Watching the
Tri-C Community come together evoked a great feeling in my heart today. It began with listening to the nonsense
babble of one year olds in church. They
may be part of the same day care or just think they know the other kids they
see in church most Sunday mornings. Then
as services began it became clear that the third grade students were going to
be participants in the celebration. Two
little girls raised their voices along with the adult song leader as mass
began. Then two little boys read the
readings for the day. After several
others read the prayer petitions they then took up the offertory collection and
brought up the offerings to the priest.
This brings me great hope for our rural community. These are the sounds and actions of a growing
energetic community.
Another set
of actions and noise has been planned for several weeks. Tragedy took a nine month olds life. The parents, former community members, faced
mounting medical bills. The Tri-C
Community began to talk and plan. All service
organizations such as the American Legion Post #464 and its auxiliaries, the
Tri-C Volunteer Fire Department, the Knights of Columbus, the St. Ann’s Alter
Society, the service organizations of Jefferson C-123 School and other local
leaders who brought the energy and motivation to the planning table set in
motion what was needed for a fundraiser.
On February
15, 2015 the Tri-C Community shined. A
fish and chicken dinner was served for a free will donation. The ladies of the St. Ann’s Alter Society
provided desserts. Donated desserts,
unused, at the meal became part of the auction beginning at 2:30 pm. Three local auctioneers shared the auction
duties as a single clerk occasionally had to ask “number please. Loads of fire wood, a donated trailer, seed
corn, and soybean seed along with craft items and certificate for bakery goods
were among the items donated to this fundraiser. Occasionally an item sold more than once as
the buyer donated it back to the auction.
In looking at
this small rural community one can sometimes ask where do you find volunteers
who can keep up with a steady stream of hungry people by frying fish and
chicken? Who was responsible for
providing roasters of baked beans and spicy potatoes? Who made the multiple bowls of cold slaw? FFA shirts were very visible as students wove
their way between tables served drinks.
These students partnered with younger students with older ones handling
the pitchers of tea, lemonade or water while younger student, representing
other organizations, carried cups. Some
of these students shared other duties such as knowing the PA system of
Tri-Meadows. Where the event took place. The microphone lost power. A youth in an FFA shirt arrive from somewhere
in the back with new batteries.
Does this rural
area hold three auctioneers or someone who knows an auctioneer who will spend
their Sunday afternoon “crying” a benefit auction? Several of the FFA shirts took up duties at
the auction. They knew how to deliver sale items or certificates to
buyers. They provided runner duties
taking sale tickets to the auction pay table.
They held up items so that all could see what was being offered. Bidders bided their time waiting for items
they wished to purchase.
If one
observed closely it was noted the kitchen was clean and those same people who
fried fish and rustled around serving baked beans and cold slaw now sat quietly
relaxing a bit before the next phase of this Tri-C Community Coming Together
took place. Young men stood in small groups restless and occasionally bidding
on an item, but seemed to be waiting, waiting.
Buckets of soapy water waited in the kitchen for table wipe down. No sooner would the last auction cry “sold”
echo than the cleanup phase would begin.
Those restless young men would make short of hoisting the tables and
chairs onto their storage carriers. Yes the young, middle aged and the senior
citizens of the Tri-C community truly know how to come together to make things
happen. This community knows how to plan
and produce the leaders of tomorrow. Be
it the beginning of the social babble of one year olds in church, the smell of
deep fried fish or chicken, the silent work ethic of school youth or the
auction cry to sell donated items. These
are the energies of the Tri-C Community Coming Together in action.
