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The Conventions Are Coming!

by Lyndsay Lambert

Texas Home School Coalition REVIEW^© February 2003

Some years ago, my husband Tim and I went to visit some longtime friends who also homeschooled their children.  We brought a topic that was popular in the home school community into the conversation, but our friends had never heard of it.  That really surprised us!  How could they have homeschooled for so long and never have heard of the idea that was being discussed so much in home schooling circles?  I soon found out the reason: they were not very active in a support group, nor had they ever attended a book fair/convention, even though they live in an area serviced by one of the major Texas events. 

Because of our work with the Texas Home School Coalition, I have attended almost every home school book fair and convention in Texas over the years.  I know most people are not able to go to that many conventions (nor would want to!), but having had the experience, I would encourage home schoolers as often as they can to take advantage of conventions with exhibit halls, speakers, and workshops.  At no other time will you find that many different curricula and resources available under one roof for you to handle and examine.  The groups that sponsor these events work hard to bring in great speakers and cover a variety of topics that often cannot be addressed by local support groups. Attending will be well worth the investment of time and money.

THSC State Convention and Family Conference

Before I give you some tips on having a more successful experience at a book fair, I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to the THSC State Convention and Family Conference.   As the State Convention and Family Conference, we have included some different programs that fit into our mission as a support organization for Texas home schoolers.

Many of the speakers at this annual event will focus on encouraging moms and dads in this different lifestyle, but do not worry; we will be having practical workshops as well.

Children’s Program: When THSC started to sponsor the state convention, the major exhortation was that it needed to “be different.”  We decided that the difference we needed to give the home schooling community was that this event should be more than a book fair, even more than a convention; it needed to be an event for the family.  The Children’s Program makes this a reality.  On top of that, the children have a good time and learn positive character qualities, led by a godly group of young, enthusiastic adults.

Teen Staff Program: The teen program has provided an enjoyable and interesting opportunity for teens to learn from experts in their fields and serve others in the process.  The teens rotate between service jobs, workshops, and fun activities.

        Special Fellowships will be held for Families with Special Needs Children, Families with Only Children, Minority Families, Support Group Leaders, and Families with Single Parents: We have scheduled a time when these special groups can meet together and have an opportunity to encourage and be encouraged by those in similar situations.

No matter which convention you attend, the following are some ideas that will help you get the most out of your convention experience:

Make plans now to attend.  The benefits of planning early are numerous:

*    At many Texas events you can pre-register for a lower cost.

*    You will not double-book.

*    You will have time to make childcare plans. (At some events, young children are not allowed to attend because of space limitations.  Whether they are allowed or not, you will have a more profitable shopping and workshop experience if you are not continually distracted by dealing with your small child.)

*    You might be able to save on travel and accommodation expenses.

*    You can get an early start on saving money with which to shop for next year’s curriculum and supplies.

*    You could turn the time into a mini-vacation with your spouse or your family or just by yourself (to have some much-needed time alone).

*    It will give you time to contact home schooling friends to schedule lunch or dinner while at the convention.

Prepare for the day: 

*    Ask the Lord for wisdom.  My home schooling verse was James 1:5:  If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  I claimed this verse many times over the years as I tried to decide which speaker to hear and which curriculum to use.

*    Look over the schedule of workshops in the event’s brochure and mark ones of interest. 

*    If possible, preview the list of exhibitors and mark the ones you want to visit.

*    Prepare a shopping list.

*    Determine how much money you can spend.

*    Take comfortable shoes!

*    Take return address labels.  (I will explain this one later.)

Be sure to do the following after you get there:

*    Look through the program to see what new information it holds.

*    Gather information from the vendors.

*    Register at different booths for catalogs, free mailings, or door prizes. (This is where the address labels come in handy!)

*    Attend workshops of interest to you.  Even veterans need to hear new ideas and sometimes be reminded of things they might have heard before.

*    Buy tapes of the interesting workshops that you could not work into your schedule or that you would like to hear again.

*    Have lunch/dinner with a friend, either new or old.

Afterwards:

*    Keep the program for reference later.  Most of the programs list speakers and vendors with contact information.

*    If you were undecided at the time of the convention and want to order from any of the vendors later, be sure to tell them you saw them at the ___________ convention/book fair. 

Common questions about book fairs/conventions:

Why should I attend a book fair?

For the teacher: Teachers in other schools receive training and continuing education so that they can improve their skills. New resources and curricula are becoming available all the time.  Different ideas are discussed that might work for you now that were not applicable when you first started homeschooling.  Master instructors are available to give you direction and encouragement.   

For the school administrator: Attending with your wife will give you the opportunity to support her in what she is doing for your family.  Often there are workshops especially for dads that can help you get some ideas about how you can be more involved in this important aspect of your family’s training.

Why should I not gather information at the convention and then purchase my curriculum cheaper somewhere else?

Keep in mind that the vendors are people, too.  Many of them attend these conventions at sizable expense; many are mom-and-pop businesses that have discovered something that has worked well for them, and they want to share with others their discovery. They want to tell you about their product.  However, do not use their time at their booth by picking their brains about the books they sell then go home and order the books off the Internet to save a few dollars.  If this happens too often, those vendors will be forced to stop attending these events.  Then you and I will not have the opportunity to see these great resources that have blessed other people.

Why is the food at the convention so expensive?

This is a problem that most of the sponsors of conventions cannot help.  Several of the Texas events are so large that they must be held in convention centers, and these usually have “no outside food” rules.  If this is a problem, bring lunch in a cooler and eat outside or plan to go offsite to eat; however, be aware that you may have to pay for parking again if you leave the facility.

Check out the calendar to find the Texas convention/book fair that will work best for you.  Benefit from marking your calendar and beginning now to make your plans.  However, if you must wait to make your decision until the last minute, go anyway.  Better late than not at all!

Lyndsay Lambert homeschooled her four children for 16 years. She currently serves on the editorial board of the Texas Home School Coalition Review and as director of special projects for the Texas Home School Coalition, helping the president, Tim Lambert, her husband of over 30 years.

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