Fighting for position

We got our programs the other night (dress rehearsal) - for our symphony we get one program for the year and use inserts for any changes. The problem (aside from the whole awful design which annoys my ex-graphic-designer brain) was the personnel page. For many of the players this is all the recognition they get, no pay, no bios, just their name on a list. I don't have a problem with alphabetical listing, but they didn't do that except for the strings (also no problem with that). But in the winds, they had one section (not the oboes) with 5 players listed. First was the sitting principal. Second was some person who joined the group this year and was playing violin (although she plays the ww inst). Third was our sitting second, who had just gotten married and will be moving to New Zealand. Fourth was a student who sits in for rehearsals but doesn't play the concerts (this is normal for our group to have a couple of these students), and fifth was our sitting third/aux player, who also plays piano for us (but ww instrument is her major instrument).

So! This is a horrible problem, because violin-girl just graduated from mid-west-college-I'd-never-heard-of in WW Instrument. She is quite good. Could give principal a run for her money although that is not in question. Since 2nd is leaving, DD apparently asked violin-girl to sub for the rest of the year. This seemed a bit weird to me since we have an excellent 3rd player, but of course he wants her to play piano (usually crap parts on jazzy arrangements - which she HATES, and she can't do improv). So 3rd player feels terrible because she is listed dead last, after several people not even officially in the group, AND they didn't ask her to sub (which would be normal in this group unless she was awful). I understand there will be an audition in June but that is a long time from now. Violin-girl probably would take the audition if it is just her and 3rd player, but there are several other better players in the area, who could take the chair if they auditioned.

Anyway, it just makes me sad to see these people pour their hearts into playing, for no pay-back, and then get treated shabbily. I hate that.