Greetings All:
Every year I hear, as a Texas CBC compiler, from folk who don't understand
why all the CBCs are scheduled on the same days, making it virtually
impossible for them to participate in all of the counts that they would
like.
Believe me, I sympathize.
For the benefit of non-compilers, I will explain the problem. I will also
mention, for purely academic purposes as it will never be implemented, a
potential fix.
The CBC runs from 14 December through 5 January - every year - with no
exceptions. This almost always means that there will only be three full
weekends available. The only exceptions are when the 14th/15th fall on a
Saturday/Sunday - allowing four full weekends - or the 14th falls on a
Sunday - allowing a Sunday and three full weekends - or the 15th falls on a
Saturday - allowing free full weekends and a Saturday. Most years, however
are like this year, both 14th and 15th fall on weekdays and there are only
three weekends during which CBCs can be scheduled.
By the by, I have heard compilers call the 14th/15th falling on
Saturday/Sunday a 'CBC Miracle':)
Many, if not most, compilers would prefer to see a sliding schedule -
second weekend of December through first weekend of January, for example -
that would guarantee the availability of four full weekends for CBCs every
year but we have been told that, as consistency is the most important
aspect of the project, that is just not going to happen.
The other wrinkle, of course, is the fact that we compilers know, from long
experience, that a) Christmas weekend is just not going to work and b) New
Year's weekend is going to be darn difficult. That generally leaves us
with one truly free weekend (the weekend before Christmas weekend) and one
partially compromised weekend (New Year's weekend).
The last wrinkle, particularly important in regions where attending Sunday
service is a big part of many peoples' lives, is that compilers always try
to schedule their big counts on Saturdays.
Anthony 'Fat Tony' Hewetson,
Compiler of Three CBCs - at least one of which is going to be on a date
that folk don't like in six years out of seven,
Lubbock
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