Putting on Events, Eaton Day, doubting churches, swearing at friends and all the rest this Memorial Day!

Jim from M&M Press with the new history book 20 years
to the day from when they did the first!

This week is almost over, and the little event  “Eaton Day” that we are putting on is here and… I have broken the two most important rules that I have learned in putting events on.  

After putting on 8 Fall Festival History Weekends, 4 Archives Events and 16 Eaton History Days, 2 Bicentennials, a Fireman’s 50^th Anniversary & co directed the 170^th Madison County Fair…I did it…I swore at my volunteer helper and asked another who is a busy person to do two things. My rules are never swear at your helpers and never ask people to do impossible jobs… 20 years of experience left in the dust!

The helpers for the events have dwindled (death and moving away) to a few people, good people, who are trying hard for Eaton’s 220 Birthday and the Town of Eaton Community, but alas…the leader is tired…far too tired.

Barb Keough has run the gauntlet with me and as I tried to describe what I wanted her to do while holding up over 100 lb. weight… I snapped….the Big D…. Y… words came out…I was appalled at myself!!! The horror!!!!

Not a hour later my good friend Cathy came over and was as mad as I had seen her ever…. she had brought me the 10 chairs I requested.  Well she was also baking today as she had something to do all day tomorrow…so in the midst of cookie bake off she was trying to fill the shoes of Judy Lyrek who was out of town…and get me chairs.

Now we had borrowed 10 chairs from this church in Morrisville for many events…Judy and Cathy get them, bring them down the day before, and pick them up that day and bring them back…. Simple I thought… until Cathy showed up.

Seems people were off on their whatever’s, and the many she contacted wouldn’t take responsibility for loaning this (20 year community group that is putting on an event for the whole Town of Eaton on Memorial Day for the 20^th time) ten chairs. 

Undaunted and resolute she did not call me (she should have at what time I would have dug some up from a more cooperative group), but had to round up the ten chairs from her card playing friends (who I thank for believing they will be returned) and even taking one off a porch!!!  I was appalled!

I pointed out to her why I always say...”Putting on a community event with volunteers…is like stabbing yourself in the eye a hundred times with a sharp pencil!”

The person I sat with later with a drink, who forgave me for swearing at her, and poor Cathy... say they are still my friends, but I wonder?

And as events go, it is not very big…just a mark in time for a rural community that is still trying to protect its history for the coming generations…but perhaps for me the cost has become too high!  This is the last Eaton Memorial Day Monday Event I am doing…can’t do it again.

Here is a video clip of 20 years ago today...Another still friend I hope Owen Corpin!

So my plea is to you the reader…please come out and support the wonderful volunteers and neighbors in your town who are doing this for you… and for a little town museum …though I am prejudiced… that is one of the best little museums in upstate New York!