Every administration has its scandal. Therefore, it was only a matter of time before the Young Lawyer’s Section of the Jacksonville Bar and its Board of Governors had its own moment in infamy. It started one Thursday afternoon in February when Troy Smith (the Rogers Towers one), acting chairman of the Social Committee of the YLS Board of Governors, contacted Ray Ravis and enlisted Ravis to monitor, supervise and PAY for the Happy Hour which had been scheduled at London Bridge Pub that evening. Evidently Troy’s date decided that she did not want to hang out with a bunch of lawyers and vetoed the event. And that is where the story gets interesting. One may ask why did Troy call Ravis? Well, the answer is obvious. All year Ravis has been the first to volunteer to accept additional responsibility. If you needed help, Ravis was there. By way of example, the following are actual minutes from YLS Board meetings:
Sept. 16, 2002 “. . . Ravis (chair of the Afternoon in the Courthouse) was the only prepared presenter, equipped with video tapes of his project and a TV/VCR. . . Ravis upstaged his own preparation efforts by volunteering to lighten [Kevin] Cook’s load and chair the Trial Hotline project as well.”
Feb. 10, 2003 “Ravis agreed to prepare the March Bulletin article, the focus of which will be the upcoming Afternoon in the Courthouse program.”
So you see, Ravis was the obvious choice for a desperate Troy Smith. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your perspective, the only instructions Troy provided to Ravis were, “Your budget is $500.” With dollar signs in his eyes, Ravis eagerly accepted the responsibility.
At 5:30 p.m., Ravis appeared at London Bridge with bells on and money in his proverbial wallet, and the drinks began to flow. Two hours into the YLS Happy “HOUR,” Ravis discovered that the tab was less than $250. What to do? Seeking guidance, the impressionable young Ravis approached President-elect Ray Driver. Driver, having consumed approximately $135 of the current tab, boasted “Order two of each appetizer on the menu and a round of shots for everybody.” Maybe the liberal Ravis thought, if I do not use the entire budget someone will think I did not do my job. . . or maybe the socialist Ravis thought I should use the entire budget and spread it equally among all those here. . . or maybe the conservative Ravis thought this is my chance to garner some votes for higher office, drink up! Whichever, Ravis made the decision, the final tally on the night was $563.83, $63.83 over budget! Everyone was living large.
Unfortunately for Ravis, Sherri Worman, president of the YLS, decreed that the excess 63.83 would not be covered by the YLS as punishment for Ravis’ extravagance. Her only acknowledged disappointment in issuing this edict was that she had no way to implicate the “new and improved” Rob Devine and somehow assess the fine against him.
All in all, Londongate, while sparking interesting commentary among those who did not attend, was much more of a YLS success than scandal. Everyone who attended had a great time, those who did not. . . well, you were invited. YLS Happy Hours are for all lawyers, so long as you are at least “young” at heart. They are designed to be a chance for us to get together under less formal and adversarial circumstances and to enjoy each other’s company. As such, please join us April 17 for Londongate II. It promises to be an excellent time. In the meantime, if you see Ravis, tell him what a great job he has done this year and that he’s got your “vote.” (For what, I am still unsure.)