It is with great excitement that I both invite and welcome you to join us at the 2009 National Congress in Anchorage Alaska. With a city slogan of “Big Wild Life” you know that you are in for a great time!

I encourage you to come to Alaska and see all that we have to offer. Towering mountains, bright blue Glaciers, and diverse wildlife are around every corner, and will thrill you throughout the State. In addition to the wonderful sights that you will see here, I welcome you to get to know the people of our great city and state, as Alaskans are famous for their hospitality. Included in that population, I invite you to get to know our Anchorage SKAL Club Members, known throughout the United States and the World as one of the most enjoyable and entertaining clubs around.

Our local convention planning committee has worked very hard to put a fantastic convention on for our SKAL friends. Our welcome reception will be in the newly opened Dena’ina Civic & Convention Center. This fantastic, state of the art convention center has been under construction for the past few years, and is slated to open this October. We are all very excited to show it off to you! On Friday, you won’t want to miss the 26 Glacier dinner cruise, which will take us deep within Prince William Sound to give us a glimpse of some of the amazing tidewater glaciers in the area. Even us locals will be there, and excited to get into the Sound.

Aside from what we have planned for you, I encourage you to spend some additional time in Anchorage, and the surrounding areas. Our fellow SKALeagues have put together some packages, and tour options that will allow you to see the state with the best companies available. Be it a group or independent tour through the Kenai Peninsula or North to Denali and Fairbanks, you won’t want to miss all that Alaska has in store for you.

It is our honor to welcome you to Alaska for the 2009 National Congress. Please do take all of your fellow SKALeagues up on our offer of Alaskan Hospitality; you won’t be sorry you did.

Regards and SKAL,

Ethan Tyler, President
Anchorage SKAL Club #289
president@skalanchorage.com

A Message from the Mayor