The
Volume 36 Number 1, March 2009
Communicator The newsletter of the American Institute of Parliamentarians The Top Ten Reasons Why You Should Attend the Riddick Practicum This Year 10. The logistics. The practicum is held at the Conference Center at the Maritime Institute (CCMIT), a place where they still train mariners. It’s a quick free shuttle ride from Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI). It’s also a quick free shuttle ride from the BWI Amtrak station and the Marc train station. How much easier can we make it? 9.
The facility. CCMIT is a conference center – it’s designed for conferences, not weddings, bar mitzvahs, sports contests, or class reunions. It’s a conference center with excellent facilities in the classroom, an indoor swimming pool, jogging and walking trails, a racquetball court, fitness room, and game room. Check it out at www.ccmit.com. Interestingly enough, the pricing for the lodging and the meeting space is separate – drive in every day or stay over and it makes no difference to us. Stay somewhere else if you like, but first read #8.
8.
The price. We all know that the instruction we get at these practicums is priceless; yet AIP works very hard to keep the prices low. Most people pay $300-$500 per day for professional instruction. At the practicum, you pay $495 for almost four days of instruction, access to instructors and other professionals, and networking. It’s a bargain at twice the price. The registration fee includes all instruction, materials, lunch each day, continuous break foods morning and afternoon. The lodging is a fantastic deal. Double rooms are $195 and single rooms are $140. By the way – that includes full breakfast and dinner.
7.
The food. Did I mention that lunch is included and if you stay at CCMIT your breakfast and dinner are also included? They are served in the 500-seat cafeteria, where everyone’s food preferences can be accommodated. For example, each day there is a salad bar, a grill for made-to-order burgers, a sandwich bar, and ice cream. The chef likes to do themes, so you may walk in and see Mexican, Italian, healthy, or whatever else he thinks to serve. There are always hot entrees, vegetables, and special desserts. There are sodas, juices, coffee, and tea. Our biggest complaint last year was there was too much food – but as they all served themselves it was hard to find someone else to blame!
6.
The atmosphere Practicums are unique in that we spend the entire time together, except for small group practice sessions and activities. The instructors stay in the room, and help work with the group sessions, question and assist the instructor who’s up at the time. The students form bonds that last long after the practicum ends. During the practicum, everyone works together for the joy of learning something new, gaining a new insight, or developing new skills. It’s hard to describe unless you’ve been a part of it. Come this year and find out. (continued on page 4)
Editor: E. Marie Wilson, CPP 35 Chapman Mill Pond Road Westbrook, CT 06498 860-669-4443 wilsonem@ix.netcom.com
AIP Headquarters 550M Ritchie Highway, #271 Severna Park, MD 21146 888-664-0428 aip@aipparl.org
President: James N. Jones, CPP-T P.O. Box 617816 Chicago, IL 60661 202-309-3835 nccichgo@hotmail.com
Published quarterly by the American Institute of Parliamentarians, a not-for-profit education corporation, as a service to its members.