Liberty New Member Weekend 2019

Friday, December 13, 2019 FROM 5:00 PM - Sunday, December 15, 2019 1:00 PM

Kaiserman JCC, PA 19096

Liberty Region

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Event Details

CALLING ALL NEW MEMBERS!

New Member Weekend (formerly known as IT Convention) is an amazing kickoff to your BBYO career and a weekend you will never forget! Come join over 100 new BBYO members from all over Eastern PA, Delaware and Western NY, like yourself, for a weekend full of fun, energy and spirit while learning about the history of our incredible organization.

BBYO is a pluralistic organization and is open and welcoming to all levels of Judaic practice. We will have everything from educational programs, recreational activities, your first regional meeting, a variety of Shabbat services for you to choose from, a truly inspiring Liberty BBYO Havdallah Service, and a Saturday night dance. Most of all, you will be officially inducted as a BBYO member in a memorable induction ceremony.

The following teens can attend New Member Weekend:

  • new BBYO members
  • members who have never attended a NMW/IT Convention/Liberty Summit's Teeronim (Rookies) track before
  • Liberty Region's Regional Board
  • Yitzhak Rabin AZA and Kol Echad BBG chapter members (as long as they are hosting other teens in their home for the weekend)
  • Teens who apply and are accepted as mentors for the weekend 

We ask that teens who do not fit into the criteria above please not register for this convention - we can't wait to have you at Tournies April 3-5!

New this year: Regular registration for NMW will be open from Tuesday, October 29th through Monday, November 18th at 11:59 PM. On November 19th, the late registration fee will be applied, which will increase the price from $209 to $229. Late registration will be available from Tuesday, November 19th through Sunday, November 24th at 11:59 PM.

To apply for scholarship:

  • Visit this link and fill out the full application
  • Be sure to select "Liberty Region" from the drop-down list of region options.
  • Applications are due by Tuesday, November 12th at 11:59 PM. Late applications will not be considered.
  • Scholarship announcements will be made Thursday, November 14th to teens and families.
  • Full balances are due Sunday, November 24th. Teens with incomplete balances on November 24th will be cancelled from registration.

If you/your teen is a member of Yitzhak Rabin AZA or Kol Echad BBG and you are housing other teens for NMW, please refer to your email for a discount code! We have discounted the cost of the weekend as a thank you for hosting teens during the convention.

Cost: $229.00

Location: Wynnewood 19096

Travel Info

Is bus transportation offered for Liberty New Member Weekend?
Yes! Bus transportation is being offered to/from convention at the following locations: Allentown JCC, Harrisburg JCC, Siegel JCC, Wilkes Barre JCC and Congregation Beth Or in Ambler. Please select one of these buses during registration. 

Does it cost an additional fee for my teen to take a bus to/from Liberty New Member Weekend?
No, the cost of the bus is already included in the cost of the convention weekend.

Are there adult chaperones on the buses?
Each bus has at least 1 adult chaperone. These chaperones are BBYO volunteer advisors, parents, or Madrichim (college students volunteering at convention).

I'm planning to drop off and pick up my teen at Liberty New Member Weekend. How do I go about doing that?
Please select the "Parent Drop-off/Pick-up" option when telling us how your teen is arriving to convention. Please plan to drop your teen off at the Kaiserman JCC no earlier than 5:00 PM and no later than 6:30 PM on Friday, December 13th. Pick-up will take place at 1:00 PM on Sunday, December 15th.

Q&A

What should I bring?
Here is a suggested packing list for Liberty New Member Weekend!

Is the food Kosher?
All food at conventions are kosher-style, meaning dairy and meat are not served together. There is a strict kosher option for teens at conventions, but the Office must be notified in advance.

My teen has a dietary restriction and/or allergy. Can you accomodate?
Yes - similar to the strict kosher option, we will ensure vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free meals are available if the Office is notified in advance. Please make sure to note this in the appropriate field in registration to ensure we can accomodate for your teen. All BBYO programs and events are nut-free. For this convention, teens stay with members of the Main Line community. Please be sure to note if your teen is allergic to pets so we can house them appropriately.

My teen takes medication. What is your process for handling medication?
Teens are expected to self-administer their own prescription medication throughout the course of the convention weekend. We will not be collecting and distributing medication during the convention unless we receive a specific request from a teen’s parent.  If you would like to speak about your teen’s medication needs, please contact us.

Do you take roommate/housing requests?
For this particular convention, we do not take roommate/housing requests. The purpose of this convention is for teens to meet members outside of their chapters and home communities. Many older teens often remark that they made their best friends in BBYO at their new member convention because they were housed together. We purposely put older members who are strong leaders in each house to assist with making each teen feel welcome and comfortable.

What is the cancellation/refund policy for Liberty New Member Weekend?
The deadline to cancel with a full program refund is the final registration deadline for this program (Sunday, November 24th). Until that date, full refunds will be granted for cancellations in writing (e-mail is acceptable), for any reason. After the registration deadline (Sunday, November 24th), partial refunds may be available based on convention expenses already paid (hotel, transportation, etc.). Within ten days of convention (Tuesday, December 3rd) we’ve already confirmed final counts with our vendors, and no refunds will be given. “No shows” will not receive a refund.