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The CenturyMen
Picture Album
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| Buryl Receives Baylor Award July 19, 2007 |
Buryl, a 1957 graduate of Baylor, recieved the Award for Exemplary Leadership in Church Music by Baylor's Center for Christian Music Studies. The awared was presented by Terry York after a banquet Thursday night, July 19th at the Alleleluia Conference being held on the campus."We feel that it is important for our Church Music students at Baylor to understand the story of the ministry for which they are preparing. We want them to have a reverence for the heritage that is theirs," York said. "We believe that the Award for Exemplary Leadership in Church Music symbolizes that story. We want our students to be aware of those persons whose names must be mentioned when the story is told."
All the Centurymen gathered to celebrate and later, to sing, beamed with pride as Buryl was honored. Congratulations Buryl!! |
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| UK Tour, July 4, 2008 Day 1 |
Once again, the CenturyMen have gathered together from all over the United States. Both the Atlanta and Houston points of departure were used to insure that everybody arrived at the same time. That was both the bane and blessing of it all, because nearly 2 hours after our arrival, the last one of us finally cleared the maize that led to the customs inspectors giving us their stamp of approval on our entrance into the United Kingdom. We then loaded the coaches and began making our way back to “the edge of the center of ‘old London’ (only about 1 square mile),” a trip that took no less than an hour. We made a brief stop at St. Paul’s Cathedral, where we stood in awe of its beauty, visited the chapel dedicated to America’s fallen soldiers, and ate lunch in some marvelous cafes and shops. We then departed for Wesley Chapel. Wesley Chapel is the home church of Charles Wesley who was a co founder of Methodism with his brother John. It was inspiring and a stroll through the grounds offered us a chance to see the burial places of Charles Wesley, Susannah Wesley, Issac Watts, John Bunyon and John Rippon. After a brief stop at our hotels, we rehearsed for the services that we will participate in on Sunday at All Souls, Langham Place. All Souls is a very large, active evangelistic arm of the Church of England. Their emphasis on Evangelism and preaching the Word brings hundreds of Londoners to this historic church at 2 services each Sunday. After the afternoon rehearsal we returned to the hotel for dinner and a chance to visit, outline plans for the week, meet three of our new CenturyMen, and join hearts in prayer for our time in UK, led by our chaplain, Tommy Havens. |
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| UK Tour, July 5, 2008 Day 2 |
After a much needed night’s sleep, and a continental buffet breakfast that included just about everything one could dream up for breakfast, the morning of sightseeing began. Westminster Abbey was the first place on the day’s agenda. We split into 5 groups to see this Abbey that was begun by Benedictine monks in the 10th century. Not only is it a “working church” and the church of the Queen of England but it has been the coronation church since the 11th century. In fact, the coronation chair made of English oak and dating back to the 11th century is on display. Over 3000 people are either buried or commemorated in the Abbey and for many centuries it has been the place where the nations commemorates those who have achieved greatness in many professions such as literature, music, science, religion and politics. This church, begun by King Henry III in the 13th century is perhaps one of the most important gothic buildings in the country. As we left it behind we marveled at its grandeur and moved to much simpler surroundings, Spurgeon’s College. Located outside the city on the second highest hill in South London about 8 miles from the city center, this college, begun by Charles Haddon Spurgeon when he was only 22, has been in its present location since 1923. It offers Master’s of Theology in several applied areas as well as a DMin and Phd degrees. Since it takes a break for the summer, we were able to use its worship center for our rehearsal, thanks to the arrangements made by our friend Ed Seabough of Travelink. After rehearsal we had a free evening to take in some of the wonderful charm of the city of London. |
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| UK Tour, July 6, 2008 Day 3 |
Sunday morning, the CenturyMen exchanged their normal coat and tie for the black tuxedo and went directly to All Souls Church, Langham. The church in central London is Anglican with a strong emphasis on preaching the Word and evangelism. The sanctuary was full for both services and the CenturyMen were greeted warmly, singing in both services. The pastor, Hugh Palmer, Rector of All Souls, brought a message from “One Corinthians” on the theme “When Pride Comes Before the Fall.” After lunch in the neighborhood, we loaded the busses and headed out of town to the rolling hills and quaint villages and farms of the English countryside. All three busses arrived at our hotel at different times which was really good for the unloading/room assigning process, but it cut our afternoon rehearsal short. We did our best to make up for it with the after dinner rehearsal. Following the rehearsal we had the annual business meeting, and then retired to our rooms feeling good that we were inside, out of the storm that was passing through. |
