Wednesday, June 21, 2017

2017 Tour - Day 1 - New England!! (It’s A Favorite)



Tuesday, June 20, 2017
It was, I must say, one of the best departure mornings I have witnessed in all of my years on tour. The Gunther bus proudly (and punctually) pulled onto New Church Street and a wave of excitement and anticipation swept through the crowd. Something about the send off in the sanctuary alerts first timers and seasoned veterans alike that summer is finally upon us.

As everyone settled into their seats on the bus we were thrilled to learn that the bus tech had seen significant upgrades this year including outlets and wifi! Tom was particularly excited about the wireless microphone which would allow for in-seat interviews! That announcement was met with a collective groan, but moments later the mic would fail, and Tom was once again tethered to the front seat on the wired mic.

Each time we board the bus it is tradition to have a greeting led by two youth. Everyone’s names are put into the bag. Some claim fate decides the greeters, others suggest it’s luck, but this year the "Bag of Prophesy” as it was affectionately dubbed by the adults in the front of the bus will determine the greeters and the greeted. It was a quick ride to Baltimore to visit the Lovely Lane Museum, but that didn’t stop many youth from catching some quick ZZZ’s.

We spent the afternoon learning of the notable breaks in Methodism and enjoying the lovely, newly restored sanctuary (Yes there will be wordplay in the blog this year, stay tuned). After lunch we sang a few Wesleyan hymns in the chapel, accompanied by our very own Steve Kalnoske on a beautiful hand pumped organ. We said our goodbyes, boarded the bus, and with the "Terp Van" in tow, set out for Downingtown, Pennsylvania.

A few card games, playlists, and stories from previous tours later, we touched Down-in-town. After some recreational time a brief rehearsal prefaced a wonderful dinner prepared by loving hands at Central Presbyterian Church. From there it was straight into the first concert (which was a great success), and off to meet and greet our hosts!

That concludes day one of #CWSTOUR2017 I’m looking forward to keeping you all posted and attempting to fill the big shoes that were left by those who wrote the blog before me. "And that’s the way it is”… Goodnight everybody.