by Corey Macourek

This event is open to the public – all ages – and everyone is invited to attend and participate. If you bring children they might end up with a very odd gift more suitable for adults. I’m happy to say that this will be our fifth year of astonishing each other with truly absurd Christmas gifts. Now is your chance to re-gift that present your aunt gave you last year. Or maybe you bought something at a garage sale and your common sense kicked in when you go home, so it’s been living in the garage. Or maybe you found something that has the perfect “IT” factor for this event.
The ‘updated’ rules for the White Elephant Gift Exchange:

1. The gift must be “absurd”.
2. If you buy the gift, you must not spend more than $20.
3. You’re gift must be wrapped, or at the very least fully concealed in a festive bag.
4. Those who bring get to participate.
5. Numbers will be drawn from a fez to determine order.
6. You can select a gift from a table or steal a gift from a person who already chose a gift.
7. A gift can only be stolen three times, at which time it becomes locked-in.
8. The person who went first gets a chance at the end of the round to steal a gift.
9. The Trading, purchasing, bartering or auctioning of gifts after the exchange is allowed.
10. No books on Nazis.

In the event that there are extra gifts, they will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. We take credit cards.

White Elephant by Mark Monlux

Wednesday, December 12th 7:30pm at Kings Books in Tacoma. 218 Saint Helens Avenue  Tacoma, WA 98402

This is a CLAW Open Swim meeting that is open to the public at large – all ages – and everyone is invited to attend and participate. I’m happy to say that this will be our fourth year of astonishing each other with truly absurd Christmas gifts. Now is your change to re-gift that present your aunt gave you last year. Or maybe you bought something at a garage sale the wife vetoed. Or maybe you found something that has the perfect “IT” factor for this event

The rules for the White Elephant Gift Exchange:

1. The gift must be “absurd”.
2. If you buy the gift, you must not spend more than $20.
3. You’re gift must be wrapped, or at the very least fully concealed in a festive bag.
4. Those who bring get to participate.
5. Numbers will be drawn from a fez to determine order.
6. You can select a gift from a table or steal a gift from a person who already chose a gift.
7. A gift can only be stolen three times, at which time it becomes locked-in.
8. A gift doesn’t have to be unwrapped until all gifts are selected. (While there is debate about this rule it was part of our original rules in 2008 and I’m going to stick with tradition.)
9. Once all gifts are locked-in, those that have not been unwrapped should be unwrapped.
10. The Trading, purchasing, bartering or auctioning of gifts after the exchange is allowed.

In the event that there are extra gifts, they will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. We take credit cards.

Last year you laughed so hard you nearly peed. You remember the terror of 2009. And you’ve been waiting all year for this magical, yet horrifying event. Yes! Once again it’s time for The CLAW’s Annual White Elephant Gift Exchange. Anybody is welcome. What do you need to bring? You don’t need to bring a gift to watch the spectacle. But this might be just the place to get rid of that ‘thing’ you loving aunt gave you last year.

This year the Four Eye Council, with support of the Talons of the CLAW, declare the White Elephant rules as:

1. Gifts, if new, should be less than $10.
2. Once a gift is taken of the table it MUST be unwrapped.
3. A gift can be stolen twice, and then it is locked in.
4. A person cannot steal the same gift twice.
5. You can only get a present if you bring a present.
6. You can bring more than one present.
7. Spare presents number will be awarded though a rock-paper-scissors competition by all who want to participate.

Date: Wednesday, Dec 7th 2011
Location: The Amocat Cafe, 625 Saint Helens Avenue, Tacoma, WA 98402
Time: 7:30 p.m.