Background:
K, so my calling in our ward is an "activities committee member." I'm not in charge, I am on the committee to help in any way with relief society activities. So tonight was my first activity since I have been called to this position. Before tonight, the whole activities committee, let's call them the A.C., got together TWICE to discuss tonight's activity and delegate things for each person to do for the activity to have gone smoothly.
So, you would think after meeting TWICE and having representatives from each relief society (there are 2: R.S. A and R.S. B) involved in this single activity, it would be a swell evening...WRONG.
K, so lets back up again...I was not able to attend the last A.C. meeting because I had to work and was informed of the meeting a day in advance (exhibit one...which just shows you a little piece of how the organization of this committee goes.) So, the head of the committee emailed me notes from the meeting (3 days later...exhibit 2) and asked that I teach the lesson. Fine, I would love to. She explained also in her email what everyone else's jobs were for the evening to go smoothly. Apparently, everyone forgot what they learned at the meeting.
So, I arrive tonight at 6:25...the door to the clubhouse is locked. I'm thinking, its 5 till, surely the other members of the A.C. or one of the Relief society presidencies are here to let us in. Nope. They show up right on time, but still with no key...way to be on top of things ladies IN CHARGE. So, one of the girls runs to grab her key while we all wait...in the snow.
So, this activity was a combined relief society activity with both A & B...meaning out of about 250 girls, there definitely should be more than 25 that showed...NOPE.
And not only did only about 25 girls show up, there were probably 3, including me, from Relief Society B there...and that doesn't include our presidency, because they didn't show up either. Out of the 4 girls in our presidency: the president, 1st and 2nd counselor and secretary...none of them came. But they sure made it out to be a big deal on Sunday...good charade ladies.
AND although there were about 25 girls there, only like 15 were there on time....so like 10 minutes into my lesson, the rest of the girls show up...late....interrupting the lesson.
So with the girls coming in late, trying to find a seat; the women who brought their babies along and let them cry during the lesson and the other girls having their own private conversations during the lesson, it was TOTALLY worth my time to not only prepare the lesson, but work a lousy 2 hour shift this morning for another worker so she could work my 5 hour shift tonight so that I could be there to waste my time at the relief society activity. AWESOME.
And on top of my lesson being a complete waste, the whole evening was unorganized and ridiculous. I pretty much led the meeting, taught the lesson, gave the closing prayer and explained the game (because the girl in charge of the game didn't know how to explain "big booty" but insisted on playing it anyway...exhibit 3)....and I wasn't even at the meeting where we were all assigned jobs. seriously? I don't understand how everything in our church is SO organized and then its like you hand over an organization of women to a few 21 year old women WHO ARE MARRIED (who should act like adults...) and it all goes to hell. I've been in better singles wards than this...does anyone know what their calling entails???
I left as soon as the activity was over. What a joke. I'm sorry I sound like "negative nancy" but its hard for me to justify attending these activities or taking time to do things and switch my work schedule around, etc when others that are in the freakin presidency don't even bother to show up. We are ALL busy...and we all knew about this in advance. It's frustrating too, because as much as we try and do things for the girls to get to know eachother, the "getting-to-know-eachother" doesn't last beyond the allotted time during the activity. These girls are too involved in their marriage because the majority of them JUST got married and don't care about anything besides that. It's just AN HOUR...you're marriage will survive if you leave him for one hour.
And then like one of the girls with a baby was talking about how her husband was just at home, blah blah blah...well, if he was just at home couldn't he have kept your screaming baby at home with him for a measly hour? seriously...your baby is cute, but we can gawk at her on sunday. I understand if you can't find a sitter, but why don't we have the priesthood step it up and offer babysitting during these times the women get together? Babies are cute...but babies don't care what's going on...they are going to cry regardless of the situation which equals distraction.
I feel that I don't have anyone close in my ward to attend and endure these annoying circumstances with. It's like you can't get close to the girls here because they are either on their own 19-yr old planet, are complete morons or don't want to be involved with anything other than their spouse. I really am trying to be actively involved in my relief society, but it seems I am one of the only ones. I don't understand these girls. I miss the older ladies of my home ward...at least they seem to care...even if the room smells of like 80 different musty perfumes.
totally rude. totally unorganized. totally annoying. tonight was a complete joke. please hurry december.
