Boomers: what would it be like trying to explain the purpose of pre-smartphone and pre-internet Phone Trees?

Thank you for letting me know what a phone tree is. That would be easy to explain, but perhaps difficult to understand.

It was simply a way of getting information to the most people in the shortest time.  It was used for many things, not the least of which was/is prayer requests, information/news dissemination, and evacuation/civil orders. This post was edited by Thriftymaid at October 25, 2020 1:12 AM MDT

Us GenXers used it too. Sometimes I get sick of my entire generation being ignored.
I was born in the best year of all - even boomers and 'lennials enjoy a 69.

Ooh, I want one of those!  I need one of you Boomers to tell me what I'm doing wrong.  It hasn't sprouted any phones yet.

The question rather assumes the listener would be incapable of understanding a concise, lucid explanation of anything!

I must admit I've never heard of "'Phone Trees" until this question, despite using phones since the days of rotary-dial instruments in coin-box, pay-on-answer public telephone kiosks; and often having had to complete contact and next-of-kin forms.

I though the best and clearest explanation is the first form and its instructions. That "flow-chart" symbology muddies the waters!