SELLING TICKETS IN A CASHLESS SOCIETY

The Virginia Park Elementary School Council has been running its second annual 50/50 fund raiser over the past month. Initially, I had some misgivings about using a lottery as a fund raiser. As well, I do not enjoy asking people to purchase tickets even if it is for a good cause.

School councils still have to raise lots of cash to assist students with the costs of field trips, to subsidize extra-curricular activities (like swimming and skating) and to provide new infrastructure in the school like computers, phonic ears and the like. The current provincial government has made education a priority. As parents we have all benefited from the elimination of school fees, free textbooks, smaller classes and other improvements. However, there is still a way to go. For example, our council was forced to foot the bill when the school's server for the computer network had to replaced. One would think that something as essential as a server would be the school board's responsibility, but no, the $10,000 bill was borne by the school council. The money raised through recycling, the spring fair, donations and last year's 50/50 draw were the source of funding which ensured that teachers and students were networked together. That was hard-raised money that I believe should have been used for other things.

At 9:00 this morning we trudged up to the Wal-Mart on Stravanger Drive with a float, hundreds of tickets, two chairs and a table. This was my duty as a parent and chair of the school council. Pestering frantic Christmas shoppers in a crowded store on a Saturday was not something that I looked forward to doing.

I spent seven hours peddling tickets with Paula, another council member. Dozens of people averted eye contact as they breezed by our little table. I thought perhaps our presentation was not attractive enough to warrant a second look so I scurried over to a display and borrowed a pitcher plant (I mean a poinsettia) and liberated a mechanical dancing tree for strategic placement on our table. Than it dawned on me that the majority of people are not carrying cash these days.

What amazed me was the number of people who actually stopped to chat, and say "I feel bad, I do not have any change on me right now." A few minutes later, after going through the checkout, they would return with five or ten dollars to purchase some tickets and help our cause. I really enjoyed the experience. I met some great people and experienced the sincere generosity of my fellow Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. I feel bad for misleading all the folks who made me promise they were buying the winning ticket.

People just do not carry cash anymore. How many times have I pulled into Tim Horton's only to realize that I am penniless and my debit card is useless. We have become dangerously reliant on computer banking. I like using my interac and credit cards. It provides me with a permanent and world wide accessible online record of my spending.

So just out of curiosity: How much cash do you carry around in your wallet or purse? Have you bought into the electronic commerce? What is the optimal amount of cash one should keep with one? Just how reliant are you on e-commerce?