BESS Events for April 2009

To return to the main calendar screen, either click on the Calendar link again or use your browser's back button.

Date	Event Information
Wednesday Apr, 1st	BESS Meet and Greet BESS is hosting a Meet & Greet before the Wednesday meetings. Don't miss this opportunity to catch up with your friends and meet some new ones before the weekly meetings. Time:  6:30pm to 7:30pm. Location:   Ramada Lounge (same hotel as the educational meetings)
Wednesday Apr, 1st	BESS Orientation Meeting Orientation meetings ensure that you understand the basic ethical values of the Baltimore BDSM community. They also provide information about BESS and gives you an opportunity to ask any questions that you might have. The orientations are held at the same location as the BESS meetings and there is no need to reserve in advance. Just be sure to arrive promptly at 6:45pm and inform the BESS staff that you wish to attend an orientation. Time:  6:45pm to 7:15pm. Cost:  Free of charge Click for directions or a map. For more information email:��� BESS Education Team.
Wednesday Apr, 1st	Topic: Unconventional Dynamics With: Tom and Jen The world is full of labels and categories. We in the BDSM community are not immune to this. Traditionally our relationship dynamics generally fall into a specific category; Master/slave, Dominant/submissive, Top/bottom, Switch, Play partners, Mono, Poly...the list goes on. What if your relationship isn't pegged into any of those categories? What if your relationship has shades of each? And how do you navigate your relationship in a community that loves its labels? More and more we're finding couples and partners in our realm who defy those labels and categories and create a relationship dynamic that is uniquely theirs. Join us for a lively discussion of the whys, how's, pitfalls and joys of Unconventional Dynamics! Tom and Jen: Jen and Tom have been having their own non -traditional dynamics throughout their more than three year relationship. They are both heavily involved with Black Rose, which tends to far too often take a center focus of their lives. Both Jen and Tom are sadomasochistic switches, smartasses, and dominant-submissive under the right circumstances. They continue to love, adore, and poke at each other more with each passing day. Tom has been exploring his dominant side which was first brought out by Jen two years ago as their play expanded. While he is a natural introvert and routinely indecisive, he is finding his own needs being met the more he explores this side of himself. He has been more delighted every day that what started out as a service topping play date has blossomed into a beautiful relationship and has brought out needs and desires that he never thought he ever would have. Jen has been involved off and on in the organized scene in one way or another for almost 10 years. She�s a self-identified bisexual/poly/switch with a masochistic streak a mile wide and a sadistic streak even wider! To match that she also has a sweet little innocent smile which is often very deceiving to those who don�t know her. Together they explore themselves and each other allowing their relationship to continue to grow and thrive through their busy lives. They enjoy presenting and have the hope of being able to foster new ideas and healthy discussion with their audience. Time:  7:30 to 9:00 pm. Cost:  $5 for Contributors, $10 for Non Contributors. Welcome Meeting:  6:45pm. - Free of charge. Click for directions or a map. For more information email:��� BESS Education Team.
Saturday Apr, 4th	Charm City Fetish Fair 1st Time Ever! BESS, the Baltimore Educational and Social Society, is proud to announce their first major event, the Charm City Fetish Fair, April 4, 2009. Come out for a full day of quality education sessions, enticing vendors, silent auction, and formal fetish dinner. The evening wraps up with an exclusive play party at Baltimore�s own PlayHouse Studios. Well-known and engaging presenters such as Catherine Gross, Jay Wiseman, Jack McGeorge, Master Taino, Master David C., Lord Dragon, Denny and Bethie and Arthur from PlayHouse Studios will present on a variety of subjects, such as Anticipatory Service, The Not So Cutting Edge, Erotic Whipping, Needleplay and Stapling 101, Age Play and The Calling for Mastery and slavery. And don�t miss the education �quickies� also being offered in the vending hall throughout the day; fun demos on electrical play, flogging and bondage, among other topics are slated. The day won�t be complete without a trip through the vending hall. Some of our top-notch vendors include Needle Play Designs, Midnight Blues, Power Exchange by Nina, Toolworks Chicago, Passional, Phaze Books and Delicious Boutique and Corseterie. Our web site (www.charmcityfetishfair.com) includes a complete list of presenters along with our vendors for the event. On Saturday, sit down in your best fetish wear for a delicious formal buffet dinner before heading for the evening�s exclusive play party which starts at 9:30pm at PlayHouse Studios. Bring your toys and your favorite play partner for a great night of socializing and play. Hotel rooms are available at a special nightly rate of $89.00 at the newly-renovated host hotel, conveniently located close to BWI airport. Specific hotel location and reservation information will be made available upon event registration. Come early on Friday night for our Friday night social from 7 - 9pm. Join BESS for their first all-day event and indulge yourself! Tickets for some of the weekend activities are limited, and special early pricing will not last. Register early and save! So come on......indulge yourself and register now at www.charmcityfetishfair.com.
