Baptist Youth Fellowship 1955 European Tour July 5 to August 20
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Baptist Youth Fellowship 1955 European Tour July 5 to August 20 July 31, 1955: Baptist Youth Fellowship Tour with their hosts in Cologne, Germany First draft written by Jerry Abbott in 1955 and edited in 2014 Jerry is on left in the first row of picture. 1 .How did I become part of student tour traveling to Europe? Joyce Parr, President of the Baptist Youth Fellowship (BYF), was a colleague of mine on the William Jewell College Debate Team. Her organization had planned a trip to the Baptist World Alliance Jubilee Congress in London for its national and state officers. The group was to tour Europe following the Congress. Although I was not a member of the BYF, Joyce invited me to participate as a guest. I am standing on the left in this photo of the debate team. To my left are Mary Jo Smith, Dr. Murray Hunt (faculty advisor), Joyce Parr, and Richard Byrne. It is interesting to note that each of these members of the debate team earned their PhDs after graduating from William Jewell. The beginning of the tour include participation in the Baptist World Alliance Jubilee Congress held in Royal Albert Hall in London July 16 to 22, 1955. Why am I preparing this album? Its purpose is to help my grandkids understand an important part of American history. The trip was only ten years after the end of World War II. Most of the debris of World War II had been cleaned up, and the reconstruction of Europe was clearly evident. The trip enabled me to talk to many people who had experienced the horrors of the war and were in the midst of helping to rebuild of their countries. Physical reconstruction and the healing of Wilhelm Keitel surrendering minds and bodies was well under way. One of my hosts in Germany to the Allies in Berlin had been a prisoner of war in England. Others had been youth leaders whose leadership was challenged by the attitudes of “Hitler’s Youth.” Many of these kids had been victimized by cruelty and suffering that impacted both sides of the conflict. One of the leaders reported his greatest challenge was to help kids “become kids again.” One of the memorable moments of the tour came while sitting in the sanctuary of St. Michel’s Cathedral in Hamburg, Germany. As I listened to one of the speakers, I looked to my left to see a wall plaque that was similar to plaques on the walls of my churches at home. It included the names of dozens of German young men. Although I had not yet studied German, it was clear that the plaque was dedicated to those who had lost their lives in the war. I was emotionally stunned to realize that while I was praying for American soldiers in The First Baptist Church of Enid, Oklahoma during the war, German Christians were sitting in the same pew in St. Michel’s. They were praying for their sons and brothers. I took this picture of the St. Michel’s Spire that same day. My European tour was fun and informative. More important, it was an important part of my growing up to assume the responsibilities adult, parent, and colleague. 2 How was this written? I took the calendar book on the left with me to take daily notes during the trip. When I returned home I used the calendar book as a source document to record my memories of the trip on a legal-sized yellow tablet (see photo on right). I sat down at my computer in September 2014 to write this photo album. This photo shows what my desk looked like while I was reviewing the notes in the yellow tablet and editing them for inclusion in the family history. The notes are on the left of my Dell Inspiron 15R Laptop Computer. The source calendar is on the pullout platform below the computer. The Adventure Begins: July 5, 1955 “Fasten your safety belts, please.” My nodding head snapped from a dozing position to an erect and alert position after a sleepless night. It was not unusual for me to have trouble sleeping the night before a family vacation; however, the anticipation of a trip to Europe had made it even more difficult to sleep. Visions of the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, the sights of Tivoli in Copenhagen, the music and sights of a romantic gondola rides on the Grand Canal of Venice, and the beautiful mountains and valleys of the Swiss Alps bounced around in my head. Shortly after taking my seat on the 7:10 a.m. TWA flight to Washington D.C., fatigue overcame my excitement and produced a few restful moments before the flight attendant’s instructions awakened me. I was about to start one of the finest and most enjoyable trips of my life. Looking back, I realize that in addition to learning about European geography and culture, I had learned about leadership when I was assigned to lead five of the students on a side trip to Venice. I also gained understanding as I listened to leaders who had to deal with the conflict and horrors of the war. Our plane stopped in Chicago where I made a hurried phone call to my parents who were at a Dale Carnegie convention there. “I love you…goodbye” and a chocolate milk shake later, I was on my way to Washington D.C. This picture was taken in the early 1950s in the living room of my parents’ home at Valley View Farm in Kansas City. My parents 3 Although we weren’t to cross the Atlantic from New York to London until July 10, I wanted to spend some time with a good friend in Washington D. C. before going on to New York City. In addition to seeing my friend Harve, I wanted to see some of the attractions of our nation’s capital. Harve worked for the Associated Press (AP) in DC. It may be surprising that I decided to include so much information about Harve in this album. He was truly a remarkable person who had a significant influence on my life. He later earned his Ph.D. in psychology and became the Provost at Antioch College in Ohio. He and his wife, Joyce, traveled the world extensively. Harve wrote many books based on his travels in addition to Harve Rawson writing many academic papers and books. He also wrote a book about the history of Webb City, Missouri. I was born in Webb City, and lived there from 1945 to 1948. Friends have been very important for me. Four of my closest friends at William Jewell earned their doctorates. Of my two best friends in grade school and middle school, one (Harve) earned his Ph.D. and the other earned his doctorate in theology and became a “Little All American” at what later became the University of Central Oklahoma. In another part of the Abbott Family History, I wrote about how certain professors and friends played significant roles in my pursuit and achievement of a Ph.D. In writing about Harve and other friends and colleagues, I want to recognize and salute the role good friends played in my life. Harve’s parents were good friend of my parents, and Harve had been a constant companion whenever our family visited my grandparents in Webb City, Missouri. Our friendship became even closer when we were neighbors on Madison Street, and attended the same schools in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. The Abbott family lived at 820 South Madison. My grandparents lived at 310 S. Madison. Harve’s family lived midway between our home and my grandparents’ home. Grandparent’s home at 310 S. Madison My grandfather, Seth Thomas, was a barber and owned the OK Barbershop in Webb City. Although he had only an eighth grade education, he taught in the local school on occasion and was director of the choir at the First Baptist Church in Webb City. While serving as choir director, he wrote several hymns. Seth Thomas My grandmother, Daisy Thomas, passed away in 1945. She suffered from arthritis and was unable to do such things as put on her stockings. When we visited her I took great pride in helping her with her stockings. After she passed away, our family moved to Webb City in order for my mother to care for my grandfather. Seth Thomas lived in our home during his last years. Daisy Thomas 4 This was our Webb City home. This picture was taken in 2004 when we returned to Webb City to see friends. I was surprised to see that the address had been changed to 720 South Madison. We lived in this home from 1945 to 1948. My grandfather died in 1948. Abbott family home in 2004 820 S. Madison Harve was waiting for me when our plane arrived in Washington. Online photo That night he fixed a superb dinner for me and his two roommates. The picture of Harve above was cropped from a photo taken during dinner. After dinner we enjoyed an outdoor concert by the U. S. Online photo Army Concert Band at Watergate Park. During our walk home, we walked by the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, White House, Lafayette Square, and the Treasury Building. It is impressive to walk by these structures at any time, but the walk was spectacular on a moonlit night. July 6, 1955: First Day of Sightseeing in Washington DC The morning started with a haircut in the Supreme Court Barber Shop.