Not sure if your comments were towards my post or not Mary.
But I am not for the organizers being comp'd unless the members there at the time decide to do it. I think they too should pay their own way. But to be "on the hook" to a restaurant or whereever that requires reservations and a large group holding half the tables in a place can be quite straining on the odds of that restaurant allowing your group back again.

And the other point about seperate checks not being acceptable with a large group.

I do think you have the right attitude towards a prepaid anything. It was very nice of them to get you a refund and I'm always glad to do that for people. But some events have set costs that do not change with who shows up.

Good post.