After implying multiple times––during Sunday announcements, during the Rector’s Forum, and even during the Cinco Carnival–– that he would not be taking a seat under the dunk bucket (“It’s good to be king!” he joked), the Reverend Jeffrey S. Miller did what everyone in attendance at the May 5 Cinco Carnival had hoped he would do: he donned a sombrero, took a seat, and awaited his fate.

Of course, he let his associates, Andrew O’Dell, Justin Hare, and Bill Christian, be the guinea pigs for a couple of hours first, while he was free to survey the rest of the fun. It was the youth-groupers running the show: manning the cake walk, painting faces, supervising the ring toss, and tugging on the piñata string while the kiddos took blind swings. Parishioners of all ages chatted and laughed, listening to the squeals coming from the jump castle and occasionally (sorry, gentlemen) the dunking contraption. Youth leaders kept the popcorn machine running, and youth minister David Gilbert, armed with his megaphone, kept folks excited and guided them to whatever big thing was happening next.

The dunk bucket definitely seemed to be everyone’s favorite, and there was often a long line of hopefuls waiting their turn. While many managed to land at least one solid bullseye, one young man hit so many bullseyes in a row that a dripping-wet Justin Hare had to insist he take a few steps back. (Sandra and Charles Anderson, we’re assuming you’ll be taking a few of us with you when your grandson plays in his first World Series?)

The carnival was the perfect way to celebrate the news we’d received that morning of the plans for a school, and we even got to hear a few more of those details from Jeff Miller and Ben Hagood, who is serving as chair of the planning committee. Of course, none of this will be possible without the success of Shine the Light, and campaign co-chair Martha Freshley took the mic for a few minutes to urge everyone in attendance, no matter what stage of life they’re in, to give even just a few dollars, because every dollar counts, and we are striving for 100% parish participation.