Monday, April 30, 2007

Quick Poll

For weeks my kids have been telling me about the great things their classes are preparing for Open House night at their school. Son's class is making fantastic art, daughter's class is doing a musical playlet about rainforest creatures in which she is playing a python with a solo.

I wanted to be sure I didn't schedule a meeting for the same night, so about ten days ago I asked my daughter's teacher, "Now when is Open House?"

"The last Wednesday of May," she told me. Whew! Safe. No meetings scheduled on May 30th.

Aha! BUT--today the May school newsletter came home announcing that everyone should save the date for Open House on -------wait for it-----May 23rd. See--there are five Wednesdays in May this year. Ms. Teacher got mixed up and said "the last Wednesday" because in most cases the fourth Wednesday of a month would be the last Wednesday, but not this year.

May 23rd is Session night. Do I a) ask 18 other people to reschedule, b)ask our Associate Pastor to moderate the meeting, even though there are a few things coming up on the docket that I feel queasy about not being there for, c)miss Open House?

12 comments:

Karla MG said...

Reschedule I say! Having just witnessed a month where the Session meeting ended up being cancelled altogether, after the pastor attempted to reschedule. The pertinet business that "had" to be done was done be phone and finished during fellowship after church Sunday! By all means, DON'T miss the open house! BTDT...the kids ARE more important. Don't know if you're familiar with Dr.Rev. David Jeremiah (radio program is Turning Point)? He's stated many times that his ministry has a priority: #4! 1.Relationship with His God and Savior, 2.Relationship with His wife, 3. Relationship with children/family, 4. Relationship with his congregation. When he gets it skewed, his ministry suffers, and his elders challenge him to keep them #4! Prayers this works out smoothly! --Karla

Unknown said...

Go to Open House. You are not only doing something good for your children and for yourself, you are being a role model for your congregation. As to whether you re-schedule or allow the Associate to moderate, why don't you ask the chief lay leader's thoughts on the question? (Not sure what that person would be called, or I would be more precise.) It never hurts to consult. Given that May has these five Wednesdays, perhaps you could postpone Session for a week?

more cows than people said...

Reschedule. You may be able to reschedule only slightly if that makes things easier -shifting the time and agenda a bit to allow you to be present for the items you feel it's important to be there for, but leaving for the bulk of the meeting, letting the associate moderate part or all of the meeting. I only suggest this because I know how hard it is to get calendars together. But, Songbird is right about the fifth week providing an opportunity.

Jules said...

I say let the Associate moderate. This way:

1. you honor the established schedule,
2. you can be a good Mom, and
3. the AP gets to stretch (her? his?) administrative muscles.

Unknown said...

I agree with cheesehead, keep the session as scheduled and let the associate moderate.

Princess of Everything (and then some) said...

Go to the Open House. Your kids are already excited. They will remember you were the cool mom that went.

APStraight said...

1 or 2...

Susie/Nueva Cantora said...

I'm an associate, and you should totally ask your associate to moderate. Its good for us to learn, good for you and the kids, etc. My boss has missed a couple Vestry meetings in my two years here, and had the Senior Warden (lay head of vestry) chair one and me chair one. It was fine, and he got his vacation or whatever it was he was doing.

Lori said...

Reschedule.

Give me half the list and I'll help call.

Rev Dave said...

Oh, go to the open house. If anything wierd happens at session, it can go down in history as "the night the associate moderated." ;-)

spookyrach said...

This is why Rev Dave will one day rule the world. Never pass up an opportunity to blame it on the associate.

Plus, if you go to the open house, it will help ensure your kids stay out of jail later in life. Fer reals.

Jennifer Garrison Brownell said...

i'm voting with cheesehead. (although I was tempted to vote to miss the open house just to be cranky, even though I dont really believe in it...)