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| UK Tour, July 7, 2008 Day 4 |
At the CenturyMen Annual meeting last night we elected the new officers. Vice President is Michael Bunden, who will serve as president in 2010; Chaplain, David Nolte; and Kim Bowen, Member-at-Large. Section leaders elected were: David Whipple, Tenor 1; Perry Porter, Tenor 2; Lee Chitwood, Baritone; David Bailes, Bass 2. Most of the company agreed that the hotel we stayed in was one of the best. After breakfast, we boarded the coaches and headed for the Cotswolds, a rural area of England marked by miles of rock walls, and several very quaint English villages for the beautiful stone work seen in the houses and shops. We stopped for lunch and shopping at Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare on the way to Coventry Cathedral in Coventry, the only cathedral constructed in the UK during the 20th century. The ruins of the original cathedral, bombed to near destruction in WWII, now adjoin the new cathedral. The CenturyMen were given permission to sing, impromptu, in the new cathedral. How profound and moving was the selection, “O God Our Help in Ages Past, Our Hope for Years to come”… and how timely. The concert at the Central Hall Methodist Church was well received by a small but very enthusiastic crowd. |
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| UK Tour, July 8, 2008 Day5 |
After a full nights rest, it was off at mid morning to Olney. Olney is a quaint village, the home of John Newton, born in 1725, and writer of the Olney hymns, the most famous of which is “Amazing Grace.” After singing in the town square to help promote the evening concert, the group spent the day in the village and visited the Cowper/Newton museum, shopping and having lunch in the ambience of an English village. The concert, at the Parish Church of St. Peter and St. Paul was received with enthusiasm by the people of the community. The church was built between 1325 and 1350 and the parishioners are very conscious of maintaining the historic building. The admission charged went to the building upkeep fund and the CenturyMen made a contribution as well. |
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| UK Tour, July 9, 2008 Day 6 |
Wednesday was not the typical Wednesday for the CenturyMen who are usually busy with rehearsals and other Wednesday activities at their churches. Instead, we began our day with the usual big breakfast that typically includes a fresh fruit bar, eggs boiled in oil, scrambled eggs, thinly sliced ham, two or three kinds of sausages including the infamous “blood” one, mushrooms, beans, broiled tomatoes, and lots of good fresh baked rolls, baguettes, and breads. If that doesn’t suit the taste, you can always open up a box of cereal or dip up a bowl of porridge. Then it was off to Moulton and Kettering. At Moulton, we traced the early steps of William Carey as we visited the Carey Baptist Church, met their vivacious pastor, Rev. David Gamston, and visited the home/cobbler shop where Carey lived and worked when he was not preaching or praying for the lost. We were accompanied by rain most of the day but it did not dampen our spirits as we made our way to Kettering. The concert at the Fuller Baptist Church in Kettering was well attended and concluded with a standing ovation at the close. It is truly amazing that this group of musicians can rise to the occasion and sing “as if it were the first concert” each night, to say nothing of the energy that Buryl gives to each measure of every anthem that we sing. The combined effort ignites a flame within the people and their response is gratitude to us for coming to share in such a meaningful way of the Spirit that is common to us all. |
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| UK Tour, July 10, 2008 Day 7 |
After checking out of the hotel in Coventry, we made our way to Bangor, stopping in Chester along the way for lunch and shopping. Chester is a city laid out in the Roman plan for cities, the shape of a cross. Founded by the Romans over 2,00 years ago, it walls are some of the most complete in Great Britain. It boasts of having a town clock that is the second most photographed clock in the British Isles. After lunch we crossed the border into Wales. We soon were driving through rolling hills and then we made our way along the coast of the Irish Sea into the town of Bangor. The terrain is completely different and the temperature is a good bit colder with a brisk wind blowing off of the sea. John Robinson, team leader and strategy planner of the International Mission Board, helped make the arrangements for us to sing at the Penrallt Baptist Church. John pointed out the most people in Wales do not go to church, so we were there to encourage and inspire and to sing the gospel story. Tommy Havens gave his personal testimony during the concert and the pastor, Peter Cousins, encouraged folks attending the concert to seek him out…and to come to belief in Christ. We planted the seeds and trust that the Lord will add his blessing to our efforts. |
