46th Annual Fall Conference and General Meeting

FREE PARKING is available in the Dan Allen Parking Deck at the corner of Dan Allen Drive and Yarbrough Drive; use the east entrance off Dan Allen. Parking spaces are also available all along Yarbrough Drive.

REGISTRATION will take place at the meeting ($5 members, $3 all students, $7 non-members), beginning at 8:00 a.m. If you wish to renew membership for 2024, or join for the first time, you may do so at the meeting. If your address, phone number(s), area code, e-mail, or other membership information has changed, this would be a reasonable time to make corrections.

REFRESHMENTS will be served at the meeting, as usual. Try to remember to bring your own reusable cup or coffee mug. NCHS continues to try to reduce disposable trash. There may be some extra cups on hand for those who forget. Members are asked to consider bringing a reusable cloth napkin also. Refreshments will be set up outside the meeting room. Food and drink are not allowed inside the meeting room itself.

LUNCH: An optional, reasonably priced, catered lunch will be provided, and the business session will be held afterward. Members may choose to bring their own lunch instead. There are also several restaurants within walking distance, for anyone not wishing to attend the group lunch and business meeting (which would most likely be outrageously crazy, since it will almost certainly be not necessarily unincredibly awesome).

There should be jars at the registration table for contributions to the Society’s various funds—Project Bog Turtle, Aubrey Shaw Memorial Stewardship Fund, Project Simus, etc. Contributions are tax-deductible.

HERP SHOP items for sale will include the usual assortment of shirts, books, greeting cards, prints, tote bags, snake bags, dipnet replacement bags, pins, refrigerator magnets, and other fun stuff. Do all your Christmas shopping in one spot! If you would like to help staff the Herp Shop during the meeting, please contact Sandy Durso.

AUCTION: The live auction will feature the usual (or unusual) assortment of herpetologically-oriented items. The live auction is always one of the more entertaining features of our meetings. Bring money or credit card and a bidding attitude. If you have items to donate (literature, prints, photos, posters, artwork, cages, hooks, field equipment, decorative items, toys, clothing, jewelry, decals, etc.), you may bring them to the meeting (early), or get them to Jeff Beane or Jeff Hall before the meeting (it would be helpful to let one of the Jeffs know beforehand what items you plan to bring). We may have at least a few items offered for silent auction in addition to the live auction, depending on inventory, space, and logistics. No live herps or herp parts will be auctioned, but almost anything else goes (provided it lies somewhere within the realm of legality). Items donated to the auction are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. All proceeds go to NCHS general fund.

RAFFLE: Better get those raffle tickets fast! This meeting’s raffle will feature this beautiful black racer snake replica, made and donated by Joe Morgan (some smaller consolation items may be raffled as well). Raffle tickets will be $1.00 each. You may buy as many tickets as you want. The drawing will be held at the end of the meeting. You need not be present to win, but if you are not present, you must arrange with someone who will be present to claim your prize for you and be responsible for delivering it to you (otherwise, we’ll draw another name).

GROUP DINNER AND SOCIAL: A catered group dinner (optional, reasonably priced) and social (free) will be held on site following the meeting, beginning at 6:00 p.m. The social is an excellent opportunity to get to know other members, catch up with old friends, and make new ones.

LODGING: The Raleigh area has numerous hotels/motels, including many near campus (e.g., see: https://www.expedia.com/Raleigh-Motels.d178300-aaMotels.Travel-Guide-Accommodation). Many of our members also live in the Raleigh area. If you’re from out of town and need to stay overnight, it might not hurt to ask around—chances are someone might have a spare room to offer you for a night or two.