Troop 380 adults had one last opportunity as the holiday season faded away to party and exchange gifts at the Annual White Elephant Party on Jan. 5 at the home of Peter and Sherri Brown. The potluck event provided an abundance of scrumptious food and drink. After feasting for an hour or so, the revelers migrated to the dining room and living room, still resplendent with a Christmas tree, under which a plethora of unopened gifts awaited. Those who wanted a better view of the festivities sat in the bleachers—the steps from the foyer to the second floor. As usual, the unwrapping of gifts was prefaced by the reading of the rules by Dave Ishikawa. New injunctions were added to the historic prohibitions as people were cautioned not to consume or use gifts until they could no longer be stolen, not to shake packages unless they planned to open them, not to hide desirable opened gifts to thwart stealing, and not to leave gifts behind when the party ended. (This rule was violated, but the rightful owner was found later that month.)
The gifts ranged from the useful to the totally absurd, from modern to vintage. Some had never been seen—or imagined!—before. Some have been seen too many times! This was a great opportunity to get rid of holiday gifts of questionable taste or devices of dubious usefulness. Surprisingly, a couple of the—shall we say—quirky gifts, such as the ear-of-corn hat, were highly sought after.
This annual adults-only event was a huge success. Many went home with the gift of their dreams—or their nightmares. Those who ended up with gifts not suited to their tastes or lifestyles may be months ahead of most of us. As 2014 begins, all they will have to do is rummage in the back of the closet or the far corners of the garage, pull out some wrapping paper, and make the package look enticing. They’ll be ready for next year’s White Elephant Party!
