Convention Planning Update

More details are unfolding for the international Germans from Russia convention next summer in Casper, Wyoming. Some two dozen committee members from the Germans from Russia Heritage Society (GRHS) and the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia (AHSGR) met September 21-22 in Casper to narrow the focus on events planned for the convention. Here's a roster of those who participated. Take a look at a few photographs of this group at work.

Al Feist of of Hebron, North Dakota and Patti Sellenrick of Sheridan, Wyoming are co-chairmen for the event, which is expected to draw as many as one thousand participants to Casper. Sellenrick represents AHSGR, while Feist represents GRHS.

The plannning committee spent considerable time with representatives from both the Casper Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Parkway Plaza Hotel -- including on-site tours of the convention facilities and discussions regarding logistical requirements.

A revised tentative "Schedule of Events" was adopted for the July 28 - August 3 convention. While several Board functions and tours will occur early in the week, bookstores will open and workshops will begin Wednesday, July 30th. "Welcome Night" is scheduled that evening. We'll post the draft schedule on this blog in the next few days. Of course, there may well be other revisions before a final schedule is adopted in early 2008.

The committee is slated to meet again November 9-10 in Rapid City, South Dakota and tentatively plans to return to Casper April 11-12 for another on-site meeting. These dates and other convention-related events are included on the Publicity Calendar link that you'll find in the right hand column of this posting under "2008 Convention Links."