Annual Council Meeting, March 6 to 8, 2009 San Antonio, Texas vember 28, 2008 Dear Regents and Chapter Members, We look forward to welcoming you to San Antonio on March 6, 2008 for the DBE Annual Council Meeting. This year is a very special year because we are celebrating DBE s 60 th year in Texas. Celebrating is what we ll be doing! Where better to do it than in San Antonio, where Fiesta is part of the lifestyle and part of the culture? As you know, we will be holding our meeting at the vibrant and historic El Tropicano Hotel, right on the beautiful San Antonio Riverwalk. We were able to negotiate a very special room rate of $129 per night (plus tax) which is unheard of for a Riverwalk hotel of El Tropicano s caliber. We encourage you to reserve your rooms early in order to obtain the meeting rate. Information about making your hotel reservation is enclosed. For more information about El Tropicano, go to www.eltropicanohotel.com. San Antonio is always a very popular DBE and tourist destination. We encourage you to bring friends and family to enjoy our beautiful and traveler-friendly city! The special hotel rate is available for two nights before and two nights after the meeting, so come to San Antonio for the ACM and make a vacation out of it! For visitor information, please go to the San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau website at www.visitsanantonio.com or call them toll free at 800-447-3372. The ACM planning committee, made up of members from Cardiff, Jane Austen, and Kings Lynn chapters, has crafted a balanced mix of ACM activities and leisure time, allowing you to appreciate the beauty and attractions of the Riverwalk, while at the same time working very hard to keep the prices reasonable for you. An agenda is enclosed. To inspire you to make your reservations early for both the hotel and the meeting, the DBE ACM planning committee offers the following: meeting attendees who make their meeting and hotel reservations and pay their meeting registration fees by February 2, 2009 will be entered into a drawing for a free upgrade to a suite at El Tropicano hotel for their stay during the annual meeting. To be eligible for the drawing for the suite upgrade, please do the following three things:
Page 2 DBE 2009 ACM 1. Make your room reservations directly with El Tropicano by Monday February 2, 2009 2. Complete and submit your meeting reservation form by February 2, 2009 3. Submit your payment for the meeting fee, lunch and dinner by February 2, 209 A registration form is enclosed. You may use one form for multiple attendees, or separate forms for each attendee. Please make copies of the form as needed, or contact me at jbottomley@satx.rr.com for an emailed copy of the form and this letter. Please send your completed form and check (check is payable to: AMS) by February 2, 2008 to the treasurer of the 2009 DBE ACM: Gretchen Roufs Woodfield Auxiliary Marketing Services 1150 N Loop 1604 W #108-209 San Antonio TX 78248 If you have any questions about your meeting registration, please contact Gretchen at Gretchen@GretchenRoufs.com or telephone 210-601-4572. Gretchen s fax number is 210-491-1390. If your chapter plans to sell items at the meeting and would like to have a sale table, please indicate that on the meeting registration form. If you have questions, please contact Jean Glauser, who is in charge of the sale tables at the San Antonio ACM, at 210-561-9650 or at randjglauser@satx.rr.com. We will be having drawings for gifts and prizes at the ACM, and we are happy to accept a donation of a prize from your chapter. If you have any questions about the drawing, please contact Annette Hoffman, who is in charge of the drawing at the San Antonio ACM, at 210-946-1205 or at annetteh1@juno.com. Detailed information and links to attractions in San Antonio will be provided on the DBE Texas website at www.dbetexas.org. We hope the enclosed schedule and meeting highlights will provide you with all the information that you will need to make your visit to San Antonio an enjoyable time. However, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at telephone 830-981-8965 or email me at jbottomley@satx.rr.com. We look forward to welcoming you to San Antonio. Best wishes, Grace Grace Bottomley 2009 ACM Event Chair Enclosures P.S. Don t forget to reserve your room and make your meeting reservation by February 2, 2009.
