Well, the big party in San Diego, that has consumed most of my energies the last 2 1/2 years, has finally come and gone. All in all, I think it was a pretty successful week, even with occasional hiccups. This was a long time in being formulated. An earlier offer to help do a convention in San Diego had been declined; a mistake, as I judged it at the time. It became a moot point, later, as it gave us the opportunity to design our own agenda.

Following the Covid shutdown, a handful of us began lamenting the original offer and started talking seriously about creating a convention. I informed then Grand Sheik, John Field, that we were committed to this endeavor. I told him that it would be good for the Saps and good for the city, and that our time had arrived, and that we would press on, with or without him. Since I had previous experience running events, including two 4-day festivals, I would assume the helm and told John that he himself could participate in the areas he felt comfortable in. He was good at programming and overseeing a dealers’ room environment. John agreed, and the adventure was set in progress. Sadly, we lost John on November 3, 2023. A week later, David Webb, Cynthia Morales, and myself began a pre-planned two days of hotel shopping. We visited a handful, and were given full tours of three, including the Legacy. As soon as I saw the 500-seat theatre, I knew we had had our venue! It answered one of my definitive needs.