Gary Nodler certainly picked an interesting national convention for  his first one.

The state senator from Joplin, who also represents the 32nd District which includes Jasper, Newton and Dade counties, is a Missouri delegate this week at the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn.

The convention got off to a somber note Monday as Hurricane Gustav slammed into the Louisiana coast. Not wanting to take the attention off the pending natural disaster, convention planners changed the schedule showing the people of the Gulf Coast that their plight was more important than the cause of the Republican Party.

“It was a very low-key day,” said Nodler. “There was not a lot of speech making. We had fund-raising efforts by First Lady Laura Bush and Mrs. McCain to help the hurricane victims. In fact, there were several opportunities for people to contribute to the relief effort.”

As a result, the rest of the convention schedule has been changed and the delegates really don’t know what is going on until they get to the convention hall.

“They have adjusted the schedule quite a bit,” said Nodler. “So we really don’t know what the nightly schedule is until we get to the convention center.”

While most of the national sees the delegates on TV at the convention hall, there are meetings and events that occur throughout the day.

On Tuesday, the Missouri delegation had a lunch that includes some “inspirational speeches” by John McCain’s mother and two Medal of Honor winners, including the longest held Vietnam War POW in American History.

“Those were just wonderful, inspirational speeches,” said Nodler. We also heard from Rudy Guilliani, Former UN Ambassador John Bolton and former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele. Gov. (Kit) Bond was the master of ceremonies and it was just a terrific luncheon built around the concept of service to country.”

Nodler said he considers it a tremendous honor and one of pride to represent Southwest Missouri and the entire state at the convention.

“Being up here, I see both the respect and the attention given to the state of Missouri,” said Nodler. “It is not by accident that we are seated right up front by the dias. Missouri is clearly one of the more principally valued delegations and I’m very proud of that fact.”