“Many hands make light work” especially the work preceding any community event. Recently I enjoyed the work of others preparing the Wildlife Game Banquet at Marrable Hill Chapel. Except for the bit of food I brought to share, I sat back and relished their handiwork.
For instance, Karen Webb spent weeks planning and preparing unique table decorations for each of the 20 or so tables. Of course, since it was a wildlife game banquet in the fall, the tables had fall and hunting themes: a bear, a vase with empty shells strung on it, a touch of camouflage fabric, or vases filled with layers of seeds. Also, she prepared fall floral arrangements and a variety of pumpkins made from cloth, yarn or rope for display as table arrangements
“You have spent a lot of time on this. It looks great,” I told her.
“A lot of time recently,” she replied referring to the months since someone proposed holding the banquet. She also coordinated making or obtaining an abundance of door prizes. Many folks carried home a door prize of one of those pumpkins, a hunting themed gift or gift certificates.
The planners even had a door prize for the children: a BB gun. The lucky child who won slept through the all the festivities of the evening. What else did we expect? He’s only a month old. We all chuckled that he won and said, “He will have to grow into that prize.”
Weeks ago I had heard rumors of the intense decorating being done.
“Danny’s building a cabin in the gym.”
Well maybe not exactly a cabin, but he did construct a set for the small stage that looked like the front of a quaint country cabin with a metal roof overhanging the front porch. It included a cozy set of curtained windows, rugged wooden steps and a stovepipe with real looking smoke lazily trailing up to the ceiling. An animal skin draped over the wooden railing. A small forest of real trees taken from the woods lined the walls beside the cabin.
One of the evening’s announcements included, “please be sure to pick up your deer heads before you go.” Seven deer heads had been contributed for the night.
The children’s ministry director Molly Taylor added an element that I would have forgotten: activities for the children: coloring sheets, face painting, s’mores station and a fishing boat for kids to stand in while they threw toy fishing lines out to “catch prizes.” Plus, I saw a stand with jars of candy renamed to fit the hunting theme: pretzel sticks were fishing rods and malt balls labeled deer droppings.
The day before and the day of the banquet Sheryl McKinnon and Kay Johnston and others prepared tables, drinks and food. David Murphy and Dicky Palculict fried catfish, hush puppies and french fries for the feast. Avid hunters brought dishes with samplings of deer chili, deer steaks, fried squirrel and alligator (I think that came from the store).
I didn’t help. I just sat and enjoyed the food (especially the desserts with cherries). The whole group listened quietly when the Arkansas Game and Fish Warden spoke. The noise level rose as names were drawn for door prizes and winners claimed their prize.
So much time spent planning, preparing and presenting the event. I appreciate the organizers’ time spent thinking through all the details to make it a special evening.
I also want to recognize other event organizers in the community. We who come to consume really do appreciate everything done. Without your labors, creativity and energy, none of this would happen. Thank you to all the folks who make El Dorado a fun place to live.