ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR chapter 246

I have always believed that the biggest joke perpetrated on Canadian Bible College was 1985 when they selected me as the Alumnus of the Year.

I’m not denying that things weren’t going well for me, they were. The Pacific Northwest District was recognized as one of the most aggressive districts in the field of Christian education. We had large a delegation to LIFE, I was now on the LIFE Committee at the program director, I was being asked to fly around the country to various training venues, our quiz team, while not National champs were doing well, we were aggressively hiring youth pastors in as many churches as could afford one and our newsletter was going all over the country being read by many national leaders. Things were going great from most people’s point of view.

What made me laugh was my history with the school. I almost got kicked out. They tried. The only thing that stopped them was I had not quite sinned enough.

Bill Russell was on the CBC Alumni Association and pushed my name through, and he wanted someone from the infamous years of deans as spies to be selected. No one who was actually kicked out was going to get through the selection system, but I had a hope. I had only been away from the school for five years. I was still remembered for The Portrait Players and Youth Conference and I was building a descent reputation in the USA as key player in Christian Education. My name had already been discussed as a possible CE representative on the national Board of Directors and I was the heir apparent as the next National Youth Director. I had a lot of what people want in an alumni selection.

What no one knew but Bill and I was that it was his joke on the school. If would have been pretty funny if we hadn’t recently begun a major conflict with our son. I had made some huge mistakes, was embarrassed by him and my actions were certainly questionable. I had had so many emotional conflicts that I was seriously considering resigning and the personal turmoil had cause me to cancel many speaking engagements. I had nothing to say and if I did, I didn’t want to say it. I was accepting engagements and canceling them after I published the travel calendar. I was keeping up appearances.

I had explained all this to Bill when he called to ask me to leave my name in the hat for consideration. I didn’t think I should, but Bill felt the time was ripe and he loved the idea of the conflicts I was in. Since I have had serious doubts about any real abilities most of the life (a childhood issue, no doubt) I left my name reasoning that no one in the right mind would vote for me anyway. I won, now what?

They flew me to Regina to accept the honor, and it was an honor, but I was struggling to even speak coherently. I had a descent opening but got lost after that and wandered aimlessly through the rest of my talk not knowing enough to shut up and sit down. I made many people regret selecting me. That was no my intention, just my state. I swear Bill had a sadistic streak as he thought the weekend was wonderful. It may have been tolerable, but it was far from wonderful.

I did get myself together by that summer.

ON THE HOME FRONT chapter 245

Both Rodney and Rhonda had been involved in competitive swimming from the second year of our arrival in Canby. In High School they also competed for the local swim club, “The Gators” and their high school. They both held held swim records of Canby High briefly, Rod in the breaststroke and Rhonda in the backstroke.

I tried to be around for all the swim meets, but didn’t always make it. The kids both earned lifesaving badges and began working as lifeguards at the Canby pool when they turned fourteen.  Rhonda went on to work for Canby Grove Conference Center as a lifeguard for several camps through the summer. She never was a lifeguard at family camp as she always went at a camper.

A little side note: The Seidel family was attending family camp from our first year in Canby. They camp with a large group from Arbor Heights. Their oldest son is Chris Seidel. He and Rhonda were at camp together for many years together. After high school the both went off to Simpson College. Rhonda began dating a young man named Todd; She brought him home for a visit on was long weekend. Neither Della nor I were impressed. He was nice enough, but lacked clear goals and ambitions.

Before Rhonda returned to Simpson she told us of another guy who kept after her even though she was dating Todd. That was Chris. Chris had remembered her from their days at camp together and was interested back then. Rhonda had no memory of any Chris Seidel.

We knew the Seidel family and liked them very much. Della and I began to pray that Todd would drift out of her life and Chris into it. Having been a college professor, I was keenly aware that most couples met and marriage their college sweethearts. While we didn’t really know Chris we knew his family and were sure that would be a better match. When we met Chris we were convinced he was a better match. They married and have three terrific kids and at this writing I live about twenty minutes from them.

Rod began to be a problem at home when he was in eighth grade. As it got worse, I seriously considered leaving ministry all together, Ralph Shellrude talked me out of it, Around the same time, Della was beginning to be hospitalized ever year for a weekend because of pneumonia. It never failed. She would go in on Friday and come out on Monday all the time. Part of the problem was the she never wanted to go and it seemed to always take a few days before I could convince he to go or made her go.

