2010 Disneyland Trip Update

We have picked a date for the trip, Saturday, May 22nd If you think you will be able to make it, please fill out and submit this form so I can get a head count, and keep you posted.

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Friday February 5th, 7:00 PM

It's time for our next STORM event. This meeting will be to go over some of our plans for the new year, but mostly to enjoy some fellowship and dessert. One of the things that I would like to put together is a parent approved movie list. So if you have any movie suggestions please leave a comment or send me an email. Also, be thinking of some fun activities that you would like to do this year. We look forward to seeing you on Friday!

Gingerbread House Making / White Elephant Gift Exchange

Date: 12/05/2009
Start Time: 12:00 pm
End Time: 4:30 pm
Location: Grace Reformed Church 420 Columbus Street Bakersfield, CA 93305 (map)
Description: Bring a sack lunch and a his/her white elephant gift. If you don't know what a White Elephant Gift Exchange is all about,  here is some information that I snagged from Wikipedia...

Gameplay

Gifts are wrapped, but are not labeled to reflect a specific sender or recipient. Gifts are typically inexpensive, humorous items or used items from home; the term white elephant refers to a gift whose maintenance cost exceeds its usefulness.

All participants draw a number (from a hat, perhaps) to determine their order. An alternative to the drawing is to sit in a circle and take turns in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction.

The participant with #1 unwraps any gift from the pile and then shows it to everyone. Each successive participant, in the order determined from the drawing, or in clockwise or counterclockwise order, can either 1) "steal" an already opened gift (if there's one they really like) or 2) be adventurous and go for a wrapped gift from the pile. If the participant chooses to steal, the person whose gift is stolen now repeats his turn and either 1) steals another person's gift (he cannot immediately steal back the gift that was just stolen from him) or 2) unwraps a new gift.

This cycle of stealing can sometimes continue for a long time, until a new gift is chosen, at which point the turn is passed to the participant with the next number from the drawing, or whoever is next in the circle, whichever arrangement is chosen.

Since items can be stolen, the item in your possession is not yours until the game is over. However, this is often amended with a rule declaring a gift "dead" or "safe" after it has been stolen a certain number of times (usually two or three). This helps the process go more smoothly (avoiding, for example, the hypothetical scenario of the same gift being stolen by every successive participant) and limits the disadvantage of being among the first to choose gifts. The game is over once all names have been withdrawn from the hat.

If you have any questions please call or text me...

Luke Jones: 661-246-9345

Hope to see you there!