Couchie's Revenge
It seems to me that following through on one's committments is a principle held only by a small minority of the overall population. While I'm drawing my assumption essentially from the student population, I don't think it's unreasonable to assume that it also could be extended to characterize the general adult population as well, as we are young adults ourselves. I'm making this assumption in an attempt to understand why such a large proportion of our list of registered delegates (25 at its apex) fell to 21 the day before the event, and to about 16 the day of. Some claimed their english wasn't good enough, others fell sick (which I've learned is an inevitabvle element that has to be factored into predicting final numbers), some forgot the event was taking place that day, and from the rest we heard no word. It's even more surprising that many of those who failed to find their way up the hill to our venue on a rather ugly, rainy and cold Friday morning, had already paid, and thus chose to forfeit their not-unsubstantial fee for the sake of...something else.
I still haven't answered why committment and reliability are only the priorities of the few. Maybe it depends on how you're brought up, what kind of principles you're exposed to - which you subsequently understand to be natural obligations rather than matters of choice - and the degree to which you seek to earn, keep and of course value the respect of others. It's not, however, only a matter of respect. When it comes to making certain committments, voluntary or otherwise, you enter into an unwritten social contract with those who stand to be affected by your decisions. By making these committments you are creating a new set of expectations in the minds of these individuals which depend on your following through with said promises. The contract is a reciprocal agreement intended to benefit both parties, whether this means individual to individual, individual to a group, or even individual to himself. Breaking this contract without first consulting with the other party can undermine the relationship they may have had after eachothers' committments had been fulfilled. The whole agreement is torn to pieces however, if one of the parties never intended to fulfil these obligations in the first place, as they never placed much weight on upholding the aformentioned principles of reliability, respect and genuine committment. If this characterizes the majority of the population, as I would say it does in this moment of cynicism and caffeine-induced reflection, then the unwritten social contract is a tenuous one at best, giving us further reason to value the individuals who fall within the remaining minority.
Despite the fact that 1/3 of our registered delegates failed to show up, I have no reason not to say that I'm very pleased with the way things turned out yesterday. The groups ended up being very productive, and each informed, energetic and motivated participant was able to take full advantage of the opportunity at hand. Lunch and dinner were great, and I would highly recommend Thomson House to anyone considering planning an event involving 20-150 people.
Our guest panelists and facilitators fit very well into their roles and were integral in ensuring that every point of view was respected and debated. Our keynote address was as controversial and thought-provoking as hoped, and I'm sure anyone who attended the speech would agree.
It's a great feeling to realize that the idea you initially dreamt up so many months ago became successful reality and exposed many individuals to new ideas and avenues of expression that they may not have been aware of before. Having a group of friends and colleagues who support one's initiatives without hesitation is equally as important as the initial idea itself, and these people can't be thanked enough.
The hectic week has caught up to me though; Couchie has exacted its revenge. Hopefully the sore throat and other minor discomforts will dissipate by the end of the weekend. Either way, it's only a minor price to pay.
I still haven't answered why committment and reliability are only the priorities of the few. Maybe it depends on how you're brought up, what kind of principles you're exposed to - which you subsequently understand to be natural obligations rather than matters of choice - and the degree to which you seek to earn, keep and of course value the respect of others. It's not, however, only a matter of respect. When it comes to making certain committments, voluntary or otherwise, you enter into an unwritten social contract with those who stand to be affected by your decisions. By making these committments you are creating a new set of expectations in the minds of these individuals which depend on your following through with said promises. The contract is a reciprocal agreement intended to benefit both parties, whether this means individual to individual, individual to a group, or even individual to himself. Breaking this contract without first consulting with the other party can undermine the relationship they may have had after eachothers' committments had been fulfilled. The whole agreement is torn to pieces however, if one of the parties never intended to fulfil these obligations in the first place, as they never placed much weight on upholding the aformentioned principles of reliability, respect and genuine committment. If this characterizes the majority of the population, as I would say it does in this moment of cynicism and caffeine-induced reflection, then the unwritten social contract is a tenuous one at best, giving us further reason to value the individuals who fall within the remaining minority.
Despite the fact that 1/3 of our registered delegates failed to show up, I have no reason not to say that I'm very pleased with the way things turned out yesterday. The groups ended up being very productive, and each informed, energetic and motivated participant was able to take full advantage of the opportunity at hand. Lunch and dinner were great, and I would highly recommend Thomson House to anyone considering planning an event involving 20-150 people.
Our guest panelists and facilitators fit very well into their roles and were integral in ensuring that every point of view was respected and debated. Our keynote address was as controversial and thought-provoking as hoped, and I'm sure anyone who attended the speech would agree.
It's a great feeling to realize that the idea you initially dreamt up so many months ago became successful reality and exposed many individuals to new ideas and avenues of expression that they may not have been aware of before. Having a group of friends and colleagues who support one's initiatives without hesitation is equally as important as the initial idea itself, and these people can't be thanked enough.
The hectic week has caught up to me though; Couchie has exacted its revenge. Hopefully the sore throat and other minor discomforts will dissipate by the end of the weekend. Either way, it's only a minor price to pay.
posted by Per at 12:38 p.m.
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