| Attention ASD members!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  As you are aware, the current staff, volunteers and the new Board of Trustees of ASD have made impressive strides in bringing HQ into the 21st century (as far as technology goes). Witness this email message you are now reading ... this is a new form of communication for us. Our bookstore has a great website and offers internet sales, which have been picking up in frequency and number. Our ASD website has new pages and elements that our members find helpful and user-friendly. And, we have been able to use this technology to streamline the activities and tasks of the Convention Committee.
In years past, the four-person staff at HQ used to do a lot of the labor-side of convention preparations, such as handling speakers (we're talking lots of communication!), the convention registration booklet (organizing, editing, layout, etc.) and the convention program. Well, since we've downsized from four employees to two, we don't have the staff to carry on that tradition, leaving the all-volunteer convention committee with a lot more work on their hands. So, the advent of an online speaker application process and online convention registration has really been appreciated by all of us on the 2008 Convention Committee. Thank you to Arvid Johnson, Operations Manager, and Will Clark, our Webmaster, for making all this possible; their technical skills have made the difference in so many ways, and couldn't have come to ASD at a better time.
You've all been made aware of the severe financial situation ASD has been struggling through over the last few years. We bring it up again, because it affects you, ASD's members. Did you know that last year's convention revenue was $17,000+ off from budget? We want you to know that it is very important for you to support this organization by attending the wonderful event that is the annual Dowsers Convention in Vermont. This event has been happening for 47 years, nonstop. Isn't that amazing? Nowhere is this kind of information more available than at this convention. In this changing world ASD is more valuable than ever, because it teaches people how to find the answers for themselves.
If you're one of those who has never come, but says, "oh, I'll go next year," well, guess what? There may not be a next year. Next year depends on this year. So, if you love ASD, if you appreciate its legacy and mission, you are needed to show your support by coming to convention this year. You'll have a great time too!
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| ASD's Legacy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  The American Society of Dowsers was founded in Danville, Vermont, in 1961, and has been a resource and home for dowsers far and wide, ever since.
Dowsers everywhere need to decide if it's worth it to have an ASD. ASD has given voice to many people who found what they were seeking within its events, meetings, conventions and members. ASD has been there as a resource, archiving stories, books, articles and artifacts of some of the society's most noted and successful dowsers. The organization has had to adapt over the years, especially with the advent of the "new age" movement and what it brought to the fore. The speakers one finds at the annual convention nowadays offer a much broader spectrum of teachings, modalities, insights and new thought than ever before. It's a far cry from the small groups that gathered back in the 1960's in Danville.
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| Convention 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Our annual convention is a powerful socializing, policy-setting and information-gathering event. It is a Mecca for member dowsers who enjoy the camaraderie and the fun, the speakers and workshops, both old and new. This is the official national gathering of dowsers from throughout the country, and abroad. It is a time when members can catch up on what new areas are utilizing dowsing and how they are doing so; or learn and brush up on basic dowsing skills. The relaxed setting makes it easy to informally socialize with your dowsing peers and also with dowsing experts who are often available for discussions throughout the event. It is a time when all national officials and ASD employees are in attendance and available to any member who wishes to discuss any dowsing or ASD issues. It is the time of the annual membership meeting when, in true New England town meeting fashion, any member can bring up any topic for general consideration, and they will be listened to by the other members and the Board of Trustees whom you yourselves elected.
What will this year's convention offer? Convention will be held Wednesday, August 6th thru Wednesday, the 13th, with the opening night ceremonies on Friday evening. Closing ceremonies are Tuesday the 13th, at noon. Pre-convention workshops and basic dowsing schools take up Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Post-convention workshops are the following Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday. We've got a spectacular keynote speaker lined up (sorry, can't reveal his name until we have a contract!) and a special appearance by two shamans from Ecuador, whose craft has been passed down for many generations. We have a broad array of speakers this year, an expanded vendor area, more modalities for the Spa Corner, all in a location with many other recreational activities for you and your family members. You name it, we've got lots of reasons why you'll want to attend!
