Baltimore, birthplace of the National Anthem…

130TH General Conference
National Guard Association of the United States
September 20-22, 2008

Listed among Frommer’s Top 10 up-and-coming summer tourist destinations is one city that might surprise many people.  No, the place doesn’t offer white sandy beaches, lush foliage or 24-hour gaming.  What it does have is a spectacular array of museums, shopping and restaurants along a shimmering Inner Harbor promenade only a few steps from several first-class hotels.  It has historical and cultural attractions, diverse neighborhoods and Oriole Park at Camden Yards that for two decades has been the standard for baseball stadium architecture. 

And it’s all nestled within the nation’s most populous region.  The city is Baltimore, Maryland, which attracts more than 11 million visitors annually and this year will host the 130th NGAUS General Conference and Exhibition, September 20th through 22nd.  The conference hasn’t been on the east coast in eight years, and 1944 was the last time it was in Baltimore.  As a result, local National Guard organizers and city and state officials are eager to please their expected 4,000-plus guests.  “We are really excited and looking forward to showing everyone a good time,”  says Colonel Robert Barish, the Maryland Guard’s conference chairman.

THE CITY …  Since 1600, Baltimore waterways have been a passage for ships carrying commercial cargo and new citizens.  Formally established in 1729 to serve the economic needs of 18th-century Maryland farmers, the town of Baltimore gradually began to take on a life of its own.  The city played a crucial role in the War of 1812, when soldiers at Fort McHenry held off the British in September 1814. A young American lawyer, Francis Scott Key, immortalized the victory in a poem, which became known as The Star-Spangled Banner.  After the war, vigorous foreign trade resumed and the city grew into the second largest U.S. municipality.

The city suffered a decline following World War II when new housing, shopping and other attractions in the suburbs began to lure residents.  But Baltimore experienced a renewal in the 1970s and 1980s. To bring people back downtown, officials tore down the dilapidated wharves and warehouses around the harbor and replaced them with restaurants, shopping and other attractions.  Today, Baltimore’s Inner Harbor draws people from around the world.

THE CONFERENCE … Most attendees will arrive via airplane at BWI (Baltimore/Washington International) Thurgood Marshall Airport, a few miles south of downtown Baltimore.  The Arkansas delegation will be housed in the Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel located just a short walking distance from all conference activities and many Inner Harbor attractions.  The 1.2 million square-foot Baltimore Convention Center will house most conference events.  The NGAUS golf tournament on September 19th will be at the Compass Pointe Golf Course in nearby  Pasadena and features more than 800 acres of diverse woodland. 

Events begin early on September 20th with the 5K Fun Run at 6:30 a.m. The route is a figure-eight loop in between Oriole Park at Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles, and M&T Bank Stadium, where the Baltimore Ravens play.

As always, NGAUS will invite key lawmakers and defense leaders to speak at the conference business session.  There’s also a presidential election this year, and the major party candidates have spoken to the conference every election year since 1992.  Given the year and the conference’s proximity to Washington, D.C., attendees can expect a marquee group of speakers. 

The governor’s reception on September 20th should be equal parts history lesson and fun.  It’s set for the Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine where the defense of Baltimore inspired a poem that evolved into the National Anthem. Festivities include a re-enactment of the Battle of Baltimore and fireworks. The spouse’s luncheon will be held the next day in the convention center.  Maryland organizers say those attending are in store for a “great surprise.” They won’t elaborate.  Later that evening is hospitality night held in several state hotel suites all around town.  Shuttle buses will be running between the hotels.  The annual states dinner will conclude the conference on September 22nd.

BEYOND THE CONFERENCE … There is much to explore in the host city, and no trip to Baltimore would be complete without a walking tour of the Inner Harbor, which includes four National Historic Landmarks ….  at the edge of the harbor sits the Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse, the oldest surviving screw-pile lighthouse.  

In the water, floats the Lightship Chesapeake, a 1930’s classic; the USCGC Taney, a pre- World War II cutter; and the USS Torsk, a World War II submarine.  Each can be boarded.  All this and much more is in store for you in the Star Spangled City!  So, make your plans now to join the Arkansas delegation in Baltimore!

Click here for a printable Conference Registration Form.  Registration deadline is 4 August 2008, and a $100 room deposit (plus $20 if ground transportation is desired from the airport to the hotel (round trip)) must be included as part of your total registration fees.  The room deposit will be credited to your hotel bill upon check out.  

For more information and a schedule of conference events, visit www.ngaus.org (click on 130th NGAUS General Conference).