# Apparently it's \*not\* too early to early to talk Gettysdope IV **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 17, 2006, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-its-not-too-early-to-early-to-talk-gettysdope-iv/364919 "2006-07-17T20:13:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-its-not-too-early-to-early-to-talk-gettysdope-iv/364919/1 "2006-07-17T20:13:29Z")
See the tail end of the other thread if you’re interested – but there’s been a request that we set a specific date now for the annual celebration. (By specific date, we mean something along the lines of “third Saturday of X month,” not “the 24th.”) At the time, the discussion focussed on June and July, with a decision made for the third Saturday of July – now it turns out that not everyone is happy with that decision. Imagine my astonishment. There are actual advantages to picking the date now and making it standard – specifically, if we reserve far enough (i.e., a year) in advance, we can get dibs on the pavilion closest to the playground, which is a Good Thing considering the number of kids who attend. So, let’s accept as given the idea that we want to set a standard date. Said date might take place in May, when the weather would probably be cooler and more pleasant. Mother’s Day is traditionally the second Sunday, so we probably wouldn’t want that weekend; Memorial Day is usually the last Monday, so we wouldn’t want that weekend. How do people feel about the third Saturday in May? How do people feel about a Saturday in June? How do people feel about a Saturday in July? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-its-not-too-early-to-early-to-talk-gettysdope-iv/364919/2 "2006-07-17T20:14:42Z")
Note to self: when you preview an OP, look at the thread title also. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-its-not-too-early-to-early-to-talk-gettysdope-iv/364919/3 "2006-07-17T20:30:13Z")
June would be good. It’s not a bad month, weather-wise, and we’re not competing against two national holidays. I vote for the Saturday closest to my birthday. 😃 (FTR, that’s June 26.) Robin ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-its-not-too-early-to-early-to-talk-gettysdope-iv/364919/4 "2006-07-17T20:31:30Z")
Robin, we could still have a cake for you (why not? There’s never a shortage of desserts, anyway!), but I’d vote for earlier in June, when the weather’s usually cooler. But, all in all, I’d prefer June to July or August. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-its-not-too-early-to-early-to-talk-gettysdope-iv/364919/5 "2006-07-17T21:08:57Z")
I am going to wait until the vote is almost finished, and hopefuly very close, so I can throw my weight in the most effective direction! Democracy is sooooo cool. Tris ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-its-not-too-early-to-early-to-talk-gettysdope-iv/364919/6 "2006-07-17T21:13:37Z")
2 hours and under isn’t long distance, IMHO. I’d like to hear from the Burghers, Virginiites, folks from Joisey, as they are the ones most effected by the kidlet/school/travel distance issue. Other than that, let the majority rule, and all of that Democratic stuff. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-its-not-too-early-to-early-to-talk-gettysdope-iv/364919/7 "2006-07-17T21:23:53Z")
The disadvantage being that people who live REALLY far away from Gettysburg (like me) are the people most unlikely to come in any given year anyway. We haven’t heard from **Rubystreak** , who felt rather strongly that June was No Good because she teaches throughout June. (She’s probably still in Gettysburg.) I’m still not sure why she couldn’t make it a weekend thing in any case, but she seemed to feel rather strongly that setting the date before July would make it difficult for her to attend. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-its-not-too-early-to-early-to-talk-gettysdope-iv/364919/8 "2006-07-17T21:24:59Z")
Philly counts as a schlep – it’s 2.5 hours to G’burg (though usually two hours or less home… hmmm…). How about Saturday closest to the Solstice? Would that be geeky enough? ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2006, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-its-not-too-early-to-early-to-talk-gettysdope-iv/364919/9 "2006-07-17T21:43:32Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#): > > 2 hours and under isn’t long distance, IMHO. I’d like to hear from the Burghers, Virginiites, folks from Joisey, as they are the ones most effected by the kidlet/school/travel distance issue. I currently lack kids, don’t know what the job/school situ will be like a year from now, etc. However. Given the chance to be out in 75-degree weather or 950 (ask me if that’s one number too many)-degree weather, three guesses which I’d rather. I frankly have no idea if I’ll go next year, as it will depend on factors I doubt I’d be able to predict with an accuracy. It would be nice if it were held in temperate weather, but even holding it in May/June is no guarantee that there won’t be a weather spike, just as July/August confer no guarantee that it won’t be unseasonably cold. Having it earlier in the year does offer some protection, though, from “OMG TEH HEAT!” ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-its-not-too-early-to-early-to-talk-gettysdope-iv/364919/10 "2006-07-18T00:21:57Z")
