#8 Put Names With Faces

Last year’s top list of top ten reasons to attend the National Dutch Oven Gathering (NDOG) included the joy of the face-to-face meeting of friends met online.   The same will be true this year in Canton at the 9th Annual NDOG.  This year, we have added Facebook as another way for Dutch oven friends to make new connections.  The 2012 NDOG’s Facebook page has grown to over 500 “likes” and has provided a vibrant exchange of information, ideas, and support for new friends across the digital world.

We continue to appreciate the connections we have made via the Yahoo groups, as well as our cooking friends involved with the Lone Star Dutch Oven Society, the Louisiana Dutch Oven Society, the International Dutch Oven Society, and many more, all of which offer digital connections via forums or email groups.

With over 400 Dutch oven enthusiasts making the journey to Canton this  year, the opportunity for digital friends to meet face-to-face will be priceless.  Added to that is the annual opportunity for old Dutch oven friends to meet again, many who met years ago at previous NDOGs, to share old memories and make new ones.

There are lots of great reasons to attend a NDOG, but meeting new friends and adding new Dutch oven experiences with old friends has to be one of the best!  Are you attending the NDOG in Canton?  Will it be your first time or have you attend one in the past?  Tell us about the friends you have made in the digital world or in person and how you keep your friendship going.