NAMA Convention Registration Form 11-30-17 (Word File) THIS BLUE LINK WILL OPEN THE REGISTRATION FORM – JUST PRINT IT OFF AND COMPLETE ONE PER DELEGATE. MAKE YOUR CHECKS FOR REGISTRATION OUT to “North American Manx Association.” Or click here for PDF. NAMA Convention Registration Form 11-30-17
The official hotel of the 2018 convention is the Hotel Grand Pacific. Convention dates run Evening Thursday, June 21st – Evening Saturday, June 23rd.
Convention Itinerary
Thursday June 21, 2018
12:00 Board Meeting
18:30 General Meeting and Buffet Dinner
Friday June 22, 2018
9:45 Orca Spirit Whale Watching, Adventure in Zodiac (if registered)
10:00 Orca Spirit Whale Watching, Sight-seeing larger vessel (if registered)
13:30 Tea at the Fairmont Empress (if registered)
20:00 Evening snack in conversation in 1st Vice President’s suite
Saturday June 23, 2018
8:00 Butchart Gardens Bus Trip, Picnic Lunch, Group photos
14:00 Workshop: Manx Myths with Margie Martinson
15:00 Workshop: Manx Language class with Bill Cassidy
18:30 Seated Banquet Dinner with cash bar
Sunday June 24, 2018
Worship at a location to be decided
We strongly recommend that you arrive no later than Thursday afternoon as the festivities begin on Thursday night. The official room check-in time is 4:00PM, and check-out is at 11:00AM. They are able to hold your luggage should your room not be ready early.
We have a room rate for three days before the convention and three days after the convention. While we have tried to give you many of the highlights of Victoria, we do strongly encourage you to stay and visit and see things like Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown, and the totem pole park.
If you have mobility issues, it is critical not only to book early, but to also ask for a handicap accessible room. There is an approximate 3-foot step to get into the tub to take a shower with no grab bars.
Reservation Procedure
Reservations should be made via the Hotel Grand Pacific reservation department at one of the following numbers:
Toll Free 1-800-663-7550
Direct (250) 386-0450
Email reserve@hotelgrandpacific.com
In order to qualify for the group rate, it is imperative that individuals indicate the Group Name or Group Code, and reserve by April 30, 2018. The room rate is Can$249/night, and you can also upgrade to a harbor view for $40/night.
Group Name: NAMA Convention 2018.
Please note that the hotel requires a valid credit card as security or full pre-payment of room and taxes upon arrival. When you reserve your room, kindly provide the correct number of occupants for planning purposes, as the Chicago Society will be provided regular updates on attendance from the hotel.
Item in Box: Please look at the cover of this newsletter, above your name and address; if it says “please pay” and either $15 or $20, make your check payable to NAMA and mail it to John Prendergast NAMA Treasurer, 10251 S. Bell Ave., Chicago, IL 60643-1901 (The form is on page ?) We have set the Junior membership at just $2 and that takes you right up to your 30th Birthday. S-P please add the page number here.
Visa to Canada required by some.
All international travelers must carry acceptable identification and a valid visa (if necessary) when entering Canada. Americans traveling on an American passport do not need an eTA. Permanent residents and people traveling on other passports must have a valid Electronic Travel Authorization or eTA. Applying for an eTA is a simple online process. Most applicants get their eTA approval (via an email) within minutes. However, some requests can take several days to process if you’re asked to submit supporting documents. It is best to get an eTA before you book your flight to Canada. Here is the website: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/eta-start.asp
How to get there
Air
Via Vancouver, clear customs and get connecting flight to Victoria on Vancouver Island. The airport is approximately 18km from downtown, and there is a shuttle-bus service to the hotel, or you can take a taxi.
Via San Francisco to Victoria, pass through customs in Victoria.
Via Seattle to Victoria, pass through customs in Victoria.
