Valentine's Day
Matchmaking:
It's some work to do, yes, but it's also great
fun! Basically what the Matchmaker needs to do is come up with a list
of things, all matched with a character, and to each a short
explanation of what links the two together.
For example: last year Laerindae chose the lily from the list of
flowers, which was linked to Aragorn because a lily stands for majesty
and return of happiness. So if you had a list of films and someone
chose, say, Lord of the Rings, they would get Sauron because Sauron is the Lord of the Rings. Hope that
clears it up a bit. In the past we have used Desserts
('02), Song Lyrics ('03), Song Titles ('04), Flowers
('05) and Classic Poetry ('06).
There are a few rules - but don't let them get in the way of the fun!
Firstly the characters must have been alive during the LOTR, so no
only The Hobbit or Silmarillion characters, and no
actors/ "real people." The Matchmaker gets to pick
one to keep for her/himself, though it is advised to choose one of the
minor characters - wouldn't do to deprive others of a chance of winning
their favourite!
For the contestants there is only one rule: they only get to pick
once, so no giving back a date because it's not what you wanted. You
can, of course, swap with other people, if both parties consent.
It is advisable for the Matchmaker to create two threads: one where
people get to pick something and be matched up, and one where they can
go and party with their dates.
Remember to provide for both guys and gals.
Also, when you set a time and date, make sure to pick sometime when
friends across the pond get to join in the fun, too!
- Avondster
Christmas Mathom-Exchange
This is an actual exchange of items that are 'too nice to throw out' as
our annual gift exchange for the Christmas season. Some folks
like to add a special LOTR touch to theirs, others just send out
whatever they have - it's all in fun. Mathoms are encouraged to
be 'real' mathoms, not expensive new gifts, and participants are
encouraged to put in a note that explains the history of the
mathom.
The coordinator (usually
Doctor
Gamgee) for this
event accepts real-world names and mailing addresses privately and then
matches each participant up with a 'mathom buddy' to send to. It
is like a chain, so the person you send to is not the same as the
person you recieve from. Those signing up for the exchange
specify whether or not they are willing to send overseas and the
coordinator makes efforts to match a chain for each geographic area
(i.e. European, or States).
Fellowship Yard Sale
In the spring and in the fall we may have a two-week 'online yard
sale' set up by the Admin and/or mods. This is a bit like
our own Ebay without fees - a special forum is created just for the
sale and anyone with a 50 post minimum may post their items for sale
with up to two images, max. 500 pixels in size. The price posted
must
include the
shipping/handling. Financial arrangements are
made privately between the seller and buyer via pm. A great way
to reduce clutter, beef up our fan collections or just enjoy browsing
other people's 'stuff.'
Annual Tolkien Gingerbread
Contest
Gingerbread subject: Anything that you can make in gingerbread
(or similar edible materials) representing any part, person or portion
of Tolkien's works.
Any size, number, height or length. Enter as often as you have
the stamina to.
Deadline is first week of January.
To enter:
1. Produce your Epic Gingerbread
2. Write up a short (or long) description of who/where it is, or what
we are looking at. Include your handle, though initial voting
will be anonymous.
3. Include up to 4 photos of your work. (If larger than 500
pixels, they will be resized) Send your entries to Primula
Judging will be done by polling the fan community. You will be
assigned a random "candy" name until voting is done for anonymity -
true names will appear after.
Enjoy your time on the boards!
