Meet up Glasgow

I have been to only one Glesga Grannies meeting and was made very welcome, particularly by Marydoll. I hope to be in Glasgow at a time when I can go to another one, but sadly, not this time. Have fun, everyone!

Larra I certainly did welcome you and we discussed your nervousness about coming.
You told me as we were leaving the venue, that you had a lovely time at and you were looking forward to the next one.

I PMd you a few times, alerting you to the fact we were meeting up and had a chat group to keep in touch between meet ups. You never responded, perhaps you don't read PMs.

Therefore, I really don't understand your post at all. Why would you want to stir up all this unpleasantness again?

I am not even going to defend myself, those who know me, know that I am not how you portray me.

Larra that’s rubbish.

I agree with baggs if you want a private group that's fine no need to advertise it here. You seem to think this is your group. I did meet up but you were the only person that never took time to chat. Everyone else was lovely, maybe you should take a back seat for a while.

Pax.

Don't put me in the wrong, Mary. You asked me a question. I answered it honestly. A little lengthily perhaps, but I'm not the only one doing that.

I get that you don't understand what my problem was and I'm OK with that. Cheers.

Baggs, why do you feel the need to continue this, when you have already made it clear how you feel?
I was hoping that the thread would just end and things would settle down,

I will repeat, as well you know, that was discussed in private over only a couple of days, was suitable dates. We had a fair number of prospective dates and were trying to work out what was best.

The plan as we always do, was to start a thread with the details, once confirmed. That way anyone interested could register their interest or just turn up on the day..

To outsiders, it may appear that we are a clique, nothing can be further from the truth. There are nineteen grans on the chat and as far as I know, none of us realised that we were being exclusive.

I think it is now now time for me to relinquish my role as Grand Facilitator, I have realised how incompetent I am. That is not me being a drama queen, but I am genuinely upset and annoyed that you feel that way.
Sometimes posters (me included) do not realise the impact of their words on others.

For me, the anticipation of the Christmas meet up, something I was looking forward to, has suddenly lost its appeal.

I am off to spend the day with my granddaugher and have nothingfurther to add. to add.

However, why did you not mention you were uncomfortable on the chat, Baggs, instead of leaving without an explanation? You know most of us and must be aware that we welcome everyone to the meet ups and the chat. That baffles me.

In answer to your question and bafflement, first I did not leave without explanation, see my post yesterday at 10.37 where I gave an explanation. Secondly, I did not mention I was uncomfortable on the chat group precisely because I was so uncomfortable, not with the people (as I keep saying but everyone is ignoring) but with the idea that it was necessary for organising meet-ups. I do not have a problem with people having chat groups for holiday snaps and Halloween costumes, etc that they may not want to share publicly on Gransnet.

Your bafflement, you and other people completely ignoring the fact that I have repeatedly said and agreed on this thread that the Glesca Grannies are a nice friendly bunch, I can only say that I find baffling. I think we'll have to agree to be quits on that 🙂

I can leave it at that, having concluded that people simply don't understand what I'm saying, perhaps because no-one else has felt similar discomfort about what looks to me like privately arranging something that I thought was meant to be public. If that's not what the chat group is really for then I don't have a problem with it. Thanks for inviting me but I had to mute all the pings anyway, especially at work.

All the best.

Sticking my oar in here as it's absolutely nothing to do with me, but I love reading about the Glasgow grannies' meet ups. I love seeing the photos and putting faces to names. You have done a great job as far as I can see Marydoll.

Thank for your post, Old Fill, I won't be leaving GN, that would be over dramatic as if I am not dramatic enough..
However, I think I need to rethink how I engage, aware that I can be over enthusiastic and may unwittingly offend or irritate some posters. C'est la vie!

There was no intention to instigate a clique I abhor cliqueiness, but accept that it may have looked that way to some.

The Glasgow Grans are a lovely group and have been so supportive. I thoroughly enjoy being in their company, they are great fun. Unfortunately, being the over sensitive soul that I am, the comments, in addition to other worries, have affected me in a negative way.

I won't be commenting further, I just felt I had to offer an explanation.

Marydoll - you would be very much missed if you were not on GN so please put up with the angst! Many different situations evolve from forums of this type and I feel it's quite wrong to try to censor that, it won't work.
By the way, I've not met Marydoll, I'm not on the what's app group and I've not been to a Glasgow meet so l think I'm fairly unbiased.

Although, I find your comments unfair, you have every right to voice your concerns. However, why did you not mention you were uncomfortable on the chat, Baggs, instead of leaving without an explanation? You know most of us and must be aware that we welcome everyone to the meet ups and the chat. That baffles me.

Not all meet ups (definitely not meaning the Glasgow ones) have been publicised on GN, I know that for a fact. For that reason, we tried to find different ways to ensure, that as many as possible know about them.
Your concerns could have been easily addressed, without the need to post about it.

To be fair, the proposed meet up was only mentioned over the last couple of days.
The chat was mainly full of holiday snaps and Halloween costumes until then, when someone asked if we were having a December meet up.

To be honest, I am wondering whether being on GN is worth all the angst.

