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So what if TDCAA can't pull off a seminar out of state? Ruidoso is nice, but not in Texas (at this time, anyway). Surely there are more locales in our State worthy of consideration.

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C. Springs was part of the Republic. Why did we give it up?

Fort Worth: Where the West Begins

What about London, Tx. At least they will be like us there.

I'd go to El Paso or Lubbock. San Antonio bad! Bad bad bad! I'll end up with my wife, kids, and mother-in-law if it is in San Antonio. Bad bad bad!

Hey, we have a lake and some motel rooms and as of yesterday, we even have electricity! It would really help our local economy and it would be like going to camp! OK, I voted for San Antonio, but except for having our power wiped out by hurricanes, we aren't really in the danger zone. And they have great food at the Country Inn and Las Fuentes, etc. Just a random thought.

Sorry, y'all, but no New Mexico. Our training is limited to the state of Texas. Just so you know, Manda, Ashlee and Erik are working like crazy on options. We think the Annual is some pretty good training and a great opportunity to get together, so we will get this done. It will be a good deal. Promise!

How about a location near an Indian reservation where we can take a "class" on 8-liners?

Only if we are strictly limited to winning noncash merchandise prizes, toys or novelties, or representations of value redeemable for those items, that have a wholesale value available from a single play of the game or device of not more than 10 times the amount charged to play the game or device once or $5, whichever is less. Wait. Come to think of it, that means Amarillo's back on the table, since all of our 8-lining entrepreneurs assure me they operate strictly within this "exception."

How many rooms are usually booked and how many generally attend the sessions? That would certainly narrow the places capable of hosting.
Isn't there some place in the hill country which is great this time of year?

Of course, there is always the site of the Texas Independent Bar Associateion fall criminal course -- Hawaii

TIBA puts on an excellent course at a mighty fine USA location. The Turtle Bay Resort has some nice rooms. For details (and some nice accompanying music), click here.

The course provides as much CLE as any TDCAA event and gives you the bonus of an excellent education in Hawaiian culture. One year, Honolulu's elected DA taught on the subject of meth problems in the area.

doesn't have a motel, but it does have the second oldest continuous dance hall in Texas.
Guess if you're dancing you don't need to sleep.

Bob Cole,

That's why we gave up Colo. Springs, and the rest of Far Far West Texas. $10 million big ones back in 1850 when $10 million was a lot of dough. It was such a huge amount of money, that the Federal Govt. couldn't pay it all at once, and had to spread it out over the decades. After the Civil War the Feds tried to cheat Texas out of the balance due, but the Supremes ruled otherwise.

Back in 1850, Texas didn't have a lot going for it. It was before oil, and the RR's hadn't reached far enough to make cattle drives very profitable. Texas, hard as it is to believe now, was a bit of a back water. So $10 million looked pretty good. But today we're paying the price: TDCAA members can't have a convention in Ruidoso, even tho historically, politically, and demographically it remains deep in the heart of Texas.

In all seriousness, I think many of us here in Southeast Texas are beginning to suffer from a bad case of hurricane fatigue. This is twice in the last several years that the Annual has been cancelled due to hurricane issues and maybe the time has come to consider moving away from the coast or changing to a different time of the year when hurricanes are not such a consideration.

I know some consideration has to be given to the economics of the decision, facilities costs, hotel room availability and rates, etc., but surely there are several other venues in or out of Texas which might surely be an option.

If our bylaws preclude us from going out of state, then so be it. Personally, I wouldn't have a problem with going somewhere like Shreveport, LA or Riudoso if we could get a deal. Both of those locations are certainly equipped for vacationers and tourists. When I lived in Mississippi for a few years, the Mississippi Bar would have their annual meeting in Destin, FL every other year, before the casino industry became big on the Mississippi Coast.

At any rate, I love the beach as much as the next fellow but I'm getting sick of having to watch the Weather Channel every September and plan my life around when the next hurricane might come along. Just my opinion.

+1 on different time of year. September is the #1 time of year for these types of difficulties, followed (going on gulf coast memory here) by August.

What about October? Then it could be an Octoberfest Seminar...We could put Trey Hill in charge of snacks.

If we hurry, we can hold the make up Annual in San Antonio, while the hurricane shelters are still open.

Port San Antonio (formerly Kelly USA, formerly Kelly AFB) has easy road access, lots of parking, plenty of unused warehouses for presentations, and free accomodations at Building 1536.

Now while 1536 is not as fancy as the Galvez, or San Luis, it has working air conditioning, regularly changed porta-potties, and the population is declining, so your cot won't be jammed right up next to someone else's.

Just think of all the taxpayer that would be saved!

Wichita Falls should not be omitted from the list.
Jesse and Frank James hid enough money from bank robberies in the nearby Wichita Mountains to make us all wealthy. With everyone from TDCAA we could launch a massive search for buried treasure and split it. What say you?

Ed Lane