The following is from a series of articles and postings I wrote called, "Get a Head Start on the Holidays." You can find the entire series at http://www.getaheadstart.info/
This section is geared directly to Santas and is titled "Get A Head Start Santa."
* * * * * * * *
Are you one of the many Santas that works too many hours, gets fatigued, or worries too much when the November and December holidays arrive?
Maybe you're a new Santa starting on the road to the North Pole and uncertain what you will encounter this year?
Every year we hear people saying, "Next year, I'm not waiting until the last minute to get ready for the Christmas Holidays."
This is especially true for Santa! In addition to the everyday tasks that normal people have, attending to family and social schedules, taking care of our own homes, etc., we add the job of being Santa.
A lot of us wish we could spend more time enjoying the Holidays and less time rushing about? Often our work and appearance schedule have us so busy, we miss seeing our loved ones.
As descendants of Santa Claus, we hear people complaining that the Holiday Season has lost its magic. They complain about the hectic, rush-rush of daily life and that everything is too hectic and stressful.
If Santa is overworked or stressed out, he can easily miss those special moments when they arrive. Maybe your schedule has you so busy, you can't get done, the things you want.
We all know if Santa does not have the lights up and the house decorated by Thanksgiving, he is in deep trouble!
And how or when is he going to get the time to do any of his Christmas Shopping. Many of us know how difficult Christmas shopping can be. And when you look like Santa, it adds an additional level of difficulty!
By organizing all of your tasks and responsibilities and planning in advance, you can accomplish a lot more.
Here are my three secrets to Getting Ahead:
• Secret #1 - Organize & Plan Ahead.
• Secret #2 - Eliminate Unnecessary Tasks.
• Secret #3 - Schedule Personal Time .
In my next Blog I will cover Secret #1.
God bless you and remember to Keep the Twinkle in your Eye and the Spirit of Giving all year long!
Santacerely,
"Santa Hollywood"
Santa Tim Connaghan
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Saturday, May 29, 2010
And the Days Dwindle Down
By Santa Tim Connaghan – http://www.school4santas.com/
Every year Santa’s work calendar changes and the number of days between Thanksgiving and Christmas change with it. This is because Thanksgiving is always on the fourth Thursday of November. So the date that always changes.
One year you may have only 27 days between the two major holidays. Then each following year you add one more day until you reach 33 days. Then the calendar jumps right back and starts over at 27.
To some Santas it may look good that each year you get an extra day to work and garner more income. But then, after five or six years of adding a day, you will be shaken with the fact that those extra days are gone and you are back at 27.
These date changes strongly affect private party Santas who will find that some of their clients will not be able to meet at the same location and possibly not on the same date. They now have four weeks of parties squeezed into just three weeks.
When the shift back to 27 days occurs, Santa has lost six event days including one weekend and any parties on the lost dates will have to be rescheduled.
This means that some of your clients will need to find new dates and possibly new venues for their parties. What is worse is that you may find your client’s new day and date conflict with another party you have already booked. The result is you might lose a booking or two unless the clients can schedule to a time when you are available.
For the mall Santa the pressure is not as intense. But whether he starts the day after Thanksgiving or one or two weeks prior, his schedule will also grow by one day each year and then jump back losing those six days.
If the mall or photo company pays you the same salary as the year before, you are actually working one extra day with no additional pay. Of course there is the other side of the coin when the season shortens. The mall or photo company may want to reduce your salary as you are working one less week (six fewer days).
Here is a schedule for the next few years:
God Bless you and remember to keep the twinkle in your eye and the spirit of Christmas every day.
Santa Tim Connaghan
©2010 The Kringle Group, LLC
By Santa Tim Connaghan – http://www.school4santas.com/
Every year Santa’s work calendar changes and the number of days between Thanksgiving and Christmas change with it. This is because Thanksgiving is always on the fourth Thursday of November. So the date that always changes.
One year you may have only 27 days between the two major holidays. Then each following year you add one more day until you reach 33 days. Then the calendar jumps right back and starts over at 27.
To some Santas it may look good that each year you get an extra day to work and garner more income. But then, after five or six years of adding a day, you will be shaken with the fact that those extra days are gone and you are back at 27.
These date changes strongly affect private party Santas who will find that some of their clients will not be able to meet at the same location and possibly not on the same date. They now have four weeks of parties squeezed into just three weeks.
When the shift back to 27 days occurs, Santa has lost six event days including one weekend and any parties on the lost dates will have to be rescheduled.
