Hi Folks!

The decision on where the next symposium will be held will not be made
in the next few days, weeks, or probably even months, so everyone take
a deep breath! The IFC WILL be open to all suggestions. If you are
interested in being included in discussions, please join the
ferret_symposium list at
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferret_symposium/

On Thursday I posted a list of some of the hotel requirements for a
major symposium on that list.

Here's another exercise you might want to do:
Get a map of the US and several different colored markers. Put an "X"
of one color on the following cities: Toronto, Las Vegas, Atlanta, St.
Louis, Toronto (yes, a second one), Portland and Pittsburgh. This is
where symposia have been held. (I've included the Ferret Aid events in
Toronto since many of us go to those, too.) Put a smaller "x" of a
different color on Niagara Falls, Fort Collins CO, Louisville KY and
Kissimmee FL. These are our forums.

Now use another color and put a dot in north central Kansas. This is
the geographical center of the lower 48 states. Put another dot further
east, a bit southwest of St. Louis. This is the population center of
the US. (I was a little surprised to see those two places are so close
together.) Note that if you live left of these dots, you may consider
anything to the right of them to be "east". If you live above them,
everything below is "south". Just some perspective. :-)

Now look at the map and see what areas of the country have NOT had an
IFC anywhere near them. If you live in Boston, you've had quite a haul
to get to one, but so have residents from the Gulf coast of Mississippi
through Southern California or from Wisconsin to Montana.

So we have lots of places to choose from, and we know we won't make
everyone happy.

But we do hope everyone will come to the next symposium anyway. We'll  
try to make it a great one so everyone who comes WILL be happy! :-D

Linda
IFC

[Posted in FML 6155]