Charity Dinner Dances and Balls !
Hi Everyone
The other Saturday we had a very successful
charity dinner dance at St Andrews Hall in Sydney University raising
much needed funds for an orphanage and organized by the well known
Rotary, inner west branch. Fay and I had 40 people who attended and
the event seemed to be enjoyed by most (although there was a
complaint that there were not the moves, difficult when it's a
buffet, but we'll try to do the moves on future ones). The cost was
$85 which seemed to be very good value for masses of food to choose
from, all the drinks supplied (alcoholic and non alcoholic) and the
provision of a band for dancing (which was delayed because the
auction went a bit late, (these charities seem to do these auctions
to raise money with items provided by sponsors) and particularly
considering there are various rather commercial singles dinner
operators who have been running dinners on weekday nights for many
years which almost always cost you about $80 - $100 all up (not
counting their $200+ membership fees) without music and dancing and
and with much smaller groups and they have been getting people for
years.
Hence it can be argued that it would be possible to
get singles on Saturday (or some Fridays) nights to well run charity
dinner dances and balls at a reasonable price, rather than over the
top prices, where the money goes to a good cause and not to (to me)
the organizer.
Finding these more suitable events can be a
bit difficult and it may be better for our members to suggest a
dinner dance or ball for a charity which they are involved with or
fond of rather than me finding ones cold which none of the members
are involved with. I think people might be more prepared to warm to
and support a charity if one or some of our members already supports
them and is prepared to recommend that we support that particular
charity's dinner dance or ball. If I find charities which no one has
heard of people may not want to come. But then again my doing so may
introduce members to charities of which they have not heard and which
are nevertheless, in spite of the fact they have not been recommended
to me or heard of by the members, still quite good causes in their
own right and this may lead to some members deciding to get involved
with them in their own time - so maybe it does not matter.
I
am considering promoting and supporting one charity (dinner dance)
event per month, or two if needs be. My question is: will members
(enough different ones) continue to support charity events to quite
reasonable, credible charities? I would prefer to support charities
which do a dinner dance and in some cases we may have to tolerate the
auctions, but some members might enjoy them and the others learn to
enjoy them (just bring your credit card in case you do see something
of interest). I would prefer people make their bookings and payments
directly to the charity so I do not have to handle the money (but I
am already finding they expect me to do it as they have enough to
do). I will also be advising the charities that many singles
already attend these events (and they don't always bring a date) and
like to meet other singles and it is very inconsiderate of the
organizers to put the singles on the couples tables and not on some
composite singles tables where they can have a chance to meet other
singles. It is rare that singles want to be on all couples tables -
unless they are really shy - and usually this only occurs because the
organizer has not had the courtesy and decency to inform them of the
singles tables. Of course, as I found on our last event, some members
see these as ideal events to bring a date and they can opt to be put
on our members' own couples tables - as we may well get enough of
them.
On the email list we currently have many people
who have come to be in a relationship as a result of coming to past
events and so don't currently come to events. They may care to come
to these charity events and be on couples tables where they
will be able to meet other couples as they would not really want to
be on singles tables. Most singles will have friends who are couples
and would be able to get groups together and their couple and single
friends can be seated where they wish.
I am after suggestions
for charity dinner dances and balls for reasonable causes in the
coming months which are worthy of our support and expect many members
would be quite happy to support the occasions of their choice. I am
sure that a large number of members of a club of this calibre would
feel that paying some money towards an enjoyable event where they can
both make new friends and support a good cause is in most cases money
well spent and so expect a good response - even though there are many
people on the list who have no experience of such events.
At
this stage I would prefer to support charity events that are less
than $125 (or maybe go to $150). What do you think? Some events are
over around $250 but I don't think that is for us at this stage
and I would like to support those who price their events more
attractively in line with amounts people who don't know about the
more reasonable priced dinner clubs are paying for only midweek
dinner events run by operators who have an eye only to profit as
mentioned above. Those operators will never run an event from which
they do not make money.
A strong point for supporting these
charities is that at these charities you are very likely to meet
other unattached people who are not members of any other such group
as this, those who we call "off the beaten track", who are
the best prospects for a relationship as they are not as likely to be
involved in all manner of internet dating and singles groups making
them less likely to decamp if things get difficult or boring as can
happen with permasingles who well know their options. Dinner dances
and balls are not always composed of committed couples only though
many other singles who are unattached will invite someone as their
partner for their night. It does not mean they are committed and we
will have to work out how you can approach other tables who may have
potential "talent" to meet. (One of the best ways is to
beckon to them if you catch their eye - try it (or get a friend to do
it) and see if they come to you - it's fun). I think over a peroid of
time, as happened the other Saturday, those who came as a convenient
couple for the night, once it is known we are attending these events
will sidle up to me and ask for a contact number or website as they
may like to come along with us later to other dinner dances and
balls - if their date doesn't last.
Feel free to send
this email on to someone maybe more involved in charities than
yourself so that they may contact me re suitable charity dinner
dances and balls in Sydney.
If you have friends who would
like to go on the email list for notification about these this
particular type of events pass this email on to them for them to go
onto the email list by using the form at the contact
page or ringing me.
David 8214 8397 or 0419 605
365
dinnerclub.net.au
emailoutpage
speeddating.net.au