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| UK Tour, July 11, Day 8 |
Another day of rain…my how so many folks in the U.S. would like to have “a bit of a nasty day” as it is referred to. In spite of the rain, the day held some nice surprises for all. Each of the three coaches (busses) headed out to different Primary Schools. At each school, CenturyMen took time to sing a few songs, and then the children shared with their visitors from America, either singing or playing instruments. After the sharing the CenturyMen and their wives and others took some time to visit with these beautiful children that were ages 5 – 10 or so. What a wonder it is that these children of Wales bear the image of God..such beauty…such enthusiasm and energy…much like our children and grandchildren in America…and what a privilege it was to spend a little time with them, sharing the good news in song and hearing them sing back in their native tongue…”Seek ye first the Kingdom of God”…we caught ourselves singing with them…much to their surprise. All in all - a very good morning. We then moved on to the west to the town with the longest single name in the world without hyphens… Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch which translates "The church of St. Mary in the hollow of white hazel trees near the rapid whirlpool by St. Tysilio's of the red cave". Anyone in our group that tried to pronounce this city ended up drooling on themselves!! Lunch, shopping and then on the bus for the trip to Wetherby. We have no concert and no plans for the evening. It’s good to have a little time off. |
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| UK Tour, July 12, 2008 Day 9 |
Putting Wetherby behind us we made our way to York for a stop at York Minster where we sang a few selections in this Gothic Cathedral dating back to the 13th century. After lunch in the town of York we were off to Stockton-on-Tees. Stockton on Tees is located on the Tees River. John Walker, the inventor of the friction match, is from this traditional market town in North East England. We sang at the Stockton Baptist Tabernacle which is said to the largest Baptist Church in the UK with a Sunday morning attendance of 400. |
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| UK Tour, July 13, 2008, Day 10 |
On Sunday morning the CenturyMen began making their way to Scotland. The coaches carried us into some very beautiful English country side on some roads that rivaled the scream machine at Six Flags. It was quite an unusual prelude to worship which happened on each bus after a morning stop at different B&B’s for coffee, tea and a biscuit. As worship ended, the group made its way into Scotland, stopping at the border for a photo op with a piper who was there to greet people coming into the country. Edinburgh is the final stop as this tour of the UK comes to an end. The concert Sunday night was at the St. Giles cathedral. St. Giles is of the Church of Scotland. The cathedral, dedicated to St. Giles, the patron saint of cripples and lepers, is located at the midpoint of the Royal Mile, the main thoroughfare in Edinburgh’s old town. |
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| I-40 , We 40 Tour, Day 1 September 24, 2009 |
Once again the CenturyMen gathered from their respective cities to join together for the common purpose of joining hearts and voices in the songs of faith that have been a trademark of the group for 40 years. Ellendale Baptist Church outside of Memphis, TN is the gathering place. It is the home church of Tommy Webster, the current president. Tommy, known far and wide for his love of word play, has selected as a theme for the 9 day tour one that has a bit of Native American flavor to it…the “I-40, We 40” tour. The tour will take us up and down Interstate 40 as we celebrate our 40th anniversary…thus the title. The first day was spent in rehearsals from 2:30 until 8:30. Buryl did his usual masterful job of getting the most out of the group, overcoming the usual difficulties of the first rehearsal like the Thursday blues (after late Wednesday rehearsals), long flights and drives and the need to socialize with each other, etc. His focus was to inject something new into some of the old songs in our repertoire. He shared his concept of each piece. We then rehearsed it and he helped us measure up! Joseph, at the piano, acted in concert with Buryl to create this atmosphere of creativity and expression. Their leadership is downright inspirational! A new position created for this tour is the position of “swing” singer. These “swing” singers are used to augment different voice parts in the music, when more is required. You can only imagine the word plays by all the jokesters in the group on the term “swing” singers! By the end of the day we had close to 85 men in attendance, with more to join us as the week goes on. |
