[Deptheads] Final numbers

Wed Feb 19 18:17:26 PST 2014

Just don't run a kids track in John's room. Creepy clown the game of
touching.
On Feb 19, 2014 6:15 PM, "evil5757 at aol.com" <evil5757 at aol.com> wrote:

> We need to have it running by Gateway, not save it for the biggest con.
>
>
> *Connected by Motorola*
>
>
> Melinda Keller <melinda_keller at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> I can handle kid's track next President's Day.
> On Feb 19, 2014 6:01 PM, "evil5757 at aol.com" <evil5757 at aol.com> wrote:
>
>> If we have one it needs to be it's own department or the ball will be
>> dropped. "Kid's Track" by definition must be ALL departments, with
>> department supervisors suggesting events for the track to the "KT"
>> supervisor so they can make a true KT schedule and handout for kids when
>> they register.
>>
>> John
>>
>>
>> *Connected by Motorola*
>>
>>
>> "Kryssie M." <phantom.hopscotch at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> The kids room is what I was suggesting as it's own department.
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On Feb 19, 2014, at 4:49 PM, Victor B <fhoenix88 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>> I echo what John said. I personally have explored several childcare
>> options and talked to several other conventions about how they handle it. From
>> co-op where all the parents take shifts watching all the kids to paid
>> services. In most all these cases the convention is not offering any child
>> care...it is either parents getting together or an outside service.
>>
>>
>> Kids are not responsible adults (many adults aren't responsible
>> adults).Hotel security on Sunday night was walking in a group of 3 room to
>> room looking for a lost little kid. The brother of the kid was in security
>> office lost. I talked to security and told them I could talk to the child
>> and locate his parents. I sat down with him in the security office, relaxed
>> him, and got the info of who his parents were and went and got his mom from
>> boardgames. Then we found his little brother 10 minutes later. He had
>> gotten booted out of video games at 10pm and started wandering. Video games
>> is not a daycare center...but that said we need to have rules for parents
>> getting little kids so they don't wander lost in the hotel after kicked out
>> of video games while parents are thinking they are still there. Maybe
>> require all kids under 12 to have parents fill out info sheet so they can
>> be contacted if their kid is still there at 10pm. Call them to get the kid
>> while he stays at HQ. Any problem parents cannot drop off kids there
>> anymore. It could have been worse with kid getting nabbed and parents
>> thinking the kid was in video games room because they did not read the
>> hours and rules of the video games room. Video Games room is not
>> babysitting service and too much gets put on them with little kids dropped
>> into their laps..But even being right we have to make sure little kids at
>> night get picked up by someone.
>>
>>
>> No to con provided daycare...but we will look into a kid's room for sept
>> and beyond (8-12 year olds only and under 8 if accompanied by parent) It is
>> not babysitting...it is a room with scheduled events for kids as well as a
>> library of kids games like jr. catan, apples to apples jr., pokemon
>> boardgame, etc. and the kids are free to come and go. Any kid not playing
>> well with other will be asked to leave. ALL kids that get dropped off into
>> the room must go to the HQ of that room and check in. The first time they
>> check in they fill out info sheet with their contact info (these are rules
>> all cons use).The room is easy. Getting someone dedicated to running it is
>> the hurdle. Kublacon has it at 8-12 with younger needing a parent with them
>> while in room. Every night the room closes at 9 pm with the last hour
>> being bedtime stories (8-9). They have a big sign that states "This is NOT
>> a childcare center!"
>>
>>
>> Strategicon MUST have a dedicated room for kids 8-12 (and under with
>> guardian) plus more kids programming that incorporates events like paint n
>> take, pokemon workshops, and charades. We will. We just moved so be patient
>> on new stuff as we adjust old stuff to new surroundings.
>>
>>
>> Twice in recent years we have had kids programming tracks....everyone has
>> ideas of what they want done but no one wants to step up and be the person
