Event #1270

New Boxers Gathering Weekend

West Dover, VT

Registered Boxes: All Traditional HH/Cootie/Flea Postal LTC Event Box Traveler Other

Starts	Fri April 23, 2010 6:00pm
Ends	Sun April 25, 2010 11:00am
Owner	markandsuepepe
Admins	markandsuepepe
Signups	35/45
Location	West Dover, VT View Map
Add to Calendar	Google calendar ICS file (e.g. Outlook, iCal, etc.)

Description

The dates have finally been decided - Friday night, April 23 to Sunday, April 25, 2010.

A day tripper option is available for all day Saturday, April 24 for the seminar portion of the weekend. If you can't make the entire weekend, you'll learn a lot by attending the Saturday session.

Spend a weekend with us in southern VT while you box and learn some basics like beginning stamp-carving, logbook making, how to clue a box including different clue techniques, etc. We are thinking of creating the following stations that represent most of the letterboxing disciplines:

SATURDAY'S TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

Session 1) Choosing an image that fits your carving ability including adjustment of the image and successful transfer onto carving medium

Session 2) Carving your image including tips on various carving media, techniques and carving tools

Luncheon Buffet

Session 3) Making a logbook that adds to the overall "homemade" look of your box

Session 4) Mounting and packing your letterbox including what kind of container and featuring some enclosures including first finder prizes/certificates
Writing effective clues for all or certain levels of boxers and the use of various clue techniques that might help keep your box in place for a bit
Placement of your box with suggestions for choosing safe locations

Q & A Time and Time to Review techniques on which you might need some help

Free Time to Box

Group Dinner back at Dover Town Hall

Space is limited so don't delay for those staying for the whole weekend.
Day trippers are also allowed and do not have a limit as we will be conducting Saturday's learning seminar event and the dinner following at the Dover Town Hall, which has a huge room for us to use. Space is not a problem. During the seminar sessions, a hot lunch will be served at an additional, but a very cost-effective price. If you can't make the weekend, join us for the day! If you are a day tripper, please email me and respond to this event and I'll keep increasing the maximum to cover the day trippers.

Great weekend pricing for two includes 2 nights stay in southern VT at either the Austin Hill Inn or the Deerfield Valley Inn in West Dover, VT. Package price includes 2 nights stay for two along with 2 breakfasts each morning and Saturday night's buffet for two. Pricing to be finalized in a few weeks. Pricing will be for two people for the weekend with an option for a 3rd or 4th guest staying in the same room for those rooms large enough to accommodate the additional people. Bring a friend and save some money!!!

Weekend highlights include Friday night Welcome Buffet and time to exchange along with a brief intro to boxing including some history. A good portion of Saturday will be spent at the Dover Town Hall at their expansive facilities for education seminars offered in a "station" style. 6 areas are set up with the various individual disciplines manned by an experienced boxer who is regarded as having an accomplished talent in the specific subject. Attendees will be broken up into small groups of about 6 to 8 people and will visit each of the tables in an on-going rotation. Everyone will get a chance to effectively learn each subject. We are planning on about 4 time period plus lunch for these learning sessions. If more time is needed, we will allow it. We want you to come away with a good understanding of all the information that is offered. After Saturday's instruction, we'll be looking forward to a little local boxing before we freshen up and meet back at the Town Hall for a buffet dinner. Sunday morning, after breakfast in your individual inn, we might have a short organized event or just leave the time open for more boxing in the area before checkout.

All of our Back to Our Roots boxes are still in place so you might want to bring those clues with you for the weekend!

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NEW! RATES ARE IN:

All rates are for 2 people and include lodging and full breakfast on the morning of your stay and the Friday Night Welcome Buffet and the Saturday Luncheon:

1 night @ $168 for 2 people in one room
2 nights @ $208 for 2 people in one room
3 nights @ $248 for 2 people in one room

3rd person in a guestroom @ $20 additional for first night and $10 for each additional night plus additional $17 for Saturday Night Buffet and $10 for Saturday Luncheon.
Rates do not include 10% local and state taxes.

~Saturday Night Buffet Menu (Cost is $17 per person for those not staying at one of the 2 inns)
Advanced reservations required!

