Paul M. Wallace writes:
However, we need
a bigger space for both auctions and cycle through the clubs other auctioneers.
Okay, I'm in Ohio till tomorrow night, but I need to make a comment here.
Indeed I asked for a bigger room - we made do and it was fine.
But I'm really getting tired of hearing the second thing. Eric, I'm looking RIGHT
AT YOU. When
I left the room to pee during the auction, and you took over, you hammered thru
the items SO
FAST that there were six errors in the short time you were on the mic. Then
you sat down and
proceeded to bitch under your breath to whoever would listen that I "just came
back and took
over" and "it needs to go faster, faster" then you sat there and huffed and
pouted to yourself.
Yeah, I heard and saw every word of that, don't think I didn't.
Need I remind you that we hammered through a record number of items in FOUR
HOURS. Yes, I'm
sure you would have liked to have it done in two, so you could get on with your
Saturday, but it
took exactly as long as it took - it is pointless to rush things when all
you're going to do is
create mistakes. And may I also remind the board that I have repeatedly said I
am more than
happy to let someone else auctioneer, or run the auction however they see fit,
all they have to
do is ask.
To this point, no one has asked. Instead, each time I offer, you all say "Oh,
no you go
ahead.", then complain about not getting time to be auctioneer later. I'm
tired of the
passive-aggressiveness. If you want time as auctioneer, say so (and we'll make
a schedule and
stick to it at future auctions)or stop complaining about it.
That being the case, I will be as as efficient an auctioneer as possible. If
anyone has an
issue with me, or how I auctioneer, or how I choose to run the auctions, or
would like to take
over being in charge of the annual auction, speak now or forever hold your
peace. Life is too
short to have these pissing matches among friends, and if the "old guard" has a
better, more
efficient (and error-free) way of doing things, that isn't simply "old guard
bitchiness", I'm
all ears. Unless you can auctioneer at ridiculous speeds without creating
unacceptable amounts
of errors, I would suggest that perhaps I'm onto something good here and am
better left alone to
do it, new guy or not.
If the case is that the auction is too long, then we need to further limit the
number of lots
each person can bring and not have ANY donations. However, may I remind all of
you that this is
our ANNUAL auction and makes money for the entire year of speakers and rent.
Further, the
Vancouver auctioon had only 20% more lots, but took eight hours to finish, so
we're really not
doing bad at all in under four hours.
Please let me know offline if anyone has any issues with this. Otherwise, I
will consider this
issue closed for further discussion. Seriously. If the only thing anyone has
to complain about
after the auction is that they didn't get mic time, well then I guess we had
ourselves a fine
auction after all.Â
Phil