Service Auction
For the month leading to it anyone could submit service acts to be placed up for action. These acts of service could be pre-made in advance or commitments to future service acts [for these vouchers were made up to present on the date with date and details of when service could be fulfilled, and by whom].
Then on the night of the event we filled out a questionnaire - I don't remember all the questions but they were along this theme:
thank you for attending our auction = 10 points do you read your scriptures every day Have you prayed this morning attended the temple this month have you done your Sunday school readings the temple work you do, is it for family did you bring a friend did you supply a service act for tonight's auction
The list as you can imagine can go on - with an unlimited amount of ideas that can be slotted in here. Anyway once the questionnaire was filled in - depending upon how many and which questions were answered we received Relief Society Pounds [we're in the UK :o)], to match our efforts.
Then after our dinner etc...we had our auction - although we weren't given a list of things that were going to be up for auction [this would have been handy, but our RS presidency had decided not to do this to be sure everything went without only one or two big items being 'fought over', and then having the possibility of offending others who had contributed].
Auction items included crocheted blankets, quilts, baked goods like cakes and jams, boxes of vegetables for the future summer from someone's garden, vouchers for 'taxi' rides to and from destinations of choice, babysitting vouchers, vouchers for running and supervising a child's party, offers to do two clean sacks full of ironing, etc the list is endless really when you sit down and give it some thought. The ideas we had auctioned were creative and thoughtful and a success to the whole event.
The fun thing to is it make the event last longer as
the service acts continued after the night, and well into months that
followed.
When the sisters arrived to Enrichment we were given
a sheet with things we had done (morning prayers, had Family Home Evening
that month, read scriptures that day, told someone you loved them, etc).
Each tasks had a point value. We did the honor system so no one really
saw. Then you added up your points and you could auction off your points
for that service. It was really neat and all the sisters were serving each
other and getting to know each other more.
First, each person filled out a little paper that
said, "I (their name here), donate __________ to be auctioned to
the 3rd Ward." or something like that. I'm sure you can think of
something more creative. It was at least 4-5 years ago that we did this. People donated such things as free babysitting, dinner at our house, vacuuming of 1 room, cleaning living room windows, mowing your lawn, a decorated birthday cake, a dozen cinnamon rolls, painting one room in your house, a day of fishing on my boat, etc. The service donations went from way easy to lots of dedicated time. Some people donated more than one item or service.
Second, everyone at the ward party filled out a paper and received a certain number of points for certain things they accomplished during the week. (They can't know any details before the party.) Then turned them in to the "auctioneer". The list included such things as:
1. Said my prayers each night (10 pt) 2. We had Family Home Evening (10 pt) 3. I read my scriptures at least 5 days (15 pt) 4. I attended the temple (10 pt) 5. Gave service to another (10 pt) 6. Read to a child (5 pt)
I think we had a list of 20 different things. I just made up the items and the point value. After everyone was finished, they totaled their scores and then used the points to "bid" on a service.
My husband acted as the auctioneer. He told what we were auctioning off and from whom, (some people wouldn't bid unless they knew who would be doing it). We set the bidding to begin at at least 20 points. Then it just went like an auction. Make sure people deduct their points after "buying" a service. Give the service paper to the "buyer" so they can remember what they bought and who they are getting service from.
You will have to decide before hand how to allow the points to be used. We hadn't thought of this, but it was hard, because people with children combined all of their family's points and were able to outbid a lot of the older single people, which I didn't think was fair. The families didn't agree with me though. But that will be up to each individual to decide.
After we did this, our ward talked about it for
months and wanted to have an Annual Service Auction. Do make sure to
write down who donated what service and who "bought" the service so you
can follow up to make sure it gets done. A lot of our service ended when
people walked out of the church that night and it never got done.
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