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| I-40, We 40 Tour, Day 2 September 25, 2009 |
After a good rest at the Doubletree Inn and a nice hot breakfast (a key to making a CenturyMen happy is a nice, full, hot breakfast) we launched into rehearsals. By noon, we had rehearsed and tweaked 11 tunes, and reorganized ourselves, with the help of Joel Duncan, into quartets. Ward Weaver paid us a visit with his son Matt. He seemed pleased to sing with us, “God Be with You,” and we were pleased that he made the effort to join us for awhile. Buryl rehearsed us with intentionality and intensity. Rehearsing each phrase and polishing it to his expectations sometimes requires singing a single phrase several times, but not with boring meaningless repetition. His ability to describe what kind of sound he wants calls us to the timbres of clarinets and saxophones, and even the Duke Ellington winds. Quite often he meets us down at our level to bring us up to his level by challenging us with anatomical allusions to such things as flabby tones. He has brought new understanding to the strength of singing with “rounded” tones. Charlie Fuller had an opportunity to lead us in some helpful vocal exercises and will be seen more regularly before the group. We finished the day with a tour of Graceland followed by a reception at Graceland in the museum full of cars owned by Elvis. The gathering was hosted by Babby Levitt and other friends of the CenturyMen. Also, at the reception, we were given a copy of Joseph’s new CD, “TOTAL PRAISE – Classic Hymns for Piano,” available through GIA Music. Many of us closed the day listening to the rich sounds of “Total Praise,” “Blessed Assurance,” “My Tribute,” and twelve other favorite hymns recently recorded by Joseph. |
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| I-40, We 40 Tour, Day 3 September 26, 2009 |
After a day of rehearsals, the CenturyMen are in good shape for their first concert - Morning Worship at Ellendale Baptist. The folks of Ellendale Baptist have hosted us well -providing meals, snacks and lots of bottled water, as well as a beautiful place to practice then sing in on Sunday morning. Tommy Webster, in spite of an accident that has left him to get around on crutches or his little electric cart has not slowed down a bit in seeing that every “t” is crossed and every “i” is dotted. We have even had a “gift du jour.” At each rehearsal and meal he has arranged a gift in celebration of our 40th anniversary…an umbrella, a shoe buffer, a refrigerator magnet, a flashlight, a pen, and a travel mug. He is to be commended for the extra effort he has made as he is still healing from a pretty bad fall just a few weeks ago. After rehearsals we headed to downtown Memphis and The popular Rendezvous World Famous Barbecue Restaurant. The generous buffet met the first standard of “real barbecue” around these parts - killing a PIG. It was good eatin’ and enjoyed by everyone. After dinner we headed to the annual business meeting at the hotel. By the way, if you haven't seen a picture of your favorite Centuryman in the single or group shots, send an email to wgard7776@gmail.com and you will soon see a photographic confirmation that he really is on the trip!! |
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| I-40, We 40 Tour, Day 4 September 27, 2009 |
The CenturyMen sang for morning worship at Ellendale Baptist Church on Sunday morning. We could not have asked for a better host church, nor a more responsive congregation to launch us on our 40th anniversary tour up and down the I-40 corridor. The morning was all the more meaningful to us because of the 2 young high school students who came forward to declare their faith in the Lord. Not coincidentally, our devotional thought for the day, written by David Nolte, our chaplain, was entitled, “He Who Has Ears to Hear.” It was a blessing to know that we had a small part in the hearing of the word through our music. After lunch we said "adieu" to the Bartlett area, realizing that we will be returning at the end of the week for our anniversary banquet. West Jackson, and Ricky Clark were ready for us when we arrived after the 2 hour trip east up the interstate. A beautiful, large sanctuary was very full for the early evening service. The people of the church were enthusiastic in their welcome and very responsive to the sounds of the CenturyMen as we worked our way through the program, singing the Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual songs of our gracious Lord. After the program, we were treated to a tasty Ribfest. (plus chicken and the trimmings) The men will sleep well tonight! |
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| I-40, We 40 Tour, Day 5 September 28, 2009 |
Our first stop today was Union University, a Baptist University in Jackson, TN. Union suffered a devastating loss of most of its campus by the whirlwinds of a tornado 2 years ago, but the school is well on the way to recovery. We sang a brief concert, hosted by the chairman of the music department, Dr. Chris Matthews. Then we were off to sing an evening concert in Nashville at the Hermitage Hills Baptist Church, hosted by CenturyMan Dan Arterburn.