Our lives wee beginning to fall apart. We were only at the front edge of all that we would face and had no idea how bad it would become.

NEW MINISTRIES chapter 244

My great joy was always working with the various district Christian Education Committees. I was never very good at leading (or being part) very formal committees meetings. I loved the free flow and give and take of creative meetings planning and preparing for the future. The DCEC was like that: always fun, always creative, and always thinking of the future.

With the national LIFE conferences coming every four years we were looking for a ministry to bring the district youth together in between the LIFE years. LIFE was a unique bonding experience and we wanted to build on that. District Youth Congress (DYC) was the result.  We already had camps in the summer, but they had a greater regional emphasis. Neither did we want it to feel like camp. As a result we decided to put the conference eon between Christmas and New Years because we wanted to start in a hotel and their lowest occupancy was in that time period. We would get our best price then.

There was no central location for the district. At the time we were drawing youth to events from Salem to Smokey Point and Bremerton to Spokane. We considered somewhere around the Tri-cities, but ultimately settled on Portland. The reason was the number of choices and the price\ and available set up. I had checked out several cities. There was nothing in the tri0cities that was workable. Seattle was too expensive. I looked at Everett who courted me with a bottle of wine in my room. That did not impress me. Their building was too small. We selected the Red Lion Lloyd Center for the first DYC. Great location. Right next to the Lloyd Center and the MAX train that could take one downtown for free.

We stayed in Portland for the second one but moved to the Lloyd Center on Hayden Island on the Columbia River. It had easy access from I-5 and gave us access to a river cruise for one event. Author Frank Peretti was the speaker that year and I was having lunch with him the day he learned his book had gone to number one on the New York Times best seller list. He had been making skis on Vashon Island and excitedly told me he could now quit is job and be a full time writer.

This was the first time we choose to spend the extra money for a full color brochure. Daryl Smithgall was my intern this year and he ran around taking "glamour" shots of the youth pastors as thought this were some fashion magazine. We had a terrific Mens quartet called "Commission" from Nyack College.

For number three we moved to the Red Lion across the highway from the previous one. It was a little larger and we needed more space. I loved the fun we had with the 40's theme. The brochure included photos of all the youth pastors in 40's style clothing with nick names included with their name. Most wore those clothes for the program. I was on the front listening to the radio.

For the fourth one under my leadership was moved near May Valley to Camp Barakah. I was paranoid about hosting any event that cost more than $100. $99.99 was my limit. Barakah was large enough to hold us, and the cost fit my price range. The hotels were such that we would have been paying $120 or more. That was not acceptable to me.

Somewhere along the way we chose to do an Alfred Hitchcock ting and have me appear on the cover. It may not have been made at the first DYC, but it happened for three of my DYC’s. The fourth and last DYC under my term was designed by a real artist. It was at this conference where we introduced "Maximum Impact"a district wide teen outreach program. To introduce the program we made a video that worked its way around the district. It had a clip of me in my office supposedly in the planning stages of this program. It was a total mess with junk food and pizzas boxes and papers everywhere. The youth from the Portland Church were used to tell the actual story.

DYC 84

DYC 86

DYC 88

DYC 91 designed by a real artist.

FAMILY CAMP chapter 243

There were a couple of difficult years with Family Camp right at the beginning, but the program dropped into a nice rhythm and mostly went rather smoothly. However, there were exceptions. There was the night of an ice cream social after an evening service. Della and I were sitting in the dining room next to the main entrance when Daryl Smithgall came in looking for me. He came to the table and told me there was a cabin on fire. You have to know Daryl to understand my reaction, but I said something like, “Right!” Daryl was one of those people who seemed to always be smiling. I didn’t think he was serious.

“No really, a cabin’s on fire. Come look.” As Della and I walked out the front door I could hear the fire trucks coming onto the grounds and see the flashing light. There was indeed a cabin on fire. We watch with nearly everyone else the firemen put the fire out and block off the area.

