A Day at the Office USH

A Day In The Office (9/02)

When we told our Society Administrator, Stephanie Spearman, and her Assistant, Mary Stacie, that we wanted to call this piece “The Hidden Office Staff” or “The Invisible Office Staff”, Mary Stacie said “I wish!” As this piece written by Mary indicates, their office environment is anything but invisible.

Anyone who has ever worked at any job– from an executive to a stay-at-home mom or dad– has experienced a day like this: the phone is ringing, someone is waiting to talk with you, and the one thing you've been trying to do all morning is still in various sorts of partial “doing”, cluttered now with notes of things that will “only take a minute” to do first.

In the office, we have our share of these days. Meeting House business is far from cut and dried. There are so many needs of so many people that “land” (sometimes by default) in the office. Stephanie and I are at the service of every committee and group that originates here, and we also coordinate external matters such as handling nonprofit requests or dealing with various contractors. Multiply a hundred “simple tasks” for a hundred different people, thrown on top of ongoing work, and you have an idea why this work is both interesting and time challenging.

The “ongoing work” of the office is loosely divided in this way: Stephanie handles Administrative responsibilities, such as licensing permits and insurance matters, building issues, rentals, and trying to centralize committee functions in the office. She's also the Bookkeeper, and to that end, handles all money issues– making payments for everything from supplies to lawn care to salaries; tallying, depositing, and reporting contributions to the IRS, and to you on quarterly and annual statements. She is also our resident PC expert, who, time permitting, enjoys figuring out what's not working and how to fix it.

It suits me fine that the closest I get to money is taking dollars out of the Sunday tape box, and spending my salary. As Assistant Administrator, my first focus has to do with all aspects of Sunday–Order of Service details and announcements, volunteer and flower schedules, reminder calls to Sunday participants, and lots of related “stuff.” I maintain the calendar and rental book, assist with updating databases, and perform many small tasks, such as sending welcome letters to visitors, ordering supplies, and dubbing tapes.

As with most jobs, in the middle of any given task, a call from someone who needs to ask a “quick question” is expected fare. On an easy day, the request is processed, and that's the end of it. Often enough, however, with so many hands involved in the workings of the Meeting House and no one central control, that one call is just the beginning of a series of investigations. Often, Steph and I feel more like Sherlock Holmes than like mere administrative staff.

The office is the place where most of the parts of the Meeting House, in one way or another, come together–in meetings, in storage and use of material, in preparation of needed documents. And in one way or another, at one time or another, the office staff will become involved in some part of what you're doing ... whether it's to provide information, search records, prepare pamphlets, make copies, etc.

Yes, there are frustrations–especially during the fall/winter season, when everything seems to happen on top of everything else. But it's a job I consider satisfying. I like knowing that we do matter in important ways to other people. And, on the most challenging of days, there's always someone who makes me laugh or shares a personal connection. Not to mention the occasional welcome visit from Terasa's Great Danes, Cierdy and Chester, sniffing for food with moist noses, settling reluctantly for affection.

So it's hard to tell you that, as much as I like my job, I am leaving in September to attend graduate school full-time. I'm going to miss my terrific office buddies and all the Society folks I've come in contact with–many of you “in person,” some only by phone. What a great group you are! You've made it good to work here and difficult to leave. But sometimes in life, you have to leave one good thing to move on to the next good thing. If all goes well, I'll emerge in a couple of years as a counselor.

Don't think I'll forget you though, because I won't. It's been a pleasure!

Let us know of any comments, errors and corrections - thanks (revised 2/21/05)