A Proposal

In light of the recent tensions I see around here, I think it's high time something a ittle lighter is debated, so I guess now is as good a time as any to post this.

For some of you, I?m sure, the Jedi Council is just a place to go when you?re bored. Just a way to idle away time. It is certainly that for me, but not only that. I am fairly confident that for some of you, like me, the Council is more. You are my friends (well, not all of you, but there?s plenty that are, and few that I can honestly say I dislike). We can?t see each other face to face; I have never actually met any of you. Yet I have formed bonds with some that I would like to call true friendship.


And on a grander scale, the Council itself is a community; A community of people far flung throughout the world. People of all ages, races, religions, backgrounds, personalities and political persuasions. Yet all of us share something?all of us have something in common, and that makes us a community. Possibly the most widespread community out there, but a community nonetheless.


Over the time I?ve been coming here, I?ve thought about that a lot. Thought about how many members the Jedi Council has now, how many cool people there are that I would like very much to meet. For a while I saw what I am about to present as an impossibility, and therefore have kept silent on it, and allowed it to reside only in the far reaches of my imagination. But then one day I started thinking about it, and decided there was nothing to lose from it, so what the hell.

I am proposing a meeting for Jedi Council members- a reunion of sorts. I?ve already begun considering how this can be done, and I think it can.


I realize that the first reaction to this concept will be ?why bother? There?s going to be a Celebration in a few years, let?s just do that.? Please hear me out on this.


Meeting at the Celebrations is a fine concept, but I ask, why wait for that? I mean, is there anything wrong with the concept of someone, or a few someones hosting a meeting themselves, without it being in the middle of the Celebration hubbub and crowds?


Here is my idea on the basic structure of this, if it were to come to fruition- the whole event can last for 2-3 nights, with one day being a picnic. Another event for everyone could possibly be a dinner somewhere, depending upon how many attend. Groups of people can also plan to do things together, like seeing movies, or the sights or whatever else. Bear in mind, this concept of mine is still not entirely formed, and I think it can be improved upon a great deal with the ideas and advice of others.


I am willing to organize this myself, if it is approved, in which case it would be the summer of 2004 (as I would need money for it, which I don?t have yet) that it would take place.


Ultimately, however, my dream is that others will wish to help out, all around the world, and we can have events like this every summer, in different parts of the world, enabling those who cannot afford to come to America a chance to meet their fellow JCers as well.



I have high hopes that this would not just be a Fan Force event. This is a one time (or one time a year) event for all JCers, all over the world.


Also, if anyone has an idea, advice, or would like to volunteer to help out with the planning/organizing/hosting, please post it here, or PM me. I ask you to please consider this proposal closely. I very much hope you approve. Thank you.

 

I'll be the first to support a reunion!

 

Will there be fishing, poker, and bare-knuckle boxing?

 

Well...there's good trout fishing around me. And I'm a mean hand with poker

 

Ideally, what you're talking about already exists as FanForce. I think annual Scifi conventions i.e. ComicCon, Dragoncon are better to organize around for JC gatherings.

 

Will there be face painting there?
I'm not going unless there is face painting.

 

a) No one beats me at poker.
b) No one puts Baby in a corner.

As I mentioned to Connemara, I'm up for a reuinion. I suggested a picnic in Central Park in NYC in summertime.

But that's just me.

 

Well, there always seems to be a major con every couple months...I know there's one (Capricon - click here for more info) in Chicago in Feb, GEN Con in Indy later this year, etc. Regional FanForces usually try to organize a party/gathering of sorts at just about any con. (The FanForce party at C2 was probably the highlight for the entire month for me.) This would be a bit more feesible, gathering at an already established event, then trying to do something by itself. Event liability & security and whatever else is already covered, and if it turns out that you don't like the person behind the screenname, then at least there's something else for you to do.

 

I'll repost my Idea from Conn's other thread. Int'l JC T-shirt day. We all get a nifty TF.N t-shirt and all wear it on a series of planned days. We're bound to run into someone we know from the boards.

 

As long as there are white women there, I'll be there.

 

What about the face painting? What if there are woman, but no face painting?

 

"As long as there are white women there, I'll be there."

Beggars can't be choosers.

 

As I stated above, this isn't a fan force thing. It's open for anyone from the JC, and while I see your point, I just don't see why what I'm suggesting can't be done if there's someone willing to do it.

 

It's open for anyone from the JC

So is Fanforce, though - all you need to do is go along.

 

the Central Park idea is pretty good...I like it

 

Are you kidding? You people scare the crap out of me online -- I'd be terrified in real life.

 

You damn kids stay outta my yard.

AYBABTU?

 

A Hoo-Dilly!

 

A noble idea, but very impractical. I'll state my reasons as to why it won't work as well as you'd like.

1) JCers are scattered throughout the whole world. I don't think many of them are willing to purchase a plane ticket just for some 2-3 day get-together.

2) Some JCers are pretty skeptical - after all, this is the internet, and some people here very well could be serial killers hanging out in some underground lair, waiting for an opportunity like this to strike. I know that's a bit far-fetched, but I think a lot of JCers like their identities kept anonymous here.

3) Some JCers do have lives - family, RL friends, work, etc. can really get in the way... I mean, how DARE they try to interfere with my going to some Star Wars get-together hundreds of miles away?

4) Make life easier on yourself. Convert your RL friends to SW geeks, if they aren't already. You can have as many get-togethers as you want.

5) Finally, as stated above, there's FF. Just go to your nearest one. The last one I went to was in Minneapolis in April of 02 - I had a blast.

 

Yeah, it would be really difficult for me to go. But (and I'm sure others would agree), a round-robin tournament of bare-knuckle fistacuffs could just be all the incentive I need. Just think of the potential matches. Shall we start lining them up now?

 

I'm not trying to shoot it down, I just giving you my experiences I had in helping organize the FF party at C2...unless you're going to meet at a public place, there's going to be coats involved...food, room reservations, etc. Someone will have to front that money and deal with all the associated hassles. This will have to be done knowing that you're going to have to drop the money in a probable non-refundable deposit about a month in advance to hold the room. Given the very nature of a message board, people will say they are going to come and drop out with no warning. Planning it around an established event gives people a reason to go to wherever, meeting JCers would be the icing on the cake. Enlisting the support of a local club or two, who'd most likely be there anyway as a group makes a ton of sense for many reasons. People had a hard time justifying the costs to come to Indianapolis for a weekend to attend the largest SW event ever...with all the celebrities and activities available, many fanatical fans couldn't justify it to their pocket books. People wouldn't drive an hour and pay $30 to see Billy Dee Williams and Carrie Fisher (it's easy to say that now, no one had a clue about the lines before)...why would they want to come see a message board moderator or some user who's a hilarious poster because he has all day to think of his posts, but a cat has his tongue in real time?

 

why would they want to come see a message board moderator

Cause the female ones are hot!

¤Night

 

PPOR.

 

What is this "real world"? I've heard rumors of it consuming JCers in the past, so why would we want to venture out into it? Besides, I have no ban button in the real world, however would I survive?[/sarcasm]

edit:
"Cause the female ones are hot!"

Not just the females.

 

Drag and Drop : http://www.geocities.com/shnarbles/pics/Image013.jpg

¤Night