[JRutledge]

I actually agree with both of you. Officiating is a profession masquerading as a vocation, but it depends on the level that you are doing it. The rec. official or YMCA official is not on the same level as the officials that has a license or does D3 College or Junior College ball. The rec. officials or YMCA officials could have literally walked off the street and put on a shirt and put the whistle in their mouth. But the official that has a license or went throught some kind of qualification process is acting much more like someone that is working towards a job. Now it might not be their only job, but it is much like a job. I do not know about anyone here, I have to make commitments far in advance and if I have to break them or find myself in a conflict, it can be more nerve racking than not going into work with a boss I see everyday. If it is not a job for me and many others, I have to file taxes on it, make schedules and stick to them, and attend meetings quite frequently. If that is not a profession, I do not know what is.

Peace