KAPiCA/02 - Friday's Program
Kite Aerial Photography in California, 2002

David Hunt, Gray, Tennessee, USA       Dec 27, 2002

Friday Evening, Opening Night
November 1, 2002

Brooks Leffler Welcoming Everyone to KAPiCA/02 Official Greetings
KAPiCA/02 officially kicked off at 8:00pm Friday. With Brooks Leffler greeting KAPers from 10 countries, 17 States, and 2 Provinces of Canada.

Conferees were then officially greeted by Robert Huitt the Vice Mayor of Pacific Grove and Moe Ammar, the president of the Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce. Moe very humbly accepted responsibility for the great weather predicted [and delivered] for the duration of the conference.


Robert Huitt
Vice Mayor of Pacific Grove Moe Ammar
Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce President

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

The Keynote Address was delivered by Simon Harbord of Inverurie, Scotland. Simon made his entrance acting as if he were flying his kite, hurriedly backing down the aisle to keep it aloft and finally ending in frustrated failure.

Simon Harbord Making A Grand Entrance To His Keynote Address Simon proceeded to outline the various ways each of us could answer a question from an uninformed bystander about what we were doing. Simon led us beyond the superficial answers we usually proffer and made us think about the true motives for doing KAP. He spoke of seven motivations that KAPers have in the pursuit of this hobby.

1. Kite Flying.
2. Taking Photographs.
3. Getting a Particular Type of System to Work.
4. To Be Different.
5. Mastering a Combination of Skills
6. Growing in Experience and Knowledge.
7. Communicating.

Simon pointed out that the web is probably one of the most profound communication tools in KAP. The web has created a community much like the small village communities of the 1950's, complete with a diverse cast of village characters:

the Laborer - the Artisan - the Historian - the Mad Artist - the Gossip - the Shop Keeper - the Traveler - the Policeman - the Loving Couple - the Joker - the Learned Individual - the Blacksmith - the Traveling Tinkerer - the Wild Youth - the Visitor - the Poet - the Traditionalist - the Student - the Quiet Man - and the Shaman.

No names were mentioned as candidates for these characters save one, the village squire, who is the head of the community, one that brings everyone together, a role very aptly filled by Brooks Leffler.

Simon closed by saying that every village had a festive season where everyone came together.

"To me our village festive season has begun, this [KAPiCA/02] is the start of it, and I'd like to just share a little Scottish tradition with you which always happens when community gets together in Scotland, when they share a drink."

Simon offering a toast to KAP and Friendship Simon brought out a traditional Scottish drinking bowl to share a drink with the gathered "villagers". Inside the bowl was inscribed:

"To KAP And Friendship. KAPiCA 2002".

The following five days of KAPiCA/02 were indeed a festive sharing among a diverse group, each a unique citizen of the same village called KAP. The village poet, Simon Harbord, ably captured the essence of our diversity, and our festive season was a great celebration of many of its unique aspects.

Pictures are frames captured from the upcoming video of the KAPiCA/02 proceedings,
© 2002 David Hunt