Perhaps One Audition Will Be in E-mail Etiquette

I happen to sit on a committee that decides who will be teaching at the local Association. Throughout the year, we have listened to the auditions of various folks and decide who will be hired to teach. Beth--the owner of the real estate school I have taught at--also sits on the committee. I would like to someday teach at the Association, but I'm not into Zoom teaching and at this moment, I don't feel like I have enough experience under my belt to do so. Plus, I've had a few other things going on. 

The auditions have traditionally been 15 minutes. Last August, after I missed a meeting, Beth sent me the following text: "You are going to wish you auditioned yesterday. We had 2 auditions on Tuesday and they only had to do 15 minutes. Going forward all have to do the full three hours for an audition."

That did nothing for me wanting to teach, much less audition. And it did nothing for my opinion of Beth either. But, that's for another blog. 

However, because I might want to teach in the future, I answered the call to sit in on today's audition. Now to be fair, the e-mail went out right after Thanksgiving and it covered the following: there was going to be an audition. It would be on December 18. It is a three hour audition. If you can commit to the entire three hours, and want to participate as a panel member, reply to this e-mail. Then the coordinator added these famous words: "If you do not reply to this e-mail you will not be invited to the meeting on the 18th. Please keep in mind it is going to be 3 hours long."

Not to brag or anything, but I actually read the entire e-mail and I replied that I could attend as a panelist. But, that's just me. 

Apparently other people also replied they could attend because we have a meeting scheduled for later today. 

And what do you know! There are a lot of whiney babies on my committee who are insisting on "Replying All" to the e-mail thread. "What do you mean it is a three hour meeting? Why would we do something like that?... That seems like such a time-waster... Sorry, I can't stay for the duration. I have other obligations..." and lots more outrage from committee members who are annoyed that their Friday morning during a pandemic is being fraught with something they volunteered to do. So, the e-mails have been flying and complaints are being lodged and for the love of all that is pure and righteous, why can't these folks just have private conversations? 

Nobody, however, has addressed my raised eyebrow: we have six auditions scheduled for today--not one person speaking for three hours. All six auditions are15 minutes each and then the committee (those of us who will be there now that several have bowed out) will discuss. Yep, you read that right. Beth--who is co-chair and knew the truth--purposely told me each audition would be three hours. According to Beth, if I wanted to audition, I had to prepare a three hour class. Nope. Not the case. 

I will be at today's auditions. All six of them. Beth is showing up but apparently has to bow-out early. She was one of the reply-all outraged.