A Modest Proposal for the Improvement of Public Meetings; Or, The Famous Wee-Ones Daycare Meeting

Recently I have been attending a lot of meetings. It has occurred to me that it would be a large benefit to mankind if they could be a tad more efficient. My mind searched over the past year for the best meeting of the year. NO CONTEST. It was the famous Wee-Ones Daycare meeting a couple of months ago.

The purpose of the meeting was for West side residents to choose a design for the new park. The meeting was held on a Saturday morning... A time when groggy residents could have, without the proper mocha, launched into a long debate. Instead something pretty wonderful happened.

The meeting was held in the playroom of the daycare. There were 20 kiddie chairs lined in two neat rows. There was one large lazy-boy chair. The people who attended deferred to Mr. Berg, although he preferred to hold the door open for late arrivals. So, the plush lazyboy chair remained empty. Folks just sat in those little chairs six inches off the ground.

Mayor Ringhand and Bill Hammann presided over the meeting, but rather than sit in elevated chairs in front of paneling, because we were short easels, they held up the various designs to choose from. Their role as easel bearers made everyone feel very down home comfortable.

It is not true that sitting in those little chairs made citizens passive. When Ald. Hammann suggested that possibly the rest room central location was not too important, the wife of "Grumps" spoke courageously up to protest. The rest rooms central location IS important. OK. Everyone agreed.

In a heartbeat the meeting was over. 31 minutes flat. Good debate. Quick decision making.

So, I think we should order 30 or 40 wee-ones chairs quickly. Yes, even the alderman could sit in them. Just think of all the money and time we will save as a city.