Adult Social Hour (Wine)

Number of People: 1 (and helpers)

Budget: $1000 - $1200 depending on how full the conference is, and how many "of age" adults there are - this needs to be covered by social hour donations/tips

Wine Organizer is a demanding job logistically as at least 4 people are needed to carry it off each evening (1 experienced organizer, 1 in training and 2 helpers). There is planning and work before arrival to the island, and work each day of the conference. Although there is a lot of work involved, this can be one of the most rewarding jobs since it is better attended than any other conference event. The helpers should be responsible for setup and cleanup. This way you do not need to come early and clean up every night and your assistants are better prepared to handle the overall responsibility next year. You'll need about 3-5 helpers for the week, and should make sure people are distributed fairly, e.g. no one who's eating lobster works on Lobster Night, if possible. Please also coordinate with the other two Social Hour Coordinators (Beer and Food) to ensure an equitable distribution of work and helpers.

There are always a number of conferees who are very concerned about the choice of wines, presentation, and the manner in which it is dispensed. A “bartender” is preferred by some over a simple self serve table. The harshest criticism of social hour often comes from wine people when they are served poorly or ignored or even worse — served box wine. The only way box wine passes muster is when it is uncharacteristically good and served in a carafe. Big bottles are fine as long as they are corked and the empties are boxed and shipped off island for recycling by one of us. Weather permitting, Social Hour is set up outside of Vaughn Cottage (the “Stone Village”). You will need two long tables. Tables and wastebaskets come from Newton Center. If the weather is poor, the back room of Newton Center can be used.

Supplies for the week obviously come from the mainland, which means shopping needs to be done ahead of time. Seek the shopping list and other records from the previous Wine Organizer (Jeff Escobar in 2017) Make purchases with an eye on packaging & containers as we need to carry empty bottles back to the mainland on the return boat.  

At the beginning of the conference, wine needs to be boxed in closed containers labeled with "Social Hour Supplies – AS II," and brought to the Portsmouth Dock between 11 am and 12:30 pm on Saturday. It will go out to the island on the SIC work boat that also carries the luggage. Each container may not exceed the weight limit of 40 pounds. At this point, no one is allowed to go out on the 11 am boat so the beer/wine and food organizers must either come early (6:45 am boat) or come with the conference.

When you get off the boat, be sure to check that all wine has been delivered to Newton Center.  If something is missing, see the Troubleshooter.  You are expected at orientation, so be sure to check on the wine beforehand.

We are budgeting $1200 for 2018 for wine, however all of the expenses should be covered by donations. Social Hour is not a profit center so any excess donations go into the All Star II account. You can either front the money or get an advance from the treasurer, Tim Flint. In either case, settle up with the treasurer at the end of the week. Supplies get a little more expensive every year, but clearly it is possible to break even. Soliciting donations can be a bit tricky so a person with a booming voice can be very helpful, especially Thursday & Friday evening when shoalers need a reminder.

Last Edited by Kathy West - June 2018