Back in the 70's (Utah Valley) they used to corral the 12-15 yr olds on fast sunday and send them traipsing around the ward with envelopes hoping to score some more cash. I hated this, as the distances were long and the skies were usually grey, and the folks who opened the doors were invariably not happy to see another solicitor. If you had fasted, it doubly-sucked because you had no energy.
Just wanted to see if any of you also remember this mal-usage of youth, and if you had stories of your own.

I remember collecting fast offerings, but it was usually an adult with two boys driving them to houses that welcomed it. If a member said they pay with their tithing, we'd take them off the list and not bug 'em anymore.

I always chose the collection route that was the greatest distance away from the Wardhouse, so I could maximize my time away from there. I hated the time I had to spend in the Wardhouse so any excuse to get away from there suited me just fine.

I became acquainted with the people on that route and they were friendly to me. I suppose they put a dollar or two in the envelope, but if they didn't contribute I would never know about it.

As I recall, it was only the Deacons who collected fast offerings. It is rather funny now that I think about it. But back when I was doing it, the whole thing seemed logical.

They tried that out in my old neck of the woods (southern Ontario) at one time. Usually tithing and fast offering are paid thru envelopes given the bishop on Sunday.

Then we got this overzealous bishop who thot it would be wonderful (and give the young priesthood guys something to do) for the kids (and dads of course; someone had to drive) to go to the members houses and collect fast offerings.

I think they came once to our house. We told them we will give whatever we want on Sunday thru the normal channels. They do not have to come from the next city over to collect this, when we were going to be at the church the next day anyway. I thot it was just a stupid waste of gas and time. I don't think the boys thot of it as a 'spiritual' experience.

My deacon-age son suffers the misery of being driven around after church each Fast Sunday to collect F.O. The insane program is done for the SOLE purpose of giving the boys "a way to exercise their Priesthood." It is completely contrived where the boys only visit the homes of the most active---those people they just saw at church 20 minutes ago. Those families have all agreed to not pay their F.O. along with their tithing (which, again, they probably just turned in to the Bishop 20 minutes earlier). So, a couple of YM leaders get to waste time and gas driving a few deacons all around town to collect envelopes from families who all could more easily and more efficiently just pay it along with their tithing. But this way, the boys (supposedly) feel important. SO typical of virtually every "service" effort found in TSCC.

Fortunately, my son sees right through to its core of stupidity. When he recently turned 14, the most significant thing about being a year older was, you guessed it: no more Fast Offering collecting.

They still visited my house in Orem, UT last year, even though I politely told them, "No thanks, I don't do fast offerings." They stopped when I resigned.

Does anyone remember Mr. Herbert - the pedophile down the block on Family Guy? He was on my route.

I hope you at least got a popsicle from his cellar.

We had to meet at the local dentist's office (the dentist was our branch president and later our bishop) at about 6am to gather those cardboard envelopes with the loop ties. Then we had to go around and collect the offerings before church. Or after church, depending on the schedule. It was hell. I never went to a single active person's house, and the people inside could be very intimidating. I don't think I collected a dime.

Then one of my friends would come to my house with our damn envelope. We were exceedingly poor and depended on my mom's meager income to get us by. My mom, a big tough woman, felt they should be giving money TO us, not taking it FROM us. She would take the envelope into the kitchen through one door and exit through another, and then give it back to the kid without ever opening it.

When I was once a member of the Pacific Grove Ward in CA, the bishop had a big fast offering initiative one weekend. On Saturday all the Aaronic priesthood boys had to meet at the bishop's house and were given instructions to contact all the members on the rolls and "give them the privilege" of paying fast offerings. I was scared, with good reason, too. We each got about 25 envelopes and had to drive around to all these places we'd never heard of and go to their doors asking for money. As an adult, I had to drive around a couple of guys, and it ate up the whole weekend.