2017 Tour - Day 4 - “Y’ale Come Back Soon Now! Ya Hear?"

Friday, June 23, 2017

I think you already know where your favorite choir went today… A pleasant morning departure from Mary Taylor UMC transitioned into a warm afternoon on the Bulldogs campus. The group disembarked the bus and hiked down to the Yale bookstore where they wrapped themselves in Yale Blue (which is NOT navy, it’s Yale Blue). Some even dawned newly purchased sweatshirts (in 80 degree weather). The joke of the day was that for those of us who wish to attend an ivy league school this tour may be the closest we would ever get!

With a group this talented though, I believe the potential is unlimited. The more I get to know those I’m not so familiar with, the clearer that gets. We are so fortunate to have such a truly incredible group of young people traveling New England and spreading the word of our Lord. The concerts continue to get better and better so make sure you tell everyone you know to come to the homecoming concert on the Wednesday, June 28th!

After dropping our souvenirs off on the bus we were led on a tour of the Battell Chapel. The Chapel was built in 1874 and is now non-denominational (see pictures below). We were all provided with bracelets with symbols specific to many of the denominations that practice worship there (Star of David, Cross, Dharmachakra, Crescent Moon and Star, and Om to name a few). We then took over the campus in search of lunch and later I spotted a few of ours napping in the shade of the Oak and Elm trees in the green across from the chapel.

As the last few stragglers got onto the bus, we prepared for what we thought would be a 2.5 hr trip, but thanks to infamous New England traffic, turned out to be more like 4 hours. We made it to West Parish in Andover, MA by the skin of our teeth and walked into (what I believe to be) one of the greatest meals that has ever been prepared for us. Deep fried turkey, stuffing, mac & cheese, green beans, and ham made up a meal that we thoroughly gave thanks for.

The concert was a hot one for sure, but working for the Lord is so cool we hardly noticed once we got going. It was a treat to see some long time friends of DUMC in the congregation and once we had packed up, the town of Andover warmly welcomed us into their homes.

“That’s all (he) wrote” … Goodnight everyone.

-G!

Click Here for Photos of Day 4

Tour 2017 - Day 3 - Gillette, It’s the Best (Castle) a Man Can Get

Thursday, June 22, 2017

We gathered at 8:30 sharp this morning and were ready to move on to our next stop, the Mashantucket Pequot Museum. The youth rubbed their eyes and yawned as they clamored onto the bus. It was a short ride to the museum but that never stops us from getting a few extra minutes of sleep in.

Now officially on the Pequot’s sovereign land we were excited to see what the 308,000 sq ft museum had in store for us, and it did not disappoint. The collection of artifacts housed there is not only massive, but truly breathtaking. From authentic dugout canoes to original tools and back, they have everything there. We were led on a great tour and acquired a wealth of information on the Pequot people. An incredible story of perseverance and pride that resulted in a once disbanded and failing tribe becoming one of only two federally recognized tribes in Connecticut.

The group boarded the bus, souvenirs in hand, the greeters made their rounds and we dove right into Fork Stories from the previous night. Today’s winners were William Baldridge and Bryce Taylor who took “potty time” a bit too seriously and had somehow ended up fishing a clock that had fallen off of the wall in the bathroom out of a toilet…

Our next stop was about an hour away - Gillette Castle State Park in East Haddam, CT. Thanks to Paul Lopez (our long time friend and bus driver) we successfully navigated the winding roads up to the castle and disembarked. We had a self guided tour of the fantastic grounds, and lunch at Sherlock’s Grill with an exquisite view of the Connecticut River (PLEASE see pictures below). William Gillette was a man who attended Harvard, Yale, Trinity, MIT, and College of the City of New York, but never received a degree. In other words he was in pursuit of the best, so he designed the entirety of his castle by himself… let me explain a bit of what that means.

