Skip to main content.

This page’s menu:

Club Changes in 2007

In a series of e-mail annoucements sent to our club mailing list, Carol Dustin and Steve Pellinen announce two big changes for 2007:

Carol Dustin Makes Two Annoucements

Feb 15, 2007
Hi All,

Those who were at the Thursday club tonight learned that it now has its very own NUMBER -- 651.  Yes, the area code for all of St. Paul (and the area code of La Casita in Roseville) is now the number of the Thursday (or North) club! Welcome to Scrabble Club 651!

And what's new at Club 42?  A change of leadership.  Yes, Steve Pellinen now wears the crown on Tuesday nights!  Splitting the directorship of the two clubs, 42 and 651, will allow us to better serve you, the players.  Dawn will still serve as an assistant at Club 42, and essentially not much about the club experience on either Tuesday or Thursday will be different than it is now.  Next time you see Steve, shake his hand, for he is now the director of the largest, strongest and most fabulous club in the entire Midwest!  (Sue Rhea played midwests against me in a tournament last year, and I should have challenged, because it is a proper noun! but I digress... )

From New Club 42 Director Steve Pellinen

Feb 19, 2007
I imagine Carol's stepping back from Club 42 directorial duties came as something of a surprise to most of us, at least in its apparent haste.  I had the benefit of a few days to ponder it, in that she told me that she was thinking seriously about it last week, but when she asked if I would make the move from assistant director to director I said okay, without stopping to think much about ramifications.

I was reluctant to say anything last Tuesday at club because Carol had just let me know where she was at with things, and I wanted her to be the first to say anything to the group at large.  I suggested that we keep it fairly low-key, which she did, but just in case the rumor/gossip mill is feeling hungry, I thought I should add a few of my own thoughts on the transition.

So here's the deal.  Carol can elaborate as much or as little as she wants about her situation, but I don't think she'd mind my saying that she was feeling burdened by a whole lot of things, and needed to make some changes where she could.  Even with the help of many, directing Club 42 is a lot of work.  My own take is that Carol was approaching symptoms of burn-out, which many of us can relate to, and it was probably good to do something quickly.  She and I had talked about doing this very thing a few years ago when the Thursday club started, so from that standpoint it was a long time coming.  Still, even to me, it seems like a sudden change, so I think people should feel free to discuss, ask questions, etc., while respecting Carol's right to say as much or as little as she wants.  She may have said all she wants at this time.  She directed the club for what, 15 or 20 years? She's earned the right to step away and focus on some other things.  She's still doing the Club 651 thing, and will visit us at Club 42 from time to time, so it's not like she's going away.

To be honest, I don't know how long I'll want to do this, and I think we should regard my role as provisional, for an as yet unspecified time.  Kind of like the interim coaches/managers you see all the time in sports - sometimes they stay on, sometimes they step aside.  Someone has to take over the reins, and I'm willing to do that for now, but it doesn't have to be for another 15 years, or even 15 weeks if there's a better way.

For now, I'd like to see things maintained more or less status quo.  There are a few things I could use some help with, especially since I'll still be doing pairings during club sessions.  That means I can't attend as fully to other things as Carol could.  For example, Joe took care of the money last week, and it would be nice if he or someone else would continue to do that.  Greeting new players, explaining procedures, making them comfortable, etc., is something we all should do, but it would be good if we had one or two designated greeters (in addition to Dawn) who make sure that new players are taken care of.  Lisa may help with writing a weekly summary like Carol did.  I'm sure I'll think of more, but that's enough for now.

More from Carol About the Changes

Feb 19, 2007
Hi All,

I'm happy to respond to some of Steve's statements about my decision.

I think the term burnout is a little extreme.  I looked up a definition, which says this: "Being burned out means feeling empty, devoid of motivation and beyond caring.  People experiencing burnout often don't see any hope of positive change in their situations."

That's not me.  STRESS is probably a better word.  I'm feeling overburdened physically, but not emotionally.  The decision initially stemmed from my list of new year's resolutions I made last month.  I realized that I didn't have the time or energy to work on any of them!  Then I tabulated how much time I spend on Scrabble stuff, and frankly, I was stunned.  By passing the directorship of the Tuesday club, I put myself in a position which most players are in -- on a busy week, or during a busy period in my life, I can skip a session, come in late, or leave early.  I need that flexibility, at least for awhile.

When stress isn't managed, it can lead to burnout, and I that's what I want to avoid.

Which brings me to the timing issue.  I've told many of you that my job, and even my occupation overall, are in jeopardy for the future.  But for the meantime, I'm still employed at a company whose extreme busy period is from mid-February to mid-April each year.  I'll be working overtime shifts for the next 5 consecutive Saturdays, and have a commitment to work 2-4 hours overtime each weekday, as the workload dictates.  This is the time of year when it becomes really tough to meet my directorial obligations!

I still love the game, love the people, and feel strongly bonded to the club and all of our local issues.  I just need to back off a little.  The Thursday group is closer to my house and therefore takes less time, so I feel confident that I can continue to manage that group.  The Sunday time slot, which is so comfortable for me, doesn't seem to be popular in general, and may fizzle out soon.

I'm definitely not trying to stir up any trouble for the club.  In fact, I'm trying to avoid it, by making things more manageable.  I plan to get to a point where I can smile more, and bark less ; )

I firmly believe that Club 42 has solid legs, and will stand.  It's devotees are what makes it strong, and Club 42 has many devotees!  I think that the most important role of the director is just to BE THERE!  The members provide the personality, as well as help in managing details.  I know that everyone will provide support for Steve, as they have for me.

See you soon,

Carol

Back to top