Announcements and Updates on the Plans for the Reunion
Best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
REUNION INFORMATION (10/99):
November 1999
The words of an alumnus of IARD 602:
"The INTAG 602 course is one of the richest learning experiences I have seen in higher education."
Dear Trip Participant:
The plans for the INTAG 602 reunion and the Millennium Conference on Agricultural Development in the 21st Century are nearly complete. Note: the date was changed from January to March. The plans include a generous amount of time for each participant to share ideas and thoughts on important components of development issues. We've planned provocative panel discussions by experts on the course of action and dimensions of change that are expected in specific regions of the world.
The President of Costa Rica will give the keynote address and all the Deans and Directors of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences will be there to listen to your thoughts on future expectations of the College.
We hope you plan to be there. You can register online. Please come. Many of the professors who have participated in this course will also attend. Please check the web site and plan to attend the reunion and millennium conference.
It is our hope that, in addition to fostering important discussion of international development issues, this reunion will help us raise the financial support necessary to secure the future of the INTAG 602 course. The response to this compelling need has been strong so far, with gifts and pledges totaling more than $500,000.
See you in Costa Rica!
Please check the web sites and plan to attend the reunion and millennium conference.
Also see IA 602 Trip page:
http://www.tropag-fieldtrip.cornell.edu/
H. David Thurston and Eugene Erickson for the IA 602 Faculty Committee
REUNION INFORMATION (9/6/99): INFORMATION PACKET HAS BEEN SENT OUT
The faculty committees are still working on the conference program, and we have good news. The President of Costa Rica has agreed to address us. Several other outstanding speakers have also agreed to attend and participate.
You should have received a mailing by now from Voyagers that will allow you to register for the reunion and conference to be held in Costa Rica next March. You can also register by the internet at the following URL: http://www.agconference.com/ This URL also gives information on the reunion and conference which will be updated from time to time.
Please contact us if you have questions on the registration procedure at: <tropag-fieldtrip@cornell.edu> or at : hdt1@cornell.edu
Airline reservations are difficult to obain, so be sure to make your reservations well in advance. Contact Voygers ( http://www.agconference.com/ ) for information on airline reservations.
REUNION INFORMATION (7/5/99): INFORMATION PACKET WIL BE MAILED THIS WEEK!
You should soon be receiving a mailing from Voyagers that will allow you to register for the reunion and conference to be held in Costa Rica next March. You can also register by the internet at the following URL: http://www.agconference.com/ This URL also gives information on the reunion and conference which will be updated from time to time.
Please contact us if you have questions on the registration procedure at: <tropag-fieldtrip@cornell.edu> or at : hdt1@cornell.edu
REUNION INFORMATION (5/11/99): INFORMATION PACKET TO BE MAILED SOON!
Dear Trip Participants:
The faculty committees working on future funding for the annual two-week journey to the Latin American Tropics (Interdisciplinary Course in International Agriculture and Rural Development) have also planned a reunion and conference in Costa Rica in March 19-22, 2000 (note change of date). We decided that it might be possible to organize a reunion of at least some of the nearly 1,000 students and 100 faculty, staff, administrators, and extension agents who have participated in this trip. Adequate opportunities are planned for you to visit with your fellow trip participants during informal meetings of trip alumni (organized by country of visit). Those interested may also join a one day trip to CATIE, Turrialba Costa Rica on March 22nd. The three day reunion will include a professional development conference entitled ÒThe Millennium Conference on Agricultural Development in the 21st Century.Ó Speakers invited to the conference include the President of Costa Rica; Dr. Hunter R. Rawlings III, President of Cornell University; Dr. Daryl Lund, Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; and Dr. Robert Thompson of the World Bank. During our planning efforts we soon realized that the organization and management of the reunion and conference was going to be highly difficult and complicated. Therefore, we have contracted with a highly recommended organization called Voyagers (http://www.gorp.com/voyagers.htm) which is competent to handle all aspects of the reunion and conference.
