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?

Yanbu. Bingo players are absolutely feral. I used to call numbers at Croydon bingo Hall in the 90s and there was a punch up most nights.

Not all heroes - or villains - wear capes. It's clearly super-human perception skills that enable them to simultaneously monitor 16 bingo cards as the numbers ack-ack out through the speaker; and a fair number of them will choose to use those superpowers for evil (eliminating their enemies by way of a stooshie and a punch-up) rather than for good (making sure that all of the neighbourhood kittens are stroked regularly).

This is more than a little bitchy, but I'd go, call it as poorly as I could without destroying it entirely, then when there were complaints, simply say, "It really is a chore for me, but none of YOU volunteered."

This is so cute. I want to move out of the city and have your problems :)

😂

It all went pretty well in the end, DH certainly charmed the older ladies (and some of the men 😂) and threw in some funny rhymes which got people laughing so it was a bit less silent than usual. He actually enjoyed himself. At the end he got a round of applause and comments that he had to do it every month from now on 😂 but we did actually get another volunteer to do it for next month. At the end a teeny tiny older lady came up and whispered that she knew another rhyme, “sex on the floor 64” her husband was mortified 😂😂😂.

Ha ha, what an excellent outcome, so glad it was fun.

So good to hear it went well you’ve made us laugh 😂

and comments that he had to do it every month from now on

Of course!

There is a response to that you know...

Yes it's a shame YOU didn't organise a bouncy castle isn't it or offer to help in anyway at all. I have done my bit and then some what did you contribute to the day apart from turning up? You do realise that no one is being paid or making money.

@Whitestuanton oh I know and I would have told them straight if the comments had been made to me but they were made to another committee member who seemed to agree and brought it up at the meeting 🙈.

I think my favourite ever moan came in last night by email though by someone who’s hired the hall for a birthday party and wants to know if they can have a choice of which (draught) beers are sold on the night! Yeah sure we’ll change the entire contract with the supplier just for you 😂.

Gawd, this thread is setting so many bells ringing. I help to run a village interest group and it is SO true that people are quick to complain when things don't happen but it's always the same people who volunteer to help and the rest don't bother. Some people seem to think it all happens by magic, whereas most of the people that make stuff happen are fitting it around work and busy lives. Finding this thread way too relatable. 😄

Wonderful result, OP - glad it all went so well in the end.

Even so, don't just let it be that everybody has a laugh and a jolly time and then lets it all fall back on to you and your DH again. Push the 'all in this together' aspect continually and try to make volunteering a normal, well-understood part of the give and take of everybody's community fun.

THIS

My manager treats staff badly, shouting at them. How do I deal with this?

This!! People like that are the last people I ever want to help. Stop!!

I always thought they shouted "69 - hairy teeth!" so I was too scared to go to the Bingo.

There's an app to call bingo numbers for you, if you need it for next time.
Not really the point though as you need active volunteers and its a tad impersonal, but at my parents retirement village, they take turns in running the weekly event in pairs ie one will take the money, hand out cards, make sure the urn is plugged in, then one will set up the app with the loudspeaker and hit play, you can adjust the speed too. But were talking 20 people max and all over 70 years, yours sounds fun!

I too can totally relate to this. I feel your pain OP & EmmaPaella.

Are they shouting because they're a bingo caller?

No, if it was then I understand. It's small club for children centre