It's A Round Robin

What the heck is a Round Robin you say?  I hear that question at least once a week it seems.  I have a yahoo group that I created in January of 2004 that now boasts almost 250 people.  Within that group is around 30 people who participate in a round robin.

This is similar to a coupon train.  The premise is that these individuals share their left over supplies of whatever the craft or hobby is.  For my group this is PECS cards.  PECS = picture exchange communication system.  Basically picture cards, there is a variety of programs and software available.  This is expensive as you usually laminate the cards and then attach velcro to them. 

The idea is to formulate a list of the members who want to participate and agree to abide by rules.  The rules are simple, post to the group that you received said package, keep it no more than 4 days, post when you send it and include confirmation number.

When you get package remove items you need, copy what is meant to stay with the package for others (this could be a pamphlet, boards or a CD) and replenish supply with your items to share.

The average price to send  a package has been from $8-13 or more.  As the package grows and goes farther it gets more money.  We also go to Canada and do those folks back to back as we usually have two that participate in Canada.

The Round Robin starts with me and ends with me.  I do the list and post it to the group to get feedback, vacation schedules, etc to figure out the states it is going to.  Sometimes we have a few in a row for one state like NY and then to get a mixture of items in there so the same people are not back to back we move them around.

At one point it took six months to make it around and then there were 3 times that the package never surfaced.  The member took the goods and left the group.  Other members gathered their spare items and sent them to me so I could resume the mailer or start a new one with those names first who were scheduled to get the mailer.

Then the issue of smoking came up when I received a large package from a member that left after I made an issue of the smoking.  I am an ex-smoker and the worse kind I guess since it really bothers me and affects me.  I tried airing out the notebooks and had to throw out the box outside as the stench was too much.

I made a rule no smokers could be in the Round Robin and that if someone else smoked in the household to do the package contents in another room where that person was not in.

Then there was the suggestion to break the Round Robin into two mailers, after the last mishap so we do not have to wait so long while new materials are rounded up.

I did that and both are out and about now.  My yahoo group has parents, SLPs and teachers in it.  I also give almost a week with the list posted so everyone knows and the group homepage has a database where everyone inputs their name, address and email address.

I added the email address after having a hard time associating names to emails to contact the person directly asking where the package was.  I then required all participants to email me their phone numbers.  Names came off the database at the start of each mailer who did not comply.  There were about 4 each time.

The last mailer this one person never posted that they got the package or they sent it out and it just appeared at the next person on the list.  I removed that name from the database for future round robins and the person left the group.  Not the type of person I want in my group.

I am blunt and to the point.  This is my personality and I cannot change it.  I deal with something and move on.  Now one of the round robins the person posted on July 31st that they had the Round Robin and were going to mail it to xxxx.  I noticed the name the person mentioned was in the other mailer that just finished, so I posted quite frankly that this information was wrong and that the list had been posted several times and that it is up to each participating member to know who gets the pkg before them and who they send to and get the address from the database, but that is not the list order, just the names.

So then there was nothing and we had an issue with the other mailer and an emergency for the person, but while that was being discussed I realized the other package had been missing in action.  I posted asking where it was and no replies so I called three times and posted to the group and still nothing.

Then I posted the phone number and email address of the person to my yahoo group asking for others to help in contacting this person as the contents of the package are worth hundreds of dollars.  Check on ebay how much people get for their PECS supplies.

So then she posts this past Friday and says she will mail it out to the person on Monday.  Today is Wed and I get an email from the person in Canada asking what to do as she got a COD package today for $48!!

I am outraged over this.  The person who did this is a new member of the group and a teacher. Never followed the rules, who knows how much of the contents she took and now I have a member that cannot afford to pay for the package and I have to come up with an email to post to my group asking for others to help out.  I asked the member who is eight months pregnant if she has paypal, I SURE HOPE SO.

The big issue she made me aware of is that if she cannot pay for it the package goes back to the girl who sent it.  I don't want her to get it, but I do want her to pay some of the shipping fee.  I contacted another member who has sent the package to Canada and she said the most it ever was came to about $20 and that there are options.  Obviously this girl sent it two day AIR TO CANADA.

I am livid and want to kick her out of my group, but have to wait as we need to pay for the package.  I want to call her, but I used my phone card up and not going to pay for long distance charges. 

Many new members to my group ask what is the round robin and how does it work.  I am tired of this stinking thing that I thought would help people, but in the process has driven me NUTS.

There are also new people that think I publicly chide those that do not follow the rules. I name the people who did not do this and that and remove them.  Well I hope now they realize this is serious when someone pulls these stunts.  To think this person is a special education teacher.

I am appalled at the behavior of some people and need advice on what to do, how to approach this person and make her pay her fair share for this service we provided - she got free materials and never even paid for postage.

HELP!