Mennonites traditionally offered all kinds of tips — how to help zwieback rise, how to correctly lead a hymn sing or how to organize the food at a potluck.  Rachel Swartzendruber Miller, the assistant director of convention planning, hopes they are also leaving tips in their hotel rooms.

“Ninety-eight percent of the hotels are filled with our people,” Swartzendruber Miller said. “Rarely are hotels filled to capacity; so that means their staff are stretched to the max.”

Glen Guyton, a member of the executive board of Mennonite Church USA, agrees with Swartzendruber, especially since he fears his own youth group is leaving behind “dirty, filthy rooms” each day.

“These people are working extra hard to accommodate us,” Guyton added.

Generally, hotel employees receive less than the minimum wage with the assumption that they will collect tips during their work.  If 7,000 Mennonites are not leaving tips, that is a loss of thousands of collective dollars for hotel workers during this week.

One youth sponsor, Joel Beachy from Jubilee Mennonite in Mississippi, encourages his youth to put a dollar on each of their pillows.  He passes out money from their youth fund for the tips.

Some youth sponsors, such as Kevin King from Bluffton, Ohio, are leaving tips for the entire group.  “I’m collecting money to tip,” said King.  “They’re doing a nice service, and I support the local business and appreciate their services.”

Additionally, Swartzendruber Miller says that tipping is not only for the youth groups.  “Adults need to be conscious of it too,” she said.

Some of the hotels in the Columbus area are familiar with Mennonite conventions.  Tim Dant, the general manager at the Hyatt Regency, noted one particular show of hospitality.

“I’ve heard that historically Mennonites have left gift baskets in their rooms for the housekeepers,” Dant said.

Editor’s Note: The program for Convention 2009 offers guidelines for tipping.

Housekeeper:  $1 per person, per night
Hotel personnel doing a chore for you: $1 to $2
Bell services/porter: $1 to $2 per bag (arrival and departure)
Valet-parking attendants:  $1 to $2 per vehicle (arrival and departure)