This means that some of your clients will need to find new dates and possibly new venues for their parties. What is worse is that you may find your client’s new day and date conflict with another party you have already booked. The result is you might lose a booking or two unless the clients can schedule to a time when you are available.
For the mall Santa the pressure is not as intense. But whether he starts the day after Thanksgiving or one or two weeks prior, his schedule will also grow by one day each year and then jump back losing those six days.
If the mall or photo company pays you the same salary as the year before, you are actually working one extra day with no additional pay. Of course there is the other side of the coin when the season shortens. The mall or photo company may want to reduce your salary as you are working one less week (six fewer days).
Here is a schedule for the next few years:
God Bless you and remember to keep the twinkle in your eye and the spirit of Christmas every day.
Santa Tim Connaghan
©2010 The Kringle Group, LLC
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Six months til Santa Arrives
Yes, in less than six months Santa will be arriving at your favorite mall or shopping center. We'll still be snacking on the kids Halloween candy as we start wearing our red suits and begin receiving the children with thier requests and to collect those special holiday photos.
During the next few months, I am going to do something differenct. I have been writing and teaching on the work of Santa for a few years now. This plus my 42 years of wearing the red suit has given me little bits of knowledge that I want to share.
This will never be the total of what I offer in my School4Santas, but I plan to offer pieces from the school, plus lots of other tidbits that I hope will be useful to Santas and Mrs. Claus everywhere.
Some of the information will be from "How to Get a Head Start on the Holidays", my web site that helps you have more fun with the holiday season while reducing stress. I'll be giving out informtion on how to be organized in keeping up with the manydemands of the holiday season.
And I will be writing some new articles. I you have a problems, a questions or something you would like to know about, please let me know. I will try to answer all of the requests that I receive.
During the next few months, I am going to do something differenct. I have been writing and teaching on the work of Santa for a few years now. This plus my 42 years of wearing the red suit has given me little bits of knowledge that I want to share.
This will never be the total of what I offer in my School4Santas, but I plan to offer pieces from the school, plus lots of other tidbits that I hope will be useful to Santas and Mrs. Claus everywhere.
Some of the information will be from "How to Get a Head Start on the Holidays", my web site that helps you have more fun with the holiday season while reducing stress. I'll be giving out informtion on how to be organized in keeping up with the manydemands of the holiday season.
And I will be writing some new articles. I you have a problems, a questions or something you would like to know about, please let me know. I will try to answer all of the requests that I receive.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
A Personal Note regarding Postponement of the Santa Jamboree
Hello Friends.
As a vendor, supplier, prospective sponsor or advertiser, or just as a friend of Santas, I felt it was important to send you this note and to thank you for your interest and support in the efforts to produce FORBS 2010 International Santa Jamboree.
As you may know The Fraternal Order of Real Bearded Santas (FORBS) has announced they are postponing the 2010 International Santa Jamboree, which was scheduled to open on June 27, in Anaheim, California.
Currently the FORBS Board of Directors is working on the details for rescheduling the convention and has already initiated full refunds to all registered delegates, vendors and sponsors.
The Jamboree was to be the first-ever west coast Santa convention. As the Jamboree’s General Chairman I was pleased to bring this event to FORBS and am so proud of the more than a year and a half of work by the Jamboree Steering Committee and more than fifty dedicated volunteers.
It was a very difficult decision as the committee and volunteers had all put in a tremendous amount of time developing and planning this convention. Fortunately their efforts and plans will be the foundation for 2012 convention.
FORBS has been holding successful annual luncheons for the past three years, with attendance numbers reaching 300 or more. These have been followed by wonderful cruises to Mexico. So it was easy to believe they had the opportunity to move to the next level and host a convention for the Santa Industry.
Unfortunately the current economy is as robust as we had hoped. The number of registrations and vendors who had signed up were below expectations. FORBS could have produced a smaller convention. But knowing they would not be producing the size or quality of convention that was planned and expected, would have been unfair to those Santas, Sponsors and Vendors who had already registered and signed on.
As you can easily guess, we have come to realize that even though America’s economy is recovering, the results have not reached all areas of the society. Things may be a little better, but not enough for some Santas, Vendors and Sponsors, to invest in a convention or vacation this year.
Currently the Board and Jamboree Committee are working with the Crowne Plaza, discussing future dates in 2012, when they plan to reschedule the Jamboree. A list of proposed dates will be considered and FORBS will be inviting the Santa community to participate in a survey and give suggestions on when they should re-schedule.
