Big Easy Made Easier

A few odds and ends as we all settle in the Big Easy:

1) Do you find that every once in a while you need the address or telephone number of your hotel (for a map search or the like)? Well, now you have it.

• Hilton New Orleans Riverside: 2 Poydras Street, New Orleans, LA 70140, (504) 561-0500
• Loews New Orleans: 300 Poydras Street, New Orleans, LA 70130, (504) 267-2081

2) We've posted a map of New Orleans at http://neoea.org/gov/NEAmap.pdf.

3) We posted a calendar online at http://neoea.org/gov/NEAcalendar.pdf (see the post from June 14). But even if you don't look at that schedule, you should know some key dates.

• Remaining NEOEA shirts available (for those who ordered them) at the NEOEA table at the July 2 Ohio caucus
  
• NEOEA caucus: 9:30 AM on Friday, July 2, right after conclusion of the Ohio caucus
• NEOEA Night at Mulate's: Sunday, July 4 (see the post from June 1 for more information)
• NEOEA shirt day (and class photo): Monday, July 5

4) Speaking of the NEOEA table, you'll see a new face there this year: Lisa Steigerwald-Kana, president of the Campbell EA, will be at the table to help delegates from northeastern Ohio.

Cleveland Airport long-term parking discount

As you may know, NEOEA belongs to the Best Benefits Club, and just recently we learned about a BBC benefit that may be of help to some of our delegates. If you'll be leaving a car at Cleveland Hopkins airport, you can get long-term parking at Park Place for $5 a night when you sign up for their Frequent Parker Card. Details are available at http://neoea.org/gov/NEAparking.pdf.

NEA Annual Meeting schedules

Even for experienced delegates, the NEA Annual Meeting schedule can be confusing. Following are some online planning resources that you may find useful for navigating the schedule of the Annual Meeting.

• A printable calendar for NEOEA's NEA delegates is available online at http://www.neoea.org/gov/NEAcalendar.pdf.
• NEA posts a schedule of many of the events that make up the Annual Meeting at http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/AM2010_Tentative_Agenda.doc.
• NEA's list of Annual Meeting sites and dates through 2019 is available at http://www.nea.org/grants/17767.htm.

We sometimes get careless about terminology: what's the difference between the Annual Meeting and the Representative Assembly?

• The whole event that we're going to in New Orleans is called the "Annual Meeting." The Annual Meeting consists of the RA plus several other meetings scheduled in conjunction with it. There are too many to list here, but basically, they fall into several types:


• deliberative assemblies, like the Board of Directors meeting, the NEA-R assembly, and the RA itself;
• optional workshops and trainings for various constituencies (students, higher ed, women, men, minorities, etc.);
• meetings and open hearings of various NEA committees; and
• special-interest meetings (caucuses, religious services, etc.)


• The term "Representative Assembly" ("RA") refers to the main event, which occurs on the final four days of the Annual Meeting: July 3-6 this year. Those are the dates you'll see in the schedule of future RAs mentioned above.
  
  

NEOEA Night 2010

The work of the RA delegate is hard; the New Orleans ambience can help you recover. On July 4, join us at Mulate’s Party Hall for NEOEA Night. You’ll enjoy Cajun food, music, and dancing at Mulate’s Restaurant, 201 Julia Street. And of course, a cash bar will be available.

Reservations are $15 for NEOEA delegates and $53 for their guests. Capacity is limited: registrations will be accepted in the order in which they come in. Registrations are due by Saturday, June 5, and can be made at the Ohio NEA Caucus on that day. All registrations will be confirmed by email.

To register, please use the form available online at http://www.neoea.org/Mulates.pdf. Include your check for the full amount due, made payable to NEOEA.

Looking for the NEOEA Shirt posting from May 25?

Go to http://neoea.blogspot.com/2010/05/nea-delegate-shirt-order.html.