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". . .before you lies the future – a future full of golden promise. . ." Jefferson Davis, 1888, Mississippi City, Mississippi |
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116th Annual General Convention
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CONVENTION FORMS AS OF SEPTEMBER 1, ALL TICKETS FOR THE FRIDAY MORNING TOUR TO TRINITY YACHTS HAVE BEEN SOLD. AS
OF SEPTEMBER 29, ALL SPACE FOR SALES TABLES HAS BEEN BOOKED. |
INFORMATION UPDATED SEPTEMBER 22, 2009
The Mississippi Division UDC cordially invites you to be “BEAU-DACIOUS” and get some sand between your toes at the UDC’s 116th Annual General Convention, November 5-10, 2009. Headquarters is the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino located right on Mississipppi’s sandy shores in Biloxi. We know you will have some questions about the convention. Hopefully, we’ll answer most of them here. HOTEL: The “BEAU-DACIOUS” Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, 875 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi, MS! We invite you to surf on over to http://www.beaurivage.com/ for more information on the Beau and the amazing amenities it offers. The hotel is located at the intersection of Interstate 110 and US Highway 90 (Beach Boulevard) with convenient access to Interstate 10. Self and valet parking are free! |
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AIR TRANSPORTATION The Gulfport–Biloxi International Airport is served by several airlines: AMERICAN, CONTINENTAL, DELTA, NORTHWEST, and US AIRWAYS. Please contact the airlines directly for additional information regarding air transportation into the Gulfport–Biloxi area. For more information on our airport, please visit http://www.FlyGPT.com/. GROUND TRANSPORTATION Transportation between the airport and hotel is available three ways: rental car, taxi or shuttle. The airport is served by several rental car companies: AVIS, BUDGET, HERTZ, NATIONAL, and THRIFTY. Please contact the car rental companies directly for auto reservations. The airport website provides information, including costs, on shuttle services and taxis. WEATHER What kind of weather can you expect on the Mississippi Gulf Coast in early November? Our average high temperature is 73°; our average low temperature is 63°. The record high for early November is 84°; the record low is 30°. For actual predicted temperatures, we suggest that you check forecasts for Biloxi, MS, on websites such as http://www.weather.com/ or http://www.wunderground.com/. When planning attire for the convention, do keep in mind that the meetings rooms will be air conditioned. CORSAGES Biloxi UDC members recommend that you contact FLOWER BASKET FLORIST, 973 Howard Avenue, Biloxi, MS 39530, telephone 1-800-354-3241 or 1-228-432-2546 (http://www.flowerbasketfloristofms.com/). They would like one week's notice depending upon the item(s) ordered (special flowers, silk, certain colors, etc.). They will deliver to the front desk at the Beau; the person to whom the delivery is being made MUST be registered with the hotel in order for proper notification/delivery to be made. Confer directly with the florist for costs and options. Please have your credit card information ready when you place your order. |
RESERVATIONS To make reservations, call the Beau at
1-888-383-7037 and specify “2009 General UDC” and “November 5-10” to obtain the special convention rates of $129 for up to 2 in a room, $149 for 3 in a room and $169 for 4 in a room plus 12% tax (tax subject to change). Reservation deadline is October 4, 2009. NOTE: It is the policy of the Beau to charge a deposit for the first night’s room and tax when the reservation is made. The deposit must be made either by credit card or check received by the Beau within 10 days of making the reservation. To receive a refund of the deposit, a reservation must be cancelled at least 72 hours prior to arrival date. The Beau Rivage will try to accommodate requests for rooms with two beds for two people but cannot guarantee it. If you have three or four in your room, you must indicate this on your reservation. The hotel requests that the names of all persons occupying the room be listed when registering. Please make all reservations quickly—ASAP—to insure availability at the convention rate. In addition, please be sure to note any special needs at the time of the reservation: handicapped access, near an elevator (halls are long), smoking/non-smoking. The Beau Rivage does NOT offer coffee pots in individual guest rooms. High-speed internet access is available for a fee. TOURS Would a convention on the Mississippi Coast be “BEAU-DACIOUS” without a tour to Beauvoir, Jefferson Davis’ last home? No! That’s why we are going to Beauvoir, which is fresh off its 4 million dollar restoration following Hurricane Katrina. Part of the planned convention tour will be a program by Larry Albert, the architect who oversaw the home’s restoration. This is your chance to hear an “insider’s” commentary about the restoration. The tour will begin with a visit to the construction site of the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum in Biloxi, which will feature the works of George Ohr, the “Mad Potter of Biloxi.” Then it's on to Ocean Springs, for some time at the Walter Anderson Museum of Art. A box lunch, a book signing, and a private showing of Davis family items at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer (attended by the Davis family) will round out the day. If you have reservations for the pre-convention tour, please report directly to the tour bus lobby in the parking garage area of the hotel. The buses will depart at 8:45 a.m., so be sure to arrive prior to that time for "check-in." We will have lists of those who have purchased tickets and special pre-convention tour name tags. The Friday morning tour to Trinity Yachts (http://www.trinityyachts.com/), a MEGAYACHT builder not normally open to the public, was sold out as of September 1. There is a waiting list; please do not send additional reservations. Refunds will be given when other tickets are picked up at the Registration Desk. The post-Convention tour will take us 12 miles out into the Gulf of Mexico to Ship Island, where we will rededicate the bronze plaques placed at Fort Massachusetts in 1977 by the UDC General Organization and refurbished post-Katrina. A full buffet lunch at the Gulfport Yacht Club and a tour of St. Mark's Episcopal Church (attended by the Davis family) are included. Dress for all tours is casual and comfortable. Sandals and open-toed shoes are not recommended since outdoor walking is involved on all tours. Rubber-soled shoes are suggested for the Friday morning tour to Trinity Yachts and the post-Convention tour to Ship Island. A windbreaker and sun hat are suggested for the post-Convention tour. (See the information elsewhere on this page about Biloxi's weather in November.) We hope for calm seas, but, if you are prone to seasickness, please bring your “sea-sick” medicine. DO-IT-YOURSELF TOURING If you are driving to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, there are many sights and places you might wish to visit en route to the UDC’s 116th Annual General Convention! For additional information, you can download a list of towns and attractions that might pique your interest and visit their websites. FAMILY ACTIVITIES! This might be the year to schedule a family vacation along with your trip to General. The Beau offers entertainment and food 24 hours a day. . .your family will never be bored at the Beau. Your husband can shoot for par at the Beau’s Fallen Oak Golf Course (designed by Tom Fazio). Or your family can head to New Orleans for a day at the National World War II Museum. Or enjoy a cruise on the Mississippi Sound aboard one of our Biloxi Schooners. Or charter a boat for fishing. Options ABOUND. OTHER QUESTIONS Should you have any questions about the Convention, please do not hesitate to contact Convention Co-Chairman, Ruth Murdock, at 228-832-5404 or biloxi2009@gmail.com. General Convention 2009 will be “BEAU-DACIOUS”!!!!! | |
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