CM Conferences

I have attended both as well as attending and hosting several SCM seminars. I will be happy to answer some specific questions if I can. 

LER (I believe it was 2011 when I went.)

• ~70 people
• retreat center in beautiful, but very remote location – pricey for me coming from FL. 2+ hour drive from MSP airport
• food was ok, but not great
• accomodations were basic but fine
• seminars were good, informative and helpful
• formal feel with calling Charlotte Mason – Mason

CMI (I attended 2012.)

• hundreds of people
• beautiful location at Ferrum College, VA. I drove and it was LONG. This year it’s back in NC and is easier to get to, imo
• college dorm accomodations were nice, basic, but included a kitchenette in the apt and a lr
• food was quite good and they were accomodating of my gluten allergy and other allergies
• seminars were excellent, deep, informative; gave me a lot more of the underpinnings of the philosophy
• formal feel with calling Charlotte Mason – Mason

SCM Seminars (Just for comparison sake. – I’ve hosted 2 two-day seminars, the last one in Summer 2012. I’ve attended at least one other SCM seminar, I’ve also hosted DVD seminars multiple times.)

• varied attendance – 50+
• easy to get to – either my church or home and one at a church in Atlanta
• lodging and food n/a
• seminars – by far the most practical way to start, imo. Very informative, hands-on, teaches the nuts and bolts; makes a CM education doable
• friendly, less formal feel – Charlotte Mason is Charlotte

I plan to attend CMI again and perhaps host a regional seminar in the future. I will definitely host the SCM team again someday. I wouldn’t be opposed to attending LER again, but the distance makes it difficult. 

If I can answer any other questions, let me know.

Christie

That “Mason” thing really irked me, too, Christie! I felt like I had been slapped in the face the first time I heard it. But the CMI was wonderful. I haven’t attended LER although Nancy Kelly’s sessions were some of my favorites at CMI. My husband is really pressuring me to go again this year. We REALLY can’t afford it but I’ve been asked to do a preconference session with Liz…so we’ll see…sigh… I know the AO people always have some sort of button and meet-up place at the conference. Maybe the SCM folks should as well. 🙂

Are any of these family friendly or hubby friendly? 

You ladies make me green with envy! There is never anything CM going on in the Pacific NW. I keep my eyes peeled, maybe sometimes (when my kids are grown and gone! lol).

Thank you RobinP and Missceegee. Hubby and I would love to attend without kids. :))) We are in Louisiana and don’t mind the travel.  We are hoping to go in 2015 but we don’t know enough about the different conference types to make a decision yet. The information you all have provided was very helpful. I definitely want to go to the one where I can glean the most CM instruction as possible. I only have a 5.5 and 3 dd. We wanted to go before she started first grade but that is impossible this year. (Dave Ramsey plan in full effect. LOL!). 

Anyone else in LA?

@5heartsathome- I’m in north LA near Minden, east of Bossier/Shreveport. Where are you? SCM will be at the Teach Them Diligently conference in Dallas, TX, in June. That would be a 4+ hour drive for me. I sure would love to go, but won’t be able to this year.