Our Traditionally Exceptionally Agreeable Group

[Editor's note:  This is a 50 year old piece written by one of the true matriarchs of Women's Lands and Women's Writings in Oregon.  When Jean read it to Writer's Group recently, we all giggled our way through it.  We hope you enjoy it too.]

by Jean Mountaingrove, Rootworks, Oregon

When the Southern Oregon Women Writers Group, Gourmet Eating Society and Chorus meets, we observe these traditions:

We start promptly at eleven a.m., except when we're expecting someone who is going to be late.


We end promptly at four, except when we run over.

At the end of our meeting we set the place of our next meeting, except when we set it at our previous meeting.

We meet every three weeks, except when no one can make it or the Fall Gathering is that weekend.

We meet on Sunday, except when it is on Christmas Day.

Our potluck is vegetarian, except when a newcomer brings a dish with tuna or shrimp.

We begin by introducing ourselves and stating how much time we want to have to read, or sing, or talk, or make announcments.

Someone keeps track of our requests and reminds us if we ask her.

The order in which we read or sing depends on our nervousness, eagerness, timidity, need to leave early, or intuition.

We have lunch at 12:30, except when we go longer or stop earlier.

We have an hour for lunch except when we are short of time to read and therefore stop earlier and eat fast, or talk about our lives so long that we start later.

We make announcements unrelasted to writing when we gather after lunch except when we can't wait till then.

We don't have dogs at our meetings except Muffin, or if it is your dog and we are at your house, or if it is your special elderly dog.

We state our wishes for response to our material before we read unless we prefer to ask afterwards.

We do not discuss content except when we can't help it.

We may come late if we have another appointment, lose the directions or if the time changed to Daylight Savings the night before.

We may leave early if we have to go to our job or have another meeting.

We may lie down in the meeting to rest or take a short nap.

We may listen and respond from the kitchen when we are preparing our potluck dish.

We may knit, sketch, or do our mending during meeting.

We will read recent writings before choosing prior work except when we haven't written anything recently, or have rediscovered a long overlooked gem.

We do not read the work of someone else not present, except when we all know and like her.

We share information and suggestions for where our works may be published.

We may bring books, magazines, eggs, garlic, raffle tickets and hand knit socks to sell at lunch or after meeting.

We can stand around the table after meeting is over and eat potluck leftovers except when there is nothing left.

I never miss Writer's Group except when Dyke Art Camp is at Rootworks or I must meet a dear friend at the airport that Sunday, so I missed two consecutive meetings and did not run this by my friendly critics.  Therefore, this is all our traditions, agreements, and exceptions, except those I forgot.