5.25.08

Wow, youth fundraising sure has changed a lot since I was a kid. When I was in school and fundraiser time came around, it usually involved an assembly of some sort, to explain the fundraiser and get everyone pumped and motivated. When I was in middle school the Backstreet Boys even came to our school! I kid you not. They were terrible and inexperienced and we laughed at how girly they were. Again, I kid you not. Little did we know what would happen in about 2 years...

Whatever the fundraiser-- wrapping paper, cookies, fruit baskets, mulch, candy bars... I usually rushed home and set foot about the neighborhood pedalling my products. After a couple days, it got old and the motivation wore off. My parents were usually stuck forking out the cash for my share.

Even though the neighbors probably got annoyed when they'd see me (along with 20 other neighborhood kids) coming, if they chose to support the cause, they at least GOT something out of it.

Twice this year (including about 10 minutes ago) I've been suckered into a flat out donation-- once for the high school band and just now for a youth group. They don't even bother trying to play it up... they just ask for money.

In the fall I felt bad for the band kids because it was hot and they were marching around the neighborhood in their uniforms, complete with the feather on top. And today, a chubby little redhead with braces who nervously tried to explain that his troop is going to West Virginia to fix houses in an old coal mining town, was all it took to have me digging into my purse for a measley 5 dollar bill.

And although I said earlier that I got nothing in return (other than the self-satisfaction, blah blah blah) I was wrong. My $5 donation entitled me to a Xeroxed certificate that reads:

This certifies that ______________ is the registered holder of 1 Shares of Stock enabling the purchase of building supplies for home repairs by the work of McDowell Mission in Welch, West Virginia. The hilder of this Stock can be assured that ______________, a student with Trinity United Methodist Church, is donating 30 hours of his/her time for home repairs.

In Witness Whereof, the said Kingdom of God has caused this Certificate to be signed by its duly authorized disciple of Jesus Christ and its Corporate Seal is hereunto affixed this _____ day of _____ A.D. _______.

He filled in his name and the year 2008, asked me if I actually wanted to KEEP the certificate (uhh, yeah! this is too good NOT to keep, honey.) and then told me I could fill in my own name if I wanted.

So there you have it, folks. I am the righful owner of 1 share of stock in the Kingdom of God.

Sucker.