2003

Index:

Maps of Laramie and UW Campus

Last Minute News from Ron Hodges (June 13, 2003)

Dear Sisters and Brothers of the Annual Conference,
Activities are at a fevered pitch here in the Conference Office as the Staff works to get all the final details ready for our Annual Conference session next week in Laramie. We're doing our best to be ready to great you with a smile and all the answers you need to make this Annual Conference the best ever. 

Here are just a couple of things we've been asked about lately and they are things you need to know as you prepare to head to Laramie:

Due to the lateness of this note we won't have an opporturnity to mail this information to the 330 folks of our Conference who do not receive e-mails so if you know any of these people PLEASE pass on the information.

See you in Laramie!

Ron Hodges,
Interim Director of Mission and Ministry
Rocky Mountain Annual Conference

Budget Update

(sent 5/23/03 to News List)

The Board of Stewards and the Conference Council on Finance and Administration (CF&A) have completed their budget deliberations this last week, and the document is being prepared for distribution in Laramie. The full details on the next year's proposed budget have historically been - and will again be - available at Annual Conference session. However, in response to those who have expressed interest in reviewing those numbers before we gather together, I have prepared an Excel file that has the line items details as they will be distributed next month. 

If you would like to receive that Excel file now, please respond back to me and I will attach it and e-mail the file to you.

As stated in the registration mailing, the recommendation is for no increase (0% increase) over the current 2003 budget. And by the rules you have set for annual conference session, the vote will not be on individual line items - only the total proposed amount ($5,666,104) will be voted on.

Housing Update

(sent 5/14 to News list)

Dear Sisters and Brothers of the Annual Conference,
I'm really excited to tell you that the University of Wyoming has just advised us that they are making 144 more dorm rooms available to us for our Conference housing needs. This good news means that for those delegates who would like to bring their non-voting spouses, or churches who want to bring youth-observers, there is now space available in the dorms. In addition, we will continue to attempt to meet every "special needs" request.
Let me remind you of the priorties that are being applied to the motel/hotel rooms the Conference was given responsibility for. First, voting delegates with children are being placed in the motels, then couples where both are voting delegates. Beyond that, the motel/hotel rooms will continue to be assigned for double-occupancy (or greater) as we receive requests. We know that many have already made their own reservations and the above information applies only to the rooms where the Conference makes assignments.
Early registration is due on May 23rd, so don't forget to take advantage of the $20 savings by registering early. And plan now to come to Laramie prepared to "Dive In!"
Ron Hodges
Interim Director of Mission and Ministry
Rocky Mountain Annual Conference
The United Methodist Church

A VERY SPECIAL P.S.
We know that fully 35% of our voting delegates, many of them laity, do not have e-mail and will not receive this information in a timely and cost-efficient manner. Will you please make a special effort to let everyone know of the changes in housing. We have more than enough rooms for everyone. As my Southern friends would say, "Ya'll come!"

Program Booklet Content Deadline:

At this year's Annual Conference in Laramie we will once again distribute a "program booklet" at registration instead of a "packet" of individual sheets of paper.

We have limited space available for "Promotional Material" in the program booklet for the 2003 Annual Conference. Program Booklet Space is available only to organizations, programs, projects and agencies of The United Methodist Church. Ecumenical organizations are welcome providing the organization has a sponsor in The United Methodist Church, with priority given to groups within the Rocky Mountain Conference. 

Prices for the "Promotional Material" space are as follows: 

$30 for a quarter page 
$45 for a half page 
$60 for a full page (approx. 8 1/2" by 11") 

For examples of these, please see pages 12-16 of the Registration Booklet.

The booklet will be in black and white only. Promotional Material must be submitted electronically, preferably in a Word Perfect document, however MS Word would also be accepted to nancyB@rmcumc.com.  Please direct questions to Nancy Butterfield, 800-536-3736 x 310 or 303-777-3116 x 310

The deadline for submission is May 16th. 

See you in Laramie!

Nancy Butterfield
Senior Project Assistant
Annual Conference Coordinator
Rocky Mountain Conference
303 733-3736 ext 310
Fax: 303-733-1730

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Registration Booklets and Information Update

Conference Members: Look for your Annual Conference Registration material to arrive within the next week (by May 5). The packet includes registration forms and information about this year's Conference in Laramie, Wyoming, June 18-22, as well as the 40 petitions submitted for discussion and vote. The petitions are already available for review online (from RMCUMC.org, click on "2003 Annual Conference" and then on "AC Petitions" on the left side of the page).

Tellers Needed

Keith Hudiburgh is head teller for elections at Annual Conference this year and needs tellers! If you're interested, please contact him at kandjhudi@plains.net or 970-774-6418.

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April 22, 2003:  Display Space is full.

Display Space Requests

(April 14, 2003)

We are now accepting Display Space Requests for the 2003 Rocky Mountain Annual Conference at the University of Wyoming in Laramie June 18 - 22, 2002.

The space chosen for displays is the mezzanine lobby of the Arts and Science Building. It will be accessible by stair or elevator and is just off the balcony of the Auditorium where all of the plenary sessions will be held. This area will allow for great exposure to all Annual Conference attendees.

