I don't know if I should chime in here or not... I have a different perspective.
For a few years I scheduled the school. I am sure it has taken years off of my life, every week to call and remind them of the talk, theme & what they are working on. Invariably they took this opportunity to tell me that {insert excuse here} they won't be able to do it. Then the process to find a replacement.... horrible..
So.. D, if you are one that can be called upon, short notice and step up, you have no clue know how valuable you are! I kept a few people like yourselves on speeddial, I tried to be beneficent, trying a few others that 'might' do it, and only after a few tries, rotating thru the standby's.
I know, I know, I'm glad I can help out as much as I do. It would just be nice to feel like some of my brothers and sisters step up as much as I do, you know? It's like I'm in a huge family, and although everyone eats dinner together, I'm always doing the dishes. It has to be done, but it'd be nice for someone else to offer every now and then.
you know, if you keep offering, you'll keep being used. I say stop going to meetings. That way you can't be asked. JK JK. THIS IS NOT A SOLUTION.
The real answer: Pray about it, and talk to one/some of the elders. Maybe it's local needs worthy.
Hmm, I didn't think they'd make a local needs about it. I hate complaining, because every time I speak to any one of the elders, they say something like "You and Donovan help the congregation so much", so I can't be like "Yeah, we don't want to help so much so raspberries to you." And in about a year, we plan to move to a different town and different congregation anyway, so this will all be moot. Unless they ask us to stay... oh man, I hope they wouldn't ask us to stay...
That's very true. Garrett does the school and I know how it goes when he tries to find a subsitute. But he used to ask me every single time, and I'm like G, I can't subsitute EVERY WEEK. Then he found other sisters that do it too. So actually, it has gotten alot better. But the excuses that he gets, wow. One time a sister told him she couldn't find anything in the material so she didn't do it. No advance warning. Just showed up at the meeting and was like yeah i'm not giving it.
Ok, i've never had it that bad! LOL
I't can get very stressful, it is such a relief to hear the words 'yeah, I'll do it', and you actually know they will! It is even worse when they cancel night before, or even day of.
I have a question for you...Garrett always talks about how he will never tell someone from the platform to "work on" something. He said he doesn't have the heart to do it. Afterwards when he counsels the person he will give them advice and tell them to try to work on something, but on the platform he said the person would do the worst job ever, and he would never tell them they need to work on that. Are you like that too?
I have never been school overseer... just the school scheduler.
IIRC when we started with the BE book, the instructions changed to, commend, commend, commend. If anything would need 'counsel' it would be done privately after the meeting.
I have know of a few people that ANY council would be a crushing blow,(flaxen wick, reed etc.) so small suggestions etc. is all they are ready for.
Everyone is different. So, knowing the student is probably more important than getting everyone to the same level. Think about it a school with no finish. Plenty of time for some to make minute advances.
Don't know if that helps.
wow... i never want to have to do that. i would just try to make people feel really guilty:
"wow... that stinks. i guess we won't be having any talks this week. Won't the congregation be disapointed"
seriously tho... people that do that often should be told that it's a priveledge to give talks