[AGA-mcm] Re: The value of a Master File

["Ann Viverette" <annv777@houston.rr.com>]

I was a part of a group that held 14 events a year, each run by committees, 
with different people running it each time. We had a Master File, containing 
the followup notes from each chairperson of each event for the past 10 years 
or so. The notes were a regurgitation of everything that was done, what it 
cost, when it was started, how many people it took, materials, leftovers, 
budgets, profits, on and on. Most important, each had suggestions for 
whoever was to chair it the next time, when the events were planned the next 
year.

> From the history, you could see that attendance was declining or increasing 
over the years at certain functions, preliminary budgets could be prepared, 
timetables could be estimated. The chair left notes about what could have 
been better, smoother, cheaper. From the history, a newbie could get a feel 
for how far to deviate from what worked before, and one could go to plans of 
earlier years easily as well as invent a new procedure.

The best notes were those prepared right on the heels of the event, before 
the finer details were lost. In fact, the only events that were really hard 
to work were the ones where one person had done it for 2 years in a row and 
therefore had not left any notes for either year. Most Event files had 
subchairs reports in addition to the chairpersons report. It was also 
essential that the Master File for each Event be recovered after the event, 
for if someone moved away they took a decade of experience with them.

These files were pure GOLD when some unsuspecting innocent was collared to 
chair an event the next year. "Here, take this file, it will tell you 
everything you need to know, then feel free to work out your own details to 
suit you."

Ann V


> Ghazanfar, when we talked on Friday, you said something about preparing a
> document detailing all the issues that the GWAPA members experienced in
> planning (and now executing) the convention.  I am hoping that you are
> still planning to post this document... 


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