Newsletter - December 2020
by Gary De Kock

Countdown to 2021

It is only two months to show time, beginning on February 16 and ending with our grand finale on February 27. As you can imagine, we are working hard to bring you the best event possible under the conditions we expect to find come February. This will be the first virtual event presented by the Quiet Water Society and you will not want to miss the excitement. We may perform like an awesome display of professional fireworks or crash and burn like a drone with a dead battery. Either way, you will get your money's worth of memorable entertainment.

As you will learn in this newsletter, much is not yet finalized for the February 2021 event. It will be virtual so you will be safe to plan your future adventures as conditions change. We hope to provide you with an opportunity to connect with the excitement of non-motorized, outdoor recreation in old and new ways. Even if you prefer to go solo, make an exception in February and join us for the Quiet Adventures Symposium 2021.

How Do I Get Tickets?

Thank you for asking. Since you will have to bring your own popcorn and comfortable chair, the cost to attend QAS 2021 will be a very reasonable $10 per attendee. For less than $1 per hour, you can view up to 22 half hour presentations that bring you the best in local and international, non-motorized, outdoor recreation.

The presentations will come to you over the very familiar Zoom platform so technical difficulties should be minimal. Once the registration page is live, it will be announced via the QAS website and Facebook page. Just think of it, no more last minute snowstorms. No waiting for the shuttle van down at Lot 89. The stories we tell will still inspire, rabbits or no rabbits.

Children Only

Jerry Vandiver plans to record a concert for us featuring songs just for children. Look for this and some other fun features for kids as one of the QAS 7:00 PM presentations. Most of us were children when we started playing outside. Most of us still love to play outside. Let's make sure that it does not skip a generation.

To hear one of the many versions of Jerry's, "Canoeing with Daddy", click HERE. To buy the tee shirt shown below, click AGAIN.

QAS Grand Finale

One thing we do know is that on Saturday, February 27, QAS goes out with a bang. Well, maybe more of a twang! The world's best singer, songwriter canoeist who lives in Nashville will be not on stage but on his front porch with The One Match Band to get your toes tapping.

One Match Band

Jerry Vandiver and The One Match Band will perform some of our favorite canoe, camping, and fishing songs. For a preview of what to expect, visit Paddling Songs and enjoy clicking through Jerry's songs. Thanks to Northstar Canoes for their sponsorship of this performance by The One Match Band!

Want to Promote Your Organization?

Since we will not be gathering in the MSU Pavilion, we will not have a traditional exhibitor floor show in 2021. Instead, we offer sponsorship opportunities and promotional space in our virtual programming.

Please contact info@quietwatersociety.org for details on our sponsorship recognition packages. Additionally, spaces in the virtual show are available for $25 per 60 second slot. Your prerecorded message will run either before or after one of the evening presentations. There will be just three slots per presentation or a total of 30 slots per evening.

All prerecorded messages from organizations are due by February 1, 2021. They must be 60 seconds or less. If you purchase a double slot for $50, the message can run up to two minutes. Please contact info@quietwatersociety.org for details on message format requirements.

QAS Schedule Coming Soon

We still have to fill in all the blanks but if you like surprises, QAS 2021 will be perfect. Instead of a one day event with 33 presentations in five separate rooms, we offer a five evening event with 42 presentations in two separate "rooms". We open the show on Tuesday, February 16. You can choose to join either one of the two presentations which start at 7:00 PM. At 7:30, a new pair of presentations will start. At 8:00, 8:30 and 9:00, more sessions are scheduled until we sign off at 9:30. If you stick with us all evening, you get five presentations and a whole lot of good ideas about how to have fun outdoors.

On Thursday, February 18, we are back at 7:00 PM with another ten presentations. Expect the same the following week on Tuesday, February 23 and Thursday, February 25. If you do not find something you like on our schedule, you must live on the space station.

The QAS Grand Finale comes to you on Saturday, February 27, also starting at 7:00 PM. The 2021 Verlen Kruger Award will also be presented as part of the final evening's programming. Come and see one of our heroes who helps keep paddle sport strong.
QAS 2021b - Newsletter - December 2020