Church Vestibule, Oysterville

Sometimes we play that “if we won the lottery…” game and we go off on wonderful fantasies – like the trips we’d take and the new car we’d buy and the charities we’d donate to.  Unfortunately, these wild spending fantasies always end with “but first we’d have to buy a ticket.”  And, like playing the slots or betting on the horses (or whatever people bet on these days), our shekels are just too hard-earned to fritter away.

At this time of year when every good cause and charity in Christendom is vying for our attention, I am tempted to fly a banner for the house for all to see:  “Our Disposable Income is Already Accounted For.”  And if we had any, it surely would be.  Accounted for, that is.  No problem.

In the best charity-begins-at-home fashion, number one on our priority list is the Oysterville Church.  Next comes the Oysterville Cemetery.  For lack of that imaginary lottery money, we make those two causes our first and foremost priorities in as many other ways as we can during the year.  But it occurs to me that we, too, should have been sending out reminders to people that both Church and Cemetery would be grateful recipients of their end-of-the-year charitable donations.

Entrance, Oysterville Cemetery

Last year, one of the ‘kids’ who grew up in Oysterville arranged for a monthly contribution to be sent to the Oysterville Cemetery Association directly from her bank.  It’s not a large amount – you couldn’t take yourself out to dinner on it – but month after month, here it comes.  It adds up!  And, as Secretary/Treasurer of the organization, I am reminded with each deposit that it we had ten or twenty such donations each month, our maintenance and upkeep worries would be over.  Ditto the church.

So, I think that will be my mission in 2017.  My terms are up on both the Oysterville Restoration Foundation Board and the Cemetery Association Board.  Time to switch gears and do a little public relations work for each organization, perhaps.  But, in the meantime, and before I begin my campaign in earnest, if anyone out there does win the lottery, do keep Oysterville in mind!