Should you have any questions or suggestions, I would be glad to discuss them with you and invite you to contact me.
Santa Tim Connaghan
General Chairman
FORBS 2010 International Santa Jamboree
chairman@SantaJamboree.com
As a vendor, supplier, prospective sponsor or advertiser, or just as a friend of Santas, I felt it was important to send you this note and to thank you for your interest and support in the efforts to produce FORBS 2010 International Santa Jamboree.
As you may know The Fraternal Order of Real Bearded Santas (FORBS) has announced they are postponing the 2010 International Santa Jamboree, which was scheduled to open on June 27, in Anaheim, California.
Currently the FORBS Board of Directors is working on the details for rescheduling the convention and has already initiated full refunds to all registered delegates, vendors and sponsors.
The Jamboree was to be the first-ever west coast Santa convention. As the Jamboree’s General Chairman I was pleased to bring this event to FORBS and am so proud of the more than a year and a half of work by the Jamboree Steering Committee and more than fifty dedicated volunteers.
It was a very difficult decision as the committee and volunteers had all put in a tremendous amount of time developing and planning this convention. Fortunately their efforts and plans will be the foundation for 2012 convention.
FORBS has been holding successful annual luncheons for the past three years, with attendance numbers reaching 300 or more. These have been followed by wonderful cruises to Mexico. So it was easy to believe they had the opportunity to move to the next level and host a convention for the Santa Industry.
Unfortunately the current economy is as robust as we had hoped. The number of registrations and vendors who had signed up were below expectations. FORBS could have produced a smaller convention. But knowing they would not be producing the size or quality of convention that was planned and expected, would have been unfair to those Santas, Sponsors and Vendors who had already registered and signed on.
As you can easily guess, we have come to realize that even though America’s economy is recovering, the results have not reached all areas of the society. Things may be a little better, but not enough for some Santas, Vendors and Sponsors, to invest in a convention or vacation this year.
Currently the Board and Jamboree Committee are working with the Crowne Plaza, discussing future dates in 2012, when they plan to reschedule the Jamboree. A list of proposed dates will be considered and FORBS will be inviting the Santa community to participate in a survey and give suggestions on when they should re-schedule.
Should you have any questions or suggestions, I would be glad to discuss them with you and invite you to contact me.
Santa Tim Connaghan
General Chairman
FORBS 2010 International Santa Jamboree
chairman@SantaJamboree.com
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Finding Non-Holiday or Year-Round work
Santa Tips and Suggestions
FINDING ADDITIONAL NON-HOLIDAY WORK
– By Santa Tim Connaghan
Most Santas think about getting work for holiday season next November and December. But what if you are looking for some additional income now?
You will find there are a variety of ways to find some extra income on weekends and during the summer months. But it does take a special effort and sometimes it also needs a willingness not to be seen as a Santa.
There are quite a few professional entertainers, who actually started as magicians and party entertainers and eventually became Santas.
If you did not already know, you can often find work as another character. If you have some sort of additional talent, you can often become a party entertainer.
A few Santas actually worked this past Easter as, can you guess? Yes, they were Easter Bunnies. I do not envy them wearing those warm outfits, but because they know how to work with children, I can imagine they were the perfect choice for those operations.
There are also many Santas who work as magicians, pirates, wizards and other characters. For those who sport a real beard, the pirate and wizard characters are quite popular right now.
I have even done some parties as Dumbledore. I only had to look like Dumbledore and there was no requirement to do any magic. Some Santas have appeared at book stores in the same way.
Two Santas that I know of, appear as the King at Medieval Times in Orlando, Florida and Buena Park, California. A few others actually work at the renaissance faires.
If you desire to work in any of these areas, and have some theater or other talent, you might be able to sign on with one or more party entertainment companies.
Another way to find additional work is to promote yourself as a “Summer Santa.” My company has been supplying Santas for county fairs and other summer events for the past few years. It has been so good that I actually have a web site, www.summer-santa.com
There are Santas working at Santa Claus, Indiana; the North Pole, NY and other holiday themed parks. But don’t go calling for work there, as all of the positions were filled months ago and most of the Santas have been there for years.
Quite a few Santas have contacted their local county fairs, chambers of commerce, water parks and other summer festivals and venues, offering their services. And many have been able to find some added income or arrange a trade for admissions or other services.