Annual Council Meeting, March 6 to 8, 2009 Meeting Highlights and Schedule of Events Friday, March 6, 2009 4:00 6:00 p.m. Meeting Registration La Habana Room, El Tropicano 4:00 6:00 p.m. Hospitality (tea and cakes) La Habana Room, El Tropicano 6:00 7:00 p.m. Open Forum La Habana Room, El Tropicano 7:00 p.m. Social Time & Refreshments La Habana Room, El Tropicano Hosted by the San Antonio DBE Chapters. Saturday, March 7, 2009 7:45 9:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast for ACM attendees Romeo & Juliet Ballroom The sale tables and prize drawing tables will open at 7:45 a.m. 9:00 a.m. on DBE Texas Annual Council Meeting Romeo & Juliet Ballroom 12:00 1:30 p.m. Lunch and Entertainment La Habana Room Menu: Breast of turkey with sun-dried tomato pesto cream sauce, seasonal vegetables, roasted herbed potatoes, chocolate brulee, and coffee or tea. 1:30 4:00 p.m. Annual Council Meeting re-convenes Romeo & Juliet Ballroom 4:00 7:00 p.m. Free Time Enjoy the Riverwalk. Shop, sightsee, stroll, take a boat ride, drink a margarita. From El Tropicano, the Riverwalk is accessible by foot, trolley and river barge. You might wish to see the sights on your own, and meet up with the rest of the group at 7:00 p.m. at Café Ole on the Riverwalk. 7:00 p.m. Viva San Antonio! DBE Fiesta on the Riverwalk Wear your fiesta clothes and celebrate San Antonio-style at the Café Ole on the Riverwalk at 237 Losoya Street. Menu: appetizer, three different entrée choices, dessert, non-alcoholic beverages. Cash bar available. Traditional San Antonio entertainment, including mariachis and salsa dancing, will be part of the evening. Be ready to dance! Sunday, March 8, 2009 Breakfast On your own. Options include the hotel restaurant, or the coffee bar. 12:00 Hotel checkout. Schedule is effective as of vember, 2008 and is subject to change
Daughters of the British Empire, State of Texas Annual Council Meeting, March 6 to 8, 2009 Meeting Highlights and Schedule of Events page 2 El Tropicano Hotel The first hotel built on the San Antonio River, El Tropicano recently experienced a multi-million dollar renovation. It has a warm and unique atmosphere that has a modern, tropical flair with a resort-type feeling. The hotel has hosted Presidents and movie stars. Named the Texas Whitehouse when President Johnson was in office, El Tropicano served as the home for the First Family. Illustrious guests such as Julie Andrews, Rock Hudson, Danny Thomas, Tony Bennett, Jonathan Winters, George Hamilton, Dolly Parton, and Dr. Christiaan Barnard, the first surgeon to perform a heart transplant, have all stayed at El Tropicano. Room rate $129 per room, per night, plus 16.75% tax (tax is subject to change). Room rates are available for two days before and two days after meeting dates, subject to availability. Parking Parking is available at the hotel. Self parking is available at $14 per day. Handicap accessible rooms A number of handicap accessible rooms are available at El Tropicano. Make your request for an accessible room when you make your room reservation. To make your reservation for El Tropicano: 1. Identify yourself as being with the Daughters of the British Empire in order to receive the special DBE ACM rate 2. Call, email, or make your reservation on the website for El Tropicano via phone, email, or website. You can: Contact El Tropicano directly, toll free, at (866) 293-1842, Reservations: 800.288.3927 -or- Call Holiday Inn Worldwide toll free at (888) 465-4329 (El Tropicano is part of the Holiday Inn group) -or- Make your reservation via email at reservations@eltropicanohotel.com. -or- Make your reservation on El Tropicano's website. The link is noted below, is also available from the email sent to all state regents, and on the DBE Texas website. To receive the link electronically, go to the DBE Texas website at www.dbetexas.org. To be eligible for the drawing for the free upgrade to the suite: Your meeting reservation, meeting fee, and hotel reservation must be received by February 2, 2009. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer any exceptions. Attendees will pay the regular room rate and tax, but for the winner of the drawing, the room category will be upgraded to a suite. If more than one person will be sharing a room, the meeting fees and registration forms must be received by February 2, 2009 from all people sharing a particular room.
