itsheresomewhere Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 We are supposed to be on a field trip today and tomorrow. I still do not have a time frame or a meeting time for either. I emailed last week asking for a time and yesterday. So far no answer except an email with the places on it that we got earlier when we planned this. I called another mom in it and while she still has no times she was like I needed to be more laid back and go with the flow. Maybe I am the only one bothered by this but we do have kids going without parents. I know one has called me and asked what is up with this. We prepaid for tickets in advance (which the planner has). I swear I will not participate in another group field trip unless I plan it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Of course you're not unreasonable. I plan field trips with groups meticulously, using a work sheet that I developed. Then I give participants detailed information based on that worksheet. Otherwise, I go alone, lol. And then there are the parents who don't bother to read the information I give them. ::heavy sigh:: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 You are not unreasonable. That is ridiculous. Go with the flow is a park day. A field trip with tickets that you paid for needs way more details. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Everytime I think that maybe I should give a support group or a coop another go, I'm reminded of how there's not a benefit to it. Thank you for the reminder. It's not unreasonable at all. Good luck thinking planning it yourself will mean any of them respect things like times or whatever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Everytime I think that maybe I should give a support group or a coop another go, I'm reminded of how there's not a benefit to it. Thank you for the reminder. It's not unreasonable at all. Good luck thinking planning it yourself will mean any of them respect things like times or whatever. I agree. You aren't being unreasonable OP; on the other hand, I doubt you'll get anywhere with these people either. It's an unfortunate learning experience. Some people have patience for this kind of thing and do well with groups, I have found I do not and shun "homeschool field trips" even if the group ticket price would make museum X or a play more financially amenable. Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Everytime I think that maybe I should give a support group or a coop another go, I'm reminded of how there's not a benefit to it. Thank you for the reminder. It's not unreasonable at all. Good luck thinking planning it yourself will mean any of them respect things like times or whatever. I've never been in a support group, co-op, field trip, or even park day that didn't plan a meeting time when they planned everything else. I've always been given a time before I even commit to the event. I'm baffled that nobody can tell you when they're departing. It's easy. Just pick a time and stick with it. This seems like a very odd situation to me. Now if the event is weeks away, and you have a situation where one or two moms are transporting a bunch of teens, I can see them not knowing exactly when they're leaving or picking up each kid. However, if they have tickets for a 7 p.m. show, they should at least know that they'll be picking kids up sometime between 5-6 p.m. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted June 10, 2013 Author Share Posted June 10, 2013 Everytime I think that maybe I should give a support group or a coop another go, I'm reminded of how there's not a benefit to it. Thank you for the reminder. It's not unreasonable at all. Good luck thinking planning it yourself will mean any of them respect things like times or whatever. I won't be planning any trips for this group. Still nothing for today. At least this wasn't a lot of money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Can you call the planner, get your tickets, and go without them? I've never heard of anyone just keeping everyone's tickets hostage and sabotaging the event. It seems you've fallen into a nest of flakes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 I do see this problem frequently with events that are planned strictly over email. You get one person who doesn't "do" emails promptly and the communication string breaks down. Pick up the phone and call the person with the tickets. My personal bet is that she is waiting for info from someone else (via email) in order to send out the times and that person hasn't responded. You may need to make several calls to get the info you need. I never wait for email responses to info that I need now. Just call the person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted June 10, 2013 Author Share Posted June 10, 2013 I do see this problem frequently with events that are planned strictly over email. You get one person who doesn't "do" emails promptly and the communication string breaks down. Pick up the phone and call the person with the tickets. My personal bet is that she is waiting for info from someone else (via email) in order to send out the times and that person hasn't responded. You may need to make several calls to get the info you need. I never wait for email responses to info that I need now. Just call the person. Not answering the phone. I see her every week and even asked for the tickets last week Today's trip was really for an educational tour at a place we go to ourselves. Live and learn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Ditching calls is usually a sign that your organizer doesn't have her act together. Sigh. This is why I stopped being part of an official field trip group. Now I organize field trips and just invite reliable folks whose company I enjoy (and whom I can trust to respond to communications). Is it possible your group's numbers have dropped below the minimum required for the group rate and she is now scrambling to make it a go? Can you call the venue? Perhaps they can let you know what time your group is scheduled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted June 10, 2013 Author Share Posted June 10, 2013 Even though it was supposed to be a rain or shine event, most of the parents cancelled. Or that is the excuse she called me with. Still no plan for tomorrows trip yet. As I said earlier, at least this was not expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Wow, I'd be ticked. Yes, this is one of the reasons we don't many group activities like this. I need details to organize the rest of my day, and if I'm paying up front, give me the tickets because you know many are going to show up late (pet peeve) and then I'm stuck waiting. Sounds like she already knows the dynamic of the group and no one else cares enough. Sorry, how frustrating. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Even though it was supposed to be a rain or shine event, most of the parents cancelled. Or that is the excuse she called me with. Still no plan for tomorrows trip yet. As I said earlier, at least this was not expensive. :grouphug: What a bummer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Wow, I'd be ticked. Yes, this is one of the reasons we don't many group activities like this. I need details to organize the rest of my day, and if I'm paying up front, give me the tickets because you know many are going to show up late (pet peeve) and then I'm stuck waiting. Sounds like she already knows the dynamic of the group and no one else cares enough. Sorry, how frustrating. :grouphug: You would like my field trips. :D I charge for all field trips, even those which are free ($1 per person in those cases). I give extensive instructions/directions/whatnot at the time that I announce the event. I set a deadline for people to sign up; they only count as signed up if I have their money. The deadline is far enough in advance that I can cancel with the venue with no penalty. I don't give refunds unless the event is cancelled. And we go in on time. If you're late, you're sorry out of luck--no field trip, no refund. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 You would like my field trips. :D I charge for all field trips, even those which are free ($1 per person in those cases). I give extensive instructions/directions/whatnot at the time that I announce the event. I set a deadline for people to sign up; they only count as signed up if I have their money. The deadline is far enough in advance that I can cancel with the venue with no penalty. I don't give refunds unless the event is cancelled. And we go in on time. If you're late, you're sorry out of luck--no field trip, no refund. I do this, too. And am shocked every.single.time by the number of people who don't send money on time, want to sign up the day before, no-show, show up late... Boggles the mind. And really, REALLY pisses me off when we arrive somewhere and the no-shows and en route cancellations cause us to not have the minimum number of participants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 I do this, too. And am shocked every.single.time by the number of people who don't send money on time, want to sign up the day before, no-show, show up late... Boggles the mind. And really, REALLY pisses me off when we arrive somewhere and the no-shows and en route cancellations cause us to not have the minimum number of participants. :cursing: :rant: :boxing_smiley: :banghead: Once I began charging people ahead of time and not giving refunds, I didn't have any no-shows or last-minute cancellations. Also, once they knew that I would actually start on time whether they were there or not, we didn't have problems with that, either. I have no mercy. I cancelled an activity once because I didn't have a minimum number; several people called me a couple of days later and were shocked that I had actually cancelled, because they were planning to sign up. Too bad, so sad. I think that was the last one I cancelled, too. A friend said she used to think that I was pretty hard-nosed...until she became the field trip coordinator for her group. Ha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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