This is the season of homeschool conventions - from small, intimate convocations in rural areas, to megaconferences with more attendees than our hometown. They're the boon and the bane of many homeschoolers' year. Are they really necessary, with all the information and resources on the Internet? Is there a benefit to the crowds, the travel, the time away from home? You bet!  We'd been to nearly thirty conferences in nine different states before we started doing this for a living ... and we can tell you why they're more than worthwhile - almost indispensable - to us as homeschooling parents!