Thank you for visiting our Ohio Chapter Website

Don’t Give Up the Ship, 

the 5th National Convention of the UPMA.

“Don’t Give Up the Ship” the inspirational rallying cry of our infant American Navy during the war of 1812 has never seemed more appropriate than right now. Don’t give up the ship, stay the course, remain dedicated and committed to our cause. The present global pandemic may have rescheduled or cancelled our plans in 2020 but that cannot stop us from planning for 2021. 
     That motto, “don’t give up the ship” was made famous by the Commander of the American Fleet, Oliver Hazard Perry, during the Battle of Lake Erie on September 10, 1813. Commander Perry carried his flag embroidered with this motto from his Flagship Lawrence to the Brig Niagara and subsequently defeated the British Navy. A stunning blow to the British and the beginning of the western expansion of these United States.
     The American defeat of the British occurred near South Bass Island, just off the southern shore of Lake Erie near the port of Sandusky, Ohio. Today, South Bass Island is home to the Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial. It is part of our National Park system. The City of Sandusky is home to Kalahari Resorts and Convention Center. Kalahari has been selected as the site of our UPMA’s 5th National Convention. 
     The Kalahari Resort has 900 rooms, suites, and villas for groups of 2 to 44. The UPMA has reserved the entire facility for the convention. The Hotel and Convention center are all under one roof which also contains several cafes and restaurants as well as America’s largest indoor water park. The many amenities make the Kalahari Resort the perfect location to plan for a family vacation and convention combination. Visit their website, kalahariresorts.com for further information.
     Mark your calendar for August 15-19, 2021. Travel to the great state of Ohio for the convention. The location is two minutes from the Ohio Turnpike, 45 minutes from Cleveland, two hours from Detroit and three hours from Pittsburgh. As a matter of fact, 50% of the US population lives within 500 miles of Ohio.

     If this is your first visit to Ohio, you are in good company. Ohio is noted for many firsts. We are the home of the first airplane, the first professional fire department began in Cincinnati, the first police cars served in Akron, the first stop light was installed in Cleveland, and most importantly, the hot dog was created here in 1900.
     “Don’t Give Up the Ship”, join your fellow UPMA members at the 5th national convention at the Kalahari Resort in Sandusky, Ohio August 15-19, 2021. We look forward to seeing you.
                                                                                           Jordan Davenport, Ohio Chapter, Retired