To really, really not want to do this.

[Nootherwayout]

I’ve used a throwaway username for this because anyone from my village would instantly recognise me 😂.

DH (and I but to a lesser extent) volunteer at our local village hall. DH is slightly obsessed with it and puts in hours and hours of volunteering most weeks. He does a lot of the organising for the Friday night social nights.

Tomorrow is the monthly bingo night and DH has not found anyone to call it this month. He has basically railroaded me into doing it, ie if I don’t do it, it can’t go ahead. He can’t because he’s the only volunteer available to run the rest of the night and no one else from the committee or village has agreed to do it.

But I don’t want to for the following reasons:

I hate bingo, I really, actually hate it! I never go to the bingo nights or if I do I sit outside with other friends that don’t play.
I don’t know the weird rhymes you’re meant to call out for certain numbers so I will have to try to learn them tomorrow.
People get really annoyed and complain when they’re not happy about the speed the numbers are called etc and I don’t want to be complained about when I’m doing something for free.
I’m 6 months in to a busy public sector job that I’m still learning and I’m knackered by Friday nights.
I’m happy to do my bit and have planned and read out the quiz on quiz night 3 times so I am confident getting up in public but I said to DH right at the beginning that I do not want to call bingo.
I know full well that next month we’ll be in the same position and I’ll be expected to do it again.
My friends will be sat outside in the sunshine and I won’t be able to sit with them.
I’ll have to fake enthusiasm or it’s not fair on the people who’ve paid to play.
Did I mention, I hate bingo?

AIBU to just really, really not want to do it and if so any tips for faking enthusiasm?

What @Blackcatsalwaysrock I’m intrigued

Cancel the cheque?

Wow that’s a massive leap 😂😂😂. I didn’t realise there were tiers of poshness of entertainment 😂. I don’t think bingo is beneath me, I just hate it. I don’t care if others do or don’t enjoy it, that’s up to them. I do go to the quiz so it’s right that I should do my bit for it.

I share the unbelievable loathing for Bingo OP and I would not even enter a hall with it on. I hate everything about it. Just say no.

I mean it’s a one off and your DH can owe you one 🤷‍♀️

TBH once volunteering gets to this situation, its good to cancel and ask for a rota of callers going forward or it will have to stop. Its a slow decline thats got to this stage and it will only, in my experience, get worse.

Our local parkrun has done the same - if you run, plase volunteer occassionally, as its become the same friends roped in at the last minute every week. If people enjoy it then they have to occassionally be a volunteer to keep it going and if not it will be cancelled.

Id do the same with this - build a two month ahead rota for the key slots and get people who go to fill it in!

Personally I'd do it and just make my own weird names up for the numbers ("Clickety Duck - Sixty two")

That's really tickled me! ClicketyDuck would be a fantastic username!

One of the few I can remember from my barmaiding bingo nights was “Number Nine, the Brighton Line!” and everyone choo-chooing.

Wiki tells me no. 9 can also be “Doctors Orders!”, named after Number 9, a laxative pill given out by army doctors in WWII.

I don’t know if there’s an audience participation response for Doctors orders.

I think paying a caller £20 is a really good idea. Put on the village admin that there have been no volunteers so the role offers £20 (paid for from the bingo takings- reduce the prizes to fund it).

Yes, he is being massively disrespectful to you. Lots of red flags here, indicative of severe marital problems. Time to see a solicitor, change the locks, and move on.

One of the few I can remember from my barmaiding bingo nights was “Number Nine, the Brighton Line!” and everyone choo-chooing.

Isn't it 59, the Brighton Line?

I never understood why 9 should be 'Doctor's Orders', though - unless it's a German doctor who refuses to ever prescribe anything you ask them for!!

Just going by Wikipedia, @FatherJackHackettsUnderpantsHamper .

“A one off…”

Oh sweet summer child… 😂

'Where Nosy Norma lives - Number 5!'
'The piles of dog crap that no one picks up - number 33'!
'The amount of times Dave has taken Sarah back after a massive row - 7!'
'How many large pairs of knickers on Sheilas line? Thats right - 12!'

@MavisMcMinty

I just looked on Wikipedia and it gives both numbers as alternatives for Brighton Line - so it looks like we were both right

Volunteering can be a thankless task. I did it once, never again. If I want to help out, I'll do a bank shift.

He's prepared to sacrifice your comfort for a bunch of neighbours who give nothing back

I agree with this - why is your welfare less important than the lazy villagers'?

I have no idea, but I wonder if there is something on you tube. The last one I went to for a charity event had one they could pause etc.

If you do this after objecting (quite reasonably), you are setting up the mindset that "@Nootherwayout will concede after a bit of grumbling", so you might have to rock the boat a bit.
Years ago, I was an altar server, mostly morning services; fine, I was at church anyway, with the rest of the day for my other commitments. Baptisms took place at 4:15 on Sunday afternoons, and I, along with other volunteers, didn't want to take this on, as it cut across other things happening in our limited free time.
The sacristan ignored my pleas and put me on the rota regardless, until I told him that he could put me on the rota if he wished, but this would not guarantee my attendance.
Lips were pursed; attempts were made to guilt trip.
Baptisms were eventually incorporated into the morning service.
Funnily enough, I received more thanks for the other things I was doing after that, as I could not be taken for granted.

Where do you live? I will do it for you! I called Bingo numbers during holidays from uni and had such a laugh.
"Two little ducks" - 22 then everyone has to go "Quack quack"
1 - O , 10 Downing street , number 10 (cue for lots of boos and hisses)
9 -0 Top of the shop, blind 90
77 - sunset strip
2 and 1 , 21 key to the door
On it's own number 9 Doctor's orders
11, Legs eleven
5 and 2 Danny la Rue 52
5 and 9 Brighton line 59 ad infinitum

Yeah there’s no way it would be a one off if I didn’t make it very, very clear that it’s not going to happen next month. I will definitely be putting the call out for volunteers tonight and I’ll make a mental note to make sure he’s found someone by the middle of next month or it will be cancelled. I don’t think he means to he forceful (mentally I don’t mean he’s going to physically frog march me there!) he just doesn’t get that just because I don’t mind getting up in front of people, it doesn’t mean I’m happy to do this. I spoke to him this morning and he thought I was nervous and worried about not doing a good job 🙈.

Work today has been such a head fuck, I’ll think I’ll get the numbers all wrong whether I try to or not and I’ve still got and hour and a half to go, plus the bloody dog tried to get me up at 3:15 😵🙈.

I didn’t realise there were websites you can use though, that’s definitely a good suggestion!

this

Also, it's things like
"2 little ducks, 22" and "30, blind 30" - all numbers ending with 0 are "blind" whatever, apart from 10, which is "Rishi's den"

@Nootherwayout I understand how you feel thinking it's too late now given it's Friday today so wish you'd posted sooner!

My village cancelled the annual village fayre last year because people wouldn't volunteer. Lots of people were unhappy - yet hadn't volunteered!

It went ahead this year because of last year so you really need to be firm on this. EVERYONE should do a little bit now and then for the overall community.

Also not great you DH is putting the responsibility on you when he knows you're not comfortable with it. He should be making a stand that he does a lot for your village and others need to occasionally help out or it's not happening.