Last week, I had the opportunity to serve my Ruritan Club and the Jefferson community by working every night at our annual carnival. Most people are unaware of the recordkeeping and statistical tracking that goes on at a carnival. Each major activity is a separate profit center. The revenues and the related expenses of that activity are tracked to determine profitability. The level of activity is also tracked during different time frames. This information is valuable in many ways when planning future carnivals. Determining whether to raise prices due to increased costs is always evaluated. Scheduling how many volunteers are needed during which time frames is also reviewed. Deciding what quantities of food and supplies to order at what intervals during the week can be facilitated by reviewing the results from prior year events. The statistics are valuable tools for planning future carnivals.
Despite the rain limiting our activities and crowds the first five nights, our carnival was a success in many ways. The experience of making procedural changes in response to the changing weather will make us more effective planners in the future. The fellowship enjoyed when pulling together as a team and working together with different people on different projects was the best part for me.