Step 7: Setting Up for Packing ~ Organizing a Spur of the Moment OCC Packing Party

Our spur of the moment packing party for Operation Christmas Child is scheduled for this Wednesday night's AWANA club at our church.  We planned to set up tonight, Tuesday, but there was another group using the gym and we didn't want to disturb them so we went last night and set up.

The light was so low that these images will be very dark and grainy.

Our church has grown and we use our gym for Sunday services.  The chairs can be taken down so that the gym can be used.  Usually for AWANA only half of the chairs are removed so the game circle is available leaving half of them still set up.  My daughter decided using the chairs and boxes
instead of piles on tables would make the packing and set up easier (they are packing the boxes during a regular AWANA night so will have little time).  Pros of using the chairs include:

• Kids could easily be directed down the aisle.
• Girls on one side and boys on the other.
• An easy division of boxes needing packed.
• 2 to 4 years old boxes are being packed by leaders and they were easily set up down the outside aisle.

They can take a shoe box (the rubber bands have been removed and labels
added) and walk down the aisle taking one thing from each box.

She divided the age groups of the boxes and the children:

• The K thru 3rd graders will pack the 5 to 9 years old boxes. 
• The 4th & 5th graders will pack the 10 to 14 years old boxes.
• The boxes are all labeled and stacked in separate piles by age.
• Only the fillers for one age group will be available at a time--cutting down on confusion.
• The 10 to 14 boxes will be filled first.
• The storage boxes filled with fillers will be opened and on the end chair.
• Three or four children can easily fit around each to choose their items.
• The fillers for the next age group will be closed and set a couple chairs back in the same row.
• When the 10 to 14 are all filled, the 5 to 9 filler boxes will be pulled into the end chair replacing the empty boxes.

The fillers for the second group will remain closed and two
chairs behind--ready for quick access to prepare for the next group. 

My husband will be sitting at the end of the aisle on the stage.  Kids will bring him their box:

• He will make sure it can close easily.
• He will help them put on their rubber band.

Her decision to not use tables also worked great because we could set up early and not be in the way of the group using the empty half of the gym tonight. This set up could easily be used in a traditional sanctuary with pews.  And with more aisles available several of the same age could be packed at the same time.

Follow along with our family as I share our journey of The Spur of The Moment OCC Packing Party of 2013.