2016 AO Conference!!! SAVE THE DATE!!!!

[MamaSnow]

Just one little thought about all the sessions and not being able to do them all. I get that. I'm kind of agonizing over the picking and choosing too, as they all sound fabulous to me, and I'm sure they all will be. But...I had the privilege to be able to attend the Indiana conference last summer, and am thrilled that we were able to work it into our budget and schedule to be able to come again to Texas this year. The thing that still sticks with me the most from my experience in Indiana last summer is not so much what I gained from the sessions I attended - although I did gain much from those too - but how amazingly wonderful it was to spend a couple of days among so many beautiful, like-minded women. I even ended up missing one of the breakouts I had intended to attend because I found myself enjoying a coffee and a chat with a few other ladies in a quieter setting than the mealtimes - still one of my fondest memories of last year's Conference! All that to say...don't worry too much about getting to all.the.right.sessions. I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. And the fellowship - the just being there with so many other like-minded people - meeting these friends I had talked online for years in real life and getting to hug their necks - that was the best part for me. And that part stays the same no matter if you get into your first choice of the breakouts.

[CrazyMama]

Thank you for the survey Kathy. Now I have to decide. I have been trying to read things I can about the topics the different talks are on. Here is Naomi's podcast on nature study I found. https://www.circeinstitute.org/podcast/m...re-studies

Dawn posted her wonderful article earlier, but here it ishttp://afterthoughtsblog.net/2016/04/swedish-drill-history.html

Both links just make me want to go to both sessions equally so that did not help. I am feeling strongly the CM concept of the burden that is in making a decision.

[ramona]

So I feel bad if I attend the Y5-6 session for my upcoming year 6 but not the Y-4 for my upcoming Y 4 because of other sessions. Maybe I should
Just attend the general topic and philosophy sessions and not the year specific ones? If you had to choose, which would be more important?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If I understand the schedule correctly, if you attend the year 4 you would also be getting a general overview of years 4-6.  If I had to choose I would go for the overview of all three years and get an in depth look at year 4.  But, like Amy Jo suggested, if you had already been through years 4 and 5 with your oldest, maybe you would benefit more from getting the in depth look at 5 and 6??  Just my two cents.  

I don't think you will be disappointed with either choice (and it won't be unfair to any of your children either ; rebuke that mama guilt!)

[Mrs.Honey]

Being moms and volunteers does not make us less qualified or proficient in our topics. Some of our presenters are authors. Dawn is a licensed physical therapist.

AO has always been fueled by volunteers, but that vision of presenting a cm education available to all for free does not mean there are not years of study and practice behind it, more than you will find even among the 'paid professionals.'

Sent from my XT1031 using Tapatalk

I'd clearly never say that mothers or volunteers are under qualified as it sounds like in your reply. I also don't need anyone's qualifications as that was not my point. My point was that I didn't mean to offend anyone and didn't realize that the people holding classes were also attending them and volunteering and paying to be there. I'm not sure why you're seeming to take the worst out of my comments and then reprimand me publicly after I apologize. I am super new to ALL of this. I've never used a forum, I don't know what people's titles on here mean, I don't know anything about conferences (and have never been to one), and know no one that does CM homeschooling or even knows anything about it. I didn't know I'd get chastised for making a suggestion and didn't realize that it would be taken in the worst way and appear that I was ungrateful and expected more from anyone. I'm sure a hundred people would like to take two classes that are being held at the same time but as I said, I didn't really expect anyone to change the entire schedule on my little comment. I also didn't expect to upset/offend/insult anyone, which is why I apologized.

[WendiC]

I'd clearly never say that mothers or volunteers are under qualified as it sounds like in your reply. I also don't need anyone's qualifications as that was not my point. My point was that I didn't mean to offend anyone and didn't realize that the people holding classes were also attending them and volunteering and paying to be there. I'm not sure why you're seeming to take the worst out of my comments and then reprimand me publicly after I apologize. I am super new to ALL of this. I've never used a forum, I don't know what people's titles on here mean, I don't know anything about conferences (and have never been to one), and know no one that does CM homeschooling or even knows anything about it. I didn't know I'd get chastised for making a suggestion and didn't realize that it would be taken in the worst way and appear that I was ungrateful and expected more from anyone. I'm sure a hundred people would like to take two classes that are being held at the same time but as I said, I didn't really expect anyone to change the entire schedule on my little comment. I also didn't expect to upset/offend/insult anyone, which is why I apologized.

I'm not offended, nor was clarification intended to be received as a rebuke.

"As far as I knew all the women teaching the classes were famous specialists, thoroughly trained and proficient in all things Charlotte Mason and charging for their services (not volunteers paying to come! Lol Oops!). I had no idea it was all volunteer moms running this entire conference!"

AO is all volunteers all the time and always has been, and most of us are moms (we have help from a few dads, too). for further clarification, Dawn is paying to come, but the Advisory and AA who are planning the conference do have our basic expenses paid for out of conference funds. ALL the presenters are not paying to come.

I realize you're new and may not have known AO has always been entirely a labour of love, created and run by volunteers, but that's why I thought clarification might be helpful, not just for you, but for others. It also seemed to me that this statement might cause confusion, separating being specialists, trained, and proficient in all things CM from being volunteer moms. It's not either/or.

I regret you feel chastised, as that was not my intent at all.

[Mrs.Honey]

I'm not offended, nor was clarification intended to be received as a rebuke.

"As far as I knew all the women teaching the classes were famous specialists, thoroughly trained and proficient in all things Charlotte Mason and charging for their services (not volunteers paying to come! Lol Oops!). I had no idea it was all volunteer moms running this entire conference!"

AO is all volunteers all the time and always has been, and most of us are moms (we have help from a few dads, too). for further clarification, Dawn is paying to come, but the Advisory and AA who are planning the conference do have our basic expenses paid for out of conference funds. ALL the presenters are not paying to come.

I realize you're new and may not have known AO has always been entirely a labour of love, created and run by volunteers, but that's why I thought clarification might be helpful, not just for you, but for others. It also seemed to me that this statement might cause confusion, separating being specialists, trained, and proficient in all things CM from being volunteer moms. It's not either/or.

I regret you feel chastised, as that was not my intent at all.

Okay.

[SowingLittleSeeds]

It sounds like this was one of those times when text based conversation is a terrible at communicating the intent/feelings behind the words.

[Javamom]

I am wondering if the breakout session on CM study groups means the kind of group where the parents are studying CM's writings or does this mean CM co-op?   I am guessing it is the first option, just trying to get clarity.

Kathy is correct. It will be more about CM study groups and all the little things that develop over the years of leading one. benefits, challenges, etc. But there will be some mention of CM co-ops, as it can be a natural outcome of this deep study and inspirational time together.

Hope that is helpful!

[WendiC]

Conference folk songs: several of you have asked if there's anything you can read or prepare ahead of time to make the conference even more meaningful. YES-

youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2IR3x_bkyR7suaIgb2MZqw9GaftDrg5X

[WendiC]

Conference folk songs: several of you have asked if there's anything you can read or prepare ahead of time to make the conference even more meaningful. YES-

youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2IR3x_bkyR7suaIgb2MZqw9GaftDrg5X

I'm thinking about giving a free mug or totebag to the first person who sings five of these songs with me at the conference (first verses only).