Carolin Capital Homeschool Prom Countdown

I am heading up our local homeschool prom committee for the 5th year now.   Carolina Capital Homeschool Prom 2014,. "Old Hollywood", is only 4 weeks away.  That is close enough that I'm waking up in the middle of the night with knots in my stomach and a to-do list zinging around in my brain.

It is a fact that much of the Prom planning has gotten easier with time and experience, but parts will never get easier.  The nature of the beast is that our budget consists of the money from ticket sales as well as a few sponsorships.  Tickets sales end 2 weeks before the Prom, so we never know exactly how much money we have until then. We plan and commit and make decisions based on expectations.  It has worked the 4 previous years, sometimes down to just a few dollars being left in the bank account.  But it seriously has produced a lot of my gray hairs.  Last year we had 85 students registered 5 weeks before Prom, and ended up with 195.  It floors me how many people wait until the last minute, especially because the ticket price is the highest then. This year we publicized that we are capping registrations at 200, and are at 180 with 2 weeks of registration left.  It will be interesting to see if we get that last minute avalanche like before, or if  knowing that space was limited actually got people to send their registrations in early.  

One very talented mom heads up our decoration committee, and she comes up with some incredibly creative ideas for table decorations and theme enhancement on a pretty tight budget.   She also creates an amazing candy and dessert display that the kids flock to. 

 Prom 2012 "Moonlight in Paris"

Prom 2013 "Carousel"

Our "Old Hollywood" theme will  have an elegant, classic feel and might include things like pearls, lace, ostrich feathers, a red carpet, an illusionist, paparazzi and a vintage car.  We are currently scrounging up props for our photo station -  boas, beads, fans, top hat, spectacles, frames, etc...

Every year, we choose a Benefit Project for the Prom, to raise awareness and funds for a worthy cause. This year our Benefit is TEN EIGHTEEN, INC., a ministry started by a local homeschool mom. Ten Eighteen is a registered 501(c)3 organization working in Uganda and Andros, Bahamas, providing grants for micro-businesses to women in the slums, building a school, doing youth camps, paying school fees, aiding widows, establishing hospice care, and much more.
Deuteronomy 10:18 - He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.

On Prom night, students will hear a short presentation about Ten Eighteen. They will also be able to make a donation and be entered in a drawing for some fantastic prizes!   Last year we gave away a Dell Laptop and a Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet! What will it be this year?
 http://10eighteen.wordpress.com/
http://10eighteen.org/Home_Page.html

If you are a praying person, please join us in praying for good weather on May 2nd!  We are under a shelter and Prom goes on rain or shine, but shine is always SO much nicer for an outdoor event!  

Here are some pics from past years.  I will post an update after it is all over.