Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Generals....

What a pain in the a$$. About a month ago I got put in charge of the 232nd Army Birthday Streamer Ceremony for Fort Eustis. When I tell that to people who know what it entails, they ask me who I pissed off. The ceremony is high visibility show / production that's put on to celebrate the Army's Birthday. All high ranking Officers (Colonels and Generals) and Enlisted Soldiers (Sergeant Majors) are expected to attend ... fun. I know absolutely nothing about putting on a show and I am the least creative person I know. But I did all the planning and most everything has been coordinated. Notice I said MOST everything. The show is next week and I have all the props, but no people to perform. Kind of key, I'm going to work on that tomorrow. Also, I wasn't quite sure of how to invite the Generals and other VIPs so I waited until the last minute on that too. I guess I just assumed that the General would have the Army's Birthday on his calendar and plan on attending the event, but when I called his secretary she said she had no idea and that I should send an invitation ASAP. Oops, maybe I should have called earlier. So yesterday I figured out how to write an invitation and I sent it to the Commanding General (CG) and I sent another invitation to this other Brigadier General on post. We have two shows so I need two guest speakers to do the opening comments. The CG wrote back that he would attend and give the opening comments. What a relief, the first show was taken care of, or so I thought. Then I get another email. The General wants recommended comments from me. What the hell. He's the general who's been in for a million years and has been to every Birthday celebration for those million years and he's asking me what he should say? Um... Happy Birthday, thanks for coming, here's a cookie? I have no clue!! Please refer back to the comment where I say I am the least creative person I know. Damn Generals... more work for me to do. And I'm still waiting to hear from the other one. One more week, wish me luck.

6 comments:

Misty said...

Oh my, I'm actually scared for you.

I don't see anything wrong with your recommended comments though. KISS is always a good rule of thumb, as in Keep It Simple Stupid, though I don't suggest you give that as a recommendation to the General.

Good luck!

Liz and Kurt said...

At first glance, I say that you wrote KISS and I thought for a moment that your suggestion was for me to tell him to KISS my a$$.... hee hee.

DougE said...

Ok, you've had this assignment for A MONTH! and you're only asking for advice now?

Liz, obviously you've taken army life to heart & plan for things as well as the rest of the military does.

As for the recommended comments, try this. put "Army Birthday Streamer History" into Google.

You'll end up w/ articles like this

http://amh.freehosting.net/bday2.html

and

http://www.centcommemorial.org/past_two_years_in_review.htm

Blatantly borrow some historical references from these articles.

I think what the General is asking for is for you to do some background research for him for his speech. He's the damn General, he shouldn't have to do his own speechwriting. Just look at GW Bush, you think he writes his speeches?

As for finding people to perform for you, you're in the military, you have subordinates, make it an order that they have to participate, duh!

DougE said...

Oh and because it already sounds like you're having a bad day...


Bad news for cereal lovers, in so many ways

Posted Jun 6th 2007 6:29PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Breakfast, Snacks, Farming, Business, Grains, Stores & Shopping

Love cereal? Well, then you and Jerry Seinfeld may soon be paying a lot more for the stuff (though I'm sure the increased cost won't bother Jerry too much).

Because of unfavorable weather conditions in key areas (who knew one of the places we get our wheat for cereal from was the Black Sea region of the Ukraine??), the cost of wheat is going up, and if those prices continue to be high then companies like Kellogg and General Mills will have to raise prices on their boxes of cereal.

If that wasn't enough bad news? The price of milk is also going up! Milk prices in the U.S. are up 3% this year, and could skyrocket towards the end of the year.

Liz and Kurt said...

Man, that is bad news. Kurt's going to have to start working more just to feed me. BTW... I still use those cereal bowls you got me for Christmas 5 years ago. Two broke along the way, but the other two are the biggest bowls we have and they don't spill. Good gift.

DougE said...

So How'd the Army Flag thing go?