Once Bobby and I landed in Charleston, West Virginia, we knew we were addicted to the Mock Convention drug. We had spent the flight talking through our Powerpoint for the one-thousandth time and skimming through the West Virginia brief created by Mike Decembrino and edited by the one and only, Zach Wilkes. Our fundraising trip to Dallas (tableside guacamole and all) one week before left us craving for more Mock Convention.

Maybe the fancy boardroom at Jackson Kelly, PPC with wall-to-wall conference tables and high tech projectors put Bobby and me in the mood to deliver. Or maybe, my red dress accented by Bobby’s red printed tie put us in an especially Republican mood. But, we must have done something right: by the night’s end we scored two bright yellow West Virginia University “rally towels,” courtesy of WVU basketball fans watching the game in the same downtown Charleston restaurant as Bobby, me, Mr. Beau Dudley, and five W&L alumni, following the reception.

We’d like to think that the 2012 Mock Convention depends upon what we, the fundraising team, put into its production. But Gerald Titus ’00 and Chapter President, Joel Symonds ‘97, reminded us to take away all that we can from Mock Convention 2012. Over the hoops and hollers of the WVU fans, Gerald motioned to the group of nine and said, “This- this is what it’s about: it’s about the people.” We couldn’t say it better. Bobby and I feel re-energized after spending time with the very alumni who put Mock Convention on the map decades before our time.

During our presentation, alumni interjected hazy recounts of 2:00 a.m. state delegate meetings followed by 7:00 a.m. cocktail parties. The welcoming, relaxed group of about 20 chuckled at these interruptions, making the presentation feel like a conversation. Bobby called the night a success because he got to mention Nick Saban, Alabama football coach and West Virginia native. The West Virginians in the room were quicker to claim little-known W&L alumnus John Davis, who Mock Convention correctly predicted as the Democratic nominee in 1924.

Alumni at the cocktail reception in Roanoke last Saturday were also eager to share their Mock Convention tidbits. For example, at least four alumni claimed to be standing 20-feet from Senator Alben Barkley when he dropped dead on stage in 1956. The low-key atmosphere at the Boxley’s home in Roanoke created the perfect atmosphere for story telling. For instance, Chapter President Catherine Temple ’05 recounted her return to Lexington for the 2008 Mock Convention while we stood in line for fried green tomatoes- that were cooked right in front of us, I’d like to add. Catherine explained the differences between watching and participating in the convention. For the record, she recommends both.

As we attempt to follow Gerald’s advice of putting in and taking away all that we can in Mock Convention 2012 and Catherine’s advice to remember to participate and to watch the Convention, Bobby and I are glad to know that we have rally towels and the Mock Convention drug running through our veins.

Back in Lex and ready for more,
Bobby Rutherford and Becky Mickel, 2012 Fundraising Chairmen