HFPE Theme/Activity

HFPE Theme/Activity - Service

Subject: RS: HFPE Service

I'm the Education Counselor in our ward, but I just have to share the wonderful HFPE meeting we just held last Wednesday for March. Our HFPE committee did an absolutely wonderful job! It was a dinner and service auction.

Several weeks prior to this evening, the committee sent around a sign up list for each sister to indicate a service they would perform for someone in our ward. Here are some of the service items auctioned off at HFPE meeting:

Have a family over for dinner.
Make a birthday or special occasion cake.
Pick up mail during vacation.
Bake cookies.
Baby-sit for 3 hours.
Clean your house on Saturday.
Make teaching/FHE aids.
Gourmet dinner for two.
Go to temple and do family names.
Have family over for dinner/games.
Plant spring flowers.
Make a cheesecake for dessert (variety of flavors).
Mending.
Baby-sit for 3 hours on Saturday.
Help create a current resume.
Help with canning--jellies, jams, salsas.
Wash outside windows, 2 story OK. (Not guaranteed perfect).
Help with genealogy.
Cook dinner and dessert for a family.
Help wallpaper a room.
Cook dinner for.
Help with the computer.
Rides to anywhere.
Stencil a room.
A large bag of fresh lemons.
Balance a checkbook.
Help with family history work, 2 hours and plate of brownies.
Wash and vacuum car.
Watercolor or pen and ink picture. (Was there for selection)
Bake a dessert.
Free haircut.
Tole project. (I'll cut wood and we can paint together or help finish past project.)
Homemade rolls.
FHE lesson prepared and ready to go.
Family History help and/or temple work.

Several of these items had 2 or 3 different sisters offering the same or similar service. It was so neat!

When we arrived at the building, the cultural hall was set up with round tables which were decorated with white tablecloths, miscellaneous antiques, a water pitcher, plate of butter, and a flower vase with cut daffodils.   The RS Birthday cake was on a table off to the side of the room and was beautiful. Each place setting had as the placemat a legal size paper "Relief Society Service Auction" which was bordered with lovely spring flowers, a "Service Survey," a napkin, silverware, cup, a pencil, and an auction bid sign (I don't know what they are called! These were construction paper cut out in the shape of flowers glued onto a Popsicle stick so we could acknowledge our bid).   The placemat (legal size white paper) looked like this:

Border on each side:   flowers Centered at the top of the page in large prink script:   Relief Society Service Auction (2 lines) then the listing of service projects:   Person's name - Item of service (above) Centered at the bottom of the page in large pink script:   Going Once, Going Twice... (2 lines)

We began by going to the Multi Purpose Room to pick up our wonderful dinner (chicken cordon bleu, fresh green beans, tossed salad, and rolls.)   After finishing dinner, they served each of us a piece of birthday cake, then instructed us in how to fill out the Service Survey. This is it:

Service Survey

There are many opportunities all around us for serving others. See how many of the following questions you can answer "yes" to. You may be surprised at how much service you have recently given others. (My Note:   We added 25 points for each non-member visitor so they felt they could participate. Each question received 1 point or 1 point for each time unless otherwise indicated. Of course, you can adjust this anyway you want!)

1. Are you a visiting teacher
2. Did you do your visiting teaching last month? (1 point for each sister visited; additional points for each sister already visited this month!)
3. Have you done any free babysitting for your family, friends, or neighbors in the last month
4. Have you done any work in the Family History Library in the last two months?
5. Have you been to the temple in the last month? How many times?
6. How many times have you had the missionaries over for dinner in the last two months?
7. Have you taken dinner over to someone in the last two months?
8. Have you recently called a friend just to see how they were doing?
9. Have you helped clean house, pull weeds, or mow the lawn for someone whowas unable to do so?
10. Have you written a letter to a missionary in the last month? How many?
11. Have you been out with the full-time or stake missionaries in the lastmonth?
12. Have you volunteered to help set-up or clean-up after a ward activity?
13. Have you offered to teach someone a skill that you have?
14. Have you volunteered any time in the last month to a community organization?
15. Have you written a note of support to a friend you know is having a difficult time?
16. Have you helped a newcomer to the ward feel welcome by going to class with them?
17. Did you volunteer for or help prepare any part of this evening?
18. Did you pay fast offerings last month?
19. Did you tell your children or spouse that you loved them today?
20. Have you take a dessert over to your neighbors in the last two months?
21. Have you driven someone to the doctor, grocery store, or church recently?
22. Did you write a "thank you" note to someone for something that they did for you?
23. Do you have a calling in the ward or stake?
24. Did you perform any anonymous acts of service for your family this week?
25. Have you helped clean the ward building or temple in the past two months?
26. Have you performed any other act of service in the last month that is not listed here?

We added up our points and then the auction began. We had a sister who was the official auctioneer with a gavel and a prop to hit when an item was "Sold!" We then bid on the items until it was sold.   The HFPE Leader then filled out two cards for each item sold:   one for the giver and one for the receiver: these were printed on cardstock (4 to a 8 1/2 x 11 card).

The "Receiver's" card was bordered with a pretty border in pink and yellow and read:
"This Certificate Entitles the Bearer to - (item) - This Service will be provided for You by - (person who originally offered the service)"
Centered at the bottom was "Friendship is a work of heart"

The "Giver's" card was a pretty pink heart border (again on the white cardstock) around the words:
"(name of Giver), you will be providing Your Service to ____________ (filled in by hand after the item was sold).
Thank You for Your Service     You've got Heart! (centered)

This evening was a lot of fun, but more importantly, I felt a new appreciation for each sister and the new opportunities to serve one another. I see more service being offered at random because of this wonderful activity. I know I will give more in the future!

Love and blessings,

Stacey In Clovis, CA, USA

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