Well, festival season is behind us for another year. I hope you took in some of the great ones around the province this past summer and most particularly that you enjoyed the 24th Annual Newfoundland & Labrador Folk Festival, August 4th - 6th in Bannerman Park.

I've been the Festival Coordinator for nine years; each year, I receive lots of advice from committee members with strong opinions and ideas about the best way to do the job. I listen and learn and then do what I think is best, always grateful for my thick skin and my sense of humour. "Trials of a Festival Coordinator" crossed my desk at some time during my tenure and often crosses my mind as I do my job.

Trials of a Festival Coordinator:

If you tend to speak out on a subject, you are trying to run things; if you're silent, you have lost interest.

If you are usually at the office, you don't get out enough; if you are out when called, why don't you stick around more often?

If you are not home at night, you must be carousing; if you are, then you're neglecting necessary outside contacts.

If you do not agree with the volunteer committees, you are either ignorant or bull headed.

If you are too busy for casual talk, your job has gone to your head; if you welcome trivial conversation, that's all you have to do anyway.

If you appear more cordial to one member than another, you are obviously playing politics.

If you to explain both the " pros" and "cons" of something, you are pussy-footing.

If you've only been on the job a short time, you're inexperienced; if you've been there a long time, you need new ideas, and it's time for a change.

If you are well dressed, you think you're a big shot; if you aren't, you're not a proper representative of our important industry.


- Bridget Noonan