Miss Manners: The owner insulted me for bringing food to their party.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: If I bring food that I have prepared, and it turns out that someone else brought the same item, is it rude for the owner to say, “You shouldn’t have brought that. I already have some”?

Or if I bring something and then when I leave, the owner says, “Take this home; no one will eat this?

GENTLE READER: Wow, you have an angry crowd. You cook for them and they insult you for your efforts.

The first problem would be solved if your group appointed an organizer to distribute the dues. The second could be solved with a little tact: “Sorry, we didn’t get to that, and I don’t have room for it.”