Conclave 2003 Report For a conclave that almost didn't happen, the Liberty Round Table's 2003 conclave was a terrific success. Some of you who didn't make it might not know that it almost didn't happen ... All I can say is that it was a good thing that I'm not heart-attack-prone, or the world might have been less one Knight of Non-Aggression when Elias called me (after most people had already left for the conclave) to tell me that our planned location had fallen through. Fortunately, he had scrambled and found something even better, he assured me, and we would all be able to camp together after all. Well, the new place did turn out better, and we did all get to camp together after all -- though we weren't able to tell most folks about the change of venue, so we had to put up signs and instructions on the old site. In spite of that, everyone made it in good order, and the place really was better. For starters, we had the shade of an aspen grove to keep us cool (the old site was a more desert-like location, with no trees) in the private little valley where our new friends let us pitch our tents. Here's a view of the general vicinity:  This is a view of the little mountaintop valley, with the shooting range in the foreground, and the aspen grove immediately behind it:  Some nearby mountains, closer up:  Sunset that first night:  The view from the a bit higher on the property:  In addition to the great beauty, we were thrilled to find that our new hosts had rigged up a roofed cooking shelter with ample cooking surfaces and running spring water we could wash up with in an honest-to-goodness sink. (No jokes about "everything but the kitchen sink"!) Here's a view of the central campsite area:  And -- nirvana! -- the water reservoir over the shower stall (the water heater worked great!):  Our hosts also had a large "wedding party" style tent which they let us use for speechification & such, seen below under one of the daily spectacular sunsets:  So, the facilities were about the most convenient we've ever had in our seven years of getting together. But of course, we can't go to the mountains without checking out some of the natural wonders. Many hikes were taken, and side trips as well. Some of us went to some nearby caves, which were huge -- much larger than I expected. Here are some of the cool rock formations we saw (the dark space in the second pic is a pool of crystal-clear green-tinted water, and that stuff hanging down in the third pic is "cave bacon"):    And here's a shot I caught of a formation growing:  (You can't see how many atoms that drop of water might deposit on the stalagmite, but I thought it was kinda neat to capture the drop in mid-splash.)
Of course, it goes without saying at an LRT conclave that we did a lot of shooting. Our favorite gun guru gave some great classes, which had students exhausted, but beaming with satisfaction by the end of each daylong session:
 Here's me (DLT) with a little toy chambered in .50BMG a friend brought along:  And a couple young riflemen I'd be proud to have beside me if it ever comes to a firefight:  Speaking of young men, this incredibly talented fellow, in addition to being an outstanding marksman, an accomplished writer, and lots of other cool stuff, plays bagpipes! Awesome people is what makes LRT conclaves so much fun:  Another thing that goes without saying is that there were stirring speeches, though we spread them out better this time, and also had a night when anyone could take the floor and address their peers, which provoked some pretty lively discussion. I'm sorry it's so dark, but here's Sunni delivering her talk by the campfire:  For my part, I spoke relatively few words. I showed some pictures from the KGB museum in Vilnius, Lithuania to remind everyone what is at stake in the fight for freedom, and then presented awards to those Knights of Non-Aggression whom I knew had distinguished themselves with tireless efforts on behalf of freedom. Two award recipients were present, and were inducted into the Order of the Defenders of Freedom of the Knights of Non-Aggression of the Liberty Round Table (we call them "Defenders" for short). These were 1] Hunter:  and 2] Elias:  I'll post the other names on the KNA Honor Roll, if I get permission.
I should note that in presenting the awards I did, I was not saying that I don't think anyone else did anything worthwhile -- I'm quite sure many did things I didn't know about. I was just recognizing those KNAs whom I was positive had been striving with true dedication for the values their KNA oath calls them to defend.
And that about wraps up my conclave report. We saw many old friends, enjoyed meeting some great new friends, and had a terrific time. If you've never been to an LRT conclave, and the above looks like fun, I encourage you to come play with us next year. We've been invited back to camp on the same property, and just might do it ... You know, I think this was the first conclave ever at which we had no encounters with Johnny Law of any kind -- a great reason to go back!
Meanwhile, feel free to drop in on our discussion list.
Conclave home page URL: http://www.LibertyRoundTable.org/conclaves/2003report.html |