Apricot Dijon Chicken
Baked Ziti
Vegetable Stir Fry with Rice or Noodles
Fresh Garden Salad w/Dressing
Dinner Rolls
Fruit Crisp with Whipped Cream
Coffee, Tea, Decaf

~Saturday Luncheon Buffet (Cost is $10 per person for day trippers or those not staying at one of the 2 inns)

Turkey Chili
Corn Bread
Fresh Garden Salad with Dressing
Sides of Sour Cream, Onions, Cheddar Cheese
Assorted Cookies
Coffee, Tea, Decaf

Call the Deerfield Valley Inn directly after choosing your room and inn - limited number of rooms available with 2 or 3 beds.
Toll Free Phone 1-800-639-3588 and speak to Doreen or Rosemary who will be taking the reservations for both inns.

Websites:
Austin Hill Inn - http://austinhillinn.com/
Deerfield Valley Inn - http://www.deerfieldvalleyinn.com/ - Toll Free Phone 1-800-639-3588

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Visit this link for some further info: http://pineconeboxing.viviti.com/entries/general/calling-all-new-boxers

A Pinecone Adventure in the beautiful Green Mountains of Southern Vermont

Feb 26, 2010: New Boxers Gathering is Almost Full . . . . .
Hi There!

You are receiving this email because you signed up for the New Boxers gathering to be held on the weekend of April 23 - 25. We are almost at capacity and if you cannot make it, please remove yourself from the listing so others who may want to go will not be closed out.

That being said, we're developing and working on the seminar curricula as I type. Our resident "experts" will give you the benefit of their years in the letterboxing field and their individual expertise.

There will be a few things we'll ask you to bring like a small piece of carving media and a carving tool. We will supply instructions and the materials for logbook-making but ask that you bring the carving items. Since we are not charging anything for this seminar, anything you bring will help offset costs.

If you haven't signed up to stay at one of the inns, please do so. Info is on the event page. Also, note that the Friday Night Welcome Buffet has been changed to Saturday night after the seminar. This will allow people arriving to the area late Friday night the luxury of enjoying a full night with us all on Saturday.

Sue & I will take up residence for a few hours at a local pub for dinner/drinks and will announce that once we check with a few of the local pubs to see who can handle a group of our size.

Also, please run of any clues to local boxes that you are interested in finding as we will not have them available at the gathering.

Looking forward to seeing you all in about 2 months. It should be a fun weekend!

Mark

Mar 30, 2010: Attention: New Boxer Gathering Attendees
If you have signed up for multiple people under one name on the Atlas Quest event page, please email me with your individual trail names so we can keep a roster of who is signed up. Please email me even if you have corresponded already since I can't keep email for that long.

Example: You signed up as "Traveling Turtle (4)"
Please list the individual trail names in your email:
TRAVELING TURTLE:
1) Traveling Turtle
2) Slow Turtle
3) Fast Turtle
4) What Turtle?

We're really looking forward to this. Everything is coming together!

Thanks,
Mark

Apr 6, 2010: Friday Night Dinner for New Boxers Weekend
Hi gang,

I promised that we'd let everyone know where we were eating the Friday night of the New Boxers gathering weekend. Dinner is on your own but there's a twist . . . . .

Sue & I will be eating at The Valley View Saloon which is on Route 100 where the 2 inns are located. In fact, if you stood at the Deerfield Inn and threw a stone North North West, you'd hit the place! It's in the plaza almost across the street from the Deerfield Inn.

Open only for a short while, it's earned a great reputation already for pub style food with several local draft beers. Dinner will be at your own expense, of course.

I emailed the owner and told him we'd be bringing a group over at about 6:30 to 7pm and asked for a freebie for the group. He said if I give him warning a head of time with the number of people, he would set up a FREE appetizer buffet for our group before we order meals. They have great salads, wraps, sandwiches and are know for large portions. Check out their website - just google Valley View Saloon.

So, if you think you want to join us, send me a quick email with the number in your party. While we might not all sit at one table, we can be pretty close.

I'll meet you at the appetizer buffet!
:-)

Mark

Apr 12, 2010: New Boxers Gathering Update . . . .
Hi gang!

I have a few updates I wanted to share with you all:

1) If you are a day tripper (not staying at one of the inns) please be aware that the lunch and dinner buffets are additional prices - $10 and $17 per person respectively. See the Event page on AQ for details of each.

If you are not attending the evening dinner buffet and haven't emailed me as such, please do. We need an accurate count of those attending. I'll assume you are staying to dine with us unless you email me.

