March Friday 13th, 2009

BBQ Chicken Fundraiser

William T. Bain Lodge #231 in Garner, NC went against the odds by having a fundraiser on March Friday 13th. It is considered by many who are superstitious to be an unlucky day. Catholics practice Lent & some don't eat meat during this period. What a yucky day...the cold temperatures and rain made the brothers uncomfortable while working and kept many people at home. The recession and unemployment kept people shut in, too; but they still have to eat, right?

Brothers working to get the plates ready during the mad lunch rush.

The theme for Friday 13th was "chicken". People hate to be called a "chicken", so rather than be one, they decided to eat one.

Guests enjoying their dinner.

People in the neighborhood still support Masonry and they think allot of us. By having public fundraisers they get to see what Masons do and they get to be a part of it. A fundraiser requires many things to be successful. It requires teamwork, planning, resources and execution. Put the best people on your team and let them do the things they are good at. I try not to micro-manage my team, but rather put them in charge of what they are doing and let them have fun. I think having a fundraiser is more like a fun-raiser because it encourages brotherhood, teamwork, confidence building and fun. I also believe that if you fail to plan then you plan to fail. The BBQ chicken dinner was well planned and we did a great job getting the word out to the community with e-mail blasts, TV, newspaper and yard signs placed at key intersections.

Several brothers worked together to make this happen. Brother Jerry Hart at Olde Time Barbeque donated the slaw. Brother Ben Harmon managed getting the food, plates and utensils and consumables and kept track of the expenses. Several brothers brought their big grills, propane gas and tents to keep the food and the brothers dry. Allot of brothers came to work and there was allot of participation from the Shriners, too. Even though I had delegated the work to the committees, I had my hand in this too; I cartooned the little guy below and designed the signs and printed them through my company, Hunt Signs, to get the word out.

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We invited Donna Hayes and her Girl Scouts at Holland United Methodist Church to come out and join us in the fundraiser and they sold cookies and baked goods for their fundraiser. One of the Cub Scout moms brought us some cookies to include in the food trays. The results were excellent because we networked with other non-profit organizations, targeted a diverse market. We catered food to several locations, some people ate inside and some people bought take-out. Therefore it shouldn’t be a surprise that we sold out of food and made the fundraiser a success. We appreciate all of those who participated and were able to come out and support us.

I got several phone calls and e-mails from people who ordered food and told us that it was really good and our chicken was excellent. Will we have another one next year? Maybe so…on Friday the 13th? Why not? If it can be successfully pulled off in the present economic conditions and a cold, rainy environment then imagine what we can do when the cards are in our favor?

Edward H. Hunt, WM