OK. It’s time to call this meeting to order. A voice squawked and tried to hush the crowd, because there was business to be organized and carried out. Could I have the executive up here with me, please?

In the crowd, one guy leaned over to his neighbour. Give a guy some power, and he starts sounding so prim and proper! “Could I have the executive up here with me-e, puhleeze?” he ended, in mocking imitation of their leader, as the executive formed an orderly single-file row on the makeshift stage in contrast to the disorganized group below them, where there was stumbling into each other, and some were being struck by their neighbours–purely accidentally, of course, and people hopping over each other to get where they wanted to stand.

Why do they always drag us out so early in the morning for these meetings, somebody asked his friend standing next to him.

The only reason my manager ever gave me was some line about the early bird getting the worm or something like that, came the reply.

The leader raised his voice again and attempted to bring the meeting to order. Come on, guys! We need to get started or we’re never going to get anything done today! Shut up and let’s get started!

Nobody took much notice of him. One of the group even bent over and started eating. But as the space filled up, there was less and less room for disorder, and (had one not seen what had come before) one might have thought this was a perfectly respectable gathering.

OK, guys. We really need to work on getting something done this morning. So let’s divide up into groups to cover today’s tasks.

Somebody in the crowd shouted: And what tasks are those?

And, like a well-rehearsed line, somebody else shouted back: The same tasks we do every morning, bird brain!

Before long, there were all sorts of voices raised and nobody could hear what was going on! And despite how unruly the crowd was it was generally peaceful. Finally, things quieted down enough for the leader to speak again: OK, everybody. We do have one thing to keep note of. There’s that new restaurant opening up out by the highway, and so people will be trying them out. We’ll want to stick close to see if there’s any good stuff for us to take from there.

Hey, boss? You heard what kind of food it is?

I heard it’s chicken.

CHICKEN? came the loud response from the entire crowd, and a couple of the executive looked at the leader and wondered how he got to be the leader instead of them, and made little effort to help him regain control of the situation which threatened to dissolve below them in the crowd.

The leader tried to make himself heard. We don’t have to eat the chicken, but where there’s chicken, there’s sure to be French fries…it may not be a chipwagon, but there could be some good eating to be had.

The executive members walked up to each other and whispered. He does have a point, you know. — Maybe this leader isn’t as dumb as he looks. — And after nodding among themselves, they helped restore order.

The fearless leader attempted to act as if nothing had happened. So, everybody, take your usual spots. I’ll take the Alpha Team with me to check on the new place. And don’t forget…

The whole crowd took up the leader’s concluding words, which they’d heard many times before…if you come across a great feast, spread the word and we’ll all come join you. Now scram!

Everyone knew the meeting was now over, it was time for the work day to begin. Everybody milled around, finding the rest of their team members to split up and start the day’s task. The members of the executive moved into the crowd. When one of them found that their entire team was present and accounted for, he would signal the others to follow, and about a dozen seagulls would take off, ready to search for today’s food.