I don’t know about you but one of my great thrills in life is wondering prior to each Boater’s meeting if the AV equipment, i.e. the laptop and sound system, is going to work.
And for those of you thinking that if this is the excitement highpoint of my life each month, and I need to get out more – you would be right…
But do you not get a frisson of excitement as the speakers rise to their feet to talk and present to us? Do you not wonder if the equipment this month is going to work?
And every month we get asked ‘Is this thing on?’ and ‘Can you hear me?’
The answer to which is usually no and no.
And given our age as a group, even Brian Blessed would need amplification to satisfy the aural expectations of us all, should he decide to pay us a visit.
This is a great shame as, unlike many who might speak to us, and I would include the Committee here, he at least would have a fighting chance of being heard by us all. And without amplification.
Why is it so difficult for us to get everything in full working order?
It is not as if we need Glastonbury Festival-like sound after all.
All we need is to link a laptop to a projector and know how to turn on Powerpoint.
And provide some straightforward amplification.
It should be simples.
But I wouldn’t change a thing.
I would not want to see our Membership monies splurged on an easier to use sound system.
Like a megaphone.
Nor do I want to see the introduction of tedious pre-meeting sound checks.
One-two-one-two.
And it would be silly for a venue of our size to have a fully qualified sound engineer with hi-tech mixing desk in attendance at our meetings.
Where would be the fun if we did any of those things?
I would miss the rising anticipation in advance of every meeting. The wonder. The excitement.
And those of us in the cheap seats in the hall would miss our monthly flutter on what will work perfectly this time.
Will it be the sound?
Will it be the laptop?
Will it be both?
Please, please, please don’t change a thing.
We love it just the way you are.