Caveat: the weekends nearest July 1-2-3 should probably be excluded from consideration, since I expect Gettysburg gets more than its usual share of tourists and re-enactors right around the anniversary of the battle. I second **twickster** ’s idea of the Saturday nearest the Solstice. That would be June 23 next year, I believe. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-its-not-too-early-to-early-to-talk-gettysdope-iv/364919/11 "2006-07-18T01:34:39Z")
I would prefer a June date, actually. I would really NOT like the final date to be the 3rd weekend of July for sure, as that’s the usual weekend that my mother’s parish’s festival falls on, and while Gettydope won out this year, I don’t know if I can take a lifetime of denying myself _pasta e fagiole_ and _pizza fritte_ so I can go to a Dopefest… ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-its-not-too-early-to-early-to-talk-gettysdope-iv/364919/12 "2006-07-18T01:44:17Z")
Alas, I’m never in PA from May through August. I’ll have to wait for another fest. ---
**Author:** ![AntaresJB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c2a13f/32.png) [@AntaresJB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AntaresJB)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-its-not-too-early-to-early-to-talk-gettysdope-iv/364919/13 "2006-07-18T04:34:51Z")
Mid-June is a problem for me if I’m still at my current job in the future (although how likely that is is still a matter of debate), as the Saturday before Father’s Day is our big tent sale that _absolutely no one_ can have off, not no way not no how. Beyond that, I’m reasonably flexible. Y’all only wanted me there for the nametags anyway. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-its-not-too-early-to-early-to-talk-gettysdope-iv/364919/14 "2006-07-18T10:28:30Z")
> [@Antares JB](#): > > Y’all only wanted me there for the nametags anyway. Absolutely not true! We needed the plates and cups, too! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-its-not-too-early-to-early-to-talk-gettysdope-iv/364919/15 "2006-07-18T10:40:55Z")
I dunno if I’ll be able to make it or not - but I hate the really hot weather and so June is a nicer month for me. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-its-not-too-early-to-early-to-talk-gettysdope-iv/364919/16 "2006-07-18T10:46:14Z")
The Saturday closest to the Solstice will often be the weekend of Father’s Day, if that makes a difference to anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-its-not-too-early-to-early-to-talk-gettysdope-iv/364919/17 "2006-07-18T16:49:29Z")
The problem for me is that it’s a 5+ hour drive, and taking a day off in June is just a nightmare. If it were the last weekend in June, I could do it, but please don’t try to schedule around me on this one. If I can make it, cool. If not, maybe another year, I will. Actually, Mike and I liked Gettysburg so much that we might try to see the reinactments next year, which would put us out of the running for Gettysdope attendance anyway. It was great meeting you all, though! ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2006, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-its-not-too-early-to-early-to-talk-gettysdope-iv/364919/18 "2006-07-19T09:55:02Z")
In July there’s already a Mensa RG and the local science fiction convention to juggle. There’s also an SCA event I used to enjoy, although it’s been a few years since I’ve hung out with them. While Gettysdope might make a great geek trifecta, I seem to be running out of weekends fast. I’d like to attend next year’s, depending on when it’s scheduled. Has anyone considered holding it in August? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2006, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-its-not-too-early-to-early-to-talk-gettysdope-iv/364919/19 "2006-07-19T11:51:40Z")
> [@Siege](#): > > Has anyone considered holding it in August? If July is too hot, so is August. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2006, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-its-not-too-early-to-early-to-talk-gettysdope-iv/364919/20 "2006-07-19T12:52:19Z")
**Siege** , might June work for you? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-its-not-too-early-to-early-to-talk-gettysdope-iv/364919.md?page=2)