The CenturyMen have a long, rich history of 40 years. We will be celebrating our anniversary at a banquet Friday night at the end of this tour. Throughout its history the CenturyMen have been a consistent witness of men serving in the music ministries throughout the world. Each man has a different story of joining the CenturyMen. The charter members (18 are still active in the group) saw the vision cast by such folks as Joe Ann Shelton and Paul Stevens and have remained in the group from the beginning. Others have heard and responded to the sounds of the CenturyMen during Music Week at Glorietta or Ridgecrest, or in a local church during one of our tours. Still others have grown up with the music of the CenturyMen being played in their home. Ricky Clark was one such person. In his devotion before the concert at Hermitage Hills, he told his story of growing up hearing, “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee” as it opened the radio program, “The Baptist Hour” every Sunday morning. It is an incredible gift that the song of the CenturyMen heard by several generations, is now the song that the generations get to sing together. “It would be 12 years or so before I would have the privilege of singing with this esteemed group,” Ricky said, “…the beauty of what the CenturyMen sang drew me to the message of what the CenturyMen sang. The power and majesty and unique sounds we get to make are pleasing to the ears, but what we sing is nourishment for the soul.” And may it be for many generations and more!!
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| I-40, We 40 Tour, Day 6 September 29, 2009 |
As we made our way east on I-40, reflecting on our experiences thus far, we moved on toward our next stop, Jefferson City and the First Baptist Church. On the way we stopped in Knoxville for lunch at a mall where the men enjoyed the chance to get out and stretch their legs, though we usually get pretty exercised as we practice the line up each evening! Joel Duncan rehearses our entrances and exits and our standing and sitting to perfection. He does a great job of it, paying attention and correcting every sloppy movement. He introduced the crisscross entrance at the evening concert and CenturyMen history was made with a new, classy entrance across the stage. There were only a few near misses as the men dodged each other on their way to their seats in the loft. Many think the entrance was worthy of YouTube and we anticipate something along the lines of a play book to study with our music in preparation for tours in the future. Joel puts up with a lot of moaning and groaning (something most men would not tolerate in their own choirs) but presses on towards excellence, and we are grateful for the energy he expends getting us in and out in an orderly fashion. Kim Bowen and the good folks at FBC Jefferson City were ready for us with lots of surpises to help us celebrate our 40th anniversary tour…goodie bags packed with treats, prize drawings, and even 40th anniversary mints. They fed us a great barbecue and then packed the sanctuary for the evening program. The Spirit of the Lord was powerful, once again, as we led the people in worship…reminding us of His faithfulness to be present where even “two or three are gathered in His Name.” |
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| I-40, We 40 Tour, Day 7 September 30, 2009 |
The bus trip to Charlotte was a pleasant one. The weather was cool and clear as we made our way along I-40 winding its way through the lofty mountain grandeur and deep cut gorges of such rivers as the Green, Clinch and French Broad. Pritchard Memorial Baptist stands just south Charlotte on the city's edge. The CenturyMen found the sanctuary acoustically alive and a very good space to sing in. David Bailes, Minister of Music and our narrating CenturyMan, was our host for the evening concert at 7 pm. Several CenturyMen were represented by bus loads of people from their churches, so the crowd reached near capacity of the sanctuary. The gathered congregation of friends from near and far were with us in mind and spirit from Joseph’s pre-concert piano music to the last note of “God Be With You.” The church will feed us breakfast in the morning as we head to our last concert in Maryville, TN. |
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| I-40, We 40 Tour, Day 8 October 1, 2009 |
The Pritchard Memorial members gave the CenturyMen a hearty breakfast and we were off to Maryville, TN, our last stop on this year’s tour. At one point on this year’s tour, 91 men were in attendance. The current membership is 124 CenturyMen representing 16 states and 1 foreign country. Texas claims 31, Georgia, 20, Tennessee 19, and the other states of AR, NC, SC, IL, AL, MS, MO, LA, MO, KY, OK, VA, and NY each has from 1-10 members. Since we are self supporting, we are always looking for people to support our ministry. Each man pays his own way, and since we do not have a large organization that supports us, the financial responsibility rests on each CenturyMan. If you would like to make a tax deductible contribution, please contact us at the CenturyMen, P.O.293232, Nashville, TN 37229.