When you enter the Dover Hall the day of the gathering, please have your $27 (dinner & lunch) ready for those collecting at the door. We feel it's easier to get that out of the way before the event begins. You will be given a ticket that shows you've paid for the meal(s).

2) If you haven't yet and can meet Sue & I at the Valley View Saloon, Route 100, West Dover for dinner Friday night, please email me asap. I negotiated a free appetizer buffet before we order dinner and drinks but I have to give the owner an accurate count of the number of people attending. Please be advised that you have to order a sandwich or something to partake in the free buffet. Adam is doing me a favor by offering this to our group. I've already bragged about what a great group this is!!! We are meeting there anytime after 6:30 pm.

2) Don't forget to bring your food item to share for the day; depending on what number in the sign-up list you are.

The first group is bringing finger breakfast items - breakfast bars, danish, fruit, etc. Second group - a case of water and the third group - bags of snacks to share for lunch, throughout the day and with dinner. I don't have my original email to you so if you aren't sure of what you should bring - divide the list in thirds and bring whatever "third" you are in using the above listing of items.

3) Don't forget clues for the area boxes!

4) The seminar begins at 10am sharp at the Dover Town Hall. Plan to be there at 9:30 to pay for your meals, get settled, etc. If we begin on time, you will have some free time to box or get extra instruction after the seminars end and before the 6:30pm dinner buffet back at the Town Hall.

The address for Dover Hall is: Dover Common, Dover Hill Road, East Dover. The hall is an old church and is located right next to the Dover Library - for those of you using your GPS.

Directions: heading north on Route 100 from downtown Wilmington (the main road running north from Wilmington and where the 2 inns are located), take a right onto Valley View Road just before the Deerfield Valley Inn. Follow Valley View as it twists and turns and eventually merges onto Cooper Hill Road.

On Cooper Hill keep an eye out to the left for some breath-taking views once you see the Cooper Hill Inn on your right. Proceed down the hill on Cooper Hill Road and when it ends and intersects with Dover Hill Road, go straight across the road and directly to the hall. You can't miss it - it will be straight ahead. Use the main entrance - just like you were going to church (the side entrance is the kitchen.)

5) Don't forget to bring a carving tool if you have one (there will be a limited amount available) and a piece of carving medium approx. 3 x 4" in size.

6) If you decide Saturday night that you don't want to go home if you've planned to be a day tripper - no worry. There will be rooms available at the discounted rate.

7) For those of you staying Saturday night, we could use some help breaking down the tables and chairs, putting them back, sweeping the floors, etc. Many hands make light work!!!

This facility is free to Dover residents (Sue & I have a home in town so we qualify for the free deal) but would like to give them a donation to replenish any of the supplies we might use during the event like napkins, sugar, etc. Please donate a small amount in the jar provided - ALL PROCEEDS WILL BE DONATED TO THE TOWN FOR THE HALL. Thanks!

Please keep this email so you have the directions handy.
Phew - I think that's it for now!
12 more days to go!!!

Mark

Apr 21, 2010: Final Message for Newboxers . . . .
Here are some last minute thoughts with the Newboxers weekend just a few days away!

1) Please bring a pad and pen for note-taking
2) Also, you will need a 2 x 3 piece of your favorite carving media as well as a carving tool
3) Bring your own area clues - our favorites:
"What We Love About VT"
"History of Letterboxing in the US" & "Carving Mentor"
4) Bring your personal travelers and clues to travelers of other attendees if you enjoy that
5) Bring your contribution for the gathering - either a breakfast item, water or snack item. See AQ Event Page for details
6) Meet us at 6:30pm Friday at the Valley View Saloon on Route 100, West Dover. Directions on AQ Event Page.
7) Be at Dover Hall for the Saturday seminar at 9:30 for a 10am sharp start. See AQ Event Page for directions.
8) Have your $10 for lunch buffet and $17 for dinner buffet ready at the door when you enter on Saturday
9) I will have a limited amount of Newboxers patches. Several of you have asked for them. I will bring all I have left - about 15. They are $3 each.
10) The weather looks great for the weekend. Remember that VT tends to be about 10 degrees colder than southern New England.

Sue & I are excited to see old friends and make some new ones. Have a safe trip getting there and we'll see you all very soon!

Mark

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