Faced by the disappointing, but absolutely correct, decision to cancel the 2020 Europese Landenconferentie (ELK) in Duinse Polders, Blankenberge, due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, a group of some 20 would-be attendants started chatting on how we might fill our Diaries for those days.
In our Diaries, we had already earmarked days for C&S based events. Most of us had already ‘met’ weekly in April and May during the BCSS hosted on-line presentations/meetings, using Zoom software, and so the idea evolved for us to meet virtually, on-line, for some C&S based activity during the second weekend in September.
I proposed a schedule of Zoom presentations, timed to reflect the times when normally we would head to the ‘theater’ in Duinse Polders for C&S presentations. The target for publishing a program of presentations and speakers will be published here around 1 July. There is time for an online chat before and after the talks.
The hardcore ELK fans among us have started stocking up on Belgian beers, which are so much part of the ELK experience, to help to lubricate the chatting.
Sadly the only thing missing is the plant sales which we have saved up for during recent months. Still, we’ll have more money to spend on plant purchases next year or online sales.
I am fortunate to count among my friends experienced speakers at local branches and conventions who are prepared to meet the challenge of doing this online. A few who feel intimidated to talk to a large audience were prepared to bite the bullet and talk in their living rooms about images on their computer screen, sharing the information with a potential audience of hundreds.
Some of you may not have heard of ELK or may never have been. I expect that we may have visitors from Bolivia, Brazil, Chile attending SWiS2020 – normally the cost of getting to Blankenberge might be too great. Now they can attend the talks for free.
Come and join us on the Second Weekend in September 2020!
The Cactus Trip Diaries 