Re: [GSAS-board] Speaking of SPU and meeting locations...

[Erik Olson <erik@thekrib.com>]

Historical perspective: GSAS has only moved once since the Seattle 
Aquarium opened (not counting our flipping around within SPU), so there's 
not a lot of precedent there one way or another.  Steev or Dave Sanford 
would know the details pre-aquarium, but that's the 1970's.  The age-old 
concern previously *was* that if the location changes, a certain 
percentage of people will be lost.  For instance, there used to be a 
subset of folks that just showed up for the auction at the aquarium every 
year.

I think argument has been rendered *moot* by the moving of the auction to 
Saturday a few years back -- one cannot simply "show up at the last known 
meeting location on the 2nd Tuesday in April" anymore.  In addition, I 
think enough people are on the e-mail list that it's just not an issue 
anymore.  Certainly did not seem to be an issue with this year's crowd.

It's kind of amusing to hear the gripes about parking (myself included); 
when we were meeting back at the aquarium, ALL the parking was in a 
shadowy corner or a block or two away on the street.  All goods, once at 
the aquarium, had to cross streets and be brought up an elevator.  Weter 
Hall was a step up from that, and I think Otto-Miller Hall is actually a 
step up from Weter, except on those triple-booked nights.

Compared to the latter years at the aquarium, SPU has been fairly decent 
to us.  They haven't made any complaints about the condition in which 
we've left rooms.  And it does have the advantage that there ARE multiple 
rooms that they can switch us to if they double-book.  (It would be nice 
to know in advance, though.)  The aquarium would sometimes book volunteer 
nights there and bump us to the icky room behind the imax theater 
occasionally.  I can't remember if they ever triple-booked, leaving us 
nothing.

Will UW have any better parking situation? I'm looking at the map and it 
might OK if we were the only folks there, but probably has the same issues 
if there's anything else going on.

I suppose NSCC would be easy with parking, and even though they're another 
3 miles north of the ship canal, they're RIGHT at I-5, which makes them 
a bit more accessible than SPU for most folks driving or taking a bus. 
And NSCC is the headwaters of a major urban creek.

One other possibility for meeting rooms (though not big ones) -- libraries.

   - Erik

On Thu, 14 May 2009, Paul M. Wallace wrote:

> Phil:
>
> I would love help finding a place. I have investigated the following (and 
> note..)
>
> * Seattle Aquarium (big banquets only, catered and $$$)
> * UW (Seems like trouble bringing a private group (and $$$ parking)
> * The burke/Henny galleries at UW (parking)
> * I think we could make NSCC work (but it is REALLY far north for some)
> * A restaurant (the Rock has a room, but does serve beer, same with red hook 
> et al.)
> * A hotel downtown (I don't know where to start)
> * Another private school/church (again, my contacts are in Edmonds)
>
> So our club is medium sized and tends to be messy with lots of crumbs, moved 
> chairs, and some water spills.  The PSAS meets at a private home, The puget 
> sound killies are on hiatus.
>
> It looks like the dive club meets where ever and then gets wet so I would 
> love some opinions on some places YOUR club meets.
>
> Hold it, it looks like the mushroom club meets at the center for urban 
> horticulture near UW.  The NHS hall holds 220 people and would be great for 
> Susan as the meet at the same time (different room?)  So UW is back on the 
> list...
>
> http://depts.washington.edu/urbhort/html/info/facilities_cuh.html#nhs
>
>
> On Thu, 14 May 2009, Phil Lacefield Jr. wrote:
>
>> ...I would very, VERY much like us to find another meeting location (unless,
>> of course, this subject is also in some way taboo or verboten to "new guys",
>> in which case forgive me for being so very presumptuous :-)
>>
>> On this board, or in our membership, we have GOT to have someone who attends
>> a church.  Churches have halls that are rarely used outside of Wednesdays
>> and Sundays, usually have plentiful free parking, and can be had for cheap
>> or free to that church's members.  Or a VFW hall, or a Grange Hall, or SOME
>> other meeting place that a.) isn't on a busy college campus, 2.) doesn't
>> require navigating a maze of sometimes-locked doors to get in and out, and
>> III.) doesn't randomly change our rooms every month.  Oh, and did I mention
>> cheap and/or free?  In addition, some churches have gyms or community halls
>> that have ample space for, say, big auctions, as well as the above-mentioned
>> plentiful free parking.  Is there anyone on this list (or if not here, can
>> we ask the general membership) who fits this bill?  I fear that we're
>> outgrowing the capacity of our SPU digs, and I have to tell you that parking
>> in that alley on a dark night is starting to get to me.
>>
>> I fear that if this keeps up, we won't be back to many SPU-hosted meetings.
>> It's just not worth all the risk.  I'm also 100% certain that we lose new
>> members when they can't find a place to park within three blocks of the
>> building.  Any suggestions?
>>
>> Phil
>>
>>
>>
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-- 
Erik Olson
erik at thekrib dot com
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