Page 8 - Priorities #26 2004-April

What you spend at the auction will come back to classrooms in the fall. –Tim Molak, Headmaster
Things will be curiouser indeed when you step through the looking glass and into the lovely Victorian
garden that hosts this year’s madcap Auction and Ball. You’ll leave the Hotel Sofitel’s Parisian theme behind as you pass by the famous rose tree
being painted before your eyes by the playing card courtiers. But don’t worry—you can proceed more
safely than Alice because nobody’s after your head. Check your pocket watch—it’s 6 p.m., May 1, and
the silent auction is just beginning. Dinner and the Grand Auction follow at eight, with dancing (to an eight-piece live band we know and love) and general wackiness ‘till midnight. For Priory guests who want to party on into the wee hours, Sofitel offers a special ratethatmakessleepingovereasier(andsafer) than falling down a rabbit hole..
As you walk into the garden, you’ll be struck
at once—not literally—by a fancy Victorian teapot large enough for the dormouse and most of the Lewis Carroll characters to climb in. You’ll be plied
at once with libations stronger than tea and imported delicacies that bear no resemblance to tedious English fare.
The biddable delicacies scattered artfully throughout the rooms for your bidding pleasure will keep you so occupied that you, like the White Rabbit, could completely lose track of time. As you move fromroomtoroom, youwillfeelyouhavesomehow stumbled into the illustrations of your childhood Lewis Carroll book.
And it wouldn’t be Wonderland without surprises—wonderfully dazzling surprises. Volunteers have outdone themselves finding the rare, the coveted, the unique, the glamorous and the practical items for the silent and grand auctions— somethingforeverytasteandpricerange. The rooms full of treasures represent the collective effort of the whole extended Priory community to create a dazzling and successful event.
“This event is a tribute to volunteer spirit. It takes terifficefforttodoit,butitspurposeisnot only to raise funds the school needs but also to give everyone a renewed sense of community. I love to
see all the alumni and their families, and it’s great to see parents and colleagues in a different atmosphere. It’s always a showstopper of an evening, and the amazing thing is that every year it gets better,” commented Father Martin Mager, Director of Alumni Affairs.
The explanation may be simple: Auction Chairs Wayne and Cindy Davison have taken a leadership role in or chaired at least ten auctions and probably more. They have learned just about everything there is to know about creating a wonderful and successful event, and they bring all that experience to this one.
High tech gear, tickets to everything, professional services from CPAs to garden design, sports
Treasure Cay, Abaco, The Bahamas, is rated one of the 10 best beaches in the world by National Geographic. And if you’re worried about the lobsters and the snails and the Mock Turtle on the beach. . .well, your villa is just minutes from a pool.
the Mad Hatter’s Ball
There was a table set out under a tree in front of the house, and the March Hare and the Dormouse were having tea at it. “Have some wine!” saidtheMarchHareinanencouragingtone... Afterthat,thingsgot curiouser and curiouser.