My wife and I were chatting about our plans for the next year… because that’s the kind of shit we do on normal week nights… when NHC 2016 came up. I let her know the dates and she mentioned I would, again, miss my kids’ last day of school by attending (not angrily or anything). It reminded me of 3 conversations I had with other NHC going fathers last week about the same issue. It sucks. I guess I’m just curious why the AHA chose what ends up being the last week of school for many kids as the week for NHC? Why not push it to a “safer” weekend a couple weeks later?
I’ll be going, but it won’t be without a touch of guilt… which I don’t like.
It’s tricky - keep it where it is - it interferes with some end of school. Move it back, you run into father’s days. fun times! There’s also the question of hotel availability - as you move deeper into summer, it’s harder to get rooms.
Not perceived as judgmental at all! I’m a sentimental sap who really enjoys being a part of these types of seemingly small milestones in my kids’ lives. The last day of school usually comes with some sort of celebration where parents are invited, my kids love when I attend these things.
Father’s Day may be the best excuse of the year! This actually makes sense, though.
Next year, my son’s 8th grade graduation (I know, I know) falls right in the middle of NHC so I may not be able to go. Is it bad for me to hope for the same kind of winter we had this past year so it gets pushed to the following week?
What better gift for a Dad? Last year, we came home on Father’s Day and got a free beer on Southwest!
Even more fun when the pilot comes on over the intercom and says they are almost ready to leave…just a quick stop to get the ice off the wings before we take off. :o
Maybe it’s time for you to lobby your school district to start and end the school year earlier so you are free to attend NHC.
I had no idea kids regularly went to school into June. When I was a kid I think we had to go once or twice at the end of June because we had too many snow days. I remember finding that blasphemous as a kid. All the districts around here, as far as I know, end the regular school year the week before Memorial Day.
Same here. School usually starts in August and is wrapped up at the end of May. We almost never get snow days, though (has happened twice in the ten years my daughter has been in school). We do get hurricane days sometimes, though.
In MI the legislature passed a law requiring schools to start after Labor Day. Why? It was to give the tourism business in the northern part of the state one last big weekend. As a consequence the school year goes into June to get the required days into the year. The Hudecek brothers missed their first NHC since 2003 due to the schedules conflicting.
I remember spending many summer solstices inside, seeing very little sun at the NHC. There were always the grumbles about Father’s Day.
Room rates are a big deal. At Philly, Gary Glass said they had locked in a good rate during the recession, and if they were to book again at that time, 2013, the rates would be doubled. The hotel rate is a deal breaker for many.
I’m sure that’s a huge factor in picking locations and dates. It was definitely in the survey (how much would you be willing to pay for a hotel). Personally, I’m more sensitive to value rather than outright cost. I thought the Town and Country was overpriced, but have paid more per night at hotels on many occasions and been fine with it.
Here in NH, we start at the end of August, then throw in a few weeks for Christmas, February, and April vacations, and finish up around June 10-12. Any snow days have to be made up (although the last few days this year were spent doing field days, watching movies, etc). Last year, my district instituted “Blizzard Bags”…assignments in case of a snow day the kids do and if 80% of the population do them, it doesn’t count as a snow day. The assignment had nothing to do with what the kids were studying. Some basic math and writing exercises…well below the level he’s at.
Maybe I should homeschool him next year and finish around June 1st.
I am in the move it back to a week later camp. If you’re a father and you live homebrewing and want to go to the conference then, it seems to me, your family should actually encourage you to go… I mean the NHC is a fairly involved thing to go to (both time and money). If you’re planning on attending I’m assuming you have passion for homebrewing. I didn’t realize father’s day was a day fathers were forced to spend time with their kids. My father loves to sail and if a big sailing race was on fathers day weekend I wouldn’t be trying to stop him…
