I'll start now mentioning the silent auction early and often. Bring something to contribute to the auction, and please check out the auction offerings and make a bid on something you might use or want. Doesn't have to be music related at all - but please, do not bring stuff to the auction that most reasonable people would agree is best tossed in the trash. Bizarre, tacky, "outdated", hidiobilia, tarnished, dusty, broken but repairable, etc. are fine and welcomed. But please, no soiled or stained cloth items, including stuffed animals, and no items absolutely festooned with dust bunnies or mold intermingled with mouse droppings, please. Just use a little common sense. If you have put out a cd or book and want to donate a copy or three to the auction, these items nearly always do well.

The location of the auction at West River is not prime, and many people either don't realize the auction is there or easily forget about it, and there is not a pa system that allows for reminder announcements at meals, so please try to keep it on your internal radar screen. Even for folks traveling some distance on airplanes there is likely some small item you could contribute or some small item you could bid on that you can transport, to, from, or both. If you really can not bring something and find nothing at all of interest to bid on, consider making a small donation to the scholarship fund. Haven't checked with the FSGW folks on this, but expect you can make a donation through the auction, even if you don't make a bid on anything.

Proceeds from the auction go toward the Getaway scholarship fund. In leaner days I have myself benefited from the scholarship fund, and these days there are many people living through lean times who would not be able to attend without some financial help.