We are pleased that so many have responded positively to the idea of a reunion in response to our last mailing of April 22, 1998. Over 200 responses have been received to date. Included with this letter is information from Voyagers on the reunion, the conference, hotel accommodations in San José, and air fares. We will keep you informed of reunion plans as they are finalized through additional mailings and through our WWW page on the internet which can be accessed at: http://www.tropag-fieldtrip.cornell.edu/ We hope many of you will use this opportunity not only to attend the reunion and conference but also to spend additional time in Costa Rica and take advantage of the many opportunities there for tourism in that beautiful, friendly country.
We have good news regarding funding, as gifts of over $ 600,000 have been received to date. A letter will be sent to all participants soon regarding our efforts to obtain funding.
H. David Thurston - For the IA 602 Faculty Committees
Dept. of Plant Pathology
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
607-255-7835 (FAX-4471)
hdt1@cornell.edu
REUNION INFORMATION (4/6/99):
REUNION IN COSTA RICA, MARCH 20-22, 2000 - INFORMATION PACKET TO BE MAILED SOON!
This is only a sample of the many URLs available on Costa Rica. No endorsements are implied.
http://travel.state.gov/costa_rica.html (State Dept. Travel info for C. Rica)
http://www.vanweb.com/ (tourism information, hotels)
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/dest/cam/costa.htm (tourism information, hotels)
http://supersite.incostarica.com/centers/visitor/ (tourism information, hotels)
http://www.specialtytravel.com/ecotourcrica.html (ecotourism sites)
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~eca/index.html (ecotourism)
http://www2.planeta.com/mader/ (Eco Travels in Latin America)
http://www.agroecoturismo.net/ (In Spanish)
http://bbb.or.cr/Lodges/ArcoIris/ArcoIris.htm (Monteverde lodges)
http://yellowweb.co.cr/tourgems.html (tours)
http://www.ticonet.co.cr/CRConnection/ (tours, etc.)
http://www.gorp.com/voyagers/costa.htm (ecotourism, tours, hotels)
http://www.solmelia.es/cgi-bin/frame/frame?http://www.cocori.com/map/mapnprs.htm (ecotourism, tours, hotels)
ANOTHER REUNION ANNOUNCEMENT (12/17/98):
CHANGE OF DATE FOR REUNION
We are presently trying to make arrangements for the reunion with various entities. We will let you know as soon as arrangements are made.
We have had to change the date of the reunion in Costa Rica from January 13-15, 2000 to March 20-22, 2000. Save March 2000 on your calendars!
REUNION ANNOUCEMENT (11/1/98):
Please note: The earlier FAX number was a mistake. The correct one is (607-255-4471). Send FAX to H. D. Thurston.
The following is the letter that was recently sent to all previous participants in the trip:
Dear -----.
You are one of the nearly 1,100 students, faculty, staff, administrators and extension agents who participated in the intercession trip to Latin America (now the INTAG 602 course) over the past 30 years. The approaching millennium provides a great opportunity for alumni of the trip to gather together and reflect on the past and future of agriculture and rural development in developing countries.
The First INTAG 602 Alumni Reunion and Millennium Conference on Agricultural Development in the 21st Century will take place in Costa Rica on January 13 - 15, 2000! You are invited to join this exciting event. The program is being finalized and a number of world-renowned speakers have been invited as well as Daryl Lund, Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
The future of INTAG 602 is in jeopardy because of the high cost of the program. An anonymous gift will fund the program for the next three years provided we can establish an endowment to assure future funding. This is your opportunity to make a contribution to Cornell that will provide other students with the opportunity you had to be on the trip. The enclosed brochure describes the program and the need. We hope that you will contribute to the INTAG 602 Endowment Fund even if you are unable to attend the Reunion and Conference. We assure you that your contribution will only go towards future trips. The future of INTAG 602 is in your hands.
We will also provide adequate opportunities for you to visit with your fellow trip participants during informal meetings of trip alumni (organized by country of visit). Those interested may also join a one day trip to CATIE, Turrialba Costa Rica. Information will be provided to all that register to go on the trip on hotels and the many ecotourism opportunities in Costa Rica.
We will keep you informed of reunion plans when they are finalized through our WWW page on the internet which can be accessed at: http://www.tropag-fieldtrip.cornell.edu/ If you have information you wish to be included on the WWW page please send it to us. We encourage you to share (via e-mail or snail mail) your memories and anecdotes about the trip, and a paragraph or two about what you are doing now.
