All it would take is at registration is the question "Do you plan to attend
the Friday banquet?" I was just handed my ticket along with all sorts of
other stuff. If I knew that I was leaving Friday at the end of running for
a 24hr drive home or whatever I could easily say "No, thank you." Every
Friday banquet that I ever went to was way smaller. It hurt the year I got
2ed in a-mod and by the time they gave me the trophy there was only 50
people left in the building.
Andy
> Interesting that the discussion regarding the banquet has focused
> on those who departed before the end, for whatever reasons.
>
> It was readily apparent to me early on that the banquet was quite
> sparsely populated compared to the expectations of the caterer.
> It is not my style to stand on a soapbox and preach about world
> hunger, but such waste as occurred last Friday is just plain wrong.
>
> I have to assume that there was communication between the
> registration officials and the caterer regarding the number of tickets
> disbursed for each banquet. While there are certainly valid reasons
> why someone's plans to attend might get derailed, the obviously
> large number of uneaten salads at empty tables indicated that way
> more people had taken tickets than had ever intended to actually be
> there. Deplorable behavior. Senseless waste.
>
> I hope the caterer has a charitable outlet for occasions when in effect
> clients order food, ask us all to help pay for it, and then don't show to
> eat it.
>
> The Wednesday banquet/awards ceremony has always been stuffed
> to overflowing. The Friday one is traditionally smaller. Makes sense.
> If some vacate after the food, or following some special recipient's
> moment on the stage, that's their decision. Personally, I think of all
> the Topeka attendees as my friends, and all the trophy winners as
> deserving of my applause in recognition of their accomplishment.
> So I stay. Those that don't feel that way.... hey, I do understand.
>
> But for the large number of persons who took Friday tickets with no
> real intent to be there.... Sorry, beyond my comprehension.
>
> Alan Sheidler
>
>
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