Float plane from Seattle to Victoria Inner Harbor (photo) in approximately 45 minutes. Not for suitable for disabled people. Strict luggage restrictions
Ferry
Car and passenger ferry from Port Angeles, WA, to Victoria, on Black Ball Ferry Line four times a day. The ferry landing is 700 yards from the hotel.
Car and passenger ferry from Seattle, the Victoria Clipper, which takes approximately three hours. Sails three times a day. The ferry landing is 500 yards from the hotel.
There is a car/people ferry from Tsawwassen to Vancouver Island, which lands approximately 20mi/32km outside of downtown Victoria.
Note: The ferry and float plane options will also require appropriate ID as this is international travel.
Please consider an ad in the Convention Souvenir Program
This year the souvenir booklet will be complied by the Chicago Manx Society. However, for various reasons it will be printed in Victoria, so we are starting this process early.
A full page this year will be $80, and a half page will be $40.
Whether it’s to promote your society, to celebrate an important occasion, to wish the 2016 Convention good luck, to remember a family member, or to sell a product, please consider taking an advertisement in our convention program. It’s an expensive item to produce and we try to make it break even. Send your artwork or JPEG to jprendergast4cdot@yahoo.com
Dimensions and price:
Full page ad: 5.25in wide x 7.25in high (133.35w x 184.15h) $80.00
Half page ad: 5.25in wide x 3.625in high (133.35w x 92.075h) $40.00
If you have previously submitted art, we encourage you to provide us an updated copy, if possible. If you are unable to provide updated art, we might be able to look up from previous booklets.
Please send all art and souvenir booklet monies to John Prendergast.
North American Manx Association
C/O John Prendergast
10251 South Bell Ave.
Chicago, Illinois 60643
USA
If you provide your email address and or phone number, someone from the Chicago Manx Society (the Society managing this Convention) will confirm that we have received your page(s).
Select your fun activities for the 2018 Convention!
Optional Group Activity – High Tea
Going to tea at the Fairmount Empress is a highlight of any visit to Victoria. Enjoy a wide variety of teas, with delicious sandwiches and light desserts. They are able to accommodate most allergies. Depending on the size of the group, we may be in a private room to enjoy the day and admire the beautiful surroundings. All who attend will receive a take-home box of specially-blended Empress tea.
Optional Group Activities (Whale Watching)
Orca Spirit Whale Watching, little boat.
This is a three-hour tour in a Zodiac rigid inflatable boat. Survival suits are required and provided. The minimum age is 5 years old, there is no maximum. This option offers the maximum level of adventure!
Orca Spirit Whale Watching. This is undertaken in a larger, more mobile-friendly vessel. Depending on the numbers of you who want to participate will decide the size of the boat that we get. This larger vessel does not require survival suits and has no restrictions on age or mobility.
Seeking Nominations for North American Manx Youth Award
Please nominate a young person from your Society to receive this award at the Victoria Convention in June! The Isle of Man Department of Education created an award to be given every two years at the North American Manx Association Convention. The award recognizes young people living in North America for their contribution in maintaining an awareness of the Isle of Man and its culture. The Department of Education and Children aims to encourage young people with Manx connections growing up in North America to perform Manx Music, learn the Manx language, or learn some other aspect of Manx culture and history. The prize includes a check for US$200 and free lifetime membership of the North American Manx Association from NAMA, and an award hewn from Pooil Vaaish marble from the Isle of Man Government. The version here was awarded to Nicole Wozny for her invaluable assistance cataloguing and photographing glass lantern slides of the Isle of Man which were later donated to the Manx Museum.
The winner must demonstrate an interest in Manx culture or history by sharing their knowledge through essay, art, multimedia, performance art, etc. Nominations will be accepted via the internet or by snail mail. Each nomination must be in the form of a short description of the nominee’s work that explains how this relates to the Isle of Man. Photos or video of the original work should accompany the nomination (soft or hard copies). Nominees must provide contact details for themselves and one reference that may be used by the judges to discuss the work and its authenticity. All initial contacts should go to kelly@mustgoto.com who will pass them to the Youth Award team.
