We are not exactly sure whats going on in Region 8, but something is definitely up!

Although it's still early in the 2014 National Festival destination bidding process, it's already beginning to look like Region 8 may steal the event away from everybody else.

Take a look at the real-time results of the bidding process that will determine the 2014 National Festival destination.

• http://bid.soobahkdo.org/most-popular-destination/

Now take a look at this map illustrating nationwide Federation Dan member population density and tell me why you think that more members are bidding to host the National Festival at the highlighted destination shown on the map than are bidding for it to be held in any other location in the U.S., even areas where far more Dan members live?

Whatever is going on in Region 8, it seems to fly in the face of logical assumptions.

For example:

• One might presume that Dan members who plan to participate in the 2014 National Festival would want to do so at the lowest possible cost by avoiding airfare and minimizing hotel expense and would thus bid to keep the event in their backyard… or not.
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• One might also presume that Regional Officials responsible for sponsoring Regional Teams to attend the National Festival would bid to keep the event nearby and thus seek to avoid the cost of airfare and minimize hotel expenses they are responsible for… or not.
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• One might even presume that in locations where more members live who are potential National Festival participants that those areas would be most likely to have more bidders and win the event simply because the number of potential bidders in high density member population areas out number the number of potential bidders from elsewhere… or not.
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• One might even presume that the circled destination on the map is currently leading the bidding because members in the higher density population areas simply have not heard that they can bid to keep the National Festival near them…or not.
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• Or perhaps they do not yet understand the new bidding process policy or they have just not yet visited the Festival bidding website… or not.
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• Or maybe they have not yet participated in the online polls or seen the Federation Facebook posts… or not.
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• Or maybe they have not yet read their emails about the bidding process being used to determine the 2014 National Festival destination…or not.

Regardless of what else may be going on in Region 8, the tangible results to date seem to suggest that embodiment of Kwan Jang Nim's Vision Tour mantra is at work here.

“Individual participation is the Key Energy necessary to strengthen our foundation.”
– H.C. Hwang, Kwan Jang Nim

Why do you think the circled destination on the map is currently leading the pack to host the 2014 National Festival instead of locations with much higher Dan member populations?