One of the fun filled times growing up was the St. Joseph Catholic church summer social. It was our parish’s big fund raiser. It included booths like you would see at fairs and circuses. There was the knock the doll off the shelf to win a prize. Toss a coin into a dish to win the dish. Spinning wheels where you bet on a number. Batting cages and other tests of skill for prizes.
Also, the school cafeteria was in full operation to provide home comfort meals for attendees. There was fried chicken, and chicken and dumplings to go with a mountain of vegetables. and mash potatoes. Of course, there were the mountain of desserts including cakes and pie and ice cream. I can still remember how wonderful they all tasted.
We would even as kids volunteer to help erect the booths and table for the event. It took the whole week setting them up in the church parking lot. We actually learned many physical skills during this time that helped us on later life.
One year during the social I was playing the game where you bet on numbers. At one point I was up one hundred dollars. I continued to play until I lost it all. My parents asked me why I didn’t stop. I told them that I thought the idea was to raise money for the church.
