[Oe List ...] Possible DVD of Bishop Jim

[W. J.]

Marilyn, thanks for asking.
The four VHS tapes arrived intact from the Griffins (hooray!). Haven't had time 
to comb through all eight hours, but the bits I checked were startling, to say 
the least--including (now that I've turned 70) seeing myself (mostly from the 
rear, oh dear!) at age 47. Other colleagues will be shocked as well to see 
themselves in 1987.
Problem is, I haven't yet located the 'Holy Grail' of the JWM slide show on the 
tapes, and from the (somewhat limited) cassette labeling, I've reached the 
preliminary conclusion that the slide show wasn't video recorded.
If some of you with a more acute memory for details than I've retained at this 
age could clue me in as to WHEN the slide show was scheduled in the weekend, I'd 
appreciate it. There's always the chance that it's somewhere in there, but at 
this point I seriously doubt it. 
Even without the JWM/JKM material, it might be a good idea to digitize these 
tapes and burn them to DVD. Anybody interested in getting a copy? BTW the 
video/audio quality is on the low end of an acceptable range. But we were always 
a low end group when it came to production quality. Don't even know who shot 
this, but it wasn't moi. Somebody with a first generation VHS color camcorder, I 
think.
Today I've been in the twilight zone of weird things happening that cause me to 
question my grasp of ordinary reality and the accuracy of my memory. So now I'm 
even questioning whether the JWM/JKM slide show was part of this weekend, or 
whether I'm confusing it with another similar event at another time. I'd bet my 
last dollar that I worked with JKM to put together the slide show and recall his 
oral in-person narration at a presentation in D.C. organized by the D.C. 
Religious House, but I'm less certain that I haven't unknowingly conflated two 
events in my memory.
Colleagues, please help bail me out on this one with some helpful details on 
what really happened.

Marshall, dazed but still able to type

BTW, Lela Mosely IS on the tapes.




________________________________
From: "marilyncrocker at juno.com" <marilyncrocker at juno.com>
To: synergi at yahoo.com
Sent: Sun, October 24, 2010 4:55:26 PM
Subject: Re: Possible DVD of Bishop Jim

 
Hi Marshall,
 
I'm only a month plus late in responding to your note about possibly  
rejuvenating Bob & Muriel's VHS tape.  I was wondering if the "mine"  produced 
"gold," and if so, how might those of us who share your respect and  affection 
for the Bishop might access such.
 
Bishop Jim was the "rebel" establishment bishop of the then-Southern New  
England Conference (along with that of the then-separate NH and ME conferences,  
now all combined into the New England Conference -- which just this  year 
added some of VT) when, in June 1967 he used his parliamentary savvy  to 
guide our Conference (as well as the others over which he  presided) in 
affirming the appointment of some of its brightest young  pastors to the 
Ecumenical Institute (of course without salary and benefit of  pension, but none 
could envision retiring at that point!)  This was,  indeed, a legislative 
victory, as the "old guard" in mindset was still  omnipresent, despite the 
recurrent, filled-to-capacity PMCs and   90-person RSI courses taught each 
weekend at Rolling Ridge, the Conference  Retreat Center.  In so many ways 
Bishop Jim transformed the UMC in New  England, and the lives of such as Joe 
Crocker, Don Clark, Charles Moore, etc.  and lay folk like me.
 
I'd love it if you could keep us posted on this particular project.
 
Grace and peace,
 
Marilyn
 
 
On Wed, 8 Sep 2010 17:27:51 -0700 (PDT) "W. J." <synergi at yahoo.com> writes:
Dear Colleagues,
>
>
>I grieve and rejoice with you in celebrating the completed life of Bishop    
>James K. Mathews, whom I counted as a friend and spiritual mentor.
>
>
>In 1987 I assisted Bishop Jim and his wife Eunice in assembling a slide    show 
>on the life of Joe Mathews which Bishop Jim narrated at the Washington    
>Religious House at the event commemorating the tenth anniversary of Joe's    
>death.
>
>
>(Note to self: always keep copies for the Archives!)
>
>
>Sadly, Eunice and I have concluded that the original slide show has been    lost 
>to history. 
>
>
>(But it MIGHT be somewhere in the ICA-USA Archives . . . like, you know,    the 
>Lost Ark in the Archives of the CIA.)
>
>
>I am very happy to announce, however, that Bob and Muriel Griffin, in    packing 
>up to move shortly, have just found a set of VHS tapes that were made    at that 
>event in 1987. 
>
>
>(Note to colleagues: you can't be too careful in holding on to the good    
>stuff! But it helps to remember that you still have it. Somewhere.)
>
>
>Those tapes are on their way to me this week, and if they yield the gold    mine 
>I hope is there, we'll all be able to enjoy the wonderful parting gift of    
>Bishop Jim's story-telling about 'Brother Joe.' I think there are also stories    
>from the late Lela Mosely and others who knew Joe well.
>
>
>Will let you know what I find. Planning to edit and digitize, and maybe    post 
>in the repository! And/or issue on DVD.
>
>
>Marshall
>
>
> 
Marilyn R. Crocker, Ed.D
Crocker &  Associates, Inc.
123 Sanborn Road
West Newfield, ME 04095
(207)  793-3711


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