Tillsonburg Ruffed Grouse Society
Banquet

Banquet Set-up…

Long time friends, Jim and Pat Abbey, are part of a committee that organizes the annual Tillsonburg Ruffed Grouse Society Banquet. Jim is the former Executive Director of the organization. The Ruffed Grouse Society of Canada is dedicated to improving the environment for ruffed grouse, American woodcock and other forest wildlife. The Tillsonburg Chapter is very active in the Tillsonburg area and has a number of habitat projects underway. Jim and Pat suggested that Judi and I come to their banquet which was held at the end of May. We decided to come a day early so that we could help the committee set up the banquet hall. The banquet was not held in Tillsonburg itself, but in the small village of Stratfordville which is located just a short distance from Tillsonburg. The banquet consists of catered meal and several fundraising activities. The object of the banquet is to raise funds for local habitat projects. The fundraising portion of the event is made up of raffles and live and silent auctions. The proper setting up of the hall is one of the most important contributories to the success of the banquet! The Tillsonburg committee takes particular pride in both how the raffle and silent and live auction items are displayed and how the banquet hall looks. It was in this atmosphere that Judi and I joined the committee in setting up and decorating the hall. We worked several hours to make things “just right”! Tired, but please with our contribution, we headed back to our motel for a good nights rest!

The Banquet Begins…

We spent most of Friday, the day of the event, relaxing. I did go back to the Stratfordville hall to help the committee put the finishing touches on the banquet set-up. Judi and I arrived at the hall a little after 5:00 PM. Most of the committee was already there. At about 6:00 PM banquet attendees started to arrive. Cocktail hour was from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM, with dinner scheduled to start at 7:30 PM. Assigned committee members greeted guests at the front door and took their tickets. Once through the front door they were free to purchase drinks and investigate the raffle and auction items. The hall had been set up so that each fundraising opportunity was grouped individually. The “Silent Auction” items seemed to be where the crowd went first. People looked over each item and if they were interested in bidding, would place their bid on the card provided and then sign their name or bidding number. From the silent auction area, people then seemed to move over to the "Bucket Raffle” area. Here guests could purchase ticket packages. They would decide on which item(s) they were wanted to win and then put tickets (any number they wanted) into the bucket(s) of their choice. There were other raffles and draws that attendees could participate in include a “Loonie” draw, a “Lady’s” raffle and a couple of other types of raffles. The “Lady’s” raffle even included a Pink Rifle! Great for keeping the winner’s spouse in line! At the front of hall people were inspecting the “Live Auction” items. They were wonderfully displayed on the hall stage. As Judi and I walked through the crowd, we heard just how much people were enjoying the event. Bantering and laughter were everywhere and both the Silent Auction and Bucket Raffle areas were very active with people deciding on which items they wanted take home! With 7:30 PM approaching, guests were asked to take their seats. Dinner was ready to be served and the formal portion of the evening was about to begin!

“What Am I Bid…”

Jim Abbey was the evening’s Master of Ceremonies. After Jim introduced several people from the audience, grace was said. Jim then announced that dinner would be served. The dinner was presented family style. Heaping bowls and dishes of roast beef, potatoes and vegetables were placed on each table and then everyone helped themselves. I must say that the meal was excellent, one of the best banquet meals I have had. The dessert that was served was awesome. The caterer that was chosen for the evening was definitely a great choice! All through the meal people were encouraged to continue bidding on the Silent Auction items. People were continually leaving their tables to see where their bid stood! As the evening progressed, groups of Silent Auction bid sheets were gathered up and then the names of the winners were announced. The happy and sad faces in the crowd showed who the winners and losers were! Also during the meal the names of the various individual draws and raffles were announced The committee wanted to keep the flow of the evening moving so that proceedings didn’t drag on too long. By the time the dinner was over, all Silent Auction bid sheets have been pulled and the names of the winners announced. With the dinner finished, it was time to start the Live Auction, The auctioneer was asked to come to the stage. Jim introduced him and then handed over the microphone. The Live Auction was about to begin! The items available to be bid on were excellent and the crowd waited eagerly for the bidding to start. The first item was described and the auctioneer called for bids. “What am I bid?” he called out, asking for someone to open the bidding. He started high and slowly worked down until a hand was raised. The auction had truly started (Click HERE to see Live Auction video clip). After the auctioneer had exhausted all bidding, he dropped his gavel and announced the winning bid. A new item was then announced and the bidding procedure started all over again. The number of people bidding each time depended on the item being offered. Sometimes the bidding started immediately with multiple bidders, while other times the auctioneer had to cajole the audience to start the bidding. Eventually, when the opening bid amount was low enough, the bidding would start. The auctioneer did an excellent job reading the audience and obtaining the most money for each auction item. When the gavel dropped for the final time, all auction items were sold and there were many happy auction winners! The last event of the evening was the Bucket Raffle. Most of the banquet committee gathered at the far end of the raffle tables. Tickets were drawn from each bucket and the winning number announced. It was easy to tell where the winner was located because of the loud cheers from the winners table. The drawing of the winning raffle tickets proceeded quickly. Loud moans and cheers were heard from every corner of the room! Some tables were heaped with winning items, others were not. Like they say, “It’s just the luck of the draw!” By the time the raffle was over and the door prize winners were announced, everyone was ready to call it an evening and take their winnings (or memories) home. After most of the crowd had left the hall, the Tillsonburg Ruffed Grouse Society Banquet committee quickly cleaned and packed up, glad the banquet was over but eager to start planning for next year!

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