Concouver News (July 11-14, 2005)

The 2002 NPL Convention will take place from Thursday, July 11 through Sunday, July 14 in Vancouver, British Columbia!

Read on for information about this year's convention, or see some general information about NPL conventions.

1. North America's best-tasting municipal water.
2. A Starbucks Coffee shop within walking distance from anywhere.
3. No freeways running through the city.
4. Airport close to downtown.
5. Free airport baggage carts.
6. Colour-differentiated money.
7. Safe strolling.
8. Low mosquito population.
9. Even if you go to bed at midnight you can stay up 3 hours longer.
10. You should see the view from the hotel! We're right on the edge of Stanley Park, the largest municipal

park in North America.

A Convention Conundrum for your Consideration (neither Confucian nor confusing)

(Conclusively it's a no-contest)

Have you consistently concluded that the Con is only for connoisseurs of convoluted conversations? Do you lack the confidence to connect with your contemporaries? Are you convinced that the contests and contestants will confound you? Well, consign those considerations to concrete!

Whether you are a new member of the NPL or a long-time contributor who has never attended a Con, we hope you will contemplate conquering your conservatism and consternation and convene in Concouver, BC. Henceforth, BC will connote Beginner Con-goer. Concouver is committed to being BC-friendly. Our concept is to contribute a concerted effort to configure the contests and conversations so that there is continuous, conditionless conviviality till the conclusion.

The NPL is not the usual type of convention many of us have attended. Its difference is its cachet. The Con has been summarized as: play games, socialize, eat, and get very little sleep. It can also be a little intimidating to first-time attendees and all of us have had a first Con. This year your hosts will be working extra hard to ensure all BCs have the most memorable time since they joined the Krewe.

There are cooperative games and puzzles on Thursday and Friday evenings, somewhat like those played on weekend s at Stamford, or at your “family games night” (if your family is like our family). Saturday afternoon is a series of competitions based on NPL-style puzzles. Wednesday night, the Con's host invites all early arrivers for a snacks-provided party that includes games and much socializing. A field trip/game (in past years these have been to Alcatraz, Yellowstone, Monticello) is being organized for Friday afternoon.

The (sometimes unintentionally funny) business meeting occurs Saturday morning, The convention fee includes group (say 8 or 10 to a table), usually buffet-style meals starting Friday night and ending with Sunday breakfast, which is followed by the awarding of prizes for the competitions. And there will be a group photograph.

Krewe bring a number of puzzle handouts, such as cryptic crosswords to be solved at leisure during the weekend, alone or by groups informally. Three variety cryptics are distributed Friday night for solving by teams of two by Saturday night for prizes awarded randomly to successful solvers.

After organized competitions and between meals and events, a hospitality suite, stocked with snacks, and the game room are available for intellectual and other games, such as charades, Taboo®, Scrabble®-type games, Boggle®, variants thereon and many others awaiting your discovery.

Saturday night is the pièce de resistance, an “extravaganza” in which teams of about five, constituted randomly but in which top solvers are sort of seeded, solve about ten sets of challenging word puzzles sequentially to “find” some ultimate grail. The exhilaration of the Saturday night extravaganza is, for some, the highlight of the Con.

For many, the greatest attraction is just socializing with people who have similar interests, similarly wide knowledge, and similar thirsts for intellectual companionship. Accompanying persons enjoy and spice up the socializing as well.

So come to the Confederation of Canada. Conscript consorts, concubines, or conceivably contraband, and contribute to the conspicuous conga line converging in convoy on the Con. We confidently contemplate confirmation of your convention conviction. Constantly con-goers confirm (nemine contradicente) contentment with Con contagiousness. If you have questions about constraints, issues of convenience, items of concern, don't conceal them; contact any Con consigliere. May this con brio Con be the first of consecutive conventions.

P.S. There are 1,954 entries beginning with 'con' and another 62 beginning with 'Con' in MW 10C (according to my MWED). You have our consent to continue the 'con-' construction of this confounded concept. Contribute your convoluted concoction to the Con convenors.

Vancouver is ideally situated as the start or end point of an extended visit to the Northwest.

Ideas for combining the thrill of the Con with other activities include:

1. Sample an Alaska Cruise (several cruises per week leave from the Vancouver Cruise Terminal)
2. Travel through the Rockies by train or car (The Calgary Stampede is the week before the Con)
3. Spend time at Whistler, site of Canada's bid for the 2010 Winter Olympics, but a mecca for visitors at any time of the year
4. Take a ferry to Vancouver Island, visit the B.C. capital, Victoria, and drive North for fishing, sightseeing, ecological tours
5. Continue your stay in Vancouver visiting historic Gastown, beautiful Queen Elizabeth Park, the unique totem poles, picturesque Stanley Park, the Maritime Museum, etc.
6. Sail, golf, climb, bike, jog, shop, all in one single day if you like, against an incredible background of mountains and sea

The Vancouver Krewe would be happy to tell you more of the attractions of Vancouver. Just contact Witz, Andreas, Dart, or Kite.

The best website for further Vancouver information is probably http://www.tourismvancouver.com. Other sites of interest include Hello BC and Coast Hotels. And of course visit our website.

Details of cost, travel, how to register will be in an upcoming Enigma and will be made available on the NPL website as soon as they have been finalized.

• 2002 Convention Reports
• Games People Play
• Los Angeles Area MiniCons 2002
• NEW YORK 2002 MINICON REPORT
• Puzzled in Vancouver
• National Puzzlers' League -- 2002 Convention Page
• The PROs of CONcouver
• Concouver 2002

For Members

• L.A. Area MiniCon / January 12, 2002
• L.A. Area MiniCon -- March 30, 2002
• NPL Con 2002 Vancouver photos by Artistry
• The Official Con Photo of 2002
• The Official Con Photo of 2002
• The Official Con Photo of 2002
• Images From Concouver by D. Ness
• Photo of Rebel (taken by Tyger)
• Convention Packet 2002 -- Concouver