Last night my Flotilla held its annual Christmas Party. I went in a couple of hours early to help cook. Other members came in earlier in the day to set up a tree and set the tables, but left again until it was time for the party. The party was a lot of fun and the food was wonderful! Some of these folks are like family to me. I love them so much. They are so dedicated. Our members come from all walks in life. Many of them earned quite a bit of money in their working days, then retired and joined the Auxiliary. Others were ordinary working class people like me who wanted something to do or wanted to give back in their retirement years. We have a few younger members, but it is usually the retired folks who have the time to commit. We pay for our own uniforms and maintain our own buildings, except for the few lucky flotillas that manage to get an unused building on a Coast Guard station. The Coast Guard once maintained all of the Lighthouses in the country. Most of them are presently maintained by private organizations, but a few of them are maintained by Auxiliary members, so they still fall under the control of the USCG. Some along the coast of Maine come to mind.

Last night I raffled off the painting that I used for this year's Christmas card. The proceeds will be set aside to replace our floor. We have talked about this for years and never did anything to raise the money. I wanted to get the fund started. Next year I want to work with the members to raise more money until we have enough to replace that disgusting floor. The tiles are cracked, worn and some have lifted right off leaving the concrete exposed. It will likely take longer than a year to raise the money. Any of you know of any great fundraising campaigns?