I just realized that ron768 is from Alabama, either Huntsville, or Athens, depending on where I look. Anyway, my GPS shows it's 3 hours from there to Atlanta. So, 3 hours, each way for the meeting every month.
Who has a longer drive than that? That's an all-day commitment. Eat breakfast, drive to the meeting and eat lunch, drive home, eat supper, do a few chores and go to bed.