Hi All,

We have a new location this year. It's huge! 4 tenths of a mile. A lazy walk takes 15 minutes around the path.

Tonight, I invited the RFL committee to see the Event location. We walked the path and discussed the layout. The key topics of conversation where the many open spaces and even more open areas. Each committee member was encouraged to bring up ideas how to fill space (which might include two bounce Houses, Cars from a sponsoring dealership, Hot Air Balloon demonstrations and a corridor of informational signs. All this only leaves a few more large spaces.)

It was very positive and a bonding moment for the committee. Everyone got to feel equally overwhelmed and yet, everyone was looking around imagining just how this was all going to come together.

I have to thank Co-Chair Mike Pratt for allowing me to step up in my role of Logistics Chair and run the site tour. It is good to have a Co-Chair trust me to cover the important topics while he stood toward the back and had a few quiet conversations. As the Site Visit wound down, the Committee had a fairly good meeting after the meeting.

Less than 90 days... I'm Logistics Chair, have I identified all the resources that will be required??

There was a slight scare that the location (Illinois State Fairgrounds) would be off-limits for the event, but things started falling into place.

This month's Team Captain's meeting was the first time the teams saw our map for the 2008 Relay. Many of the of 60 teams picked of the 99 team sites available. Some teams have not picked a location. During the first meeting, I came off a little stand-off-ish. Which is good for the moment. I can turn on the old Softy routine during the next meeting.

Meanwhile, I want people to run to the Chairs for all their wants and needs. I don't want to get caught in the situation where people ask me for a small favor and I end up making promises that I cannot keep.

I already had two people ask for something that sounded simple enough, until I learned the rest of the story from the chair... Perhaps being less than a push-over is a good thing. I am certainly learning this position from the inside.

Had a nice meeting tonight. Some of the committee assignments were announced.

I guess my friend Mike has some idea of how this year's committee will work, so he in his first act to delegate and get things moving. He announced I am the Chair for the Logistics Committee.

It's the committee where he worked last year and he thinks I am well qualified to replace him. Mike has the title of Co-Chair, which means he gets to shadow Chairman Buffy and look important. He just whispers, watch and learn. I think he wants to continue on the committee for '09 too.

This year's event is June 21-22, 2008. Check out Buffy's Blog to get the information. They are shooting for 100+ teams. I think that's wonderful. The committee seems to have a great blend of experience and new blood. My rolodex is gonna come in handy to make this a really nice event.

I am looking forward to working with the '08 committee.  This is going to be fun.  I like volunteering with this type of committee.

Had a nice meeting tonight. Some of the committee assisgnments were announced.

I guess my friend Mike has some idea of how this year's committee will work, so he in his first act to delegate and get things moving, he announced I am the Chair for the Logistics Committee.

It's the committee where he worked last year and he thinks I am well qualified to replace him. Mike has the title of Co-Chair. His is french for he gets to shadow Chairman Buffy and look important. He just whispers, watch and learn.

This year's event is June 21-22, 2008. Check out Buffy's Blog to get the information. They are shooting for 100+ teams.

Hi Buffy:

It was good to meet you at the first committee meeting for the 2008 Relay for Life in Springfield, Illinois.

Mike Pratt has been a friend for more than a decade and it's going to be a great experience to work with him for the next year. I see us working together for several years.

The big news of the meeting was the announcement the RFL will be moving to a new location. It's good news to hear the committee is looking for a location with more parking, better access to electricity, flushable toilets, while keeping all the amenities of the '07 location.

See you at the next committee meeting.