My time at the convention
National Acorn Convention in Detroit, MI
Theme: “Foreclosure Fighters”
Since the first day I arrived, I noticed nobody could ultimately go out and sit for a cup of coffee or lie on the grass to enjoy the sunshine and cool wind. I was immediately able to help work on stuffing the red folders which were to be handed out to the members. We had 1800 registered members coming so we stuffed nearly 1900 folders. 200 in Spanish. First we had to glue on the paper cover of the folder “Building Dreams Across America”. That was a lot of glue, enough to make a huffing kid faint from excitement. After finally gluing the cover of 1900 red folders, we then found out we had to stuff them with just a pamphlet... 1900 pamphlets.
I had fun playing around with the copier trying to figure out this and that. Eventually I got it down cold. Overall we had 1900 pamphlets, maps of WSU, convention agenda, pamphlets in Spanish, acorn cds, and pouch-wallets. Managed to get it all done from Wednesday to Friday evening. Also part of friday I decided to make myself the “xerox” kid since too many people needed: 100 copies of this, 50 of that, 3 of this, 10 of that etc etc. Our “backup” copier was already messed up so I wanted to make sure the only copier left was in working order long enough. I printed up 500 rap sheets (that's where they make phone calls and use a 'rap' to explain why they're calling and how to get the members involved: “Hi my name is ____ and I'm calling from Acorn....”). Also 1500 workshop sheets at the last minute. Also went to the coho center, where the members were all going to hear the speakers, to set up the computers (so acorn members can make blogs). I was also asked later Friday evening to help put up the signs for the states and how many chairs each state needed. I remember only Alaska, Virginia, and one other state was NOT coming. The rest did. New York, Texas, and Michigan were the biggest I believe. I stayed to watch the play “Polantos and Collard Greens” and later to help carry a microphone around for an open discussion for the members. By 10 pm I was done, went back to dorms.
Saturday rolled around after 7 hours of sleep and I was immediately recruited to help the comm department set up. I helped them basically to get products from the van, set up the workshop signs, easels for general use, stuff folders for press reporters only, get extension cord. Not extremely busy. I stayed late. When the afternoon was finished I was told to take the signs for states down. Big mistake. By 11 I was told (by the same person who told me to take them down) they needed to go back up. Chaco took them to the WSU lot already so I had to drive the other van back to pick up the van and drive THAT one back to coho center. 11 pm... Only Gene and I are putting them up with help of a Texas member volunteer. We finished around 1 am. Went back to WSU. I went to sleep 1:30.
*Originally I was to have my own room, but since I was the last -minute driver, I wasn't to get one till Saturday. So I crashed in chaco's room along with three others. (It was 4 people per dorm room I had a cot) Unfortunately by the time Saturday rolled by, I wasn't able to get my own room. “All full”. So I just stayed wit chaco and them with the cot. But I didn't have my own card key for the building so I had to swap with the other three at times.
It's Sunday now. Got up at 6. Had to be ready to leave at 7:30. Got breakfast quickly (all they served were hash browns, eggs, and bacon with muffins at a bar. I hate eggs by itself). I'm back at coho center with the van. Nothing much different. Just basic jobs here and there. Lot of walking to the back to get to the van. Comm department took it easier since they were already all set up. Later in the day, most members were out canvassing the neighborhood door-knocking about foreclosure and all that. I did mostly lot of running to get the cargo they were selling (T-shirts, visors, ball caps, Button down shirts, fleece jackets etc). Got back to WSU late again. Got to bed by 12 cuz I wanted to read.
Monday and it's not over. There were less members since a lot had to leave (including all of Louisiana members). Most did stay long enough to hear Senator John Edwards speak, but during his speech I had to drive the van this way and that. Don't remember much specifics. I had to pick up the rickshaw van and get the rickshaws to the bottom of the coho center. Jesse was the driver. Out of two rickshaws I only knew one was being used. After taking it down, drove the van back to the back. The speakers were all done by then. Then the majority of the members just went home. In the afternoon I helped put away the state signs again and had to put them in the van. I was exhausted already. The comm people told me to take a nap cuz I was getting snappy. Slept on the ballroom floor for 45 mins with my sweater as a pillow. It was real nice. I had found out Chaco wanted to leave that afternoon with the van. I wanted to kick him in the balls so he could decide otherwise. (lucky for me, later during the loading we found out we were able to stay for one more night. A FULL night's sleep. I was ecstatic. After all the unloading we were finally done, went back to WSU and just stayed in our “new” room. Some laundry but only enough for two days which was what all we needed. I had my own room too. The next day we were ready to roll at 9 am. All staff left by plane by now. We got our starbucks and split. Bye-bye Wayne World!
Acorn Fact: * Acorn was able to register 730,000 new voters so far for 2008. 600,000 in 2006.