If you have any questions, please contact Professor H. David Thurston. We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you in Costa Rica!"
Please indicate your level of interest in attending the year 2000 reunion in Costa Rica on the tear-off-form below and return:
By mail to:
Professor H. David Thurston
Dept of Plant Pathology
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853,
By email to: <tropag-fieldtrip@cornell.edu>,
By FAX (607-255-4471) to H. D. Thurston.
__________________________________________________________
I am interested in further information about the reunion: Yes_____ No_____
I will participate in the year 2000 reunion in Costa Rica: Yes_____Maybe_____
I will not be able to attend the year 2000 reunion in Costa Rica _____
Spouse, children, or friend will accompany me: Yes_______ Number ______
Your Name:
Address:
email: __________________________
FAX: __________________________
__________________________________________________________
'Announcement 1: Letters *** have been sent out to over 950 students plus almost 100 faculty, staff, administrators, and extension agents that have participated in past trips. The over 200 responses received to date to the letter, sent out April 22, 1998, have been enthusiastic and positive about the idea of holding a reunion of trip alumni. Another letter will be sent this summer to advise trip alumni of the plans for a reunion.
The letter sent to those alumni that answered the April 22, 1998 letter follows:
Dear --
Thank you for your recent response to our letter of April 22, 1998. We are pleased that so many have responded positively to the idea of a reunion. Almost 100 responses have been received to date. We hope that enough are interested to make the reunion a reality. You will be interested to check out our WWW page on the internet which you can access at: http://www.tropag-fieldtrip.cornell.edu/
We will keep you informed of reunion plans when they are finalized through our WWW page on the internet. If you have information you wish to be included on the WWW page please send it to us. We encourage you to share (via e-mail or snail mail) your memories and anecdotes about the trip, and a paragraph or two about what you are doing now. We will put these in the - Your Comments - section of the WWW page.
With today's severe economic problems for education, adequate funding for the course and the field trip to Latin America is becoming much more difficult. We hope that you, as a trip alumnus, will help in the establishment of a fund that will ensure its continuation. We are preparing a brochure regarding funding for the trip which we will be sending to you later this year.
You might be interested to know that the local committee working on the reunion is constituted as follows: Robert Blake, W. Ronnie Coffman, Eugene Erickson, Douglas Houge, Robert McDowell, Dan Sisler, Tom Scott, and H. David Thurston.
At a May meeting of the committee it was decided to have the reunion in Costa Rica January 13-15, 2000. Almost all of the details are yet to be worked out, but tentatively the reunion will include a professional development conference entitled - The Millennium Conference on Agricultural Development in the 21st Century.
Please drop us a note or, if you have access to e-mail, you can reach us at:: <tropag-fieldtrip@cornell.edu>. Thank you !
H. David Thurston
Note: We will make sure that adequate time is included in the reunion plans to visit with your friends and the alumni of previous trips.
Your reaction to the above plan would be appreciated <tropag-fieldtrip@cornell.edu>
More details will follow as they are worked out
Announcement 2: The Faculty Participants page has been updated and email addresses added.
Announcement 3: Additional committees were recently formed for the organization of the Costa Rican reunion:
Conference Program Committee - Ed Oyer and Robert Blake (Co-Chairs), Joe Metz, Eugene Erickson, and Dan Sisler. This committee would make the plans for the Millennium Conference on Agricultural Development in the 21st Century
Local Arrangements Committee - Ray Bryant (Chair), Ronnie Coffman, Tom Scott, Margaret Smith. - This committee will make local arrangements in Costa Rica, including hotel reservations, tour arrangements, buses, etc. It was suggested that a trip to Costa Rica be made in late summer or early fall in order to begin making hotel reservations.
Budget Committee - Joe Metz (jfm12@cornell.edu)- Joe (and any helpers he recruits) will plan and prepare budgets for the committees involved in the reunion, conference, and tours.
At this point almost nothing is Òset in concrete.Ó Nevertheless, plans need to be made as soon as posible in order to establish a timetable of activities.
A second letter will be sent to all previous trip participants with the brochure this fall. Hopefully, plans will be far enough along so we can get some idea from responses of the attendance at the reunion in Costa Rica in 2000.
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