[Magdalen] This saying No is tough

[Don Boyd]

On Mon, Sep 22, 2014 at 3:39 PM, Grace Cangialosi <gracecan at gmail.com> 
wrote:  "One thing that often happens in organizations is that the person in 
a  position will agree to stay 'until they find someone.   That, of course, 
provides no incentive for actually finding someone."

I can testify to the truth whereof Grace speaks.  Not long after joining St. 
James', I told the O/CM that I had been a church organist for some years and 
was willing to be called upon should he need a substitute organist (I did 
not volunteer to substitute as CM).  Sure enough, in a couple of weeks he 
asked me to take a service when he would be out of town, and I obliged.  A 
few weeks later, he asked me to substitute for Christmas I as he would be 
out of town visiting family.  Again I agreed, and when I arrived to play 
there was on the organ's music rack a sealed envelope addressed to the 
choir.  I gave the envelope to the pianist (acting CM) and when the 
pre-service rehearsal started, she opened the envelope so as to read it to 
the choir.  I believe she thought it contained some sort of thanks to the 
choir for their hard work in the past year and encouragement to continue it 
for the future.  Instead it announced his resignation, effective 
immediately, to which he added the obligatory "it's been a privilege" 
remarks.

SHOCK!

The choir president asked the pianist if she would be willing to assume the 
CM duties at least on an interim basis.  She agreed, and after the service 
asked me if I would continue as organist.  I said that I couldn't make a 
long-term commitment but would stay on for a few weeks while they found 
someone.  (Twelve years later I retired from the job.)

Don in Austin