End of season party
 

Does your association have an end of the season party? If so, could you please contact me privately? Or reply here and I will contact you.

I have several questions, basically about the cost.

Adult Beverages A Must For Some ...
 

End of the year banquet the week after the state finals. Over the past thirty-three years we've gone from simple catered affairs in church halls, to having a "fancy" banquet in some of the best banquet facilities in our little corner of Connecticut. Open bar. Cheese, crackers, and hot hors d’oeuvres, for cocktail hour before dinner. Most of us get dressed up (suits, blazers, ties, etc.), but a few will wear polo shirts (once a jock, always a jock). No spouses. No plus ones. Retired past presidents (we call them "ole" timers) are invited guests.

Raffle (prizes (some donated), and 50/50 cash). Years of service pins (five year intervals), and certificates, awarded. State final officials awards. Bye bye to departing president. Award to most cooperative athletic director. Scholarships (not part of banquet budget) awarded for summer camps. No real speeches.

About $30.00 of our $125.00 annual dues goes toward the banquet, but because only about 75% of our 325 members actually attend the banquet, those of us that actually go get more bang for our buck. About $10,000.00 is budgeted for the banquet, open bar, raffle prizes, awards, and pins.

We've cut down on invited guests. We used to honor coaching staffs of conference, and state, champions that we service, but that's been cut back to only state champions that we service. It got out of hand when Title IX kicked in, and even more out of hand when we started having conference tournaments champions, in addition to regular season champions. It got worse when some of our superconferences broke down into geographic regions (North, South, etc.), each with their own regular season champion. We were having almost as many coaches as officials (exaggerated, but still costly). Sportsmanship awards are now presented at the schools, rather than at the banquet.

Every few years it is suggested, to cut down on our dues, and some drunken shenanigans, and possibly some legal liability for any DUI accidents after the banquet (none so far), that we go to a cash bar rather than an open bar, but that's not going to happen (basketball officials like their bottomless, unlimited, adult beverages). To save money, we've switched from a Friday night, to a Thursday night (it's cheaper if you don't have your banquet on a weekend night), and we've had some complaints from guys that have to get up for work the next morning, some with a hangover.

I have a feeling that if we went to an "only pay if you come banquet", and an "only pay if you drink cash bar", that a lot of officials wouldn't attend (far less than the 75% we presently get). After all, it's baseball, softball, and lacrosse, season, and a lot of golf courses are open for business. As it is now, a lot of guys figure, hey, it's $30.00 of my annual dues already out of my pocket, I might as well get my money's worth, go out and eat a nice dinner, and imbibe some, or a lot of, adult beverages, even though I have to get up for work the next morning.

Billy, as always, you guys seem to have it all together. Here, not so much.

My association(s) do have end of the season banquets or parties. One of them has one tomorrow.

It is a great way for us to tell everyone how good we were and congratulate those that work in the post season. And get ready for the summer business like running camps or other off season work.

Peace

The One Beer To Have When You're Having More Than One ...
 

I blame the imbibing of adult beverages.

I Gotta Get Drunk (Willie Nelson) ...
 

We've had actual fist fights break out (not a metaphor), usually over, you guessed it, assignments, we're basketball officials, what else is there to fight over. It's the old as time, "My whistle is bigger than yours", argument.

Seriously. That's why some want a cash bar instead of an open bar.

One more reason not to have associations or LOA assign anything in the post season. That would hardly be a problem here. But there have been issues over elections and procedures. Not quite fist fights, but confrontations for sure.

Peace

Like The Bar Fights In An Old Western Movie ...
 

Our board assignment commissioner assigns regular season, and conference tournament games. State tournament games are assigned by the state high school athletics governing body, with officials voted on by coaches.

Good peer ratings lead to a high board ranking; which leads to lot of regular season, and conference tournament, assignments; which leads to a lot of coaches seeing you; which leads to a lot of state tournament assignments.

It's the circle of basketball officiating life. Hakuna matata.

Then why would they be fighting?

And I must state that associations do not assign any games for the most part here either.

Peace

Competitiveness Plus Alcohol Equals ...
 

Among the membership: peer ratings, and rumors about peer ratings.

Between the membership, and the board assignment commissioner: numbers of games assigned, based on rumors of the number of games assigned to a rumored member at the same, or near same, ranking. Also about getting games on the high end of your ranking versus the low end of your ranking (it's a range of game assignment numbers, not a specific number of games i.e. 35 to 40 varsity games).

Also, arguments with the board assignment commissioner about the number of "big time" assignments versus the number of "small time" assignments. That's 100% up to the commissioner's discretion.

We're a bunch of competitive guys, and sometimes the alcohol will fuel a little extra competitiveness.

I would assume this is an avocation for all the members of your association, not anyone's vocation. Actually fighting over assignments is ridiculous. Sounds more like alcohol fueled dimwits rather than competitive guys.

It's Good To Be The King ...
 

Luckily it's just a few soreheads, guys that think that the deserve a better schedule than the next guy, and there was more of this type of behavior with our past assignment commissioner. Our present assignment commissioner is more transparent in his assignment procedures, and there is more oversight of his assignments by our executive committee.

"O! beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on." (William Shakespeare)

Our Association has a large EOY party in April that is well attended - several hundred. In past years our guest speaker has been a prominent college official. I wouldn't profess to know the details or the finances, so I can't help you there. Usually, officials are free and our guests pay for their meals. Good time!

That being said, our Rec League Officials had our usual get together at a local watering hole today afer our championship games. Ironically, the losing team from my championship game was ALSO having their party their (sports bar with pool tables, etc.). Coaches came up and talked to us. Good guys. Great way to end the season.

We have a business meeting the Saturday morning after the state finals, each year. It's a required meeting (about two hours), for your ratings.

We have awards for lengthy participation: 10 years, 15, 20, etc. (Our assigner got a 45-year plaque.) Beyond that, it's pretty much Robert's rules, reports from the state commisioner, president, interpreter, secretary/treasurer, assigner, et al, with sandwiches, chips, and soda served at the end.

It may be a little dry at times, but it certainly gives an air of professionalism.

Happy Holidays ...
 

Our Catholic middle school assigner comes up to Connecticut, from his retirement home in Florida, during the holidays. He will host, and pay for, a pizza party (pizza, and beer) at a local pizza joint. He picks a slow basketball weeknight just before, or just after, Christmas. Those that don't have games show up on time, those that do show up late. There are about forty-five of us in his assignment pool, and most show up. It's informal, it's a lot of fun, and his generosity is greatly appreciated.