Dear Cadet Parents and Guardians:

Our Saturday November 12, 2011 annual Spaghetti Dinner and Auction is coming fast!  To those who have already purchased their tickets and those planning to, thanks for your support and we look forward to seeing you at this fun get together!  We also need your help in making the auction fun and exciting and have prepared the following Question and Answers to guide you to that end:

What is the greatest need at this time?

At this time, we most urgently need parents and guardians to support the auction component by:

• obtaining new retail goods or services donated from a local store or business that you can approach using the downloadable letter attached here: 2011 Auction Store Letter,
• donating new retail goods or services you bought or currently own but have never used.  You can receive a tax receipt for the good, providing it is new and there is a way to validate its value (receipt or catalogue printout),
• providing an artistic or craft item that you made,
• offering a donation of cash, cheque or gift card by which the auction team can purchase items to be auctioned (these also qualify for a tax receipt).

What kinds of items are needed for the auction?

Items of all values are appreciated.  The auction will feature a silent auction component and a live auction component (with auctioneer).  We need a lot of smaller items for a successful silent auction, however, it makes for a more exciting and successful auction overall to have a good number of higher value items or services which support the live auction. Higher value items are those with a retail value above $25.

The best auction items tend to be goods that appeal to a broad demographic, such as electronic goods, sports equipment, outdoor and camping gear, and popular hobby craft.  The funnest auctions are those with lots of bidding competition. For example, in the past we have auctioned off a Nintendo Wii game system.

I’d love to visit a store or two (or maybe more).  What are the steps involved?

Thanks for your help on this! Please follow these steps:

1. Print as many copies of this two-page 2011 Auction Store Letter as you need.  Read the letter to familiarize yourself with the information and what is being requested.
2. Present yourself with the letter to a store/business manager and explain that the 872 Kiwanis Kanata Air Cadet Squadron would be grateful for their support via a donated item (physical goods, but not services, will qualify the business to receive a tax receipt for the value of the item).
3. If they say yes, ask them to complete the bottom part of the letter which will enable us to send a receipt for the donated item. If no, please thank them for their time on behalf of the 872 Kiwanis Kanata Air Cadets.
4. If the item is not received on the spot, arrange to pick-up the item as soon as possible before November 9, so you can bring it to the November 9 parade night at AY Jackson High School.
5. Send a quick email to psc@872-squadron-rcac.ca noting the store you visited and the description and value of the item. The information will be logged on our roster to avoid repeat calls to that business. If the business you visit happens to have been already approached by someone representing the 872 Squadron, please thank them for their time and support and let them know you will ensure this information is passed along for the roster.
6. Bring the item to the November 9 parade and hand it in at the tuck shop table that will be open in the lobby of AY Jackson High School.  Please note, some auction items can – if absolutely necessary – be brought to the dinner and auction Saturday November 12, but they need to be brought to the Richmond Arena early in the afternoon so they can be logged into the auction system.  Given we need to be organized, too many last-minute items will cause a lot of confusion and may delay the auction.
7. Tell your cadet what you are doing to support their program. We all facilitate our cadets’ Squadron participation, as well as their social and leadership development by personally taking simple and much appreciated volunteer actions.

In addition to securing some items for the auction, what else can I help with?

Thanks for asking!  At around 1:00pm, anyone may come to the Richmond Arena on November 12 to help set up tables and chairs, to decorate the hall or to ensure all equipment and food items are in place. Do not feel you need to stay the whole afternoon – any help is greatly appreciated and we’d like to meet you.

There may also be need for more helpers during the dinner and auction. If you’d like to let one of the volunteers know you are available, they can put you in touch with one of the team coordinators to see what else might need to be done. There may in fact be nothing, but knowing a few folks are available “on call” is always a relief to coordinators.

Finally, the hall needs to be taken down at the end of the evening.  This is normally an impromptu affair where everyone pitches in while auction items are being paid for by another member of the family. The more, the merrier…

The Parent Sponsoring Committee sounds like a fun group. How do I introduce myself?

Your instincts are excellent. The 872 Squadron’s Parent Sponsoring Committee (PSC) is indeed a fun, but above all, dedicated group of people who are always happy to meet the parents and guardians of cadets. You can introduce yourself either as an helper at a one of our roll-up-the-sleeves events or join one of our open-door PSC meetings held in Room 208 on the second parade night of each month (at AY Jackson High School).

If you wish to sit in on a PSC meeting, you can introduce yourself to one of the committee members who can let the Chair know an introduction to the group is in order.  Or, you can sit quietly as an observer for the time being (but in that case, please approach the Chair at the beginning of the meeting to let them know that is your preference).

Take it at your own speed – no experience necessary – but do consider the benefits of volunteering.  If you would like more information, feel free to send along a note to psc@872-squadron-rcac.ca .

Thanks for your assistance!! 

Dave Mowat,

Chair, Parent Sponsoring Committee

872 Kiwanis Kanata Air Cadet Squadron