Dateline Normal: "Progressive Meetings"----Fiction

I was shocked to see recently that next Monday no less than three meetings will occur in one day for our School District, the Policy Committee at noon, the Buildings and Grounds at 4:30PM and then the regular Board meeting at 5:30PM.

Wondering what to make of the back to back meeting rage, I picked up the phone and called my old friend Herman, the country boy lawyer in Normal, Mn., way up north on Hwy 10 North of the Twin Cities--my favorite getaway town for fishing.

"Herman," I asked, What is with the new fashion of back to back meetings. What is the deal with this?"

Herman replied: "It is PROGRESSIVE---- It was modeled after the Progressive dinners---you know the ones. Ya start at one house for salad, then to the next for main course, the next for dessert, and then the final for happy hour. We have been doing it like that for over 20 years up here in Normal. This way, all the business gets wrapped up in one day.

We used to call the last part, "ACTION ITEMS" but over time, with the introduction of two for one liquor highballs, it was called "Happy Hour". We all vote unanimously. We just have to become consensus leaders. Somedays it takes more highballs than others. "

What a shock! I had thought "progressive" came from the progressive movement in Wisconsin. I never realized it was named after progressive dinners.

Still. It made a lot of sense. Politicians needed a life too. Packing all the meetings in one day sure would be efficient. That way they would have most of the month for real living.

I just wonder whether all the local folks could get used to the progressive style. That "Action Items" or Happy Hour sure was a selling point. It sure does make the word consensus leadership more understable.