Bad Behavior at Cancer Fundraiser Organizational Meeting by Women's Club Rep.

[stephendare]

Last night I sat in on a meeting at Three Layers of a group organizing an annual cancer charity event and was unexpectedly touched and a little shocked by what I found.

The meeting was called in order to organize committee chairs for the event and many of us were first time attendees.

Apparently the event is an annual one held all around the country, but which Springfield has only lately joined.

Since several friends of mine have recently struggled with Cancer, including the artists Lee Harvey (mesothelioma), John Kaplan (stomach) and Byron King (brain), and my Grandmother, father and Papa all died within the past 7 years from lung cancer.  Its funny how I didnt realize until the meeting how ubiquitous the disease has been even in my own life. 

Like several others at the meeting, while watching the informational video from the American Cancer Society, I was unexpectedly moved by the issue.

The event has been a late starter, and for organizational reasons was rescheduled for a month later from its original date in order to give time for it to be properly organized and advertised.

I was unsurprised to see representatives from the Women's Club, SPAR, and a few other of the community organizations---after all this is exactly the type of good work that these organizations do.

I was elated to see Pat LaMountain, who was a gracious addition to the meeting and a wealth of great ideas.

But I was a little shocked and surprised at the behaviour of the representative of the Women's Club, who publicly rebuked and attacked the organizer of the event over the date change.  It wasn't like she brought up the issue and said her piece.  Instead she upbraided the meeting organizer in front of everyone present and then ingloriously announced that most of the springfield organizations would probably not be able to participate under the new circumstances (too hot in June.., a couple of the woman's friends were going on vacation etc.)---and by 'probably not' it sounded a whole lot like 'when hell freezes over---if your lucky)

Although her group had been invited to participate in the organizational meetings, apparently they had not and for the next 15 minutes we had to listen to this woman berate the poor organizer and demand to know publicly who had made the decision to change the event date.

Which should have been taken up later after the meeting instead of taking so much of everyone else's time.

It was wildly inappropriate and just as mean spirited, bullying and pinch faced as you could hope for in a tim burton film.  I cannot imagine that the Mommy's Club, the Springfield Wine Club, the Women's Club or any of the others mentioned would appreciate being represented in this manner.

Luckily Pat LaMountain was there to provide a little bit of graciousness and good will.  I havent really had the pleasure of interacting with Pat very closely, but I can see why she is so popular in the community after watching her in action last night.

I don't know what the problem was really about, but it doesn't cost anything to be nice.

I certainly hope that this isnt an indication of how the community organizations are working out there.  This is a really great cause, and something we should all be aware of.

[Ocklawaha]

I can just imagine the whole scene, some of them probably had to go outside and "light up" just to relax!

I lost both parents to Cancer as well Stephen, and damn I'm glad I never smoked.... ur....uh.... TOBACCO!

OCKLAWAHA

[Springfielder]

I wasn't aware of the meeting....but sure would like have been there to see whom it is that acted like that. I can certainly think of a few. As for the overall community cohesiveness, I feel it's good and we all do work together well. However, there's always those who get upset over issues, and aren't always very tactful with expressing themselves or their views.

Now the cancer....I've also lost both of my folks to it...dad had mesothelioma and mom had multiple-milenomia (am most like not spelling that one right) so I care about this issue.

[Tripoli1711]

Is there any chance that the Woman's Club rep moonlights as a server at Moon River Pizza?  (Sorry I just couldn't resist.)

[Cliffs_Daughter]

I too am very interested in raising funds and finding a cure for all types of cancer - dad passed from later complications of his colo-rectal surgery and never really got to know his grandson. It's been a very hard few years and I'm still in a grief shock state. Anyway, that's why I use that login name: it's a tribute to how much he means to me. You all have my sympathies in this, it's really a sucky group to be a member of.

About the topic at hand - having been in a few different fund raising committees, there was always 1 person in particular who will be a bit selfish. Could be they're into too many pots, so to speak, and are feeling overwhelmed and outwardly reflect that. Could be they're having a bad time lately and everything's coming out wrong (especially if it's a personal event). OR, and I've seen it and can name it/them, it's just those folks who believe the main event would not exist without their support and thus should be bent a little around their schedules.
Sure, it costs nothing to be nice, but to some out there it costs a few thousand to appear nice in the recognition pages or event fliers. And as bad as it is, if you truly want the help and financial backing, you gotta let them vent it out and think they're allowed. BUT ONLY TO A POINT.
That point is up to interpretation by the committee chair.

[tpot]

Wow, that's unfortunate.  Some people just suck.............

[Charles Hunter]

Is there any chance that the Woman's Club rep moonlights as a server at Moon River Pizza?  (Sorry I just couldn't resist.)

Heh ... beat me to it! 

[ChriswUfGator]

Is there any chance that the Woman's Club rep moonlights as a server at Moon River Pizza?  (Sorry I just couldn't resist.)

No...

If Assault & Battery-River-Pizza were involved, then by now there would have been 300 posts from a dozen 5-minute old screenames with a 0 post count and whose IP's trace back to Moon River, all saying how everybody at the meeting besides for that woman was just a whiny a$$hole and should be grateful that someone "took charge of the situation" in a "militant fashion", and if they don't like it they can leave...even though SHE showed up at THEIR meeting.

ROFL

[Springfield Girl]

 Pat LaMountain is up for election for President of The Womens Club so I'm sure the club was well represented. I believe it was the Springfield Womens Club that started the Springfield Cancer Relay for Life two years ago. This will be the 3rd annual Springfield CRL and the past two have been well run and very successful in raising funds for the ACS. I wasn't there and don't know who Stephen was referring to but people in general, especially older people don't like change and sometimes don't handle it well. The important thing is that the neighborhood has come together in the past to make this a wonderful event and I'm sure this year will be no different.

[Springfield Girl]

After speaking with Pat LaMountain I was wrong that the Womens Club started the Springfield Cancer Relay for Life. Pat told me she got the ball rolling herself with the help of other residents in the community. She also told me she was the only representative at the meeting from the Womens Club. From the info I have recieved the problems seem to have have arisen due to the fact that the ACS rep that handled Springfield in the past is no longer there and a new rep has been asigned. This new rep is either not aware of how the event has been organized in the past or doesn't care and wants to re invent the wheel. I don't know but I hope it all works out well and the end result is good as that's all that matters.

[mtraininjax]

women in a room, with different agendas, in a public forum? Some would call that a political party....