On Friday, August 29th, we had daddy-daughter date night here at the building. This is an event held annually for dads with daughters in the youth group. I had looked forward to this event all week. Although all three of my daughters now meet the age criteria for the youth group, I wanted to only go with my oldest daughter, Claire. The reason is that this is the last year Claire will be in the youth group, so this one is special.
Special it was. It began with the excellent meal provided by Dave and Sue Benner which was very satisfying. The wonderful dinner was followed with entertainment and activities. They never fail to have an activity which enhances the time spent together with our daughters. On the drive to the church building, Claire and I thought ourselves clever and began to rehearse favorite items in preparation for a “how well do you know each other” trivia game. However, a scavenger hunt, not a trivia game was on the docket for the evening. This was not just any scavenger hunt. This activity was organized through the unselfish efforts of Sara Mercer and Katie Pruett, and excellent efforts at that.
The object of the hunt was to use the first clue you received to find the location in the church building where you would find the next clue along with a letter. After nine letters were collected, you would unscramble them to find the secret word. Claire and I had a ball reading the clues and running like children through the mostly dark unoccupied building. When Sara revealed to me that this hunt was dedicated to her dad, I enjoyed it even more. Allen Mercer was a friend, brother, and fellow elder. When Allen left the eldership, something left the group that ever remains absent.
I want to thank Sara, Katie, Dave and Sue for their unselfish efforts on a weekend evening allowing us to enjoy our daughters’ company and have a lot of fun. I want to especially thank Justin and Miranda for their untiring efforts and for instituting this great annual event in the best possible atmosphere.
For the elders, Tony Williams