>> doing it. We don't need more ideas--we need people to get in the trenches
>> and actually do it and those people can pick their own volunteers and
>> organize it . The last 2 volunteers who were in charge of the kids years
>> ago both left in tears because they had some parents drop off their kids
>> like it was day care and were difficult to get ahold of, kids crying for
>> parents and hungry, etc. ..and they had screaming kids then screaming
>> parents when they had to leave a game early to get their kids who they
>> should have gotten hours earlier. Think it is easy? Let me hand you 6 kids
>> ages 3-8 that are not related and have you keep them occupied, entertained
>> and behaved inside a room for 4 hours. That is why most all cons (including
>> kublacon) went to 8 as minimum age to be unaccompanied by parent. You
>> cannot just give kids snacks or drinks because you do not know their
>> dietary restrictions or allergies. Kids are a handful. So are grandkids but
>> I got to hand her back to her mom and laugh saying that this is how she was
>> as a kid.
>>
>>
>> Free babysitting service is not an option. Too much liability. Outside
>> service or attendees get together and work out something amongst
>> themselves. Remember also--we are 3 times a year not once. We don't have a
>> year to plan or organize nor do we do things once. It is a blessing and a
>> curse....sorta like vampirism.
>>
>>
>> V
>>
>>
>>   On Wednesday, February 19, 2014 3:44 PM, "evil5757 at aol.com" <
>> evil5757 at aol.com> wrote:
>>  This has already been explored and the services that fit our needs are
>> all reservation and prepaid services. It can be looked at again but we
>> would be responsible for any money under their minimum.
>>
>>
>> *Connected by Motorola*
>>
>>
>> Jim Sandoval <plustentoawesome at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Too bad there isn't an Ikea near by. But how about asking around at other
>> events to see how they handle it. There might be ideas out there we havn't
>> thought of or resources we are unaware of. Liability and overhead are a
>> huge concern, but I would like to konw how events like KublaCon go about
>> providing such a service.
>>
>> Jim
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Feb 19, 2014 at 2:06 PM, Nekojin <nekojin at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Speaking unofficially - having an actual child care department is just
>> opening a HUGE can of liability without much upside. It's almost all
>> positive for the parents; all negative for the convention.
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Feb 19, 2014 at 1:24 PM, Tim Keennon <tim at stugiii.com> wrote:
>>
>> I suspect it is more about increasing our focus in that area.  We don't
>> need anymore overhead though.
>>
>> Tim
>>
>> *From:* deptheads-bounces at strategicon.net [mailto:
>> deptheads-bounces at strategicon.net] *On Behalf Of *Kryssie M.
>> *Sent:* Wednesday, February 19, 2014 1:09 PM
>> *To:* deptheads at strategicon.net
>> *Cc:* deptheads at strategicon.net
>> *Subject:* Re: [Deptheads] Final numbers
>>
>> Theoretically, we could make it a separate department...
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On Feb 19, 2014, at 1:03 PM, Melinda Keller <melinda_keller at yahoo.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> So,  the reason I go to KublaCon over StrategiCon is that they have a
>> place to store my kid.  I think if you really want to close that gap, you
>> need to handle the young ones.
>> On Feb 19, 2014 12:30 AM, "Eric M. Aldrich I" <ealdrich at mac.com> wrote:
>>
>> Official Orccon 2014 attendance: 1820. Up 120 from last year. Our largest
>> show ever, by, er, 120 :-)
>>
>> So yes, it was as crowded as we thought and seemed. Sunday was easily our
>> best Sunday ever by the numbers.
>>
>> And we have some obvious stuff to fix -- much more so than usual, and it
>> should help us grow even more. But for this week let's be happy with a job
>> well done.
>>
>> Tentative meeting is March 23. Yes, that's early. Our goal is to
>> dramatically close the Kublacon gap. More to follow. It's not an all hands
>> meeting. More on it later.
>>
>> Eric
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>>
>> --
>> "Would you like another drink, sir?" asked the bartender.
>> "I think not," replied Descartes, and promptly vanished.
>>
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