CLEVELAND, August 15 — Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen will convene in Galveston, Texas, for the 77th annual Southwestern Convention Meeting (SWCM), September 9-13, 2012.
Upcoming deadlines are Saturday, August 18 for hotel reservations and Friday, August 31 for convention registration.
Arrangements Chairman Jack Sweeny and the members of his Arrangements Committee have organized a fun filled week of educational opportunities and entertainment for BLET members and their families.
Members can download a PDF registration form from the SWCM website. The registration fee is $140 if post marked by August 31, or $160 if mailed after that date.
Guests will stay at the Moody Gardens Hotel, Spa and Convention Center, which boasts 242 acres of botanical gardens and a living rain forest, an aquarium and giant screen 3-D theater. The BLET has secured a discounted room rate of $139 per night and reservations can be made by calling (888) 388-8484 or online at the Moody Gardens website using Attendee Code 37013171. The hotel registration deadline is Saturday, August 18.
The 77th SWCM begins on Sunday, September 9, with the annual SWCM poker tournament. Proceeds for the event are donated to the SWCM Scholarship Fund.
Members will enjoy the SWCM golf tournament on September 10. For non-golfers, buses will be provided by Moody Gardens to the Galveston Historic Strand District, which includes shopping, dining and the waterfront. Other attractions include a visit to the offshore Drilling Rig Museum and the old Santa Fe Depot Train Museum. Educational opportunities on September 10 will include a Mobilization workshop and a Federal Railroad Administration conductor certification class.
The convention itself kicks off on September 11 with opening ceremonies in the morning and a closed meeting in the afternoon. There will be an open meeting in the afternoon hosted by the BLET Auxiliary. That evening, members will enjoy a dinner cruise.
Workshops for Secretary-Treasurers, Legislative Representatives and Local Chairmen will be held on Wednesday, September 12. There will also be a mock arbitration workshop with Dr. Francis X. Quinn as well as an FRA LERB class. The SWCM concludes the evening of September 12 with a banquet.
On Friday, September 14, members are invited to participate in an offshore fishing trip or guided bay tour for an additional fee. For more information, contact Ben Wright (ben@tslb.org or (817) 613-7244) or Chairman Sweeny’s wife, Shelly, shellyd065@yahoo.com.
For more information, please visit the SWCM website or contact Arrangements Chairman Sweeny at jrsweeny@coastal-link.net .