<VV> convention banquet table assignments

[Wrsssatty at aol.com]

I've never understood why the registration form for a convention doesn't  
include one of three boxes you can check off if you're going to the  banquet:
 
1.  I wish to be seated with fellow members of my local club.
 
2.  I wish to be seated with members of this other local club:  
(fill-in-the-blank)
 
3.  I will accept a random table assignment.
 
It seems that this would lessen the amount of work the hosting club has to  
do during the busy time that the convention is actually in progress.  That  
"but-we've-always-done-it-this-way" banquet ticket exchange that takes 
place at  some designated time when the convention is in progress has always 
seemed to me  like the stupidest thing imaginable.  I usually don't learn about 
the  ticket exchange until after the fact and therefore end up accepting a 
random  table assignment anyway.  I've always found the strangers stuck with 
 hosting me to be politely welcoming so it works out but I prefer sitting 
with my  fellow local club members.  When I'm with my club members, if things 
get  boring from the dais, we can grouse among ourselves about high 
property taxes  and toll increases!
 
~Bill Stanley
New Jersey (where else?)