During World War II when many commodities were in short supply, nations issued ration books to fairly distribute what goods were available among all their citizens. You couldn’t buy shoes or sugar or gasoline without turning in stamps or coupons from a ration book (or having your book stamped, or punched, or otherwise cancelled), and then you couldn’t buy more of that commodity until the next ration period, when another coupon in your book would become valid. Taking care of your ration books was incredibly important because they governed your quality of life – but they also must have been incredibly frustrating, as people tried to keep track of which coupons were valid on what dates, and tried to plan decent meals and wardrobes based on what could be purchased in a given week or month.
One ward in Salt Lake City, though, had a little fun with the concept of ration books in 1942. That ward issued mock ration books — a strip of cardstock folded into four pages — for a ward entertainment –
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“Persons arriving by auto will be denied admission.”
I’d love to see that on a modern invitation–at least in Utah. Around these parts, the Bishop’s horse and buggy would get pretty crowded.
This made me smile! With this attitude, I imagine the activity was fun. I’m a big fan of ward socializing; it causes unity and relationships to grow, and starting off all in the same boat is a fine idea!
Isn’t it fun? and practical, too?
Everyone must walk unless physically unable? Well, since it would take a couple of days for most of the members of my ward to walk to the meetinghouse, we’d need a large number of buggies to hold an activity. If we had to deal with fuel rationing, few if any of us would be able to attend church.
Anyway, fun idea. Creative ward!
In my university ward, of the Brigham Young variety, we all walked to ward activities too.