One Santa working a fair, two years ago, told me he did it in exchange for free admissions which he gave to friends and some under privileged children. But, while doing the fair, he got to know one of the fair’s major sponsors, who owned a few auto dealerships. Guess who ended up getting paid to be Santa in that dealer's television commercials.
Other Santas have gotten work at theme attractions as prospectors and western characters. If you have read Ed Butchart’s second ‘Red Suit Diary,’ you will see him tell about his work as an old rail road engineer. It was just walking around the theme park and adding some ‘character’ and realism to the attractions.
Jobs like the ones above will not just drop in your lap. You have to go look for them. You must be pro-active in searching for additional work.
Again, I hope this month’s information will help some of you in your efforts to find some other avenues of working or volunteering during the weekends and summer months.
Remember, that you can also post all kinds of questions on one or more of the various chat groups and many of your fellow Santas will be glad to give you advice, answers and opinions on whatever you ask.
Good Luck.
Santa Tim Connaghan
Santa@santahollywood.com
FINDING ADDITIONAL NON-HOLIDAY WORK
– By Santa Tim Connaghan
Most Santas think about getting work for holiday season next November and December. But what if you are looking for some additional income now?
You will find there are a variety of ways to find some extra income on weekends and during the summer months. But it does take a special effort and sometimes it also needs a willingness not to be seen as a Santa.
There are quite a few professional entertainers, who actually started as magicians and party entertainers and eventually became Santas.
If you did not already know, you can often find work as another character. If you have some sort of additional talent, you can often become a party entertainer.
A few Santas actually worked this past Easter as, can you guess? Yes, they were Easter Bunnies. I do not envy them wearing those warm outfits, but because they know how to work with children, I can imagine they were the perfect choice for those operations.
There are also many Santas who work as magicians, pirates, wizards and other characters. For those who sport a real beard, the pirate and wizard characters are quite popular right now.
I have even done some parties as Dumbledore. I only had to look like Dumbledore and there was no requirement to do any magic. Some Santas have appeared at book stores in the same way.
Two Santas that I know of, appear as the King at Medieval Times in Orlando, Florida and Buena Park, California. A few others actually work at the renaissance faires.
If you desire to work in any of these areas, and have some theater or other talent, you might be able to sign on with one or more party entertainment companies.
Another way to find additional work is to promote yourself as a “Summer Santa.” My company has been supplying Santas for county fairs and other summer events for the past few years. It has been so good that I actually have a web site, www.summer-santa.com
There are Santas working at Santa Claus, Indiana; the North Pole, NY and other holiday themed parks. But don’t go calling for work there, as all of the positions were filled months ago and most of the Santas have been there for years.
Quite a few Santas have contacted their local county fairs, chambers of commerce, water parks and other summer festivals and venues, offering their services. And many have been able to find some added income or arrange a trade for admissions or other services.
One Santa working a fair, two years ago, told me he did it in exchange for free admissions which he gave to friends and some under privileged children. But, while doing the fair, he got to know one of the fair’s major sponsors, who owned a few auto dealerships. Guess who ended up getting paid to be Santa in that dealer's television commercials.
Other Santas have gotten work at theme attractions as prospectors and western characters. If you have read Ed Butchart’s second ‘Red Suit Diary,’ you will see him tell about his work as an old rail road engineer. It was just walking around the theme park and adding some ‘character’ and realism to the attractions.
Jobs like the ones above will not just drop in your lap. You have to go look for them. You must be pro-active in searching for additional work.
Again, I hope this month’s information will help some of you in your efforts to find some other avenues of working or volunteering during the weekends and summer months.
Remember, that you can also post all kinds of questions on one or more of the various chat groups and many of your fellow Santas will be glad to give you advice, answers and opinions on whatever you ask.
Good Luck.
Santa Tim Connaghan
Santa@santahollywood.com
Thursday, May 6, 2010
School4Santas Summer Sessions
School4Santas 2010!
Choose from 6 Cities! or our Caribbean Cruise Sept 5th-12th!
Dallas, July 24 & 25; Kansas City, July 31-August 1
Atlanta, August 7 & 8; Portland, August 14 & 15
San Francisco, August 21 & 22; Tampa, Sept. 3 & 4
Princess Caribbean Cruise School, Sept 5-12
Choose from 6 Cities! or our Caribbean Cruise Sept 5th-12th!
