MercsCon has come to a close, and we are here to tell you all about it.  The weekend started with our opening ceremony with the full Council, together for the first time in Mercs history.  After that, we were off to the races.  There were panel discussions every day that gave members the opportunity to see the faces behind the text on the forums.  Mandalore the Uniter was on hand to teach leathercraft and metalcraft.  All past, present, and future clan officers were given the opportunity to sit down and ask questions and share best practices.  The Council spoke about what is in store for the future of the Mercs and how to join their teams.

Of course, the weekend was not all work and no play.  Friday night’s pool party had to move indoors due to rain, but did not stop everyone from enjoying a delicious buffet dinner on the top floor of the hotel surrounded by beautiful views of the coast (until the sun went down).  Every morning featured sunrise photo shoots on the beach, and those who brought their kits went home with some amazing photos by Jeremy Roberts.  Saturday night was our pizza party at Frank Rendon Park.  We didn’t allow some darkness and wind to stop everyone from having a good time.  Friday and Saturday nights also featured some late night gaming where members could sit together and play a variety of games we had on hand.  We also can’t forget the swag swap that brought Mercs together for their love of patches.

In addition to all of these planned events, there were plenty of unplanned events, as well.  The hot tub was a favorite “hot spot” for attending Mercs, and it was common to find Mercs out swimming in the pool or the ocean.  We also got to know the servers at the tiki bar on a first name basis.  They served drinks, food, and let us watch some TV, as well.  There were also two trooping opportunities that popped up over the weekend.  A wedding took place at the resort on Saturday, and the bride was overjoyed to have some armored Mercs in her wedding photos.  One of our friendly bar tenders also asked us to come to his church on Sunday morning and “arrest” his pastor, a huge Star Wars fan, after the service.

Sadly, it all had to come to an end, and most of the members who enjoyed the fun, sun, and camaraderie had to leave on Sunday and Monday.  All told, over 100 Mercs descended on Daytona Beach for MercsCon and we loved every minute of it.  A special thank you goes to our event Ori’ramikad recipients: Jorad Werde, Marc Wasserman; myriot, Mariah Docksteader; and Lyle Verd’yc, Howard Helmer.  Without their help, MercsCon would not have run as smoothly as it did.  If you attended MercsCon, please keep an eye on the MercsCon website for the exit poll we promised.  Don’t forget to go to the MercsCon board on the forums to report you were there.  Finally, we had so much fun, that we want to do it again.  If you are interested in being a part of the planning committee for MercsCon 2, please follow the directions in the thread posted on the Announcements board on the forums.

Thanks for the memories.  Oya!