The boys cabin in the youth area was a total lose. The cabin, bunks, all the boys possession were completely gone. In addition counselor Don Anderson’s car was scorched beyond repair. There was a woman in attendance that immediately swung into action and secured sleeping bag, clothes and hygiene and personal items for everyone. She had a history of community work of helping families secure fundamental needs lost in fires. By the end of the next day, she had nearly everything people needed.

What I am sitting here trying to remember is where we put those boys for the night. I am sure I left the decision to the youth leaders, but the night was so significant I should remember. Neither do I remember how Don got back to Spokane. I do know he got insurance money to help him replace the car.

The family camp band continued for several more years. I’m sorry if this seems to blunt, but the decision was made to let it fade out du to natural causes. In the third year we celebrated Herman Bohls’ fifty years of leading the band. We had two years of playing off the summer Olympics having our own family style Olympic games. We had a craft sale opened to the public at which few from the public came. It was still successful as many bought each other’s wonderful works.  

I completely lost track of the family camp of the summer of my departure. I know the literature was already out and families were registering, but it was also the summer after Della passed away. That occurred in on Father’s day in June of 1992. I had already resigned as Della and I had accepted a position at Salem Alliance Church. He illness was getting worse and I left the district to find a job where I could be home every night. Oxygen had been delivered and her strength was waning. We both knew she was going to need help and I no longer wanted to be on the road at all. The decision came at a difficult point. I had been asked to accept the National Youth Directors position, a job I had wanted for a number of years. But I had no intention of moving Della to Colorado Springs where we did not know anybody and where I would be on the road for even long periods of time that in the northwest. I didn’t even want to take a job far from Canby. Della had too many close friends whom I know would help care for her. Salem seemed to be a good fit.

No only did I have family Camp to complete before leaving the district, I was the administrative director of LIFE ’92 and regretfully, that could not go on without me. I still had too much stuff in my head and little of it on paper. Rob, a member of the LIFE committee came and spent a week with me helping to get the logistics on paper and then was my right hand man for the event. In addition, Rhonda and her then boyfriend Chris Seidel, came along and worked in that area for the week.

A few of the Family Camp flyers.

I'm not sure why I did a patriotic theme, but it was bold.

This was the other brochure using a an Olympic theme.

Big mistake. Thought I was being so clever. This was the height of generic promotions. The plain white label was all over grocery stores. Got plenty of feed back that there was nothing generic about "our" family camp.

This is one of my favorite camp brochures. It had the application inside and could also be used as a poster. I hadn't drawn people for years and loved the change to draw and not just design. Planned big family olympics.

Tried to give the brochure a =n antique feel to celebrate 50 years with Herman Bohl. One night we had a giant cake in his honor.

I sat over by the camp office and drew this view of the old lodge. Took two days but both were beautiful, relaxing and I was alone both days. Need this break.

I'm not sure I design this brochure. It may have come out while I was dealing with Della's illness, It doesn't look like my work. We all have a certain touch that marks things as out own.

THE PLAYS THE THING chapter 242

For those of you who read this blog regularly, I apologize. I have taken on a huge task that is consuming my life. I am now writing 7-9 hours a day and when I finish that work, I am weary of writing. But I am not going to stop till I at least leave Canby, there will just be fewer entries, possibly only two or three a week and I have no idea when they will appear. The middle of the week is the most likely. I realize I am past due.

I couldn’t leave drama completely when I came to Canby. I began again with the Christmas program at my church during my second year. I put it together more as a pageant than a play. I pulled out all the old skits from my first Christmas program with the Portrait Players then added pieces for all the little kids, had adult music groups sing to help make transitions. By using short skits I could involve a great many people and not have many rehearsals. The approach worked, people liked it and it wasn’t to hard on my schedule.

The next year I mounted a production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. I knew I wanted to do a play based on the book as soon as my first program was completed. I began contacting every company I could think of to try and find a copy of the play. The book is perfect for a stage production. No play distributer that I knew had the play. In February I had hit a brick wall so wrote the book publisher to get permission to adapt a play from the book. I didn’t hear back and didn’t hear. In September I decided to go ahead and adapt the book and hope and pray for the best. I hoped permission would come before we got too far in the play.

My kids loved the book. We had read it as a family that Christmas and Rhonda was a major influence on me adapting the play. She wanted to play Gladys, the littlest Herdman and the one who played the angel in the pageant. She had asked a number of times to be in a play I had directed and she was the right age and size and I didn’t know if I would ever have another opportunity if I missed this one.