In order to provide space for the large number of displays we have each year, we will need to limited each area to a 4x4 area in which you can use your easel or a card table to display information. There will not be access to electricity or the Internet in this area and it is in a building open to the public so we recommend removing valuables when you are not in attendance at your display. 

To check space availability and to reserve display space, please contact the Annual Conference Display Coordinator, Ray Harris at 307-766-2286 ext 228 or e-mail rharris@uwyo.edu

Nancy Butterfield
Senior Project Assistant
Annual Conference Coordinator

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Annual Conference Update

(April 1, 2003)

Diving In
June 18, 2003 to June 22, 2003
University of Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming

The Registration packets for Annual Conference are scheduled to be mailed before May 1, 2003 from the Conference office. The regular registration dead line is currently set for May 21, 2003. 

We have had several inquires with regard to housing and meals. The meal plan package which covers breakfast, lunch and dinner on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and breakfast on Sunday will be priced at approximately $65.00.

Housing for Annual Conference can be booked one of two ways:

1) Through the Conference Registration Form ( housing available Wednesday thru Sunday Morning)

All housing reservations booked through the Conference registration process will be double occupancy and limited to Annual Conference voting delegates. Delegates have the option of lodging on campus in dormitories or at a limited number of conference-reserved hotel rooms located within a short drive of the campus. Delegates lodging in hotels will need to provide their own transportation to and from the campus. Hotel housing is first come, first served. Overflow requests will be assigned housing in the University dormitories.

Cost for Conference Housing:

DORM - $25 per person per night double occupancy
HOTEL - $35 per person per night double occupancy

All housing registrations booked through the Conference will be double occupancy. If you have a roommate preference, please note that on the registration form. If you have no roommate preference listed, you will be assigned a same-gender roommate. (Clergy couples with children will need to register for hotel housing or use the "on your own" option listed below)

2) On Your Own: 

Those desiring single rooms and those bringing non-delegate family members are advised to book individual rooms at hotels in the Laramie area or the KOA Campground in Laramie (1-800- 562-4153) as soon as possible due to limited space.

Here are some links to lodging resources:

Please watch for Annual Conference 2003 updates in "News" e-mails and Table Talk.

Diving In 2003,

Nancy
Nancy Butterfield
Senior Project Assistant
Annual Conference Coordinator

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Conference Advance Special Application Extension

The Board of Stewards has extended the due date for submitting Conference Advance Specials. The new due date is May 13, 2003. Please submit request to Tommy Gleaton at Fax 603-907-0752 or by mail. Please contact Tommy at 303-756-1588 for additional information or if you need a copy of the form. Please note this date will not be extended again. -- Tommy Gleaton, P O Box 6283, Denver, Co. 80206 

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Get Set for Annual Conference 2003 in Laramie, Wyoming!

(February 11, 2003)

The teams responsible for planning this year's Annual Conference are preparing final details in anticipation of a great time of celebration, decision-making, and ministry together on the campus of the University of Wyoming. The Conference will open on Wednesday, June 18 at 7:00 PM with a worship service featuring a dramatic presentation by "The Man from Aldersgate" to commemorate the 300th anniversary of John Wesley's birth. The Conference will conclude at noon on Sunday, June 22. In between will be important discussions, legislation, and worship experiences, as well as election of delegates to the 2004 General and Jurisdictional Conferences. Detailed information about accomodations, meals, and schedules will be posted here and on the RMC website very soon. For legislation, note that the petition deadline is March 10. Check out the petition form and related materials below. Registration packets will be sent out in mid April. Those interested in being a lay equalization member should contact their District Superintendent or district Lay Leader (for more information on lay equalization, see Para. 602.4 in the 2000 Book of Discipline). Watch for more information here. We hope you're looking forward to "Diving In" at Annual Conference 2003.

Rev. Bob Kaylor, Design Team Leader
Associate Pastor, First United Methodist Church 
420 N. Nevada Ave. 
Colorado Springs, CO 80903 
Office - 719-471-8522 ext. 208 
Cell - 719-641-3301

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RV Survey for Annual Conference 

Ron Hodges is coming to Annual Conference in his RV! If you are an RV enthusiast, we are in the process of reserving space for Ron and you at the KOA Campground in Laramie, WY, and need to know about many folks might be bringing their RVs and would be interested in staying there. At this time, we are aware of approximately 3 or 4 RVs that plan to be there. Please let Nancy Butterfield (303-777-3116x310) know if you would like a space reserved for your RV in Laramie.

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Important Yellowstone Conference Petition

(Sent April 22, 2003 to RMC News e-list)

This message is sent out on behalf of the clergy and lay leadership of the current 2000-2004 Jurisdictional Delegation (Rev. J. Charles Schuster and Dan O'Neill) .

A petition is being presented at this year's Yellowstone Annual Conference session that will ask Area Bishop Warner Brown to establish a study group to look into the possibility of merging the Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain Conferences into one Conference. Because we are both served by the same Bishop, if this petition passes this year in the Yellowstone Annual Conference, we will be asked at this year's Rocky Mountain Annual Conference session in Laramie to consider an identical petition.