Speakers are chosen by our entire committee, using the evaluation forms for guidance. We take into consideration all the comments we receive as well, and use the information to bring you the best cross selection of topics as well as speakers. Filling out the speaker evaluations is one way in which you help us to give you a better convention each year. We try to have something for everyone; water dowsing, geomancy, earth energies, map dowsing, interdimensional material, presentations on many ways to enhance personal well-being, animal communication---it's all here! In April we will have our lecture and workshop schedule on our website so that you see exactly who is speaking when, and what the topic is. Our Registration Brochure will be mailed out in March, and also posted on our website.
We want to keep our convention, and ASD, supported into the future. Your attendance this year will do that.
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| The new venue in Killington, Vermont
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  In its beautiful setting in the Green Mountains, the Killington Grand Resort Hotel and Conference Center is a jewel of a complex in central rural Vermont. It is a great new home for us. Unlike the last venue, this is actually an operating convention center. They've got it down. Our whole convention will be on one floor, along with our vendor area, ASD bookstore and Spa Corner. This space is totally handicapped accessible with elevators down to the convention floor from the lobby and hotel rooms. Pre-convention workshops will be held in an adjacent building (shuttle provided for those who would like a ride). Post-convention workshops will be in the main convention building. The setting is breathtaking, the conference rooms will be set up with your needs in mind. There is air conditioning throughout, as well as an indoor/outdoor pool, fully equipped gym, and a golf course out the back door. We dowsed this site every which way; our choice was not made lightly. We took into consideration all the comments from last year's evaluations as well as our own insights. We're confident in our choice, and we are sure you'll agree once you experience Killington for yourself.
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| How can you help?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You, as members, need to know that convention income is one of our main revenue streams that supports headquarters and the publication of the Digest for the entire fiscal year. A great turnout for this convention would be a very positive vote of confidence in ASD and its mission.
One very significant way you can help is by sponsoring advertising. We have only $500 in our advertising budget, which doesn't go very far these days. We are being very proactive and getting as much free publicity as we can through calendar listings, articles, etc. We could really use, however, some help with specific advertising projects. You/your business could sponsor an ad in a publication for us; your name and contact information (website or phone number) could be listed at the bottom of the ad.
Another way to help out is to buy ad space in our Registration Booklet and the Convention Program. Especially if you're a speaker and have a booth-this is a great way to both support ASD and promote your offerings. Again, the more people do, and/or support those of us working diligently on this event, the better our chance of making convention a financial success.
And remember, every time you come to convention, or start a new ASD chapter, or even just attend a chapter meeting, ASD wins. Any time you choose to buy a book or pendulum at the ASD bookstore, ASD wins. Which means, we all win!
To discuss advertising, please contact the Convention advertising committee chair, Marna Ehrech, via email at marna@dowsers.org.
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| By the way---
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Occasionally we get comments from people saying they want more old fashioned, or basic, dowsing-read, water dowsing. We are careful to always offer an abundance of these classes. However, the majority of attendees, in their evaluation comments, show that they enjoy the "specialties" subject material and request it. In agreement with ASD's Preamble found in your quarterly  digest, the so-called new age or metaphysical material is in keeping with our philosophies. These specialties are really not new-a lot of information is emerging that many feel we are remembering, rather than inventing or creating; teachings that are in many cases as old as dowsing itself. Specialty topics deal with subtle energies. The first line of the Preamble states: "Dowsing is a faculty employed with intent to expand the perceptive abilities of its practitioners beyond three-dimensional limitations." These are the words of ASD's founders. As dowsers we are seekers of knowledge; let us keep our hearts and minds open to all possibilities.
Thank you so much for receiving our message. HQ tells us we can communicate with you this way at least monthly. Rest assured our next message will not be as lengthy; for this first one we just had a lot of information to convey to you. We are tremendously excited and motivated to put on a marvelous convention for you this year. We are looking forward to seeing you there! Thank you. We are always open to suggestions and ideas, so contact the Convention Committee Co-chairs at convention@dowsers.org if you have something to share, or, the entire Convention Committee at cc@dowsers.org.
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