After a dinner at the beautiful home of Bob and Martha Robinson, the last concert of the tour was given at the First Baptist Church of Maryville, TN. The concert, hosted by Cameron Dahl, Bob Robinson, and Tim Purvis, was well received by a standing room only crowd.
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| I-40, We 40 Tour, Day 8 October 1, 2009 |
Clark’s Top Ten List
Top 10 Changes Anticipated at the 50th Anniversary Tour
10. Staple menu of hearty ribs will be replaced by pureed Spam.
9. Rather than just one CenturyMen, all CenturyMen will be riding a scooter cart.
8. Since CenturyMen will be riding scooter carts, Joel’s crisscrossing concert lineups will resemble the clown cars in a Shriner’s parade.
7. Rather than selective CenturyMen assisting Renay on and off the platform, Renay will be assisting all CenturyMen on and off the platform.
6. Updated music arrangements will include “Sit Down, O Men of God,” “Every Time I Pass the Men’s Room,” and “Nature’s Call, Our Answer.”
5.After several revisions to amendment concerning membership identify issues, rather than being associated with the Southern Baptist Convention, CenturyMen will be the musical arm of ACORN.
4. Rather than being seated every 4 songs, singers will be seated following each song and be given 3 potty breaks per concert.
3. Total CenturyMen number greatly reduced due to Dennis Bucher’s wrong turn during concert procession, resulting in the loss of 34 singers last seen marching single file on Interstate 85 just outside Atlanta.
2. Rather than pre-pasted toothbrushes, CenturyMen dressing rooms will be supplied with denture soak glasses and Polident.
Drum rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrol
1. Logo-stamped Depends for everyone!!
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| I-40, We 40 Tour, Day9 October 2, 2009 |
Friday began with a bus trip from Maryville back to Memphis. The 6 hour bus trip gave us all a chance to relax, reflect and catch up on some “Andy of Mayberry” episodes! We took a lunch break at Brooksie’s Barn, an all-you-can-eat buffet about an hour from Memphis. The final tour event was the gala 40th anniversary banquet at Woodland Hills. The banquet was well attended by present and past CenturyMen as well as many guests. Tommy’s program for the evening included: dinner; an address by Dr. Jimmy Allen, a friend of the CenturyMen for many of the 40 years of existence; Recognition of the Charter Members present (there were 17); a brief candle lighting memorial service for those CenturyMen who have joined the heavenly chorus (there are 26); presentation of new member certificates; a multimedia presentation celebrating 40 years; special recognitions of Dianna Shearon and Max Lyall for their service to the CenturyMen; presentation of the president’s ring to immediate past president, Stan Pylant; and words from Buryl on the theme, “Looking Backward/Looking Forward.” It was an enjoyable evening and a big thank you goes to President Tommy and all those responsible for the festive celebration that capped off a very good anniversary tour. |
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