Greetings all, we are less than a week away from seeing one another at the Feast in Panama City Beach!  God has removed many obstacles for us to be together at the Feast this year, and as we enter into the Day of Atonement, let us give thanks for the love and perfect mercy He shows us in so many ways.

 

As we head to PCB, there are a few housekeeping items to touch base on:

 

1. Face Masks/Coverings – as most are aware, PCB stopped requiring face masks/covering a few weeks ago.  However, many would prefer to wear masks the entire time during services at the Feast.  Per the results of the survey taken last week, about 20% of brethren prefer to wear a Face Mask the entire time.  In order to best provide everyone the type of seating and fellowship they prefer, the Palm Room (the room directly across from the main entrance at the Edgewater convention center) will be designated as Masks Required at all times.  The rest of the convention center and the main auditorium will be masks optional, including during hymn singing.  If you would like to go to visit with someone who is in the Palm Room where masks are required, please make sure you wear a mask.

 

2. Face Masks/Coverings outside of Edgewater – Although the City of Panama City Beach does not require Face Masks/Coverings, many businesses and other establishments do.  To that end, it would be wise to carry a Face Mask/Covering with you when out and about in the town. 

 

3. Social Distancing – Some have wondered if now that Florida has entered Phase 3, if social distancing will still be required.  Although capacity at restaurants is now at 100%, meaning shorter wait times, larger venues such as ours are still recommended to use social distancing.  As such, we will continue to have groups of chair spaced 6 ft apart, as previously planned.

 

4. Wristbands – Because social distancing will still be in place at services each day in PCB this year, we are still limited on the number of chairs we can set up for services.  As mentioned in a previous e-mail on September 10th, wristbands will be required to enter the auditorium or overflow rooms each day for services.  For those who made their reservations through Edgewater, you will be given wristbands for everyone who is registered in your household at check in. 

 

For those who made reservations through a third party, please come to the Information Table at the convention center between 3:30 PM and 7:30 PM on Friday, October 2nd or between noon and 2 PM on Sabbath, October 3rd to get your wristbands.  Wristbands are ONLY available for those who registered for the feast.For those who need to claim their wristbands in person, wristbands will need to be distributed by household in order to expedite the process.  For example, if a group of 4 people are sharing accommodations and registered under one household for the Feast, then one person from that household should come to the information desk to claim the wristbands for the entire household.  In order to claim your wristbands, you will need to confirm the household name, the number of people registered in your party and the congregation that was listed as your home congregation.  You can confirm this information by logging into your account at https://www.ucg.org/  clicking on your name in the upper corner and clicking on ‘My Registrations.’  You can then click on ‘View Registration’ next to where it says ‘Panama City Beach, Florida 2020.’  This will show the household name, number of attendees and the home congregation that was used for the registration. 

 

5. Additional Blankets – For those who made their reservations directly through Edgewater/Resort Collections, you were likely advised that additional blankets and pillows will not be available in the rooms.  To clarify, basic sheets, blankets, towels, etc. are still provided for bed and foldout couch, but extra blankets and linens are not.  If you foresee needing extra blankets or linens, please plan to provide your own.

 

6. Water Safety – The ocean and swimming pools are fun places to play!  However, they can also be very dangerous.  Parents, please take time to chat with your children about water safety, and make sure to supervise your children at all times, especially near the ocean and swimming pools.

 

I look forward to seeing you all very soon!

 

Dan Preston

Feast Coordinator – PCB 2020