So on Thursday, I went to the Rotary Luncheon and found it to be rather interesting. It was actually like a regular meeting at Interact, except with older people. The meeting ran about an hour long and consisted mostly of announcements of different service opportunities, charity events, etc. These were interesting to hear about, of course, but I really started to pay attention when someone suddenly announced that it was time for 'Happy Dollars.' I had no idea what that was, and I found out that Jen Goldenberg, who was sitting next to me, didn't know either as she asked a nearby Rotary member what exactly a Happy Dollar was. He said that essentially, a person would donate a dollar and share something happy that had happened in their life recently. So as I sat there watching different people giving in Happy Dollars, I couldn't help but think if all this was really necessary.
If someone wanted to contribute some money to the organization, couldn't they just do it directly? If a person wanted to share a story of something happy that happened recently, could they just mention it at their table while they're eating lunch? Also, the Rotary members seem to be fully aware of the fact that people are just donating some small money under the pretext of a Happy Dollar. Is it really necessary to keep making a special time slot in the meeting for the collection of Happy Dollars? Or is it possible that they just do this because it's part of a tradition?
Mary Quien
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4 comments:
I thought that the Happy Dollar part of the luncheon was the most interesting and the most fun. I got the impression that it was just a fun way to donate money. It's an opportunity for members to share good things going on in their lives with all the other members, and its a way to donate money.
Another thing that caught my attention at the luncheon was the sneaker. This was another way to donate money. If a member had to leave the meeting early, s/he was labelled a "sneaker" and had to put two dollars in the bowl with the shoe.
So, among some of the regular things that occur at these meetings, I think the members enjoy having fun and interesting ways to do things. I noticed that the "sneaker" was kind of like an inside joke among the members at whose table I was sitting. So maybe these are small ways of forming social cohesion.
Emily T.
I know this will be a stretch, but it's worth a shot. The Happy Dollar idea reminds me of our argument about the symbol versus the symbolized. The people at the Rotary Luncheon are making an attempt to defy this and insist that donating a dollar somehow directly correlates to a happy sentiment. Soon enough, those who donate will think: Oh, I want to be happy. These people claim to be happy and are donating money. I should do the same in hopes of the same happiness. At least, this is what I think their thoughts would be like.
Donating money directly and ordinarily just doesn't seem as dynamic. By donating a "Happy Dollar", the one who donates feels as if he/she is getting something out of the action. They get to share their happiness! A certain time is allotted for the event because the Happy Dollar is a public thing. You pay to speak and share, in a way.
(Sam Maliha)
I agree with Emily here. Happy dollars have a presymbolic meaning here in addition to the actual dollar donated. It's a simple and fun way to reaffirm the club's cohesion, offering members an opportunity to share enjoyable parts of their lives to the rest of the club. It's almost like group story sharing time, but under the pretext of "happy dollars".
Of course members can just donate money directly, but it's not the same. In this case, intentions matter just as much as actions. Not only do "happy dollars" strengthen the club, they are a pleasant story sharing time and a source of revenue.
-Eric Wei
Isn't this sort of an instance of presymbolic language in ritual? To most "outsiders", the words "Happy Dollar" mean nothing.. And honestly, they really don't mean much even to members, for a dollar being "happy" has nothing much to do with donating to Rotary.
Thus, it becomes much less of a way to conceal the nature of donations and more of a way to reinforce group ties. Though you're probably right when you say that it's "part of a tradition", since presymbolic language finds its durability in the passage of time. After all, you can't exactly have a name as meaningless as "Happy Dollars" be passed on without it becoming a part of tradition. The two are sort of mutually reliant entities.
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