Wednesday Apr, 8th	Passover (starts at sunset)
Sunday Apr, 12th	Easter Sunday
Wednesday Apr, 15th	BESS Meet and Greet BESS is hosting a Meet & Greet before the Wednesday meetings. Don't miss this opportunity to catch up with your friends and meet some new ones before the weekly meetings. Time:  6:30pm to 7:30pm. Location:   Ramada Lounge (same hotel as the educational meetings)
Wednesday Apr, 15th	BESS Orientation Meeting Orientation meetings ensure that you understand the basic ethical values of the Baltimore BDSM community. They also provide information about BESS and gives you an opportunity to ask any questions that you might have. The orientations are held at the same location as the BESS meetings and there is no need to reserve in advance. Just be sure to arrive promptly at 6:45pm and inform the BESS staff that you wish to attend an orientation. Time:  6:45pm to 7:15pm. Cost:  Free of charge Click for directions or a map. For more information email:��� BESS Education Team.
Wednesday Apr, 15th	Topic: What I wish I knew when I was new... Community Discussion Time:  7:30 to 9:00 pm. Cost:  $5 for Contributors, $10 for Non Contributors. Welcome Meeting:  6:45pm. - Free of charge. Click for directions or a map. For more information email:��� BESS Education Team.
Sunday Apr, 19th	Submissives & Slaves SIG Meeting Join us for a lively discussion and hands-on skill-building, for submissives, slaves, and bottoms (or those who can 'switch' to that mindset). Tops who wish to accompany their bottoms may participate in an informal, casual coffee/munch at a separate location from the SIG meeting. This month's discussion topic: Chop Wood, Carry Water: Mindfulness and Obedience What is obedience, truly? And why is it, really, that we need to do so? How do we move beyond "because Master said so," to mindfulness and surrender? Time:  1:30pm - 4:00pm Cost:  Free (Optional yummy snack to share.) Location:  Private Home in Columbia, MD, please RSVP for directions and info. For more information, email [email protected].
Saturday Apr, 25th	Topic: Tight, Immobilizing Bondage With: Jay Wiseman The more they can move, the more likely they are to get loose, and that’s bad! This presentation covers the use of specific knots and tying techniques to render a bottom almost completely unable to move. Bottoms can be tied into positions that range from very comfortable to very stressful. Jay Wiseman: Jay Wiseman has over 35 years of experience in BDSM and was one of the early pioneers and builders of the BDSM community in the San Francisco area. He continues to be heavily involved, both in his local area and nationally, as an SM author, educator, mentor, workshop leader, video producer, expert witness, and activist. Noted for being both an exceptionally knowledgeable and highly entertaining presenter, he is very much in demand and has presented on various aspects of relationships and sexuality in more than 50 cities in the United States and Canada. In 2007, Black Rose presented him with the Vaughn Keith National Educator Award. Jay is the author of the frequently recommended book "SM 101: A Realistic Introduction" and the founder of the publishing company that later became Greenery Press. His book, "Jay Wiseman's Erotic Bondage Handbook" is widely hailed as the book that sets the standard of fundamental knowledge for this practice. His instructional videos on rope bondage are excellent resources for both beginners and experienced bondage practitioners. His most recent book, “The Toybag Guide to Dungeon Emergencies and Supplies” provides crucial information to both players and dungeon monitors. He is currently working on a number of books and videos. Jay holds a first-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, is a member of Mensa, and lived in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district during the Sixties. A former ambulance crewman with years of experience, and recipient of the highest Red Cross commendation for emergency action, Jay now teaches classes in basic and advanced emergency medical care for BDSM clubs and other groups. After receiving his law degree in 2005 and passing the bar exam in 2006, he sometimes works as a part-time law school professor. His areas of special legal interest include providing legal support for alternative communities, teaching bar exam preparation, search and seizure law, and conflict resolution. His website is, predictably, www.jaywiseman.com. Time:  4:00 to 6:00 pm. Cost:  $10 per person -- RSVP necessary -- buy your tickets early. Location and direction information will be provided when you purchase your tickets. For more information and/or to RSVP, email: BESS Education Team.
Saturday Apr, 25th	BESS Social It's time for BESS to party! Exploratorium Exploratorium - come see some of the most popular BDSM toys demo'd, and try them out for yourself! BESS is having it's monthly social and all contributors and their guests are invited. Time:  9:00pm to 2:00am. Cost:  $20 for Contributors, $25 for Guests. Welcome Meeting:  None Location and direction information will be provided when we get your RSVP. For more information or to RSVP email:��� BESS Social Team.
Sunday Apr, 26th	BESS M/s SIG Dinner & Discussion Do you identify as Master/ slave or Dominant/submissive in your lifestyle? Are you interested in service, structure, protocols, and relationship maintenance? Then the M/s SIG is for you! Please join us for a lively discussion at our next meeting. All are welcome who are either interested or involved in the M/s, D/s dynamic or have any interest in exploring this side of what it is that we do. Our discussion topic this month will be a broad one - training, be it mind, body, or spirit -- and... Master or slave. Time:  5:30pm - 8:00pm Cost:  Free. (Please bring something for the table.) Location:  Private home, Columbia, MD. For more information please contact [email protected].
Monday Apr, 27th	BESS Business Meeting BESS Board of Directors' meeting. Please come out, learn more about BESS, and volunteer! Please note that Board Meetings are open only to current BESS contributors. Time:  6:30pm to 9:00pm. Cost:  Free of charge Click for directions or a map.