Last night, probably around the time this mighty organ of a newspaper was trundling off the presses at Cambuslang, I was engaged in a committee meeting.
I am writing this obviously prior to the meeting taking place, but I think I can predict with confidence that there will be three of us in attendance.
There will be the retired college lecturer with the flowing white hair and tangerine trousers; there will be the former bowling club president who says little, but what he does say is always well worth listening to. And there will be me. The lecturer is the chairman; the man with the bowls is the sole committee man and because I can allegedly write a bit, I am the secretary. It is only fair because you know who the secretary is that you know the identity of the others who make up this trio.
David Scott is chairman and Gordon Munro constitutes the committee. Actually, there may well be four because Scottie’s ancient dog Belle will be lying dozing and probably farting as it casts a ton of grey hair on the bar floor.
And the reason for this motley gathering of what is known loosely as a committee, I hope you are asking, is?
Well, the Selkirk Sessions traditional music festival is about six weeks away and we haven’t had a meeting since last year’s successful three-day event. That’s not to say that we haven’t met. We have, but not as a committee. At these pleasant social encounters we have talked about having a committee meeting. On more than one, on more than several – indeed on many – occasions we have talked about having a committee meeting.
One night last week we three agreed. Unanimously, and without need for a vote.
On Wednesday, August 28 at sometime around 8pm, we would most certainly have a committee meeting.
Now, that might not seem much of a momentous decision in the great scale of world affairs. But, believe me, to fix a date and approximate time for a meeting of the Selkirk Sessions committee is indeed a milestone of note and worthy of being noted.
Now, of course, I am writing this column several hours ahead of the agreed date and time. So it is still possible, that tonight’s/last night’s meeting might not/did not, take place.
We used to have a much larger committee, but it became unwieldy and unworkable, so moves were taken to trim it back. We changed nights and times and didn’t inform everyone. Unfortunately, it slightly backfired and we are down to three – although full praise to all those who come out and give valuable assistance when the festival draws closer.
One reason we had to cut the numbers hit me one night when I was preparing the agenda and discovered that at item 24 we would be discussing: “Tupperware boxes for raffle money”. Something had to go.
Selkirk Sessions will go ahead once again this year because we have another two committee meetings before the weekend of October 4-6.
It is firmly established on the festival calendar and draws friends from across a wide area. I have to go now and prepare an agenda. Item 1: Date of next meeting.