Help! Sensitive situation with a committee

[TheAverageJoanne]

I'm on a local committee with my original role being newsletter editor. I was very busy with work so the Chair took the job away from me, without telling me actually, just did it himself, but delivered to me for distribution both electronically and postal. It's saved me some time, but I've been getting some complaints from members about the quality. As I'm the one who sends it out, they think I've produced it.

It's things like inconsistent format, using it's for its (ie when it's not a possessive) inconsistent capitalisation, mix of justified and ragged margins, overuse of commas when not required and line spacing. I'm a pedant, and I was proud of the quality of the four I produced. These are inferior.

It's a local branch of a national organisation and it looks poor.

But how do I handle it without upsetting the chairperson?

You didn’t read before you distributed?

So you distributed

without reading

and without clarifying that you weren’t the author?

So you weren't doing it and now you're unhappy that someone else is doing it because they dont do it as well as you would have...

Options:

• you take back the role fully, thanking the chair for their assistance and affirming your ability to fully commit this time
• you relinquish the role fully, and make sure the person doing it gets full credit
• you suggest splitting the role, with you offering proof-reading, because two pairs of eyes are better than one, and share the credit

Step down from the committee so he'll have to distribute it himself and answer any queries about his grammar? Write the sodding thing yourself? Dunno really... 💁

People complaining about it's instead of its really need to get out more. It's a voluntary (I assume) news letter. I been on a few committees and the people who complain are never the ones who will step up

I think you need to either commit fully OP or step back.

I used to be credited as Newsletter Editor. Now I'm not. My role is just to distribute. I stopped proofreading when the role was taken away.

Though unfortunately the chair sends me a PDF to send out that he's already sent to the printers. They don't check either.

They're not glaring errors, subtle, but poor quality IMO. No defiantly for definite or would of.

They pay subscriptions. I'm happy to "step up" as you put it but need to broach it sensitively.

So if people read it they’ll know you didn’t author it then

If you are honest op, have you actually received complaints? Or is it wishful thinking on your part?

I don't have the time, inclination or immaturity to write lies on Mumsnet.

This has happened once?

Go back to the supposed complainants, clarify you aren’t the author and they should raise in the next meeting

simple really

Forward the queries to him. Reply all cc’ing him, ‘Thank you so much for the feedback. Bill organised this one, I just sent it out.’.

You do have to choose though, whether to get it done within the time frame, or step back so you don’t feel upset at the quality.

So multiple people have complained?

and yes Op, you do have the time. You definitely do!!

quality. As I'm the one who sends it out, they think I've produced it.

and you haven’t, oh I don’t know, told them otherwise?

and they’re not reading it that carefully are they? Otherwise they’d see you aren’t credited as the author anymore!

Send the feedback to the chair….

It's really surprising that multiple people have the time, inclination or immaturity to send complaints about the grammar in a voluntary local committee newsletter. Is the committee something to do with literacy?

I'd just reply with, I'll forward your message on to Bill as he produced this edition.

It's voluntary in the sense that the committee don't get paid but members do pay. I would want something of better quality if I was paying.

You’re on the committee?

So raise it at the next meeting

Raise it at the next committee meeting - collate the replies you've received regarding the quality

Next time you send it out: include the name of the producer/editor and add in your signature: secretary (or whatever) to provide a firebreak between you and the content.

Offer that it is proofread?

No. That would make him look foolish.

Well what do you want to happen then?

I don't know. I'm looking for thoughts to help me decide. But telling the chair about their writing skills in a committee meeting isn't the thing to do.

If you don't feel happy about the way things are going and you are reluctant to speak to the Chair about it, then you really only have two options open to you, which is to say either you aren't going to distribute the newsletter any more, or to stand down from the committee altogether.

I've been on committees - I know what it's like.