I didn’t have much trouble casting the play. I had several kids with the ambition to act. Some were very good. I had to talk a few others into coming on board. I wrote my adaptation and we began rehearsal at the first of November. I had never worked with kids and keeping their attention was a challenge. There is a scene where one of the Herdman boys gets in a fight with another boy. We blocked the fight scene out and had rehearsed it several times, then came the explosion. Chad (the fighting Herdman) was accidentally actually hit in one rehearsal and he stormed out the church angry and mad more than hurt. He said he was never coming back. He hated this old play.

He reaction was a problem. He was the oldest Herdman boy and key to the show. I couldn’t replace him. I had no one. Even if I did have someone to replace him it was too close to the opening to change actors.

I talked with him, his mother talked with him. We tried to explain that what happened was an accident. No one meant to hurt him. In reality, he wasn’t hurt/ He was barely touched. It was just the idea that he got hit and he never really liked the boy who hit him. Fortunately he showed up at the next rehearsal and we went on.

The Monday before our Friday three day opening, I finally got a letter from the publisher about my request to adapt the book for a play. I was denied. We were too close to the show and kids expectations were too high not to do the show. I filed the letter appropriately saying to myself that they had ten months to get back to me. I did the play anyway without telling anyone I did not have the rights.

Wouldn’t you know it? The next year there was a stage production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and the script was now for sale. I was very pleased that their script and mine were very similar. I filed that under experience gained. The kids had fun, did a great job and Rhonda got to play Gladys. That was the end of her career. Acting was hard work. Too much waiting and too much of the same thing over and over.

In 1990 I pulled a few guys together to produce The Cell, another one I has done in Regina. As I would sit in church week after week and look at the height of the baptismal tank, I kept seeing the stage  as a dungeon. All we needed was a door at the top and stairs. We got a fair amount of publicity from this. The Canby Herald covered the story as did the Oregonian. All the actors knew what the set would look like as we had talked about it quite often. We had rehearsed the play many rime but the stairs were placed only for final week leading up to the performances. At out first on set and full costume rehearsal, my leader character was to have a fight on the stairs with a guard. When he gets up in place to do the scene he announces that he is afraid of heights. When one was aqt the top it did look a longs ways down, especially with no railing.

AYF in CANBY 241b

Our attempt at a sand sculpture. About 5' long.

Kites at Lincoln City

Can't to to the beach and not bury someone.

Don Esau

Canby was close enough to take the group to the beach at Lincoln City a couple of times. Oregon beaches are mostly sandy and the water is always cold. You can find a lot of washed up and in a few places. 

AYF in CANBY chapter 241a

Pastor Tim Barton left Canby to return to school. I went to work on his Masters degree. That left the youth group without a leader and being a parent of a young teenager, I really wanted her to have a youth group. Diana Wrigglesworth, another parent, and I worked together to keep the program running. It was an opportunity to practice what I preached.

It was a bigger challenge that I expected. I started writing a series of letters about working with youth that circulated letters between myself, Len Kageler at North Seattle and De Hicks in Spokane. I wish I still had those as they were funny and encouraging. I was learning from two of the best our district had.

One of the strangest meetings we had was a “boring party.” We did nothing but sit around. Everyone was to act bored and the grad prize was an all expense paid trip to Boring, Oregon – about 30 miles of so from Canby. If a person laughed or smiled they were out of the competition. We ate boring food – maybe water and crackers, I’m not sure. We played a few slow and dull games. Julie Beko won. Diane and I took her to Boring to have her photo taken at the Boring, OR welcome sign. It was boring.

Tubing

We had a winter retreat at a cool place with a nice tubing hill on site. Don Esau, a young guy studying to be a lawyer joined Diane and I by then and he with several parent came along to help for the weekend. We had a great group of kids and plenty of fun until a large group piled on a tube ride (against instructions) that cause one girl to get a separated shoulder. That was a problem. We were not close to a hospital. That pretty well drained the joy. Fortunately it was near the end of our time together.

Lunch prep

Lunch

Meal Clean-up

Tubing hill. The black blobs are people
caring their tubes back up the hill.