Annual Meeting 2003
Hospitality

The Fairfield West Association is hosting our Annual Meeting this year at Saxe Middle School in New Canaan. Our thanks and appreciation go to the churches in the Fairfield West Association. This continues to be an opportunity for members of congregations to participate in the local arrangements, who would not have had an opportunity otherwise because they come from churches whose buildings are too small to host an Annual Meeting. Please read carefully the listings below as some changes have been made for this year’s meeting.

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Locations

The following locations will be used during the weekend:

Saxe Middle School, New Canaan

• All plenary sessions
• All meals (except Authorized Ministers’ luncheon & CT Women luncheon)
• All parking - use of High School parking across the street if needed
• Also boarding of a bus to go to luncheon for CT Women of the UCC
• All worship services except Sunday afternoon
• All displays /exhibits
• Child care
• All workshops
• Prayer & Meditation Room

Congregational Church of New Canaan, 23 Park Street, New Canaan

• Luncheon on Saturday sponsored by CT Women of UCC—you will be bused from Saxe Middle School
• Sunday afternoon worship service-buses will be provided

First Congregational Church of Darien, 14 Brookside Road, Darien

• Authorized Minister’s Luncheon Friday 12:30-3 PM

Registration

The Registration/Meal Reservation form is enclosed. [Download PDF] Please make reservations on an individual basis, one form per person. If additional forms are needed, please copy the form or download from our Website, or ask for additional forms by calling the Conference Office (860 233-5564 or toll free: 866 367-2822). Please send reservation forms to the Missionary Society of Connecticut, 125 Sherman Street, Hartford, CT 06105 in the envelope provided, by October 10, 2003. For your convenience, you are able to charge your registration on a credit card. Please see the registration form for details. If you are charging, you may fax the form to: 860-231-8111.

The Administrative Fee is waived for Retired Clergy and Spouse and youth visitors under 18. Please indicate on the form that you are a retired clergy or spouse of retired clergy or a youth visitor under 18 and the fee will be waived.

Please send in your registration form, even if you don’t want meals, and even if it is after the above date, so that we may appropriately plan for your attendance.

Housing In Private Homes

Housing in private homes (Bed & Breakfast form, PDF) of the members of churches in the New Canaan area will be furnished without charge to delegates who make advance reservations for them. Such reservations must be in the hands of the Reservation Committee no later than October 1, 2003 on the enclosed form. Prior to the day of the meeting, please call the person on the form if you need to cancel private home accommodations that are reserved for you.

Hotel/Motel Accommodations

A list of hotel/motel accommodations was in the first mailing. If you missed that mailing, please call 860-233-5564 (or toll-free 866-367-2822) and request that it be sent to you or faxed to you, or download it from our Website (PDF).

Meals

Reservations are required for each meal and must be made by October 10. Meals require meal tickets, which will be in the registration packets when you arrive at Annual Meeting. Meal tickets may be sold to others if not picked up and paid for two hours before the meal involved.

SEND IN YOUR RESERVATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. PAYMENT MUST BE SENT IN WITH THE RESERVATION, made payable to the MISSIONARY SOCIETY OF CONNECTICUT no later than October 10.

If you are paying by credit card, you may fax the form to us with the credit card information. Please see the reservation form for meal charges. Vegetarian meals will be provided at the same costs if indicated on the reservation form.

If for some reason you are unable to send in your meal reservations by the stated date, please plan to attend the sessions and worship and bring your own lunch. A list of restaurants will be available at the registration table. A snack bar will be available on Saturday and Sunday at the Saxe Middle School hosted by youth groups of the area churches.

All meals will be served in the school cafeteria (except for the Authorized Ministers’ Lunch on Friday and the luncheon sponsored by the CT Women of the UCC (links are to PDF versions of the flyers).

Saturday Workshops

A variety of cultural and learning opportunity workshops are being provided in two sessions on Saturday afternoon. If you sign up for the luncheon sponsored by the CT Women of the UCC, you will not be able to attend a workshop. All the workshops will be held at Saxe Middle School in the classrooms. When you arrive at the Annual Meeting, there will be an opportunity for you to select your preference on a first-come, first-served basis (see the enclosed updated flyer for the list of the opportunities to help you in your planning). Plans are underway for a possible mission opportunity during the workshop time for youth and adults.

Plenary sessions will be held in the auditorium of Saxe Middle School. It has seating for 700 people and, therefore, will be sufficient for our needs. No food will be allowed in the auditorium. The room is air-conditioned!

DRESS CASUALLY

We suggest that you dress casually! During break times and during Saturday’s lunchtime, there will be time for you to walk outside around the school and take in the scenery of the area.

Opportunities For Youth!

Plans are being made for youth to participate as delegates, observers, and participants in mission day activities at the Annual Meeting. Please see the flyer (PDF) regarding the specifics.

Displays/Exhibits

Because the hallways of the school are wide and spacious, the displays will be in the hallways as you walk between the auditorium and the cafeteria. This will enable you see the displays easier. We will have UCC Identity items also available for purchase.

Hartford Seminary will have a room with items available for purchase. They will be open on Friday from 4:30-7:30 p.m. and on Saturday from 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Child care is available throughout the weekend at no charge at Saxe Middle School. Please see the enclosed flyer (PDF) regarding the details and be sure to sign up by the deadline.

Special Needs

Every attempt is being made to accommodate special needs. Sessions will be interpreted for the hearing impaired, if requested by October 1. A workshop will be interpreted by special request. Please see the form enclosed (PDF).

Parking

Saxe Middle School has parking on site and parking is available at the High School across the street. Handicapped parking as well as parking for those with physical limitations is available at the same site. Please indicate your need on the Special Needs Request Form (PDF).