Daughters of the British Empire, State of Texas Annual Council Meeting, March 6 to 8, 2009 Meeting Highlights and Schedule of Events page 3 Directions to El Tropicano, Airport Transportation, Parking Address: 110 Lexington Ave., San Antonio Texas 78205. Telephone: 210-223-9461. At the intersection of Lexington and rth St. Mary's on San Antonio's famous Riverwalk Directions: From the San Antonio International Airport 1. Take US-281 South to downtown San Antonio (7.0 mi) 2. Take exit 141C toward McCullough Ave/lan St (0.4 mi) 3. Turn right at Brooklyn Ave (0.2 mi) 4. Turn left at Broadway St (0.2 mi) 5. Turn right at 4th St (0.1 mi) 6. Continue on Lexington Ave. El Tropicano will be on the right (489 ft) From IH-10 East (from Houston) 1. Take exit 574 to merge onto I-37 N/US-281 N toward Johnson City (3.3 mi) 2. Take exit 142B on the left to merge onto I-35 S toward Laredo (1.0 mi) 3. Take exit 157A toward San Pedro Ave/Main Ave/Lexington Ave (289 ft) 4. Merge onto E Elmira St (0.1 mi) 5. Turn left at Lexington Ave. El Tropicano will be on the left (0.4 mi) From IH-10 West (from El Paso) 1. Take exit 570 on the left to merge onto I-35 N toward Austin (0.7 mi) 2. Take exit 157B for McCullough Ave toward Brooklyn Ave (0.2 mi) 3. Turn right at McCullough Ave (0.3 mi) 4. Turn right at N St Marys St (0.1 mi) 5. Turn left at Lexington Ave. El Tropicano will be on the left (194 ft) From IH-35 rth (from Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin) 1. Take exit 157A toward San Pedro Ave/Main Ave/Lexington Ave (289 ft) 2. Merge onto E Elmira St (0.1 mi) 3. Turn left at Lexington Ave. El Tropicano will be on the left (0.4 mi) Airport Transportation Taxicabs: approximately $20 to $25 one way, per taxi, from the airport to El Tropicano. Multiple people can ride for the same price SA Trans: airport shuttles are available from the San Antonio International Airport to El Tropicano. Rates (as of vember 2008) are $32 per person, round trip, or $18 per person, one way. The shuttles could stop at multiple stops between the airport and El Tropicano. For more information, please go to www.saairportshuttle.com or call 210-281-9900 or toll free 800-868-7707. Deadlines Meeting reservation forms and meeting fees are due February 2, 2009. If you are unable to make your hotel reservation by February 2, please note that the absolute cut-off date for the hotel reservations will be February 11, 2009. Reservations received after the cut-off date will be on a space available basis only, at the prevailing room rate.
Annual Council Meeting, March 6 to 8, 2009 Registration Form A Name (Please print) B Name of Chapter (Please print) C Delegate (please circle) D Member (please circle) E Registration Fee * $25 F Saturday Lunch $24 G Saturday Fiesta & Dinner $26 H Total Please attach another copy of this form if more space is needed. * Registration fee includes: Saturday continental breakfast, meeting materials, and goody bag Our chapter would like a table for sale items on Saturday. Signature Special dietary needs or special access needs or considerations (please list special needs and include name): Grand Total: $ Please make check payable to: AMS Return form and check by February 2, 2009 to: Gretchen Roufs Woodfield Auxiliary Marketing Services 1150 N Loop 1604 W, #108-209 San Antonio TX 78248 Don t forget! Attendees who submit their registration forms and fees and make their hotel reservations by February 2, 2009 will be eligible for the suite upgrade drawing.