The Hobbit Hole XXIII - Let them go! Let them go!

[HairOfTheDog]

Ah well that's good.... for them :~D

[Corin Stormhands]

Yeah, this is irritating, and I feel kinda stupid with it. But at least I won't have to worry about wearing my contacts on the beach...(no contacts until this is better)...

[RMDupree]

Thank heavens you (and your truck) are OK!

I've seen lightning strike in my backyard and it is terrifying. You can feel the hairs on your neck stick straight out!

Take care of that eyeball, Corin. Pinkeye is a straight-out PITA.

[JenB]

Yuck, pinkeye? I had that once, back when I got normal eye problems instead of weird ones. Don't mess with it...

[Corin Stormhands]

Yep, it's no fun.

g'nite folks. Hopefully I'll sign in by sometime later tomorrow or at least by Monday from thebeach.

[JenB]

Well, safe travels!

[SuziQ]

Hope y'all have a real uneventful week at the beach!! ;o)

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

that's the year I was born

Youngster! ;P

[SuziQ]

published in 1974
Heh, that's the year I was born. ;)

Dang you're young! That's the year I graduated from college!

[g'nad]

No, but I did have a map of the New York subway system...

didjuh sell it to a guy named Achnad?...

[g'nad]

got some antibiotic eye drops for the pinkeye

figgers...

[g'nad]

First, the truck is fine. But this was a HUGH loblolly pine. Apparently the lightning just went straight down the tree

well that's breakin' the cycle...

[2Jedismom]

Good morning...

Steve took the jedis and went to church. I just couldn't go.

Steve went to the meeting yesterday...the informational meeting about BA CHEF. It was awful and we found out more stuff and my heart is just broken.

I will explain that Steve is not well-known in CHEF...I am, but he's been so busy that they *know* him, but likely don't put the two of us together, so he went in pretty incognito. It is also well-known that Celeste and I are very good friends...we're always together.

Well, they didn't hold nothin' back and I'm completely devastated by what Steve learned.

Apparently it was our president and her husband and Celeste and Andrew (that Steve hunts with) that went in, told "Big CHEF" that they felt it was better if BA CHEF split off. That was it...but the thing is, all these people had signed up for BA CHEF and the new group that our former president and Celeste formed took all that money. Multiply $34 by 150 people. $24 per person goes to Big CHEF, $10 would normally go to the BA CHEF.

Celeste and the former president then emailed everyone and said there was no BA CHEF any more. Celeste told me to just change the name of our egroup to the new name of the organization.

I didn't do it, I just made up a new egroup. Something in my spirit said changing the egroup name wasn't right.

I was right.

The deal is, a LOT of people...and I mean a LOT are unhappy about what Celeste and the president did. They are still going to go ahead and continue on with BA CHEF.

And I'm just reeling that this is my best friend that did this...

Steve came home from the meeting and the whole time he was reading me the notes from the meeting we were both crying. He said there were people there that had been in leadership with BA CHEF *that voted to separate* put then realized the error and were begging forgiveness. He said people were very upset but that everyone was wanting to continue on with BA CHEF.

He said that the "Big CHEF" leadership is going to confront the new group about the monies they took, but it was unlikely a lawsuit would follow, because "Christians should be able to work this kind of thing out".

It's just the worst thing I've ever been a part of. Celeste and Andrew go to our church! Their son was at Matthew's birthday party yesterday and have grown up together. He was at my house while Steve was at a meeting finding out that his parents were instrumental in tearing our organization apart.

And not only that, she tried to manipulate me into changing BA CHEF's egroup into her break-off organization's egroup by leading me to believe there was no BA CHEF any more.

See, each person has a job in CHEF and the egroup was my responsibility. Whenever someone signs up for the egroup, it was my responsibility to make sure they were BA CHEF members before allowing them to participate. *Now* I have the delightful task of removing all the people that are going with the break-off support group and trying to figure out (without any membership forms or other evidence of payment) those who want to remain with BA CHEF.

After the meeting yesterday, Steve and I have decided to remain with the remnant of BA CHEF. My friendship with Celeste is in tatters. I didn't go to church because my heart is so broken and I admit, I'm angry and I shouldn't go to church so full of bitterness...because I'm sure I couldn't hide it if I see her. It'll pass, with prayer and time...but it's too raw right now.

[2Jedismom]

I mean, here's an analogy of what I'm going through right now...

OK, Free Republic is like Big CHEF and The Hobbit Hole is like BA CHEF.

What if a couple of people from the Hobbit Hole decided to go off and start a new thread at DU called The Gates of Moria and about half the people from the Hobbit Hole decided that was a good idea and quit posting in the Hobbit Hole. To me, that would be very hurtful, since I like everyone in the Hobbit Hole.

Now imagine that one of those people that quit posting in the Hobbit Hole had the donated knife money.

And imagine how you'd feel if one of the instigators of the whole thing was your best friend.

[HairOfTheDog]

This is just the thing, it seems, with little clubs. Every trail riding club I've ever thought of joining here, 'politics' takes over all the meetings and they fight like dogs. There are three different chapters of BackCountry Horsemen here because they split up and can't get along. I think it's human nature!

[RosieCotton]

OK, that makes a little more sense now. And I can see why it would bother you. I'm not sure what can be done at this point...and if it's true that the group was really large, maybe a split was bound to happen. Granted, this is a really messy way for it to happen.

I'll be prayin' for ya, 2J - for peace and that this is resolved in some way.

[HairOfTheDog]

Very sorry about your friendship with Celeste. I can only hope you work it out in time.

[2Jedismom]

I guess so, but one of the reasons it's such a blow is because no body knew anything about it! Just BOOM! No fighting. No discord that anyone was aware of...it came down to the root of all evil. Money. BA CHEF wanted Big CHEF to lower their dues so that BA CHEF could raise theirs and get a bigger building to have the meetings in. Big CHEF couldn't do that because sheesh, they gotta budget you know???

But within minutes of the meeting with Big CHEF requesting the lower dues (which was of course denied), BA CHEF sent out the email saying that BA CHEF didn't exist any more. It was like they fully expected Big CHEF to deny it and were prepared.

The thing that gets me is Celeste's arrogance at declaring that BA CHEF just didn't exist any more and for me to change the egroup to the new support group.

Analogy: The people that start The Gates of Moria declare the Hobbit Hole doesn't exist anymore and ecurb needs to change freeper.the-hobbit-hole.net to du.the-gates-of-moria.net.

That is basically exactly what Celeste did to me.

Thanks for letting me talk about this...I'm pretty upset.

[2Jedismom]

You know, it was a hugh group and I do try to see the blessing in it...BA CHEF will be smaller and I'll actually get to know most of the ladies instead of "just knowing their faces".

I think the next couple of months will be rocky, but hopefully it will smooth out. I don't know what is to become of me and Celeste.

The former president has "gone on vacation" and Celeste won't answer her phone or come to the door. (Andrew dealt with me when I was picking up and dropping off their son for the party yesterday.)

[Peanut Gallery]

Gigem