No, the reference to possible cliquiness (sp?) is about the separation of the discussion from Gransnet – whose open forums are what have sparked such meetups – not a reference to the friendliness of the people wishing to meetup in Glasgow (or anywhere else).

As I've already said, I brought this up because I feel uncomfortable about that separation. If nobody else does, then so be it. This is not a drama. It's just someone putting in their tuppenceworth. People are perfectly free to disagree, as can be seen.

That's fine Baggs but there is more than one way of doing things. I am a new member of the WhatsApp group but have yet to attend a meet up. I don't find the extra communication at all complicated or potentially harmful. I have been made very welcome and am looking forward to meeting up in person. If you have actually attended those meetings then surely you must know the people involved and the intentions behind the WhatsApp group. You are questioning the friendliness of the group by posting Cliquey, much?.

From what I've read on GN other GN WhatsApp groups exist for local meets, and the Glasgow group were not the first to instigate one. Really I don't understand the drama.

PS A certain long-standing member of GN used often to be the one organising Edinburgh meetups, but that was because arrangements (bookings, payments, etc) had to be made for where to meet. This isn't an issue for the Glasgow ones.

You don't need to "facilitate a poll" on Gransnet. Nobody needs to do that. Just do what has been done before. If people don't respond to a meetups thread some weeks before it's due, try again nearer the time, perhaps with a mention of where these meetups usually happen and at what time of day. A Grand Controller is not required.

We have had threads asking about dates for Glasgow meetups many times. It doesn't matter who starts them or how a date is agreed so long as anyone who might want to turn up can see it loud and clear in the Gransnet Meetups Forum.

To reiterate, the friendliness of the Glesca Grannies is not in question. I feel that an extra, unnecessary layer of communication inclines towards a lack of inclusiveness simply because it complicates things a bit and that, it seems to me, is potentially harmful.

It doesn't sit well with me. Hasn't for a while. I felt I should speak up.

I had planned to do, as brook suggested.. I did mention it on the GM thread today.

I am unsure how to facilitate a poll on a GN thread, but am happy to learn. In the past, it has been a nightmare, going backwards and forwards trying to accommodate the majority writing it down on bits of paper, collating the info and trying to work out what suits.
The poll was an aid, neither exclusive nor cliquey.
It was not intended to upset anyone.

Def unfair comment…I went to meet-up for the first time at the last Glasgow meet-up and can only say that I was welcomed with open arms.
Marydoll goes out of her way to include everyone!

There is a poll on the WhatsApp chat or you can register your interest here

Why is a poll on a whatsapp group better than a poll on a Gransnet thread?

Why is a second step (the whatsapp group) seen as necessary? What's wrong with groups forming publicly on here as has always happened before with meetups (not just Glasgow ones).

I'm not questioning anyone's friendliness, just what I see as an unnecessary 'layer' of communication.

It’s a shame the what’s app group has caused upset, that wasn’t the intention at all and apologies from me if that’s happened
Like marydoll says its main purpose was to facilitate a voting system to agree a meet up date to suit everyone
I hope we can resolve this by putting the proposed dates on here too allowing everyone who might wish to come along to join us x

Baggs

I've pulled out of the Glesca Grannies chat group because it seems wrong to me to be planning off Gransnet what started as a Grensnet meetup.

People shouldn't have to send PMs to anyone to be able to join a Gransnet meetup. It should be publicly arranged in this forum.

Cliquey, much?

Baggs, in addition to the chat, I have also been starting threads about Glasgow Grans meet ups on GN and getting little or no response.

I started a thread immediately after our last meet up about a proposed Christmas meet up , but got little or no response.

Furthermore, I have PMd anyone new, who has posted on the threads, welcomed them and updated both them and the thread on what has been proposed , invited them to the meet up and/or to join the chats, if they wish.
I think you are being very unfair, but I appreciate that you is your perception.

I am quite sad to read your post and how you feel.
I have done my best, to be inclusive, but obviously got it totally wrong.

Finally, the chat was suggested because trying to arrange a meetup with so many people was problematic. It was suggested ( not by me) that we vote on suitable dates. WhatsApp allows a facility to do that and I offered to facilitate it. That is the main reason for starting it.
It allows people to easily choose the best day for them and we go with the majority, which is a fair way to do it. The views of anyone, not on the chat are also noted.
Trying to sort days to allow everyone to come is not easy.

As for being a clique, we have many new members, who have been warmly welcomed.
We always say on the thread that everyone is welcome, whether new or a regular.

That opinion is correct, Graniesunite, and I haven't said otherwise.

They are chatting "behind the scenes" rather than on here about the next meetup. I'm not comfortable with that.

I’m not part of the Glesca Grannies but I don’t get that impression at all from them. We are all different I suppose Baggs

I love watching and seeing their meets ups being arranged and I’m sure all who could make their meet ups would be made very welcome.
Just my opinion .

I've pulled out of the Glesca Grannies chat group because it seems wrong to me to be planning off Gransnet what started as a Grensnet meetup.

People shouldn't have to send PMs to anyone to be able to join a Gransnet meetup. It should be publicly arranged in this forum.

Cliquey, much?