Crones Counsel 26 – Bellingham, Washington
September 26-30, 2018

Here is information you will need to know before arriving for the Gathering. If you have questions, please email zannadel@gmail.com or cdleeper@comcast.net. Download this information in PDF format.

Welcome “First Timers.”  If you are new to our gatherings, we offer you a warm welcome! Local Bellingham Crones Greeters will meet you at Registration and answer any questions. There will be an orientation for first timers in the San Juan Room from 4:00 to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Please plan to come. If this doesn’t work with your transportation schedule, be sure to ask for help.

Gathering Registration:  3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Wednesday, September 26th.
Conference registration will be held in the second floor business area.
The Opening Ceremony begins at 7:00 p.m. in the Whatcom Room.

Hotel Reservations:  Check in starts at 3:00 p.m.
Four Points by Sheraton, 714 Lakeway Drive, Bellingham WA 98229.
Call 360-671-1011 or 360-685-8103 M-F, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., for your reservations. Only call for reservations to get the conference rate of $119.00 per night. There are only king rooms left.

Alternate accommodations have been arranged at the nearby GuestHouse Inn, 805 Lakeway Dr. Call 360-671-9600 and ask for group reservations under “Crones Counsel 26.” The Guesthouse Inn has double queen rooms available. Across the street from the conference hotel.

Bellingham weather is mild with daytime temperature from high 60’s to low 80’s. Nighttime temperature usually in the mid 40-degrees.The weather is changeable, be prepared for sun, rain, wind.

Transportation from the Bellingham airport is available by shuttle or taxi and the hotel is less than ten miles from the airport. Shuttle service is also available from the Seattle Airport to Bellingham with Bellaire Airport Shuttle, Phone: (360) 380-8800. You can reserve ahead by going online to airporter.com. The shuttle leaves from the south end on the first floor of the Seattle airport. Here are some transportation options to Bellingham: By plane to Seattle-Tacoma Airport (SeaTac), then Bellaire Airport Shuttle to Bellingham with a scheduled stop at our hotel, the Four Points by Sheraton Bellingham Hotel and Conference Center. The cost is around $70 round trip for seniors. The trip is about two and a half hours each way. You can also take the train from Seattle, information can be found here: http://www.amtrakcascades.com/our-train-schedules

Fly Alaska Airlines directly into Bellingham International Airport, then use the free Hotel shuttle to the Hotel by calling them (360-671-1011) when you arrive. By car – the distance between Seattle and Bellingham is 89 miles, a little over two hours. Exit 253 on I-5. You can call the hotel from the Bellingham Airport for free shuttle service to the hotel.

Meals:  Two lunches (Thursday, Friday) and a Saturday light supper are provided. Other meals are on your own.  Each room has a refrigerator and microwave. Located nearby is grocery store, and there are two onsite restaurants. A grab-and-go continental breakfast can be purchased on the first floor. Water and coffee are free in the room.

Free Time Excursion and Dinner:  On Friday, September 28th, planned for prior-purchase is a sightseeing excursion around Bellingham ending with an upscale dinner on the waterfront. The total will be between $65-$70. Look for more details about the excursion and directions for pre-payment in the next Crones Counsel Newsletter which will be emailed the middle of August.

Follies:  Always one of the delightful events of Crones Counsel involving you and your talents. It’s the annual Crone Follies, a venue where you can perform! If you sing, play an instrument, have a stand-up comedy routine, dance, or anything else, sign up by filling out the Follies form on the Crones Counsel website prior to the Gathering. We will have a sound system, cassette player, piano and CD player available for the performances. Bring any other materials. This fun event is on Saturday night. Please fill out this form if you wish to participate in the Follies.

Empty Chair:  If there is an individual you wish to honor who has made his/her transition, bring their spirit with you. And, if you wish, bring a picture or something that reminds you of them to place on the empty chair.

Share Table:  We provide a table where you can put information that you wish to share with the whole group. This includes handouts, brochures, or information for other conferences. This sharing table will be located in a central place for participants to peruse.

Altar:  It is the tradition at our gatherings to create an Altar to signify that there is a spiritual component to our gathering. Everyone is invited to bring an object to place on the Altar. Your object can be whatever you are called to bring, and can symbolize your connection to Crones or to our theme, “SuperCrones, SuperPowers, SuperLives: We Persist.” When you take your object home, it will be imbued with the sacred energy of our Gathering.

Artisan’s Bazaar:  Grand Opening Wednesday night after the Opening Session, come see the wonderful creations of our sister artisans. To be a vendor, please submit your request via this online form.

Opening and Closing Ceremony:  Our Opening Ceremony will be Wednesday evening beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Whatcom room. The Closing Ceremony will be held Sunday at 9:00 a.m., ending around 11:00 a.m. Hotel checkout is 12:00 noon.

Grant Fund:  Please Pass the Hat – Another tradition at our gatherings was started by co-founder/wise woman Shauna Adix. We pass the hat for donations toward the grant fund for our sisters who need some of their Counsel registration expenses deferred.
Counsel Outreach: Every year we also ask for voluntary donations that will be given to an organization that supports women in the community where the gathering is being held. We will present this gift on Sunday to the local organization.

Give Away Table:  We will once again have a Give Away Table. The intention of this offering is for you to share (if you would wish to), a small gift for the give-away. It doesn’t have to be new, but please, no white elephants. Your gift should mean something special to you, whether it’s a rock picked up in a special place or something more valuable that was given to you sometime in your life. We give to each other our personal energy and blessing with a token item. Our elders will select from the offerings first after the Honoring Ceremony.

What to Bring in addition to a sense of humor and an open heart:

• Your water bottle or re-usable coffee cup.
• For Poetry Evening, a poem or five minute reading written by you which you want to share.
• Any brochures, handouts or other information for the Crone Share Table.
• Anything you might want for the Follies – costumes, music, instruments, etc.
• Dressy “Crone” garb if you wish for High Tea and the Honoring Ceremony.
• Drums, rattles, etc.
• Give Away Table: a meaningful gift for a crone sister.
• Empty Chair: a remembrance of someone who has transitioned – photo or object.
• An item for the Altar.