Secret Santa 2022

Hello All Members
Christmas will be here sooner than you think (I do know how to make myself popular, don't I?), and following the success of the Secret Santa last year I have been commanded asked by  @Admin to organise one for this year. This is just an early head's up to let you know it will be happening and to give you all time to consider whether you want to participate. More details, and the rules of the game, will follow in due course. Ho Ho Ho!
TCM (aka Santa's Little Helper)

Admin Edit....
Enter below folks. The secret Santa has started. Don't be a Grinch and miss out. ... 



Hello Again Folks
Christmas is getting even closer, I’ve made the Christmas cake, and as you will be aware following the last post, we are again running a Secret Santa. Everyone enjoyed it last year, even Admin, who got a lump of coal in his stocking. He’s promised to be good this year. First time for everything!
Once again, the Muse has chosen this hill to die on:

It’s the Forum’s second Christmas
And again, our cunning ploy
Is to run our Secret Santa
So you all can spread the joy.

We don’t require a reindeer
Or a tachyon-powered sleigh
Just the postal bods (or Evri)
To get gifts out on their way.

So grab the wrapping paper,
The sticky tape and box,
And hopefully be confident
You won’t be getting socks.

The Rules of the Game

1. The Secret Santa is open to all members irrespective of length of membership or number of posts. All members who would like to take part must reply to this post in the thread below by 14th November, by midnight London time.  I will then post the final list of participants.
2. When the list of participants has closed, I will match them up and tell each Santa who their recipient is. The Santas will then PM their recipients to get address details. Obviously, everybody must be happy to disclose their names and addresses to their Santa. Equally obviously, that information must not go any further. Details to be exchanged by midnight 21st November.
3. Gifts can be non-precious metal or other non-consumable items to the value of £25 (or € or $ equivalent), (you can spend more, but don’t go mad) or one ounce of fine silver.  This is meant to be fun, so don’t agonise! Having said that, anyone sending me £25 worth of cat food will be dealt with, and it won’t be pretty.   Please give something you’d be happy to receive.
4. Gifts to be posted in time to be received before Christmas. Santas are responsible for postage.
5. Following the distribution of gifts, after Christmas, all participants are to post saying what they got, but the name of their Santa remains secret. A photo would be nice but if, like me, you can’t do that, then a description will be fine.
6. If there are any problems or questions, please PM me.
7. Ho! Ho! Ho!        

Ho Ho Ho 

I am in for sure. 

PS Happy Halloween everyone.

It is with great joy and pleasure that I respectfully submit my my name for participation in another splendid idea to bring a ray of happiness to others by way of swapping gifts in order to cheer up the otherwise dreadful debacle that is yuletide.
Or in other words "COUNT ME IN"

Can I point out that there is a VERY special Santa moment for those who participate in this. 

I can not say more... I am sat in front of something that I can not share. 

But Santa has said if there are enough doing this it will be a green light for me to share the secret. 

I can not say anything more ... Join in the fun. Or I will have to resort to plan B sadly.

Intriguing, I won't hazard a guess as to what it may be, but I implore you to keep it well fed and provide access to fresh water at all times?

Fortune8 wrote:Intriguing, I won't hazard a guess as to what it may be, but I implore you to keep it well fed and provide access to fresh water at all times?

Don't worry, @Fortune8 , all relevant welfare provisions have been made. Food, water, exercise and shelter. Santa is very proud.

I'm up for this again.

I'll have a go too, just to try to stop Plan B kicking in eh! Only 9 days left to apply folks. Hopefully the silver price will be £25 an ounce by the 14th November.

That makes five of us so far, so it looks like it's a goer.

The Cat's Mother wrote:That makes five of us so far, so it looks like it's a goer.

To whom are you referring to as a "goer" may I ask??

1.... 2 ......3......... RUN

Fortune8 wrote:

The Cat's Mother wrote:That makes five of us so far, so it looks like it's a goer.

To whom are you referring to as a "goer" may I ask??

"It's a goer"  @Fortune8 , meaning the Secret Santa scheme, not a person. I'm starting to lose the will to live here.

Less than a week to go now: if you're going to enter, don't leave it too late. Just think of the shiny surprise on Christmas morning.

The Cat's Mother wrote:Less than a week to go now: if you're going to enter, don't leave it too late. Just think of the shiny surprise on Christmas morning.

Yeah..  can't wait,
How are we going to arrange the draw if there is an odd number?
 I don't mind being a "Secret Santa"  for two people if it would help?    2 surprises on Christmas morning He he he

Easy peasy @Fortune8 : five santas and five recipients, drawn by me, power crazy TCM. It's not a case of pairing up and giving to each other, although that happened to two participants last year and I let it go, but if I did happen to draw the same name as both S and R, then I would redraw. You're learning all my trade secrets here, you know. As an example of how it might work:
A E
B A
C B
D C
E D

Simples

Fortune8 wrote:Simples

It has to be for me to run it.

Crumbs I almost missed out...
Please put me in for the "Festive Swapperama"

ShortJohnSilver wrote:Crumbs I almost missed out...
Please put me in for the "Festive Swapperama"  

With the greatest of pleasure @ShortJohnSilver (and I usually charge extra for that).

Think I’ve got it? I’m in please, now looking forward to what to do next

Mike wrote:Think I’ve got it? I’m in please, now looking forward to what to do next

You are definitely in  @Mike, and thanks for being such a good sport ! I hope you can still walk your dog (name?) with those twisted arms

Next stage is I will post the list of participants first thing Tuesday* and then do the draw.

* 'First thing' in this context means when I have dragged myself out of my pit and got ready to face the day. A lot depends on when the cats wake up.

Well, this counts as first thing, and the seven participants are, in alphabetical order:
@Admin  
@denby  
@Fortune8  
@Mike  
@Rod Panhard  
@ShortJohnSilver  
and me, TCM  
I will now lock this thread and proceed to write the draw slips and do the draw under the eagle eye of TCF. I'll then write to you all giving you the name of the recipient and further instructions about exchange of details etc. Have fun, and may you all get something special.

That's it: the draw has taken place and all participants have been notified of their recipient. Now all that remains is for details to be exchanged and the goodies to be sent. Enjoy!