I just read this entire thread hoping to make plans to attend next year and now I'm a bit confused as certain posts stood out from all the rest ... first Nantahala resort was the lodge of choice for most and Fontana was to avoided at all cost, talk of a new venue near Pigeon Forge which didn't seem to pan out, and then talk of excluding family and kids this being an all rotary enthusiast event... now it seems the coins have flipped and Nantahala has given us the d*ck and we are looking to Fontana to save the day. I'm glad that bridge wasn't burned completely but with all the negativity said about their pricing/accommodations, my comfort level with them would be a little low. I just hope no one's hung out to dry because of all the uncertainty with accommodations. I have first hand experience of being hundreds of miles from home and having to make last-minute arrangements because of a mix-up. It was not a pleasant trip and having family/kids with you would probably be a nightmare. Now what gets me about this whole excluding family thing is the organizer, Phil, instructed me, being a new father, to bring my new baby on this trip as this could be a family vacation. So I don't see how anyone else can even make the suggestion of exclusion and expect to be taken serious.
I really feel there should be a committee to research and negotiate to take the burden off just one person. As Phil said, it takes up too much of his time and what is a fun event if it's all work? It might be too late to restructure DGRR09 but I suggest a new plan for DGRR10 and beyond. Maybe pass out ballots at DGRR09 to elect a committee to balance out the workload. Just my $0.02