An Empty Place on the Relay Team

There were four places on the office relay team, and Pavel expected to get one. He had attended every club meeting and helped collect the entry fees. However, when the team list appeared, his name was missing. The captain had chosen the four fastest people from a recent practice.

Pavel felt angry, although nobody had promised him a place. He began writing a sharp message, then deleted it. What exactly am I asking for, he wondered: a race, a reward, or a clear rule? He decided to speak to the captain before the next club meeting.

The captain explained that she thought everyone knew how selection worked. They clearly did not. Several people had assumed that regular attendance mattered more than speed. There was still time to enter a second team, provided that four runners wanted to join. Pavel offered to contact the other members that afternoon.

Enough people replied, and the office entered two teams with different goals. The first aimed for a quick time; the second wanted to complete the event together. Pavel accepted a place on the second team. For the following year, the captain wrote the selection rules before collecting any fees. Pavel checked them carefully and signed up again.