Thirty Summer Meetings…who can say they’ve been to all of them? Not a lot of us…possibly Joan Ausbury? A lot has changed over the years, as things just keep getting better and better. There will be no exception this year; the CFA has a lot in store for us.

The schedule will be a little different this year though – more contractors say they want to golf. It’s a great opportunity to golf with other contractors and National Associates, and get to know them personally. So this year, the educational seminars will take place in the mornings of Thursday and Friday, July 7 & 8, 2005, which leaves Saturday, July 8, wide open for the greens. For those of you who like me, are golf challenged, there are plenty of other tourist attractions that you can fill your time with. (Maybe someone will let me go along and just drive the cart.)

The Board and Committee meetings will be on Wednesday, July 6, in the afternoon. The Opening Tradeshow and Reception is scheduled for Thursday, July 7, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. As usual, the suppliers will bring their newest products. They support us so much throughout the year; we need to show our support for them by attending this event. It’s a great time to catch up with other members and introduce yourself to faces you don’t recognize. The CFA is dedicated to uniting concrete contractors and professionals to promote the mutual interests of the industry. One of the best ways to do this is by getting to know one another’s joys and frustrations.

The CFA staff also wanted to make sure that there were no surprises on this trip. Although they can’t control the weather, they can make sure that the hotel accommodations fit our needs. In October, while there for A.C.I., Ed and Jim visited the San Francisco Hyatt Embarcadaro for a tour, and also toured the big city. In the next issue of Concrete Facts, look for Jim’s article on the exciting places to go while you’re in San Fran.

The evening activities will remain on Friday and Saturday evenings. Friday night’s event is the USSB Hornet, a world-class sea, air and space museum with an emphasis on the legacy and history of aircraft carriers and naval aviation. The Saturday night event is the Hornblower, “a majestic vessel, perfect for the world’s most scenic waterway.” Included in the Saturday event will, of course, be karaoke. We’ve sung in the mountains, we’ve sung near the ocean, it’s about time we sang on a boat in the sea! (OK, OK, I’ll promise not to sing!)

So mark it on your calendar – start making reservations – because this summer meeting is going be the grand finale to the Fourth of July fireworks display. Don’t miss out!