing that might hold me back is the cost. We'll see!