Once upon a time, in a land of greenery and blue skies, a coterie of
like minded people gathered regularly to discuss matters
photographic.
Some lived nearby,
others came from far away, making the arduous journey to seek out the
enjoyment of the company of their fellow members.
Such was the
attraction of these meetings that it was decided, by popular opinion,
that not only would this band of people congregate near the base of
the mountains on a regular evening, they would also gather in
far-flung locales to enjoy each other’s company for an extended
period once or twice a year.
So it was that in
the latter period of the year just past the people decided to once
again gather in friendship in a region not very distant from their
normal habitat but far enough for the chosen place to seem like a
holiday destination.
And sadly, this is
where our tale takes a turn for the worse, for the chosen
accommodation proved to not be at all suitable and so the quest was
on for another venue suitable for all the tastes and budgets of the
people.
As curious as it may
seem, many members of the group have a life outside of their gang of
fellow photographers. Some even work for a living, or like to have
holidays and some even fall sick on occasion, throwing the plans of
the group into chaos, and so it was with the first overnight
excursion of the current year.
There were many
willing hands to pull the excursion together, and this they did but,
unfortunately, without a suitable level of coordination, which caused
concern and frustration amongst the people. To add to their woes, a
brief missive in the group’s official publication made mention of a
twenty pieces of gold surcharge to help defray the increasing costs
of running their club. This missive was prompted by the Keeper of the
Purse mentioning to the Grand Poobah that a surcharge was appropriate
in the circumstances, to which the Grand Poobah agreed.
This conversation
was overhead (and somewhat misunderstood) by a member of the fourth
estate who duly reported it in the very next edition of his
publication, adding to the woes surrounding this excursion. A second
source of information for confirmation was not sought, a basic error
that ought not to have occurred.
When the news was in
circulation, there was a flurry of communication utilising many of
the wonderful forms of electronic wizardry available to all and
sundry, the outcome of which was that there would no longer be a
twenty pieces of gold surcharge, to the relief of many.
The congress of
members who rule munificently, have all, in the recent past, agreed
that the communal purse needs extra sustenance to keep their group in
the manner to which they have become accustomed. The Keeper of the
Purse is charged with the financial well being of our club and
indeed, reports monthly on the state of our purse. He takes this task
so seriously that he has, on many occasions, refused to fund a very
important photographic fact finding mission (for the benefit of
members) by the Grand Poobah to far flung exotic destinations over
the seas such as London, New York and the French Riviera.
He even knocked back
Box Hill, but I digress.
There have been many
occasions during the organisation of this latest expedition when
communication could have been better but it now all seems to be
settled. The organisers have even arranged for mild nights, sunny
days, clear skies, amazing sunsets and breathtaking sunrises for the
enjoyment of all (except for the Keeper of the Record, who is, legend
has it, impervious to the charms of a breathtaking sunrise).
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