Silent Auction
A note from the Club President.
Please let me first wish you all a very happy and satisfying year.
The success of last year's silent auction has given me the confidence to repeat the operation in 2010, and to try to increase the profit of £1,802 that was achieved in 2009. There were 65 lots last time round and, with several hundred adult members (vice-presidents, players, and junior parents), the target of £3,000 should be achievable. The date for this year's event has been fixed for Sunday 14 February, and gives you an ideal opportunity to get rid of those Christmas presents that you least wanted, as well as making a useful contribution to club funds.
For thoase of you who have not been to one, a silent auction works like this. All the lots (or written promises) are numbered and laid out on tables before the event begins. Beside each lot is a piece of paper on which to record your bids, in writing, for that lot. During the course of the auction, someone else might put on the paper a bid that beats yours, and you must then increase your own bid to secure the item. Bids will be accepted until a fixed time (which will be advised beforehand and signified by a bell), at which point the papers will be collected and the winning bidder will pay for and collect the lot(s) for which (s)he has made the highest bid.
In view of the need to raise serious money, I should like to think that every adult member would respond positively to this request. There are several ways in which you can do this:
Come to the event.There will be no entry fee this year, but food will be available to purchase on the day. This is slightly different from last year, when there was an entry charge which included a hot sandwich. I am hoping that there will be hot sandwiches again this year, and there might even be some meat left over to auction (as last time). Entry will not be restricted to club members; in fact, the more the merrier.
If you can't come, you could consider sending a donation instead -- or at least send an item for auction.
Provide an item (or more than one if you can) for the auction. This could be a physical item (e.g. a hamper, a case of wine, a picture, or a bicycle) or a promise (e.g. a meal for four people, a day's racing or golfing, or a day's heavy labour). No item is too small, as I could put together one lot from several smaller items. Larger items will be difficult to display, so manageable items only please.
I do hope that you will react in the right way to this request, as money is urgently needed to carry out essential and costly works to the (i.e., your) clubhouse.
Please give all your auction items and donations (a cheque made out to Pocklington Rugby Forward will be satisfactory, but you may give me cash if you prefer) to me, or send them to me at 27 Wressle, near Selby, North Yorkshire, YO8 6ET. If you have difficulty with this, 'phone me on 01757-638618 and I shall endeavour to make arrangements to collect.
This is an easy way to make a lot of money, and I look forward to receiving your avid support.
Warmest.
Tim Slater
President PRUFC
Published: 6 Jan 2010