Theme: “Foreclosure Fighters”
Since the first day I arrived, I noticed nobody could ultimately go out and sit for a cup of coffee or lie on the grass to enjoy the sunshine and cool wind. I was immediately able to help work on stuffing the red folders which were to be handed out to the members. We had 1800 registered members coming so we stuffed nearly 1900 folders. 200 in Spanish. First we had to glue on the paper cover of the folder “Building Dreams Across America”. That was a lot of glue, enough to make a huffing kid faint from excitement. After finally gluing the cover of 1900 red folders, we then found out we had to stuff them with just a pamphlet... 1900 pamphlets.
I had fun playing around with the copier trying to figure out this and that. Eventually I got it down cold. Overall we had 1900 pamphlets, maps of WSU, convention agenda, pamphlets in Spanish, acorn cds, and pouch-wallets. Managed to get it all done from Wednesday to Friday evening. Also part of friday I decided to make myself the “xerox” kid since too many people needed: 100 copies of this, 50 of that, 3 of this, 10 of that etc etc. Our “backup” copier was already messed up so I wanted to make sure the only copier left was in working order long enough. I printed up 500 rap sheets (that's where they make phone calls and use a 'rap' to explain why they're calling and how to get the members involved: “Hi my name is ____ and I'm calling from Acorn....”). Also 1500 workshop sheets at the last minute. Also went to the coho center, where the members were all going to hear the speakers, to set up the computers (so acorn members can make blogs). I was also asked later Friday evening to help put up the signs for the states and how many chairs each state needed. I remember only Alaska, Virginia, and one other state was NOT coming. The rest did. New York, Texas, and Michigan were the biggest I believe. I stayed to watch the play “Polantos and Collard Greens” and later to help carry a microphone around for an open discussion for the members. By 10 pm I was done, went back to dorms.
Saturday rolled around after 7 hours of sleep and I was immediately recruited to help the comm department set up. I helped them basically to get products from the van, set up the workshop signs, easels for general use, stuff folders for press reporters only, get extension cord. Not extremely busy. I stayed late. When the afternoon was finished I was told to take the signs for states down. Big mistake. By 11 I was told (by the same person who told me to take them down) they needed to go back up. Chaco took them to the WSU lot already so I had to drive the other van back to pick up the van and drive THAT one back to coho center. 11 pm... Only Gene and I are putting them up with help of a Texas member volunteer. We finished around 1 am. Went back to WSU. I went to sleep 1:30.
*Originally I was to have my own room, but since I was the last -minute driver, I wasn't to get one till Saturday. So I crashed in chaco's room along with three others. (It was 4 people per dorm room I had a cot) Unfortunately by the time Saturday rolled by, I wasn't able to get my own room. “All full”. So I just stayed wit chaco and them with the cot. But I didn't have my own card key for the building so I had to swap with the other three at times.
It's Sunday now. Got up at 6. Had to be ready to leave at 7:30. Got breakfast quickly (all they served were hash browns, eggs, and bacon with muffins at a bar. I hate eggs by itself). I'm back at coho center with the van. Nothing much different. Just basic jobs here and there. Lot of walking to the back to get to the van. Comm department took it easier since they were already all set up. Later in the day, most members were out canvassing the neighborhood door-knocking about foreclosure and all that. I did mostly lot of running to get the cargo they were selling (T-shirts, visors, ball caps, Button down shirts, fleece jackets etc). Got back to WSU late again. Got to bed by 12 cuz I wanted to read.
Monday and it's not over. There were less members since a lot had to leave (including all of Louisiana members). Most did stay long enough to hear Senator John Edwards speak, but during his speech I had to drive the van this way and that. Don't remember much specifics. I had to pick up the rickshaw van and get the rickshaws to the bottom of the coho center. Jesse was the driver. Out of two rickshaws I only knew one was being used. After taking it down, drove the van back to the back. The speakers were all done by then. Then the majority of the members just went home. In the afternoon I helped put away the state signs again and had to put them in the van. I was exhausted already. The comm people told me to take a nap cuz I was getting snappy. Slept on the ballroom floor for 45 mins with my sweater as a pillow. It was real nice. I had found out Chaco wanted to leave that afternoon with the van. I wanted to kick him in the balls so he could decide otherwise. (lucky for me, later during the loading we found out we were able to stay for one more night. A FULL night's sleep. I was ecstatic. After all the unloading we were finally done, went back to WSU and just stayed in our “new” room. Some laundry but only enough for two days which was what all we needed. I had my own room too. The next day we were ready to roll at 9 am. All staff left by plane by now. We got our starbucks and split. Bye-bye Wayne World!
Acorn Fact: * Acorn was able to register 730,000 new voters so far for 2008. 600,000 in 2006.