Travel & Reimbursement Guidelines for the Chaplains Conference

The Chaplains Conference is May 28-30, 2015 at the Prince Conference Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Please plan on arriving before 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 28 and staying through noon on Saturday, May 30. If you fly into Grand Rapids, the Prince Center offers shuttle service. Chaplaincy will not pay for car rentals. Please make your travel arrangements 4 weeks in advance or you may be required to reimburse the extra cost.

Chaplaincy authorizes the payment of travel expenses for:

Full time Chaplains pay the regular registration fee and lodging (lodging is at the Prince Center). Chaplaincy will reimburse travel expenses for endorsed full time chaplains, according to the following simple rule. Reimbursement will be based on the lower amount of either the cost of air fare for one round trip verses the cost of driving with the reimbursement rate established by the Ministry Council (the IRS or Canadian Customs and Revenue Agency standard mileage reimbursement rate). Carpooling is encouraged.

Part time Chaplains pay the regular registration fee and lodging (lodging is at the Prince Center). Chaplaincy will reimburse travel expenses pro-rated upon the number of hours they currently work per week (vs. 40 hour work week). Reimbursement will be based on the lower amount of either the cost of air fare for one round trip verses the cost of driving with the reimbursement rate established by the Ministry Council (the IRS or Canadian Customs and Revenue Agency standard mileage reimbursement rate). Carpooling is encouraged.

Retired Chaplains pay for their own registration fee, lodging and their travel expenses. (Lodging is available at the Prince Center.)

Endorsed but Unemployed pay the regular registration fee and lodging (lodging is at the Prince Center). Travel expenses must be approved, in advance, by the director of Chaplaincy and Care Ministry. Reimbursement will be based on the lower amount of either the cost of air fare for one round trip verses the cost of driving with the reimbursement rate established by the Ministry Council (the IRS or Canadian Customs and Revenue Agency standard mileage reimbursement rate). Carpooling is encouraged.

Prospective Chaplains or non-CRC endorsed pay the regular registration fee and lodging. Travel at your own expense. Some travel grants may be available upon request to the director of Chaplaincy and Care Ministry.

Students – the registration fee is waived for students. All other expenses: lodging and travel will not be reimbursed.

Spouses of chaplains pay the regular registration fee and lodging; and travel expenses are not reimbursable. If flying, please pay the travel agency directly for your spouse’s ticket.

Shuttle Service - The Prince Conference Center offers shuttle service from the airport and back to the airport. Please let Beverly know if you need shuttle service. She will also need a copy of your itinerary to advise the Prince Center of your arrival and departure.

Please note: We would like everyone to attend the conference and we are working to try and make this possible. In cases of hardship, please contact Ron Klimp at 616-224-0733 or [email protected]. Registrations are due May 1.

TRAVEL POLICY For Chaplains and Advisory Board

A. Air Reservations- Please make your reservations 4 weeks prior to the conference to help keep our expenses down. If you make your reservation later, you may be required to reimburse the extra cost.

For U.S.-based travelers, all air travel arrangements must be made through Activa Travel, LLC in Grand Rapids, Michigan (Contact person is Nikki Helms at [email protected] or [email protected] or 1-800-555-2184 ext 339).

For Canada-based travelers, all air travel arrangements must be made through T.H.E. Travel Centre American Express in Canada (Contact persons is still Marcia Faber at [email protected] or 866- 203-8745). Be sure to identify yourself as a CRC Chaplain or Advisory Board member. These agencies will assist you in booking your flight at the lowest rate available and they will bill the CRCNA direct for payment.

Please make your reservations as far in advance as possible (a minimum of four weeks prior to departure). You will be issued a ticket via email unless you request one to be mailed.

B. Personal Vehicles Travelers are strongly encouraged to use a rental car when they are driving more than 200 miles/kilometers per day. Personal vehicles used under 200 miles/kilometers per day, will be reimbursed at the prevailing Internal Revenue Service rate for travelers originating in the U.S. and the per kilometer rate advised by Revenue Canada for travelers originating in Canada. Travelers are not reimbursed for car repairs, parking tickets, traffic violations, fuel cost or insurance claims.

C. Car Rental If you fly into Grand Rapids, the Prince Center offers shuttle service. Chaplaincy will not pay for your personal car rentals. If you are renting a car and driving to Grand Rapids, the CRCNA has contracted with Enterprise Rent-A-Car (616-475-1300) for Grand Rapids discounted rates. It is recommended that reservations for non-local auto rentals be arranged through Activa Travel or Advantage Meadowvale Travel. The travel agency will check with other national agencies for rates that are lower than the Avis contract rates and will secure a reservation at the lowest possible rate, but there must be a minimum difference of $10.00 per day. If you wish to have a car during the days of the conference, you will be responsible for the expense.

D. Lodging at the Prince Center Wednesday (for those traveling long distances and need to arrive on Wed night), Thursday and Friday, lodging is $35.00 per person, dbl occupancy per night. Single occupancy per night is $50.00. Chaplaincy will pick up the balance of your lodging fee, but if your employer will pay for your total lodging cost, please call Beverly to calculate the total lodging cost. Saturday and Sunday night lodging is $86.25 per room.

E. Meals Please mark the meals you will be attending as accurately as possible. (We have to pay for the meal count I give the Prince Center, even if you decide not to eat a meal.) Meals are provided from Thursday noon through Saturday noon.

F. Cancellation Policy If you are required to cancel after registering, your registration costs can be refunded on line up May 20, 2015. If you have flight reservations that must be cancelled, we reserve the right to bill you for cost since the ticket is not transferable and you may be able to re-use the ticket within a year. Please contact Ron Klimp or Beverly Koetje regarding a cancelation that includes an airline ticket.