Mavis used a recorder to help write the village committee’s minutes.
After a two-hour meeting, she played it to the chairman. It had caught every argument, interruption and change of mind.
The chairman said the sound was wonderfully clear.
Then he asked whether it could do the important part of Mavis’s job….
Mavis had written the village committee’s minutes for nine years.
At each meeting, Graham, the chairman, thanked her for making everything so clear.
Mavis said it helped to wait until she got home.
Why?
There was less arguing there.
This month, her grandson lent her a small recorder. She put it in the middle of the table.
Graham asked whether it was on.
Yes.
He straightened his tie.
Good evening, everyone.
Bill said they were all in the same room and had already said good evening.
Graham asked Mavis to leave that bit out.
The first item was the hall’s broken kitchen tap.
Bill said it needed a new washer. Jean said it had needed one last month too.
Graham proposed getting three prices.
For a washer? Jean asked.
For the work.
Bill offered to do it on Saturday.
Graham said they should first check whether the committee’s insurance covered him.
Bill withdrew the offer.
Mavis pressed a button.
Graham asked whether she was stopping the recording.
No. Checking the battery. We’ve still got curtains.
The curtains took forty minutes.
Jean wanted them washed. Bill thought they were too old. Graham suggested keeping the fabric and replacing the lining.
Jean asked whether he had priced that.
Graham said it was only a suggestion.
Bill said so was washing them.
They agreed to look at them after the meeting.
Nobody remembered to.
Under the last item, Graham asked whether they should buy new chairs.
Jean said they had no money because they still needed a plumber and somebody to deal with the curtains.
Bill offered to tighten the chair screws while he was there on Saturday.
Graham mentioned the insurance again.
Bill took Saturday back.
At ten o’clock, Graham closed the meeting and said they had covered a lot.
Mavis said the recorder agreed with him.
She played a section.
They heard Bill offer to mend the tap, Graham raise the insurance question and Bill decide not to.
Graham asked to hear the curtains.
The recorder played all three suggestions, followed by a long argument about whether the curtains had ever been blue.
Very clear sound, Graham said.
Mavis said it had caught every word.
Could it turn those words into writing?
Her grandson said it could.
Graham looked pleased.
And could it do the important part?
Mavis asked which part he meant.
She had checked the battery, written down the names and remembered who had brought the biscuits.
Graham picked up last month’s neat, single page of minutes.
Make it sound like we got something done.
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