Journal Entry #3

This week was very interesting regarding the Morocco trip. We had the group meetings today and I thought they were extremely interesting. We decided last week in the whole group meeting that we would be splitting up into different groups, each assigned with a fundraising idea, and the way the fundraiser was set up and carried out was up to the different groups to decide. The two fundraising ideas that we came up with for the months of April and May are a Movie Night, and a "Rent a Sophomore Day." The group I was in was assigned to the Rent a Sophomore Day along with Mr. Newcomb's group. I think it is a very clever idea and a very fun way to raise money. Nobody knew who came up with the idea, but it was well-liked by mostly everybody in the group that I was in because it is an event that people would have a lot of fun with and a day that would bring a lot of smiles to numerous people.
The other groups focused in on the Movie Night. Due to the fact that I was not in one of those groups, I am unaware of what conclusions they came to, but it does sound like a great way to raise money because everyone loves watching family movies, and when they can bring their close family and friends, it is going to be a good time. My group had the meeting today at lunch to discuss the Rent a Sophomore Day and the logistics of how it is going to work. We were stuck on a couple of different things because it sounded like it would be hard and that we would not get that much money. But there is no giving up on fundraisers and raising money, it is a process of trial and error, so we have to give it a try and if it doesn't work than so be it, it is just motivation to make an even bigger, better fundraiser the next time around.
Today we came up with the ideas that during Rent a Sophomore Day, the designated sophomore would be put up for auction. There would be a set price for the Sophomore, and then people would bid higher if they really wanted them. The sophomore's duties would include cleaning the locker out of the buyer (with the consent of the buyer), carry all of the buyer's books, bags, and other items to his or her classes or locker. Go out and get the lunch of the buyer, or possible make the lunch of the buyer. Spend as much time as possible throughout the day with the buyer and do whatever they want. The buyer gets to choose what they want the sophomore to wear, how they want them to act and anything along those lines, it is almost like the buyer is having the sophomore as a doll and the sophomore obeys the orders of the buyer (within reason of course.) The buyer would be able to control the actions of the sophomore and it would be a day filled with laugher and fun.

Morocco - Week One

I feel both ambitious as well as ready after the first week. We have talked about many fundraising ideas and how we would do them, where we would do them and the logistics of fundraising, but I am ready to actually go out and start fundraising, I am ready to raise money and start the hard part of the expedition. I would say that my excitement level has decreased in the past week because I am now realizing that the trip is a long way away and it will just be a lot of hard work, time, and dedication leading up to it. I am excited that we are going to be able to start fundraising very soon, but I want to be able to organize all of the ideas we have about what we are going to and sort everything out.
I think that as a whole, the group came up with many great ideas that will generate a lot of money for us and will cut the cost down of the trip. I believe that the ideas we came up with for fundraising are very creative and out of the ordinary of most fundraisers. I will be able to contribute a great amount of dedication and hard work. I am ready for everything and anything and my goal is to raise as much money as we can, weather it be from a Student-teacher softball game to pay money to hear Mr. Fetzer's pilgrim voice. I have talents of speaking well in front of others and I have connections with golf courses that will benefit the golf tournament. I have been working with a peer in arranging ways that we could set up a golf tournament and i think it is a perfect way to get a lot of money quickly.
In the small group meeting today I contributed what I thought of the fundraisers and I gave my opinions on which ones I thought would work and which ones I thought would generate the most money. I would definitely say that my favorite fundraising idea that I have heard is the golf tournament. Golf is my favorite sport and having been working on a golf course for some years, I have seen many fundraisers go on, and now that I have a chance to create one is incredible. I believe that a golf tournament could get a substantial amount of money and that is why I am so interested in it.
I am participating in the media group and I believe the media group is very interesting. I want to write about the group and the things that we do as this long journey progresses. So far we have found ways to advertise the trip but we are holding off to contact businesses and parents about fundraising until we have a detailed summary of what the trip is about and what we are going to be doing on the trip.