The Success of Teamwork – “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much” – Helen Keller 

Helen Keller said it very well… The Mallard Creek Barbecue has continued to be successful for eighty plus years because of the teamwork of many people.  A fellowship develops by working together that is hard to achieve otherwise.

That is the reason the Barbecue Committee is asking you for your help with the annual Barbecue.

Coming together, sharing together, working together, and succeeding together.

This quote from Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motor Company describes the work of the folks at Mallard Creek Presbyterian Church.  The annual Barbecue is not a project of the Barbecue Committee, rather it is a whole-church project… the single largest project tackled each year to raise money for missions and operational needs.

We, the church, need you.  So now you want to know….

What can you do to help make this year’s Barbecue a success?

Sell advance tickets.  See Dale McLaughlin or Jimmy DeArmon for advanced tickets… especially nice for local businesses.  Please be sure to let everyone know the Barbecue takes place at the Community House (11400 Mallard Creek Road–not at the Church).  And while we’re delighted when everyone comes to eat and work… we really need your muscle!

On Saturday, October 1, we need folks (male or female) for a work day at the Community House. We need to check for needed repairs and maintenance, and general clean-up. Come to the Community House about 8:00AM.  Bring work gloves. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty and comfortable shoes.   See Charles Kimrey, Bill Wood or Craven Oehler for instruction.  Time commitment 2 – 6 hours.

On Wednesday, October 19, we need strong folks (male or female) to help set up the equipment for cooking the meat.  Come to the Community House about 1:00PM.  Bring work gloves. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty and comfortable shoes.   See Donnie Oehler or Bill Wood for instruction.  Time commitment 2 – 6 hours.

On Thursday and Friday (October 20 and 21) and again on Monday and Tuesday (October 24 and 25) Pam Beard will be organizing meals to feed the workers.  Give her a call (704-547-0283) if you can contribute a dish.  Perhaps your favorite casserole, vegetable, or dessert.  Bring to the Community House by 10:30AM each day.

On Thursday, October 20 and Friday, October 21, we need folks about 6:00AM – 6:30AM to build fires and help carry the ham shoulders and butts from the cooler to the cookers.  Bring work gloves. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty and comfortable shoes.  After the meat is on the cookers, you should have time to go home and get dressed for work.  Or you can stay all day, or as long as you can.   See Charles Kimrey or Bill Wood  for instruction.  Time commitment 2 -12 hours.

Also on Thursday, October 20 and Friday, October 21, we need some folks to stay and help monitor the process.  You can stay all day, or as long as you can. See Bill Wood or Ronnie Oehler for instruction.   Time commitment 3 – 5 hours.

On Thursday, we need help setting up the seasoning room.  See Kenneth Christenbury for instruction.  Then both Thursday and Friday, about 10:00AM, the first meat will be ready to come off the cookers, and begin the chopping and seasoning process.  Bring rubber/kitchen gloves, a hat or hairnet and an apron. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty (smelling like barbecue) and comfortable shoes.  See Steve Brown or Kenneth Christenbury for seasoning instruction.

After the barbecue is cooked, seasoned and cooled, on Thursday, October 20 and Friday, October 21, we need folks to weigh and bag barbecue into one pound packages.  Bring rubber/kitchen gloves, a hat or hairnet and an apron. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty (smelling like barbecue) and comfortable shoes.  See Scott Jones or Becky Wood for instruction.   Come in time for lunch.  Time commitment 2 – 5 hours.

We need help each day after the barbecue is prepared…. we need folks to clean the equipment and area in preparation for the next day.  Bring rubber/kitchen gloves, a hat or hairnet and an apron. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty and comfortable shoes.  See Bill Wood or Charles Kimrey for instruction.   Come in time for lunch if you can, work will begin in earnest about 2pm.  Time commitment 1-2 hours.

On Saturday, October 22 the slaw will be prepared.  Starting about 8:00AM, we need folks to clean cabbage, peel onions, scrape carrots and celery.   Bring rubber/kitchen gloves, a hat or hairnet and an apron.  Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty (smelling like vinegar and slaw) and comfortable shoes.  See Holly or Jason Oehler for instruction.   The ingredients will be ground, seasoned and mixed. Time commitment 3-4 hours.

After the slaw has been made, the building needs to be cleaned, gas lines hooked up and lots of cans and utensils washed.  Bring rubber/kitchen gloves and an apron. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty and comfortable shoes.  See Connie or Rusty Wallace for instruction.   Time commitment 3-4 hours.

On Sunday, October 23, tear yourself away from football, or your Sunday afternoon nap, and come to the Community House about 2:00PM.  There is a lot of clean up required to get ready for preparing the Brunswick stew.  We will put cardboard down on the floor and set up the kitchen for the week.  Bring rubber/kitchen gloves and an apron. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty and comfortable shoes.  See Connie or Rusty Wallace for instruction.   Time commitment 3-4 hours.

