OT - Office politics

[Mark Padgett]

I swear this really happened. I'm on the Board of our local kids rec league and have been for 17 years. About 5 years ago, a bunch of guys formed a "competitive" league for kids in 5th - 8th grades. That's fine with us, although our "ranks" were depleted somewhat. We rent gym space for practices and games from the school district as does that group. The school district's policy is to give our group preference on times and gyms because we are an "inclusive" organization that lets all kids play, regardless of financial situation or ability, while they consider the other group "exclusive". We meet independently with a rep from the other group prior to the season to go over dates and gym space before going to the school district. Sometimes there are conflicts that can't be resolved and we leave it up to the school district rep. Conflicts also come up during the season as they add tournaments and such.

Each year, we appoint a Board member as the liaison to the other group. Our Board president asked me to take that job for next season. His thinking was that since I also referee some of their games, "they wouldn't dare give me any crap" (a direct quote from him) about gym space, since they wouldn't want to take the chance of me holding it against them during games!!!

I couldn't believe he was serious. Everyone knows me better than that (except him, apparently). I told him to go jump in the lake.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

I swear this really happened. I'm on the Board of our local kids rec league and have been for 17 years. About 5 years ago, a bunch of guys formed a "competitive" league for kids in 5th - 8th grades. That's fine with us, although our "ranks" were depleted somewhat. We rent gym space for practices and games from the school district as does that group. The school district's policy is to give our group preference on times and gyms because we are an "inclusive" organization that lets all kids play, regardless of financial situation or ability, while they consider the other group "exclusive". We meet independently with a rep from the other group prior to the season to go over dates and gym space before going to the school district. Sometimes there are conflicts that can't be resolved and we leave it up to the school district rep. Conflicts also come up during the season as they add tournaments and such.

Each year, we appoint a Board member as the liaison to the other group. Our Board president asked me to take that job for next season. His thinking was that since I also referee some of their games, "they wouldn't dare give me any crap" (a direct quote from him) about gym space, since they wouldn't want to take the chance of me holding it against them during games!!!

I couldn't believe he was serious. Everyone knows me better than that (except him, apparently). I told him to go jump in the lake.

I thought you were going to tell us that the liaison for the other group was a "hot mom" and everything is just hunky-dorry between the 2 groups.