I am running the fellowship dinners at church this year. The dinners are Friday and Saturday and this is Tuesday and I am still taking RSVPs and rearranging tables to fit in people who responded to me late.
My predecessors in this job cut off RSVPs the week before and anyone who RSVP'd late simply couldn't come. I was an event planner for a year and a half, so I'm pretty organized and careful about such things and I have big spreadsheets and I know who has place settings for eleven and I CAN make it work to take RSVPs right up until the day of.
To me, I sort of feel like part of being inclusive is being inclusive of disorganized people.
Is that completely stupid?
CC
5 comments:
Not stupid...Inclusively inspired! Thank you for considering those of us who can't think about dinner next Sunday when dinner tonight is still in the ether.
I think there are two answers to this situation. Many people asked to plan these sorts of events will not be organized enough or just too busy to handle RSVPS that come in late. It is perfectly appropriate for them to have a firm cut-off and to stick to it, so that the event still runs smoothly and the planner isn't more or less taken advantage of by the situation.
However, if the planner is very organized and knows how to handle such situations with more than the usual skill, as you clearly do due to your background, I think it is lovely to sacrifice a bit more of your time and mental energy to find ways to continue accomodating people until closer to the event. It's not just that some people are less organized than others--there are all sorts of situations that keep the most well-intentioned and even the best organized people from handling RSVPS as quickly as they would like. Having kids is one major factor: no matter how organized you are, kids set the schedule with their needs, accidents, tantrums, etc and you're a lucky parent if you can accurately plan a week ahead of time, or maybe even a few days.
So it's OK to shut people out if that's what it takes to make the event happen, and it's even better in my book to let more people in if you're really up to doing so. It certainly is a nice application of UU generosity of spirit.
What Jeff said.
What do you mean by "rearranging tables to fit in people who responded to me late. "? Are you rearranging seating arrangments, or just tables to fit more tables into the room?
If you have seating assignments (which, come to think of it, is pretty unlikely), i'd sit the latecomers together. Otherwise, what he said. --if you can, do it.(though it will make it harder for the next person to take over because you'll be a hard act to follow: if you can't teach the next volunteer your method, you may be stuck with the job in perpetuity.)
You are only responsible for your own reactions to situations.
I don't know if that's inclusive as much as just common sense and plain old healthy.
Post a Comment