-It took 20 men five years to complete his design of the structure which was steel framework and fieldstone

-There are 47 masterfully crafted wooden doors that could themselves be considered works of art… no two are the same

-He conceived the idea of a 7,000 gallon rainwater collection basin that was connected to a network of pipes throughout the castle to create his own unique fire suppression system… in 1919*

I’m sure you are wondering "How much does it cost to build a castle?” well, I actually heard a park employee say “If money could buy it, Mr. Gillette had it” which I took as the equivalent of “If you have to ask, you can’t afford it”.

With everyone back on the bus we were headed to Mary Taylor UMC in Millford, CT. Upon our arrival we corralled everyone into the sanctuary for a quick rehearsal. It immediately became apparent that the theme of the night would be “Ho! Everybody Thirsteth” due to the New England heat! Deb Bowe would later ensure the hydration of the group with subtle hints prompting us to drink during the concert. We had a great dinner of chicken, hot dogs, macaroni salad, and potato salad, after which several of the men had a shirt vs skins game of ultimate frisbee in the green space in the center of town. We make our presence known wherever we go.

Up next was the concert! The congregation loved the program, applauding well after the final word. We then shifted gears and returned to the courtyard to meet with the hosts. After a long day of activity we are grateful to be in host homes and are anxiously awaiting the tour of Yale in the morning (not to mention heading to one of my family’s favorite places, Andover, MA).

“Until next time, I’ve been Graham Taylor… Stay warm New England”

-G!

Click Here for Photos of Day 3

2017 Tour - Day 2 - Mystic Connecticut (Home of the Mystical Pizza)

IMDb rates “Mystic Pizza” (1988) 3/5 stars but Mystic, CT earned all 5 today as the CWS descended upon the small town. The four hour drive flew by thanks to the breakfast report, weather report, fake news report, real news report, Fork Stories* and a screening of Beauty and the Beast.

While we didn’t see Julia Roberts or Matt Damon today (Mystic Pizza reference), the youth were elated at the opportunity to have some free time around town. They enjoyed ice cream, saw a drawbridge in action, and still found time for a group picture. We enjoyed another great meal, this time prepared by our friends at Union Baptist, and Nick blessed the meal and the evening for us. From there many of the youth returned to the parking lot to finish games of nerf football and basketball.

It was a gorgeous Summer Solstice with a light breeze and a quick shower (once the concert had begun thankfully) and some of us reflected on the last time we were in Mystic in 2009 as the choir sang with the doors and windows to the sanctuary wide open. The little coastal town was particularly alive with the Holy Spirit as “This Is My Word” rang out and was heard by all who passed by one of the busiest intersections in town. I encourage you to speak (or sing) the following excerpt from the piece aloud to fully comprehend the beauty of the words:

“And the Word of My mouth,

it shall not return empty,

it will bless the Earth wherever it is heard.

So be faithful, brave, and true

for I shall go before you,

and when your Earthly journey here is done,

I’ll say well done …

Well Done!"

Tour has always been about spreading the Word and growing Christ’s Kingdom, and when you do those two things, there is no better feeling… except perhaps hearing the words “Well Done” at the end of our Earthly journey.

After the concert the youth were split up into their host homes and one particularly large group of boys cheered at the prospect of a great night because about 10 of them were put together in what will surely turn out to be a great Fork Story environment.

*A (Not-so) Quick Note About Fork Stories*

Fork Stories are an ancient tour tradition. Every morning on the bus there is a period of time after the greeting designated to recount any “interesting” events that may have transpired since the group was together last. The group with the best story walks away with a professionally decorated piece of flatware and is the recipient of cheers and applause aplenty. So what makes a good Fork Story? Well I’m so glad you asked! The best way to delineate the term is to tell you what a Fork Story IS NOT. A fork story is NOT just a sequence of events! That would be a “Spoon Story” because it doesn’t have a point! Stories should be gripping, hilarious, and excite the listener. They should last no more than 4 minutes … otherwise it would be a Fork Narrative which immediately disqualifies the story from winning a fork! We would like to thank Sue Constantinides for providing the most comprehensive collection of forks we have ever seen! If you can think of a theme, there’s a fork for that!

Will New England supply yet another legendary Fork Story? Stay tuned! “And that’s the way the cookie crumbles” … Goodnight everybody.

-G!

Click Here for Photos from Day 2