A rule should have a reason
Read for meaning first. Select a highlighted word if you want a closer look.
A pottery club's storage assignments had become arbitrary, depending on who happened to ask the coordinator at the end of a busy evening. Members wanted an equitable arrangement that considered the space different projects actually required while giving everyone a clear opportunity to apply. The coordinator also knew that quietly ignoring repeated misuse of reserved shelves would condone conduct the group had already agreed was wrong. She proposed a written allocation process and a straightforward way to report a problem.
The new process replaced an arbitrary sequence of personal favors with stated criteria that members could discuss. An equitable result did not require identical shelf sizes for a small bowl and a large collaborative piece, but the reasons for the difference needed to be clear. The coordinator would not condone deliberate occupation of another member's assigned space simply because the person responsible was well liked. She would ask what had happened and apply the same agreed response to comparable cases.
Before you move on
Look away from the passage. Can you explain each focus word in your own words?
Original fictional passages for vocabulary practice.