SC - crats and prima donnas

[LrdRas at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/29/00 2:13:25 AM Eastern Daylight Time, stefan at texas.net 
writes:

<< And some Prima Donna cooks >>

Moi? You flatter me, m'lord.

 <<At least in our area, the autocrat/event steward is the one ultimately 
 responsible for the event. The head cook works under him (or her).
 
 

And in our area the autocrat is mainly concerned with mundane things like 
site acquisition, signing contracts, insurance, etc. While I agree that it is 
the autocrat's head that rolls if anything goes wrong, the assorted crats are 
equal in responsibility and are chosen specifically to organize the area they 
are responsible for. The autocrat is kept abreast of things and all are 
equal. Team work does not imply others being in under a central figure but 
rather that each person does his/her job without the need for interference 
from a 'high and mighty one.' Such an autocrat is looking for self 
aggrandizement and ultimately takes the credit for parts of an event that in 
reality they had little to do with; or rather, parts that they should not 
have concerned themselves with in the first place.

The request for finger foods was not out of place but to define that was, 
IMO. If an autocrat cannot find a kitchen steward that is trusted to work 
independently, I would question the need for such a position in the first 
place or at the very least question the 'team' that the autocrat has formed.

Should you choose to use the phrase 'prima donna' again, I would suggest that 
you apply it correctly to the autocrats that think they need to influence and 
control every aspect of an event to the point of making the event their 
personal 'project.' An observer should see the shire/barony/kingdom, etc. as 
the  source of the great event not the autocrat. A participant need not be 
aware that an autocrat exists at all if all the crats are doing their 
respective jobs; none of which, BTW, are any less important than any other 
job.

<<--  Lord Stefan li Rous  >>

al-Sayyid A'aql ibn Rashid al-Zib
Ras
The test of good manners is to be patient with bad ones.- Solomon Ibn Gabirol
http://members.aol.com/AbhainnCG/