Are you a committee person or do you avoid them like the plague?

Avoid like the plague I’m afraid. The Jackie Weaver episode recently really has solidified that decision.

Avoid like the plague I m afraid, always
Work (in those days) had enough meetings to last me a lifetime

I'm in a bit of a mixed camp over this. In my business life I found some of them a quick route and very useful in discerning which were the 'right' people to assist me along the way and those to avoid. It doesn't take long to figure the windbags from the constructive go getters.

Yup - there are always those who wait until the meeting is almost over and everyone is ready to leave and then they bring up a difficult question. Always. I got to know them and so sometimes I would ask them if they had anything to add before we were ready to close. Mostly it was windy rubbish.

Avoidance here as well. I did my time as volunteer at Parent Advisory Council at school, but just as a 'member at large' instead of executive member.

Every meeting I went to my DH would remind me as I went out the door to "sit on your hands", since if I was volunteered to be in charge of something it usually meant some work for him as well.

I've been on a few committees but hate them! I much prefer to be getting on with the job.

As a retired teacher I can empathise with people who say they e had enough meetings to last a lifetime! A little after retirement I was asked to go back for a limited time for a particular reason. I agreed but on condition I didn’t have to attend staff meetings.......

On the other hand....in clubs like bridge and tennis etc etc there are those who complain about the running of the club but NEVER volunteer to go on committees, which is is wrong IMO.

In my younger days, I enjoyed being a parent governor, teacher governor and PTA secretary, besides helping to front a campaign fighting school closures, which led to a meeting with Kenneth Baker! Exciting!

Before retiring, I was a committee member for a musical theatre company and now I’m the Membership Secretary for Toads Theatre Company, here in Torquay. I just enjoy the discussions and banter whilst hoping I’m doing something useful.

I used to be on PTA and school governor committees, also for the scouts. I was treasurer for a church based organisation.

Used to enjoy them, and look forward to going and seeing people, and helping at events.

Not on any now and don’t want to be.

Think I’ve got rather selfish in my retirement, don’t want to be tied to doing things. It seemed different when I was helping on things for the children.

I have been on several and am still on a couple.
I have found the same on each one.

There is a nucleus who get the organising done and do the bulk of the work.

The ones who get themselves on the committee because it looks good on their CV.

The ones who know just what needs doing and how it should be done but never do it.

The ones who complain about everything the committee does but are of course too busy to think of joining or helping out. They do however seem to enjoy the fruits of everyone else’s labours.

I am on 2: school governor and choral society.

Can cope with them when they are tightly run by the chair, which applies to one of the above but not the other!

I have been on numerous committees over a life time. They are no different from normal life, some work well, some do not.

Apart from that Ginny sums it up very well.

I've always avoided but recently, another employee that I really like and hold in high esteem started a small committee for a recurring event at school and asked me to join. I agreed, because it sounded like a great idea and I have a lot of respect for her.

There are only a few of us and due to covid, our first meeting was via Zoom. It only lasted 30 minutes, but my god, the AMOUNT of stuff we got done was phenomenal. So I guess really, it all depends on who is on the committee.

I have been on lots of committees but find they are only as good as the chairperson. Two I can think of were tough but truly made a big difference.

I liked to take minutes as I was always super careful to take them correctly and though thus made them a bit longer it also meant the smaller voices were recognised.

I am not on any committees now. It would have to be something I was truly passionate about to tempt me back.

A chairman who controls the meeting, shuts down wafflers and sums up the decisions, a tight agenda with time allocated in advance to each item, and a fixed end time make a massive difference I think. I enjoy a productive meeting, but resent wasting my time - Zoom meeting are good because if they aren’t well managed at least I can turn the camera off and do something else at the same time.

I love a good committee--- but only if I'm the Chairperson :-)

I am only on one committee now and its fairly easy going. I do dislike it when people go off at a tangent and then the meeting drags on. I'm usually the one who brings things back to the point. I agree with Ginny there are one or two people who actually do the practical work and others who have ideas but are not prepared to carry them through.

I avoid committees these days but I was a school governor for 22 years. The best meetings were when I was Chair of Governors. Can’t be doing with waffles, people who want to re-open discussions, who have nothing new to say but like the sound of their own voice. I nearly volunteered mat a local school as my main strength lies in interviewing and appointing staff but then I remembered the meetings.

Oh dear!!! About three years ago, I actually told people that I was not going on any committee, ever again, for any reason. I was just going to be one of the 'little people' in the future.

Was keeping to it, then I moved and then Lockdown ensued!!!!

So, when my the residents association asked for more volunteers to come onto the committee towards the end of last year, I was so bored that I put my name down. Ended up doing the role of Secretary -additionally, I have somehow found myself as Vice Chair of a new local U3A group which was set up during Lockdown.

My AC all laughed when I told them I was Secretary and then admitted to me that they had been having bets as to how long I would live here without being on the Residents Cttee!!!!

I used to be on a number of them when working, as others have said, a lot depends on a firm chair (not to sit on)! I used to get fed up with people who hadn’t read previous minutes, or other essential material, so kept dragging up items already sorted or didn’t know the history. Not for me now thanks.

I am chair for our U3A committee. There are time limits on how long people are allowed to be on the committee or hold an office.
Our problem is getting people to come and participate. Our Secretary had done the job for longer than should be due to covid, but has to be replaced at he next AGM.
If we don't get someone to stand up, the U3A will have to fold. And that would cause a lot of complaints from those who wouldn't help.
I am only chair because the same situation arose 2 years ago. I said I'd do one year, it has been 2 and looks like I will have to do a third.

I’ve never been on one, but a BiL and SiL both have, with a LOT of voluntary work involved - and sad to say, both eventually resigned because of all the bitching/sniping/pettiness.

I joined a social club committee my goodness could the chairman be more useless.
Everytime someone proposed a great idea he shot it down in big flames.
Next month he suggested the same idea but worded differently.
I managed 2 years never again will I join a committee.