Hostelling International- Wisconsin

2007 Annual Meeting of Members

Saturday, April 14, 2007 6:30-8:00pm

Buraka Restaurant & Bar - East African Cuisine 543 State Street, Madison WI 53703
608-255-3646

MEETING PROGRAM :

6:30-7:00pm Social time- Meet & Greet

7:00-8:00pm HI-WI Members' Annual Meeting:

2006-2007 Accomplishments, Upcoming events, & Service Awards

Please RSVP to Wendy Beranek (HI-WI secretary) before April 7, 2007 so we can reserve space at Buraka. [Tel: 608.441.0030 or hostellingwisconsin@yahoo.com]

Can't attend this year's Annual Meeting?  Click here to vote by proxy.

Interested in serving on the HI-Wisconsin Board of Directors?  Click here to view Director responsibilities.

Click here for an HI-Wisconsin board application.

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The Madison Hostel: Past, Present & Future

The Madison Hostel first opened in the summer of 1997 through the all-volunteer effort of dozens of students and other Madison residents. The Hostel was located at the Theta Chi Fraternity on Langdon Street. The Madison community showed tremendous support for the hostel, with over 700 people attending a fundraiser in April 1997. Donations of much needed supplies came from the University of Wisconsin and Lands End Corp. During the summer of 1997, the Madison Hostel hosted over 500 guests from throughout the U.S and from over 30 countries.

Moving to its second year location at 126 Langdon Street, the Madison Hostel was a surprising success. While most hostels lose money in the first couple of years, the Madison Hostel broke even the first year. In the summer of 1998, the hostel surpassed even the most enthusiastic predications, recording 2700 overnight stays in 94 days. There were visitors from over 45 states, and 60 countries.

The third year at 126 Langdon had a new vibrant calendar of events with interesting cultural and educational activities everyday. The daily activities were free to all and anyone from the local Madison community was welcome to stop by and participate. The hostel staff size increased form 3-10 dedicated people. Awareness of the hostel had increased in the community with more local volunteers offering to come by and learn about other countries by sharing stories and showing travelers all that the great community of Madison had to offer. In 25 days of being open that summer, the hostel averaged 67% more guests than at the same time of the previous year. That summer's income helped the hostel transition to its new and current location at 141 South Butler Street.

The building is a Victorian-style house, built in 1890, has 13 rooms. There are 3 in-suite bathrooms, hallway domestic-style bathroom, and one hallway commercial-style bathroom. There are two kitchens and a common area. The building is located approximately 2 blocks from the top of State Street and 8 blocks from the UW-Madison Campus.