A worky-type question

[BigV]

I echo the comments above regarding the truth that $50 is small compared to help in one's career through the years. Cheap don't enter into it. However, I reckon that the mentor knows already the mentee's gratitude. I would certainly hope so. And the "dinner" was clearly not the mentee's idea given his penchant for frugality. If I were the mentor, I would understand either way. Id "know" my mentee, and wouldn't judge him on this call. Perhaps seeing him at the dinner and being able to infer the personal cost to him I would understand what a gesture his presence represents.

I think it's useful to observe that even though the party is in the retiree's honor, the decision to have the pay as you go dinner was the brainchild of the other attendees, not the guest of honor. You'd be confronting them on the $$ issue.

Which brings up another question. Why isn't the company paying for the dinner? If it's just us guys out for fun, we all pay our way, but if it's a work celebration, anniversary, retirement, everywhere I've been, the boss picked up the bill. Maybe that's not the company dynamic here...seems kinda cheap though.