Since taking on the planning of NOTOCON VII, I have often been heard to say that I wanted to bottle my first NOTOCON experience in Salem and take it home to by brethren who didn’t make it to the conference. Additionally, in order to at least partially address the fact that only a fraction of our total number will make it to the conference, I’ve been pondering ways that we could, in spirit, represent the whole of who we are. To that end I am inviting each local body in North America and International to provide NOTOCON VII with group photos of your current local body membership to be displayed at the formal banquet on Saturday.

When I first started looking for a venue for NOTOCON, I thought big.   I wanted a slice of the pacific northwest with panoramic views of mountains, water, and city skyline.  As it turns out, there are very few venues in Seattle proper that offer all of that and are even remotely big enough for NOTOCON, and the one or two that I did find?  We were too small for *them*.

A voice kept calling to me…”all we need is wine and a place to drink it!”  (it sounded an awful lot like Sr. Kim), and of course the voice was simplifying a little bit.  But the essence of the statement is true. 

Thelemites are resourceful.  Whether it be by gathering for an intense discussion about some obsure magickal practice or catching up with brothers and sisters from accross the country, not to mention attending intellegent workshops and inspiring rituals,  Thelemites make their own fun, just add…wine?

Enter the Doubletree.  It’s an unassuming place, near the airport and a mall.   And inside it are contained the perfect features for an excellent NOTOCON. 

Space!  There is room more than double the attendees of previous O.T.O. conferences.  We could, potentially, fill the entire hotel. 

Space!  There is a wonderful common are/bar, in the central atrium, that will be open quite late for our socializing.

Space!  Vending, classes, rituals, socializing…it will all be in the same building, one happening just steps away from another.  

Space!  All of the rooms are suites, and the hallways circle the atrium, look down upon your bretheren

Having tried one of the beds, I can also say that the linen is lovely and the beds are super comfortable.

Reserve your room today!  vii.notocon.org/lodging

Oh, and while you’re out here, there is still opporutunity to take some extra time and see our beautiful state.  But do it before or after the con, because it will be too good to miss!

Sr. Melissa Holm, Onsite Chair

Coming soon:  I’m investigating a nearby KOA campground for those who might be interested.

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.

Believe it or not, there is less than a year to prepare for NOTOCON. It seems only a dream ago that I was reading the National Conference Committee packet on my flight home from Salem in 2007, and asking myself the question, “Can I do this?”

Everyone around me gave a resounding “YES!” to that question, and so a proposal was born.

Why NOTOCON? And Why a Blog?

Salem was my first NOTOCON. I went not knowing what to expect, and leaving with an amazing sense of family with my brothers and sisters, as well as a grand sense of the possibilities for the con. I wanted to bottle that and bring it home with me to Seattle, to share it with those who hadn’t gone and those who had never yet attended our national conference.

Next year’s conference venue has the capacity to share this elixir with more members than ever, practically double the number that we have maxed out at for previous cons. It struck me that it was more important than ever to make sure the word got out about NOTOCON!

It’s my wish for this blog to become a resource not only for the most timely updates about the conference, but also for insight into what it takes to put the conference together, memories of cons gone by, and tips for how to get the most out of your NOTOCON experience.

To that end, I invite our members who have attended previous NOTOCONs to write me and share their fondest memories of the conference. They can be funny, poignant, educational…whatever you think the rest of us would like to know. Who knows? Your story could end up here!

And if you’ve never attended a NOTOCON, and have questions about it, I invite you to write as well.

The blog will not have a commenting function, so if there is anything posted that you would like to comment or give feedback regarding, please contact me directly.  Thanks!

onsite@notocon.org

Love is the law, love under will.

Melissa Holm, Onsite Chair