I’m Good At Being “Arm Candy”
IN A WEEK OR SO my wife, the lovely and widely involved, Dawn and I, as we do every year, will attend the annual meeting of the NACCC – or in the fully expanded state- The National Association of Congregational Christian Churches. You can see why we call it the NACCC. It’s either use the abbreviation or allot extra time in your day.
Every year the meeting is held in a different city. In recent years we have gone to Orlando, Omaha, Salt Lake City, and Detroit. You get the idea.
This year we are in for a change. Instead of a Big City venue we will be meeting on the campus 
of Piedmont College in Demorest, Georgia. Being the Suave, Debonair and Cosmopolitan dude that I am, I am surprisingly looking forward to this change. Instead of “Bright Lights, Big City” we are heading off to fireflies and college quad.
We are gathering at Piedmont College because the school is affiliated with the Congregational Church in this country. It makes sense to me.
In past years I have attended the Annual Meeting in an official way as a Delegate or Alternate representing our local church. This year, however, I have no such function. In 2017 I am attending strictly as Arm Candy for my wife (Don’t laugh! I’m good at it.). This year in my new status I will not be obligated to attend 
the General Meeting Sessions where Speakers will speak, Singers will sing, and a parade of attendees who weren’t paying attention will rise in objection to issues that were settled five years ago. God love ‘em, they mean well, but if they would just focus on what is going on NOW instead of shaking hands and renewing old friendships, they might miraculously find the answers to their fervent questions. It’s kind of like trying to play along with “Jeopardy!” while the TV is tuned to “Wheel of Fortune.”
In past years, when we were meeting at resort venues like Orlando, our accommodations were really rather posh. This year we will be staying in college dorm rooms. I’ve never done that before. During my college years I always lived off campus, so this will be a new experience for me. I think that Dawn is concerned that I might go a little “Animal House” while there. Nonsense! I wouldn’t know where to get a toga, let alone a horse and chainsaw.
Because I will not have any “official” duties while at the meeting I’m sure I will be called upon 
to perform some “Ad Hoc” functions. I know that I will be the Unofficial Person who is free to run to the nearest Wal-Mart. I will be sent to fetch snacks and everything that was forgotten at home. I don’t mind. I’m good at making those emergency Dr. Pepper runs.
Of course, I will attend many of the official functions at the Meeting. I want to know what is going on now and what the future holds. I will also get reacquainted with old friends who I get to see just once a year at this get-together.
By the time we leave for Georgia I will, I’m sure, have the blog set up to run on autopilot, tossing up something new at 10 AM every morning. Life as we know it, like it or not, will continue.
ARM CANDY – Not me
Down the Hall on Your Left 
Travel safely. You probably will want to take along some mosquito repellent along with your other “goodies”. I stayed in a College dorm way back in 19__ while attending the first year. It sure was small. These days I’m sure there’s been many improvement though. Have some fun while you’re there, and not all business.
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I honestly never realized (or thought about) you having never spent a night in a dorm. Well, as I take a few things to make our stay more comfortable, I hadn’t planned on taking a Jimi Hendrix poster and a blacklight, but I might have to toss those things in. (And a toga is only a bedsheet away, m’dear.)
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