Excitement is building as we approach REA Annual Meeting 2019, next week in Toronto. We have a number of things we’d like to share in advance.
First, we extend love and prayers to our program chair, Dr. Hanan Alexander, who has had to have major heart surgery and will not be able to attend our meeting. His hard work over the last year to plan and implement this meeting has been essential, and we will recognize him in his absence even as we continue to pray for his full recovery to good health.
Second, please remember that you need to choose your sessions in our schedule. If you’ve never done this or forgotten how to do so, see our Sched help page. We use this information to assign the correct size of rooms, to update you on any last minute cancellations, to help work groups find each other, to communicate in an emergency, and so on. Our schedule is key to our meeting, please log in and let us know what you will be doing!
Third, please check your confirmation email to make sure that you have chosen the meals you want to attend. If you need to make changes—add a guest meal or remove yourself from a meal—contact our executive secretary, Lucinda Huffaker, as soon as possible. This year’s meals, as in the past, are heavily subsidized by our Association and we want to make sure we are only doing what is necessary for our members. We also urge you to check your hotel confirmation and ensure that you are receiving the REA conference rate of $139. If not, please contact Lucinda.
Fourth, it’s an important element of our colleagueship to come to sessions ready to discuss papers. Please read research interest group papers in advance. All papers are now available through our schedule (look for the blue “paper” links in the descriptions of breakout sessions).
Fifth, our business meeting this year will be held on Saturday evening following the reception, which will have abundant food, courtesy of the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto. Please read all of the materials for that meeting in advance, because several items will be on a consent agenda. A consent agenda is voted all at once, unless someone asks that an item be removed from that agenda for discussion (which any member can do). You won’t know what we’re doing unless you read the materials! Please don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions about any of this.
Sixth, we welcome your bringing any books or other publications that you would like to make available for our members to view. Please make sure that your name is in the book so that you can pick it up again at the end of the meeting.
And finally, given that Hanan’s pre-conference lecture at Emmanuel has been cancelled, the Thursday walking tour will gather at the hotel registration desk at 1pm, and our guides will help you navigate public transit to get down to the University of Toronto area for the tour.
I know this is a lot of information, but I hope you can see that we are excited and eager to welcome you to Toronto.
Blessings,
Mary Hess
REA Networking Coordinator