Boys Club and GEMS - Final Events

A brief explanation about upcoming posts:

Greetings everyone. 

Yes, it's been some time since I have posted online. 

For some, I know you've missed my posts, and for others of you...well, you probably didn't even notice.  : ) 

It's been a busy year, what with being down to one Pastor and all, so I have not had the time to blog some of our closing out events. 

I wish to get that item off my "to-do" list before SERVE starts in 3 days, so I will be posting about 12 entries in the next couple of days.  

Enjoy the read.  There will be less text through the entries....I think. 

Boy Club

We start with our Boys Club. They had a great year this past year, with some great counsellor's coming along side them. 

The year included camping at Al and Wilma's Cottage.  Lots of fun canoeing.  

Even catching fish.  

The weekly evenings included all sorts of other activities, but the best is eating Ice cream.

(If in fact that is ice cream? : ) )   

GEMS

Now, I have to admit, the GEMS Club took more pictures than the Boys Club group, so that's all there is for them.  

The GEMS held two events that the next set of pictures cover. 

The first event was a sleepover at the church.  Seems someone really wanted to go camping outside, but settled for an inside tenting experience instead. 

Most of the girls settled in the youth room.  

Time to watch movies, talk, 

and fall asleep watching movies and talking.  : ) 

Now Cheryl has a rule about sleepovers.  

She doesn't do them!  : ) 

What she DOES do, however, is come in early and make breakfast for everyone.  

A good compromise if you ask me. 

Here are the fruits of her labour.  

Looks good to me. : ) 

Early in the morning, the smell of eggs and bacon woke everyone up, and they soon gathered in line to have a hearty breakfast. 

Cheryl ensured everyone received enough food.  

A nice morning breakfast.  I wonder how many girls are asleep on their feet.  ??

The group who stayed overnight....well, 

except Cheryl in the middle.  : ) 

The second big event this season was a Mother/Daughter evening out.  

GEMS girls got to invite their moms, and/or grandmothers, and/or friends.   

It's always the highlight of the season.  

The ice cream and toppings for it are also a highlight.  

Everyone wants their picture taken.  

Everyone smiling away.  

Lots of time sharing together. 

And a few games as well.  

I think Kim is tickling Annette's ear here. 

Some drama and songs

More games

And I think these are the two grade 6's who are going to be leaving GEMS this year.  

The group of GEMS being serious....

The group of GEMS being not so serious.  

All in all a good event.  

Thanks for all the hard work GEMS Counsellors. 

2013 CIA/ETM Pancake Breakfast

Our 2013 Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser.  

Each year we host this wonderful event, and each year we do it for different reasons.  This year there were a few:

a. To help our youth raise funds for youth events. 

b. To help Hannah and Rosy as they begin fundraising for  their Fall mission experiences.

c. A portion of the funds raised will go towards helping cover the costs of new hymnals for Calvin.  

For the past five years at least, we have had John come in and lead us in the kitchen.  He does an amazing job each time.  I'm always curious to see what new creation he is going to come up with, and this year he did not dissappoint   

We did away with two old menu items.  No more chocolate rolls, and no more sausages...sorry about that Thomas.  

In their place, fruit, and lots of it, and whipped cream. Isn't your mouth watering already.  : )

John's family, as well as David, came out on Friday evening to get the fruit prepared.  

There was LOTS of cutting to do.   

It never seemed to end, but after about 2 hours, we were finished and had several large bowls of fresh fruit sitting in the fridges ready to go.   

The group arrived at the church at 6 am.  

We began the job of setting up the fellowship hall.  

John looks a little tired at the moment.  : )  He always takes about 10 minutes to wake up and get everyone moving on a task...oh, and that espresso helped a lot too.  

Here's Samantha wide awake....argghhhh. 

We had to finish up some last minute fruit cutting, so Kevin took to using the apple peeler.  Actually, I've been corrected on this...Kevin is washing his hands in the sink...I really have to examine these pictures better....  : )

I guess he gave up and let Samantha do it.  She LOVES this sort of thing.   

Sarah was put on banana cutting detail.  We didn't want the banana's to be mushy, so they were done the morning of.   

David, Jonah, and Ben were the batter making group.  They did an awesome job, as usual.  : ) 

Kevin was in the kitchen this time  (not delegated to the basement to make sausages and then fall asleep while doing so) and as you can tell, he's a pest.   Poor Hannah.   

Lucy and Caralynn getting the napkins ready.  
They look so excited.!  : )  

Melanie was once again our public relations liaison   She had help from Michelle and Ella.   

Things are in full swing in the kitchen....I stayed OUT.  : )

The fellowship hall slowly took shape.  
Items needed on the tables were:

Plates
Bowls

Forks

Knives

Spoons

Cups for OJ

Coffee Cups

Napkins

Syrup

Jam

Margarine

A lot to remember.  : )  

What a nice Napkin design Lucy.  

Rosy and Michelle getting the fruit ready for setting on the tables.  

I misjudged the time this year by about 45 minutes.  We were ready to go by 7 am, so the group took a bit of time to rest.... 

...And talk.

Lucy started to make the whipped cream.  

The boys almost fell asleep. 

8 am rolled round and it was time to do the first test run for the pannekoeken and blueberry pancakes.   We get to eat the rejects...always appreciated.  

Rosy and Hannah did a great job making blueberry pancakes.  Both of them are going to be going away this Fall to do a mission project.  

Hannah with YWAM to Australia for about six months, and Rosy will be going to Winnipeg, Quebec, Paris, and Burkina Faso with the Canadian Mennonite University for about four months. 

It's neat to see these two wanting to go out to serve others and experience new and exciting things.  

The large bowl of whipped cream.  

Michelle getting more fruit ready for the tables.  

Our first customers.  Peter and Yvonne.  8:15 arrival for the 8:30 shift.  : ) We were ready!  

We started to bring out the pancakes and pannekoeken.  

Everyone was smiling and very pleased with this year's menu.   

We have a system in the kitchen.  Once the pancakes and pannekoeken are made, they go into warmers.  Servers then take them from the warmers and serve.  Alexa, Olivia and Amy did an awesome job as servers.   

This group holds the record for the most people at one table. Can you count how many?  

 If you wanted whipped cream you had to raise your hand and Lucy would come by and give it to you.  It started out as a slow thing, but people caught on eventually, and even decided to use the whipped cream to enhance their coffee.  

Wilma holding Nathan and Margaret's child.  Part of the fun of holding a fundraising breakfast.  You get to mingle with the church community.  

And mingle people did.  
It was noisy in the fellowship hall.  
Wonderful to watch. 

We have two shifts for people to sign up for, but each year, people seem to forget which one they actually did sign up for because they all seem to converge right in the middle of the first one.  We know that, so all is good. 

I actually ended up having to work this time around because we were a bit short of people, but it was all good.  A little work never hurt me......key words, "a little."  : ) 

As people came in, they found places to sit and talked over some great food and coffee and OJ.  

What people don't always see is the great mess we make in doing all of this.  

A portion of the crew sitting down to finally enjoy their food after working so hard.  
The only thing left, was the clean up.
 We ended up staying until noon to get it all cleaned up.  

This year we served about 85 people, in addition to 18 youth and leaders.

We took in $2,000 in receipts, which is very good for having less people this year (we served 118 last year).  I don't have the expenses yet, but we should come in with around $1,600 to $1,700 profit, a portion of which will go to purchasing hymnals for Calvin. 

Thanks to all who came out to support yet another fundraising event by our youth and thanks to all our youth who came out and worked so hard.