Questions? Contact the BBYO office: [email protected]

WHAT IS RUACH CONVENTION?
Step into the Arcade! NTO’s Spring Convention is called Ruach, meaning spirit, and each chapter will have the chance to show the region why they have the most Ruach! Come join us for a fun-filled weekend full of singing and dancing, friendly competitive games, sports, summer camp activities, community service, Jewish moments, and more meaningful experiences to connect with the region and for 8th graders to experience their first-ever convention as AITs and MITS.

WHAT WILL WE DO AT RUACH CONVENTION?
At Ruach Convention, we will begin by welcoming Shabbat with meaningful Kabbalat Shabbat services and a nice Friday night dinner to begin our weekend together as a region. Shortly after, we will begin our weekend festivities where we will participate in various competitions and go crazy with Ruach! After night one, teens will sleep and wake up Saturday morning for an action-packed day with Saturday morning services, sports, mini competitions, Chofesh (free time), Havdallah led by our 40th Regional Shlichim, and Showcase: Dance Dance Revolution themed! We’ll wrap up Saturday evening with separates followed by a Silent Disco to end the night. On Sunday, we’ll participate in a J-serve activity, convention shuk (swag), NTO Regional Business Meeting, take an NTO picture, and head back home!

WHO IS INVITED?
Open to BBYO members in 8th-12th grade

WHAT DOES IT COST?
Registration opens Thursday, March 9th at 6:30 AM and closes on Friday, 31st at 11:59 PM. 

• Flash Sale:  $336 from March 6th - March 7th at 11:59 PM

• Early Bird: $375 from March 8th – March 17th at 11:59 PM

• Regular Price: $399 March 18th - March 27th at 11:59 PM 

The price includes lodging, all meals, all programs, transportation for all teens, and the convention giveaway.

DO YOU OFFER SCHOLARSHIPS?

Yes, scholarships are available and are always granted. We never want the cost of a BBYO experience to prevent a teen from participating in our events. We assure you, that there is a scholarship available for all teens who apply.

Teens will not be required to put down a deposit to apply for convention. The deadline to submit scholarship applications is Sunday, March 17th Scholarship forms must be completed online: Regional Scholarship Online Form.

The NTO Scholarship Committee will meet on Tuesday, March 19th to determine scholarships for participants. Teens and Parents will then be contacted via email on Wednesday, March 20th, and must claim their scholarship no later than Sunday, March 24th at noon. Once your scholarship is claimed, Courtney will then go into the teen's account and reflect the scholarship. Should you no longer be interested in attending the convention after finding out your scholarship allocation, please let Courtney know so she can cancel your registration. 

HOW DO I REGISTER?

• If you are having a problem registering or putting down the deposit amount, please call Bella, Genesis Fellow, at 972-503-9309 or email [email protected]

• The last day to register and cancel with a full refund is Wednesday, March 27th at 11:59 PM

• ​Refunds will not be given if you cancel on/after Thursday, March 28th

• Payment is due in full on Friday, March 29th

WHAT ELSE IS REQUIRED?

Within a week after you have registered for Ruach Convention, teens and their designated parent/ guardian will get an email with additional information we need you to provide to attend the convention. The email will include but may not be limited to Camp Fire El Tesoro Waivers, and an additional survey for you and your teen to complete together including shirt sizing, dietary needs, rooming, etc. 

BBYO uses CampDoc, the leading electronic health record system.  All participants and parents are required to complete a health file before attending a BBYO convention. Once you have registered for the convention, you will receive an email inviting you to join CampDoc. Accept the invitation and complete all the forms. These forms provide dietary, medical, and other important information. Teens will not be allowed to attend conventions without completed forms. If this is your first convention in the programming year, you are required to complete the entire CampDoc profile.

*These forms need to be completed once annually. Please be sure to check your profile if you have previously attended a convention this year to make sure all your medical information is up to date. If there is any expired information it should be updated. Should you need any assistance, please contact Courtney at [email protected].

TRANSPORTATION:

Round-trip transportation will be arranged for all teens. Teens cannot drive themselves to the convention. We will have one drop off/pick up location for teens in the Dallas area – Anshai Torah. Parents will be responsible for dropping off teens and picking up teens from Anshai. On Friday, teens will need to arrive by 4:30 PM to depart to camp at 5:00 PM. On Sunday, teens will be departing from camp at 1:30 PM with an expected arrival back to the Dallas area at 3:30 PM. Again, parents must drop off and pick up teens as cars are not allowed to be left at Anshai Torah over the weekend. 

Tulsa/OKC Community – Courtney, Lydia, and David will work on the exact transportation and timing for the weekend.

Fort Worth/ Southlake Community – Courtney will work with you on an individual basis.

Should you need special travel accommodations for the convention, please acknowledge that on the additional required form so NTO Staff can send you the special travel accommodations form. If you have any questions, please email [email protected].

WHAT ARE THE MEALS LIKE? WHAT IF I HAVE A DIETARY RESTRICTION?

All BBYO meals are Kosher Style. Breakfast and lunch will be vegetarian meals, while our dinners will be kosher meat meals (with a vegetarian option). We ask for allergy information and food needs on the online medical form and the additional survey. Should you want to discuss your teen's specific dietary needs, please contact Courtney ASAP to discuss further. All BBYO conventions are peanut and tree-nut-free. A menu will be shared with those registered for the convention via email before the convention. Should you have any questions regarding meals, please contact us at [email protected].  

WILL THERE BE SUPERVISION?

The convention will be staffed by BBYO professionals and our Adult Volunteer Chapter Advisors. We will also have a nurse and wellness specialist onsite throughout the weekend. Additionally, we will have hired security for our protection and to secure the perimeter of the camp. We’ve worked with this security group for other events and they are very familiar with BBYO. 

WHAT ARE THE ACCOMMODATIONS AND WHAT SHOULD I BRING?

Teens will be staying in cabins for this convention. All cabins include three bathrooms, three showers, a microwave, a refrigerator, and space for luggage and each teen will have a twin bed. We will do our best to honor rooming requests as part of the additional required forms you will receive after registering. If you have any concerns, please write those on the additional survey form regarding "anything else you want us to know".  

Please bring enough clothes for 3 days and 2 nights, athletic clothes for the sports tournament, toiletries, and NTO/Chapter Spirit wear. Teens will also need to provide their own bedding, pillows, towels, and toiletries for the weekend. Teens who are registered plus their parents/ guardian will receive a more specific packing list before the convention.

WHAT IS THE CANCELLATION/REFUND POLICY?

The deadline to cancel with a full program refund is the same-day final registration deadline for this program (Wednesday, March 27 at 11:59 PM). Until that date, full refunds will be granted for cancellations in writing (e-mail is acceptable), for any reason. Any cancellations received on/after Thursday, March 28th will not be able to receive a refund. The reason for this hard deadline is that we need to provide final counts to our vendors. “No shows” will not receive a refund. There are no exceptions to this policy.

WHAT IS BBYO'S DISCIPLINE POLICY?

As a reminder, when you registered for membership you signed BBYO’s Code of Conduct, which outlines our policies for substance abuse, property damage, and behavior guidelines with the full understanding of our behavioral expectations as a member of BBYO. Rules and guidelines will be made clear to all participants upon their arrival at the convention opening. Should one of our teens choose to act outside of our Code of Conduct, the incident will be addressed by the appropriate staff members. We have a zero-tolerance approach to any violation of the Code of Conduct and any disciplinary matter that comes to the attention of staff. If you are (or your teen is) dismissed from BOTC for disciplinary reasons or Code of Conduct violations, BBYO staff will arrange for travel home immediately, at your family’s expense and without a refund.