1st duty as Byukuren

Today 20th Nov is the first day that I serve as a Byukuren in soka.

I reported at 11.30 a.m. to ICA and was briefed on what I had to do for the day. After that together with the other Byukuren I had to arrange the handouts that I was going to distribute later to the members coming for the meeting today.

Never thot simple stuff can be so difficult. I kneel on the carpeted floor to arrange the handouts and soon I realized that my feet were getting numb and that i was starting to have a backache.

Soon early bird members began to come and I had to tell them politely that the hall was not ready yet. This part was quite good actually. Most of them dun mind waiting outside and I had little problem.

But I did have a little problem with one of them. And the issue occurs caused i am assuming things.

She was glancing into the hall so i quickly walked up to her and told her that the hall was not ready yet. I think I sounded anxious for she quickly told me that she is a long long member and that she knows what is going on and that she is not going to trespass into the hall when i am not looking. I spent a while explaining to her that I was not accusing her of entering the hall where she is not supposed to.

Perhaps it was my tone ba. I guess I sound anxious when I am in duty, when I feel that i am responsible. So I think one take home is that I should sound calm and considerate in all situations. After all, I am there to serve the members not to instruct them.

After that the meeting starts and I had to stand outside the meeting room for two hours. Members move in and out of the meeting room intermittently and I had to open the door slowly, afraid that it may bang and disrupt the flow of the meeting and afraid that it will knock into members sitting too near the door.

This task sounds really easy but....

after constantly touching the icy cold metallic door knob with an injured hand in an aircon hand. The palm and fingers started to pain.

Then there was the serving of water to the speakers. We have to do it in a quiet, polite way and to enter through a "hidden door". I cannot imagine that there is so much detail to serving of the water. Basically someone has to come early to boil the water first (no. we dun take water from the water cooler) and pour the water in the glasses. We usually prepared two more glasses than we anticipated.

Before we serve the water, we have to make sure that there is no water droplets at the side of the glasses. Because the formation of these water droplets is a sign that the water is not fresh.

Soon, this part of the meeting ended and the members would move to the hall upstairs. It was a really huge crowd. I admit that i could not do my duty well from this point onwards cos I was getting very sleepy. Did not sleep well the night before.

.... ....

Basically my first day ended.

And I really wonder whether i am up to the job.

I do things cos they are fun. I think it is kind of fun to serve drinks and direct people to their respective destinations.

But i realise that to do this job well, I need a sense of public service. To sincerely care and to want to serve.

As I walked out of the HQ and looked at the faces of young lions (the name of the male duty group), I see this forever sunshine and this dedication to serve.

They can do it.

Can I ?