National Convention of North American Chautauqua Organizations visiting Syracuse

With Mother Nature providing chilly temps and windy conditions, the welcome reception for the National Convention of North American Chautauqua Organizations was moved indoors Tuesday evening, Sept. 27.

Chautauqua-Wawasee, which is part of the Chautauqua Trail, is hosting the convention for the first time this year. The convention runs through Thursday.

The original Chautauqua Institution is located in Chautauqua, N.Y. The Chautauqua Trail is made up of 19 different Chautauquas spread over the U.S. and Canada.

Twenty-one people from about half the Chautauquas are attending the convention. Fred Gwalthney, president of the Chautauqua Trail, came the farthest — from Ocean Park, Maine.

Gwalthney explained members of the Chautauqua Trail try to visit a different Chautauqua every year to get a sense of what each is doing. Chautauqua Wawasee was actually supposed to host the convention last year, with Mount Gretna, Pa., hosting this year. Due to the pandemic, last year’s convention was conducted over Zoom. Lakeside, Ohio, is slated to host the convention in 2023.

This is the first face-to-face meeting of the Chautauqua Trail since the pandemic. Gwalthney said there was some discussion about holding the convention over Zoom again this year, but he insisted members needed to see each other in person.

“We all talk as if we’re old friends, even the new (Chautauquas). All the Chautauquas are cousins … we’re related, but altogether different,” Gwalthney said.

He explained the main reason for the convention is to share ideas, saying the event is invaluable for coming up with ideas for an upcoming season. Gwalthney pointed out Chautauqua-Wawasee was one of the few on the Chautauqua Trail to offer programming year-round. Most just offer programming during the summer months. Others are a bit more unique.

Gwalthney explained Waxahachie, Texas, offers programming the last weekend in September because the outside temperature has cooled enough to have programming, while the Chautauqua in Defuniak Springs, Fla., used to hold programming in January. Realizing they weren’t getting the crowds they’d like due to it being Super Bowl weekend, programming was moved to April.

“You have to be aware of the outside world,” Gwalthney said.

During the convention, an election of officers will be held; there is also a historic boat cruise on the S.S. Lillypad, which several convention attendees said they were excited about, and Cliff Kindy will be holding a workshop centered on his career as a Peace Keeper, at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, in the Oakwood Event Center.

Mark Knecht, president of Chautauqua-Wawasee said the convention offered Chautauqua Trail members an opportunity to meet, share ideas and discuss issues such as event security, the value a Chautauqua offers its community, how the audience for Chautauqua has changed — even Chautauqua, N.Y., is known for attracting an older crowd — and what programs had success that surprised organizers.