Mayoral Mayhem!
Mood:  irritated
Now Playing: Grand Buffet - The Trilogy of Terror 3 EP's
Topic: Stephen Says
In September it's the annual review. An opportunity for the residence to show off it's stuff to head office & throw a really good party for staff & residents alike. I'm one of the two in charge of setting the day up. Amongst those invited are our local MP and mayor. I mean Mayor.

They're both coming. But, with the mayor's presence comes a series or rules UK style. Here are my favorites and, it should not need to be said, these are all real:

(And keep in mind this is a short-term rehab for people with mental & emotional health problems with an increasing focus on those from a forensic background.)

(Also keep in mind that it's a pretty relaxed and casual environment so long as everyone behaves. As a result, to an outsider, what is going on may appear chaotic, offensive, even more chaotic and extremely offensive. But it gets results, so, as the great "Bob" Dobbs would say, 'fuck 'em if they can't take a joke.'

Note 2: Precedence:
"Except in the presence of a Member of the Royal Family, or the Lord Lieutenant of Surrey, the Mayor must always take precedence within the Borough. Unless in the Chair, the Mayor is to be seated on the immediate right of the chairman or other person pending. The Mayoress should be seated on the left of the Chairman."

Note 6: Mode of Address:
"It is customary to address the Mayor as "Mr. Mayor" or "Your Worship" and to refer to him in the third person as "His Worship the Mayor".(sic) Letters should be addressed to "The Worshipful the Mayor".(sic) [Aside: My letter to him was addressed to "Hello."] The Mayoress is addressed as "Madam Mayoress"."(sic)

Note 9: Lunches/Dinners/Suppers [Is there a difference???], etc.:
"The Mayor should be seated on the Chairman's right (unless the Lord Lieutenant of Surrey be present, in which case the Mayor should be on the left of the Chairman).

"When the Mayoress accompanies the Mayor, her seat should be on the Chairman's left, except when the Mayor sits on the Chairman's left, in which case the Mayoress should sit on the Mayor's left.

"When the Mayoress is attending unaccompanied by the Mayor, her seat should be in the position indicated above for the Mayor."

Anyway, I have used my authority to delegate the resposibility for dealing with the Mayor to someone else.