Dallas, July 24 & 25; Kansas City, July 31-August 1
Atlanta, August 7 & 8; Portland, August 14 & 15
San Francisco, August 21 & 22; Tampa, Sept. 3 & 4
Princess Caribbean Cruise School, Sept 5-12
* * * * *
Over 100 Santas and Mrs. Claus have attended or are registered for School4Santas this year. And the Discovery Channel filmed our New York School for a segment on this year’s holiday episode of "How Stuff Works!"
Why not plan on one of our remaining schools. If you are interested in finding work as a Santa, or wanting to improve on what you are already doing, don't delay in registering for our 2010 Schools.
NEW FOR 2010! - CUSTOM CD* - forms, aids and other tools to help you improve your image, improve your business as Santa and make your work easier.
Now is the time to pick a location and register for yourself and for around $80 more you can have your Mrs. Claus join you.
Attending a School4Santas (S4S) is a sound investment for your work as a Santa. Whether you are looking to improve what you do, or just want to insure that what you are doing is currently acceptable, attending S4S or any reputable Santa school is a sound investment. And it's tax deductible!
School4Santas has again arranged with Princess Cruises to offer one of our schools this coming September 5-12. This special cruise can be booked for $599 per person, $499 for Princess Golden Circle members. It departs Ft. Lauderdale and stops at Princess Cays, St. Thomas, St. Martens, Gran Turk and returns to Ft. Lauderdale. And on the two days when we are at sea, I will present a full School4Santas!
Call Eric Weiger at Princess to make your reservations
1-800-901-1172 ext 31151
Remember School4Santas is Tax Deductable!
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Rates for our 2010 Schools are slightly higher than last year. I held them the same in '09 as in '08, but unfortunately cannot continue to keep it down however, if you or someone can offer a low cost or free location in your city, I can adjust the rates to pass the saving on to the students.
Currently single registration starts at $219.00 for the two day course. Couples are just $299.00 for the two day course, and Alumni can attend for just $149.00 per person for the two days.
Students can also register for just the first day on the basics of being a Santa or the second day which covers finding work, expanding your Santa Services and having your own Santa business. The Bonus CD is included with either day.
Registration includes the course book, "Behind the Red Suit," a special CD with forms and information, and for new students a BSC "Bachelor of Santaclausology" Degree. Alumni receive a "Master of Santaclausology Degree." All graduates are eligible to become members of the Red Suit Society.
For details, school agenda and location information, visit: www.School4Santas.com
If your budget is tight, you can split your registration into two payments. Please contact me direct for details on this. Santa@School4Santas.com
In closing, I want you to know that I hold these schools in different cities, because Santas have asked me to come to their regions. If you would like a School in your own region, let me know. All it takes is 12 Students to make it possible for me to come to your region.
Santacerely,
Timothy Connaghan
School4Santas
(951) 779-0536
*One Custom CD will be given with each course book and one for each Alumnus.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
50 Santas, Mrs. Claus and Family begin departures for Alaska and the North Pole
In just three days, two dozen Santas, their wives, and a few family members and friends, will begin a two week adventure as they board the Diamond Princess for a Cruise tour to Alaska and ending at North Pole.
Over a year of planning, promoting, saving, and scheduling have all paid off as everyone will be going on one of the most exciting Alaska Cruises ever.
You can see our current and updated itinerary at http://www.realsantas.com/santacruiseitinerary.htm
The Cruise includes, visits to Ketchikan, Skagway, Juneau, Anchorage, Denali National Park, Fairbanks and finally a trip to the Santa Claus House at North Pole. And along the way the Santas in their matching red jackets and vests, will also attend a special three-day, School4Santas, that will be taught while we are at sea.
Plus, due to the wonderful work of our fellow Santas in Alaska, especially Santa Jim Wingren, the 50 travelers in our group are not only traveling on their vacations, but they are being the guests of various tourist attractions and theme events.
In Ketchikan, Seahorse Ventures will be hosting everyone to a traditional tour of Alaska's first City, in trolleys drawn by four beautiful Belgian draft horses. The Captain of the Diamond Princess has been invited to join us for this special Memorial Day event, This will be followed by a brunch organized by Santa Jim and Connie Wingren. By the way, Memorial Day marks the beginning of Alaska's main tourism season.
