post-baitcon feedback

[quietann.livejournal.com]

My personal issues with baitcon are in my personal journal; however, there are a few things that IMHO need to change:

• Separate dishes/mixing equipment/etc. for any ice cream product containing meat. There are a lot of people involved who nominally keep kosher, and it's discomfiting to know that one's ice cream might have been prepared using the same equipment as, say, the chicken liver ice cream. (for that matter, I'd just ban meat-containing flavors entirely, but that's not my decision to make.)
  
• More whole wheat (not just wheat, whole wheat) bread, less white bread. We ran out of whole wheat by lunch on Saturday. (this suggestion passed on from Gregorian, who was amazingly polite about it, but still really would have preferred whole wheat bread for his peanut butter sandwich...)
  
• More tarpage for shade protection (may not be an issue if baitcon isn't at Mink Hollow anymore, but...)
  
• Re-reinforcement of the "modest dress" (ahem) requirement in and around the main area. There was one person in particular who seriously violated this. (insert serious snarkage here; I am trying to be polite.) Dancing naked in the rain, as usual, should be granted leniency.
  

Comments

[dr-memory.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid that the kitchens haven't been seperate since the con moved to Mink Hollow Lodge -- my understanding is that there's just not room and adequate electricity/water to run two kitchens at that location. (Tamar or one of the other kitchen lords may expand on this or ruthlessly contradict me here.)

The alleged new site for 2006, if it works out, might have adequate facilities for a full vegetarian kitchen; you'd have to ask JB to confirm/deny.

Even when their was a vegetarian kitchen, I'm pretty sure that implements like spatulas and pans migrated between it and the meat kitchen (and back) over the weekend. They would have been cleaned and disinfected between uses, but certainly not koshered in any sense.

[dr-memory.livejournal.com]

Gah. "Even when there was..." Teach me to post before my second cup of coffee.

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

I knew what you meant. :-)

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

Ah. Very possible. As I said, I've been almost-going for a while, so the arrangements could have changed in that time.

If we know up front that the dishes and implements will be migrating back and forth in the kitchen, then we can just bring food. We bring food to cons all the time, it's not a problem. But if we can't have the ice cream either, that cuts way back on our ability to participate in the weekend's activities.

It seems that allergies are a concern in the shared-implements department as well. Donna's suggestion of bringing more ice-cream scoops could solve the problem (I'd be happy to bring a bunch), as long as people understood that they should stay with their respective flavors. (And hopefully one bucket could be designated the "animal flavors" bucket, to avoid other issues.)

bringing food

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, due to lack of space, bringing food really has not been feasible at the Mink Hollow location (unless it's non-perishable), and you can't keep it in your car or tent because of bears.

If we're lucky, this won't be an issue at the intended new site, but you'd have to ask kimberlogic about the kitchen facilities there, as I have not seen them.

Re: bringing food

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

We usually bring a suitcase or duffle bag with sandwich ingredients and the like - nothing that requires refrigeration. Bears are another issue, but we'd by far prefer being in a cabin to a tent anyway... if that were possible.

Re: bringing food

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

At Mink Hollow, there's one lodge with several bedrooms. Preference is generally given to those with medical issues and/or infants. That leaves either tents or one of the local B&Bs as options for everyone else.

If we're lucky, this will be far less of an issue at the new site, but again, kimberlogic is the one to ask for details. :-}

Re: bringing food

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

I have inquired about lodge space in the past, but was under the impression that it was need-based, as you say. Unfortunately the B&Bs aren't useful b/c we're Sabbath observant and need to be within walking distance... and I'm not really into the whole sleeping-on-ground-with-bugs thing. But maybe the next site will have more options. :-)