Discovered how Bureacrats are reared

We have been making the social teas of late. Those lovely Christmas Teas and craft sales with the baked goods, the penny tables and raffles, raffles and more raffles. Truth be told my husband is the one leading the way. It seems there is a pipeline amongst the men in my community as to which Teas have the best "tool" - you know 'good stuff' draws.

The latest one we attended was the Cubscout and Beaver Tea. The price was right $3.00 each to get in with delicious baked breads (for the most part) and all you can drink half cups of coffee so the little ones don't spill themselves. The penny tables were full of gift certificates for Hardware, oil changes, pizza's, and pierogies - again 'the good stuff'. The handcrafts for sale were little birdhouses shaped like moose and toilet paper roll holders shaped like dogs and cats. Just all round kitch and cute.

My husband hankering for another 'half' cup of coffee also asked if he could get some more dessert breads and handed the young Beaver of Canada the plate and the little boy's response was priceless and telling.

Earnestly he looked at my husband with his big brown eyes, blue and and brown gilligan cap and said oh no Beavers don't clear the tables, Scouts clear tables. Let me get a scout. He scampers off and a scout shows up to whisk away the plate.

I guess they have to start them young but it reminded me of some of the silly workplace scenarios where you call one department and they say they don't do that - the logic is there that they 'should' do that but they have farmed that particular product or duty out. I guess preparing children at ages 5 to 7 for the realities of a globalized market is fair but do we really have to start them so young.

I wouldn't mind departmentalizing myself sometimes. Oh I am sorry, you would be wanting the chauffeur to drive you to the mall. What you need your favorite pair of jeans washed - well its the maids day off - its in her contract. Well the bus boy must be fired because these plates aren't going to walk from the table to the dishwasher by themselves. Interesting how you can be jack of all trades at home but departmentalized and jack shit help to the working public.

All kidding aside, get out there and support those social teas going on in your community. Taking a bead check on who was attending its not your grandmother's affair anymore with knit toilet paper cozies and pot holders. Its a young 30 to 50 something set, kids willing in tow - teenagers too grudgingly in all appearances but scarfing down the goodies all the same. The penny tables have your trashy Christmas knick knacks that you throw a few tickets in for a joke and win but they also have home appliances, tools, services. Its pretty great. If you do see some blue haired ladies there though, watch out because they are the pros of the teas. They have no problem scooting in front of you to plunk their tickets in and they seem to strategize just how many 'waves' of tickets to by. One sweet little thing in her early 80s said the trick was to buy tickets in three sets. Right at the beginning, in the middle and near the end just before the draw goes. It spreads the luck out. She walked away with the Home Hardware giftcertificates, Dinner for Two at The Keg and a nice toaster oven.

If life were only that simple.