On Monday, October 24 we need a few hardy souls to come at 2:00AM (yes! That is  2:00 AM! ) to start cooking chickens.  We need more folks beginning about 5:00AM to continue cooking, to prepare the ingredients for the famous Mallard Creek Brunswick stew.  Bring rubber/kitchen gloves, a hat or hairnet and an apron. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty (smelling like Brunswick stew) and comfortable shoes.  See Connie or Rusty Wallace for instruction.  This will take all day, so come early or come later…Time commitment 3-4 hours.

On Tuesday, October 25  We need more folks beginning about 5:00AM to mix ingredients for the Brunswick stew in preparing pre-packaged bulk carry-out sales.  About 7:30AM there should be stew ready to dip into containers.  Bring rubber/kitchen gloves, a hat or hairnet and an apron. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty (smelling like Brunswick stew) and comfortable shoes.  See Connie or Rusty Wallace for instruction.   See Sheila DeArmon for packaging instruction.   This will take all day, so come early or come later…Time commitment 3-4 hours.

On Wednesday, October 26, we need folks about 4:00-5:00PM to ready up the Community House.  Flowers are needed for the tables.  Help arrange flowers.  See Jenny Cochrane about the flowers.  Bring gloves and help set up the tables and chairs. See James DeArmon about setting up tables and chairs. Move cases of paper goods to the serving area.  Clean serving areas, replace vinyl coverings, etc.  Bring gloves.  Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty and comfortable shoes.  See Charles Kimrey or Bill Wood for instruction.   Time commitment 1-3 hours.

Thursday, October 27 is our big day.  Come and work for an hour.  Come and work all day.  Bring rubber/kitchen gloves, a hat or hairnet and an apron. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty and comfortable shoes.   There is a lot to do.  You can find a job to do.

The folks preparing the Brunswick stew will get to the Community House about 5:00AM.  (Even though our advertisements say serving begins at 10:00AM, you can be assured, we will have already served a lot of folks by then!)

Talk to the following folks about the best times to arrive to work in their areas.  Many folks are in place by 8:30-9:00AM.  We stop about 8:15AM for a group photo and prayer (this is a church function!)  And then really get down to business!

See Larry Oehler or Ryan Oehler about making barbecue sandwiches; Darrell Thomas or Steve Brown about preparing take-out plates; Tommy Oehler or Scott Jones about assisting in the drive-through take-out line; Alice Oehler or Mike Oehler for the walk-up take-out line; Harry Kirk or James Killian about parking; Leigh Brown or Sharon Kimrey about assisting in the eat-in serving line; Kenneth Christenbury or Harvey Alexander about the cold drink/sandwich stand; Julie Mingus about cleaning tables for our eat-in guests; Sheila DeArmon about packaging Brunswick Stew and slaw, Doug Sheppard about kitchen cleanup and recycling; see Jimmy Brown, Kenny Brown or Bobby Brown about keeping the facility clean.  See James DeArmon or Craven Oehler if you have a question about how to deal with our political candidate guests.

If you can’t come during the day, come early to dinner, perhaps about 5:00PM and stay to help clean up.  There are tables and chairs to take down and store. There are paper goods to consolidate and store.  See Bill Wood for instruction.

If you want to help but don’t have a clue where you’re needed, call Bill Wood at 704-756-0943 or Charles Kimrey at 704-408-6722.  The phone number at the Community House is 704-547-0323 during preparation and on the day of the Barbecue.

You do not have to come with a talent, other than the willingness to work.  This is a wonderful opportunity for new members to work alongside more longtime members; for each to get to know the other.  We work hard, but we also have a lot of fun.  You will be richly rewarded.  We all will.

Remember, we need “U” to make our “Q!”  — Consider this your personal invitation to participate in the 87th Mallard Creek Presbyterian Church Barbecue!

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There is a lot of information in the preceding few pages.  There are many, many opportunities for you to get involved.  We have special needs in the following areas:

Serving lines—especially during peak hours (10am-1pm)

Clearing/waiting tables—especially during peak hours (10am-1pm)

Take-out/Drive-Through/Take-Away— whatever you want to call it…  we need adults and older teens for passing out order forms to our guests in line

Clean up—all day long in the “wash” area and in the late afternoon to put everything away.

Stew prep/packaging – need relief works when the “stir ladies” take their lunch break.

Need relief for folks packaging the stew as well.

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As a reminder…

Finally, we make every effort to recycle clean cardboard, aluminum cans, clean metal cans, and plastics.  Recycle containers will be scattered around and there will a large recycle dumpster on site.  We want to set a good example of taking care of God’s planet.