In Skagway, Santa Carlin "Buckwheat" Donohue has arranged for the local trolleys to transport everyone to the famous "Red Onion" for a full tour and refreshments on the house. By the way, Santa Buckwheat works for the visitors bureau and coordinates the local shuttle transports. He has informed us that on the day of our visit, "All Santas, Mrs. Claus and guests' Ride Free on the shuttles.
A few companies have contacted us some special little gifts have been sent for the Santas and/or their wives. I will tell you about these later as I don't want to spoil the surprise! And one of our fellow Travelers, Santa Julian, has really topped the gift giving with something he will announce at dinner on our first night out.
The finale of the cruise will be a special excurision not in any travel guide! It is a visit to the Santa Claus House in the City of North Pole! The Miller Family, who had originally planned on being at the 2006 Convention in Branson, are one of Alaskas most active and well known families. They are so excited that we are coming that they decided to make a party of it and the entire town has been invited to a celebration to welcome our group as we arrive in town.
There will be a few speeches, maybe a proclamation from the Mayor, lots of phots, plus cake and refreshements for everyone. They have annoucned there will be a special gift package for each Santa and member of the group, including a personalized Deed to some North Pole Land (These are real!) Following this, we will help Susan and Santa Ben Williams, and Carol and Santa David Smith celebrate the renewal of their wedding vows.
And along the way we hear there are a few newspapers, a television station or two and lots of photographers that will be following some of the Santas around.
I head out on Friday Morning for Vancouver. Some Santas and their wives left their homes last week and are traveling by motorhome and train to Vancouver. The Diamond Princess will depart on Satruday Afternoon. As I mentioned above you can read the entire itinerary at: http://www.realsantas.com/santacruiseitinerary.htmSanta Tim
Over a year of planning, promoting, saving, and scheduling have all paid off as everyone will be going on one of the most exciting Alaska Cruises ever.
You can see our current and updated itinerary at http://www.realsantas.com/santacruiseitinerary.htm
The Cruise includes, visits to Ketchikan, Skagway, Juneau, Anchorage, Denali National Park, Fairbanks and finally a trip to the Santa Claus House at North Pole. And along the way the Santas in their matching red jackets and vests, will also attend a special three-day, School4Santas, that will be taught while we are at sea.
Plus, due to the wonderful work of our fellow Santas in Alaska, especially Santa Jim Wingren, the 50 travelers in our group are not only traveling on their vacations, but they are being the guests of various tourist attractions and theme events.
In Ketchikan, Seahorse Ventures will be hosting everyone to a traditional tour of Alaska's first City, in trolleys drawn by four beautiful Belgian draft horses. The Captain of the Diamond Princess has been invited to join us for this special Memorial Day event, This will be followed by a brunch organized by Santa Jim and Connie Wingren. By the way, Memorial Day marks the beginning of Alaska's main tourism season.
In Skagway, Santa Carlin "Buckwheat" Donohue has arranged for the local trolleys to transport everyone to the famous "Red Onion" for a full tour and refreshments on the house. By the way, Santa Buckwheat works for the visitors bureau and coordinates the local shuttle transports. He has informed us that on the day of our visit, "All Santas, Mrs. Claus and guests' Ride Free on the shuttles.
A few companies have contacted us some special little gifts have been sent for the Santas and/or their wives. I will tell you about these later as I don't want to spoil the surprise! And one of our fellow Travelers, Santa Julian, has really topped the gift giving with something he will announce at dinner on our first night out.
The finale of the cruise will be a special excurision not in any travel guide! It is a visit to the Santa Claus House in the City of North Pole! The Miller Family, who had originally planned on being at the 2006 Convention in Branson, are one of Alaskas most active and well known families. They are so excited that we are coming that they decided to make a party of it and the entire town has been invited to a celebration to welcome our group as we arrive in town.
There will be a few speeches, maybe a proclamation from the Mayor, lots of phots, plus cake and refreshements for everyone. They have annoucned there will be a special gift package for each Santa and member of the group, including a personalized Deed to some North Pole Land (These are real!) Following this, we will help Susan and Santa Ben Williams, and Carol and Santa David Smith celebrate the renewal of their wedding vows.
And along the way we hear there are a few newspapers, a television station or two and lots of photographers that will be following some of the Santas around.
I head out on Friday Morning for Vancouver. Some Santas and their wives left their homes last week and are traveling by motorhome and train to Vancouver. The Diamond Princess will depart on Satruday Afternoon. As I mentioned above you can read the entire itinerary at: http://www.realsantas.com/santacruiseitinerary.htmSanta Tim
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