2005 Convention Wrap
by Catherine Ohl

On Sunday, the day started with the traditional 7 AM “eye opener.” Singles "Wags" Waghorn and her incredible crew- Nick Carson, Dee Everts, Allen Elowe - did an excellent job providing the eats. Finlandia donated its Lime Vodka for the Bloody Marys. Afterwards, we all got back to the normal Far West business starting with the elections. Not even a slight earthquake during the Pledge of Allegiance could deter us from our path. No surprises here as all the incumbents were re-elected. The election results were as follows:

The elections were interrupted for brunch and later followed by the club awards for outstanding club [Tollakson], newsletter [Wentworth] and web site. Councils awards were also presented for outstanding newsletter and web site. Check out the club and council awards here.

Photos from the convention, taken by our official photographer Jim Degner [Single] and others, can be found here. Please enjoy.

Thank You!
This convention and snowsport celebration was orchestrated by an amazing team of dedicated LA Council members. I am so very proud to be a part of this team. In addition to those mentioned in the convention wrap-up, I would like to thank the following people. Karen James [Edelweiss] did an amazing job as registrar. This is a HUGE task and she handled it with professionalism beyond expectations. John James [Edelweiss] worked miracles with the history exhibits which were enjoyed by everyone.

Laura Priess [Single] did the grunt work tracking addresses of all the invited ski legends. We wouldn't have been able to keep track of all the convention tasks without the able minute taking ability of Nancy Goettling [Century City]. Our wonderful entertainment and decorations were courtesy Iris Williams [Snowbusters]. Nancy Sanford [Fountain Valley] stepped up to handle an important task as hotel liaison.

Grindelwald volunteers for registration were arranged for by Fay Mumbauer [Grindelwald] and Norbert Knapp [Grindelwald], while Judith Miller [Single] provided other needed volunteers. Ray Craig [Conejo] did a fantastic job tracking all income. Fay Mumbauer [Grindelwald], Patricia Ortiz [Pacific Rim], Kay Cofield [Auslich], Carol Shook [Wailers], Andy Vogel [Century City] and Gene Fulkerson [Pacific Rim] gave me sound advice and welcome support I didn't realize I needed.

Besides handling sponsorships [other than ski resorts] Andy Vogel [Century City] and Gene Fulkerson [Pacific Rim] were indispensable in that they addressed issues before any of us were even aware of them. I owe Gene Fulkerson [Pacific Rim] & Jacquie Nemor [Single] a special thanks for all their encouragement and support.

Finally, kudos to the Westin Long Beach for doing such a fantastic job. Stephanie Kim, Convention Service Manager, was outstanding as she responded to all our wishes and needs in a timely manner. Raquel Paredes, Banquet Manager, was indispensable with the actual implementation- the meals were fabulous, the ballroom was reset in an incredible short period of time, and we never ran out of food. The Westin too had a great team.

Thanks everyone. You are the best.

The 2006 Far West convention will be at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa in Chandler, Arizona, June 8-11, 2006. Make your plans now to attend.