Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

The 102nd session of the Crossroads Baptist Church Sacred Harp singing and Decoration Day was held on the first Sunday in July. Cecil Roberts called the class to order, welcomed everyone, and then led 56t. Philip Denney offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: Cecil Roberts 75; Miranel Swafford 153, 313t; Donna Bell 61, 441; Tom Ivey 565, 148; David Smead 171, 497; Lisa Bennett 549 (for Hayden Arp’s family; his grandmother passed away this week), 434; Sharon Strong 162, 212; B.M. Smith 66, 34b.

A business session was held with the following officers retained or appointed: Chairman—Cecil Roberts; Vice Chairman—Miranel Swafford; Secretary—Donna Bell; Memorial Lesson—Rebecca Over.

RECESS

Steve Helwig brought the class back to order leading 31t and 28t. Leaders: George Garner 30b; Helen Bryson 89, 313b; Rebecca Over 453, 209; Rene Greene 208, 318; Eschol Hughes 316, 348b; Karen Clark 466, 467; Virginia Dyer and Dalton Lewis 472, 354b, 340; Philip Denney and Gayle Denney 143, 100; Earlis McGraw 312b (in honor of the Pope family and the Garner family), 435; Mike Castleberry 401, 490.

Rebecca Over conducted the memorial lesson. She read an excerpt from a memorial lesson conducted by Berta Tant in 1987 at the Mt. Zion Memorial Sacred Harp singing. A portion of the excerpt included the phrase, “Those we hold most dear never truly leave us, they live on in the kindness they showed, the comforts they shared, and the love they brought into our lives.” Rebecca led 70t for the following sick and shut-ins: Rodney Willard, Mattie Lou Pope, Lucy Garner, George Garner, Teddy Cauthen, James Hughes, Doyle Bentley, Frankie Albright, and Karen Rollins.

Rebecca read the names of the following deceased, and then led 285t in their memory: Raymond Hamrick, Evelyn Harris, Inez Chandler, Donald Johnson, C.W. Garner, Stanly Edwards, Josephine Denney, and Grace Pope. Cecil Roberts closed the memorial lesson with prayer.

Leaders: John Plunkett 354t, 105; James Newman 45t; Donna Bell and Rene Greene 454 (in honor of George Garner); Winfred Kerr 146, 282; Steve Helwig 48t. Edward Garner offered the blessing of the noon meal at the table.

LUNCH

The afternoon session of singing began with Cecil Roberts leading 37b. Leaders: Karen Clark 43; Daniel Williams 74b, 30t; Hayden Arp 422, 390; David Smead 102; Lisa Bennett and John Plunkett 571; John Plunkett 308; Virginia Dyer 222; Charlene Wallace 205, 171; Tom Ivey 270 (for members of Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC); Rene Greene and Dalton Lewis 142; James Newman 59; Sharon Strong 218; Rebecca Over 445; Eschol Hughes 456; Rene Greene 294 (by request); Karis Askin 178 (for Eva Grace Horsley); Earlis McGraw 170; Sarah Roberts 127, 323b; B.M. Smith 225t; Karen Clark 234; Steve Helwig 325; Philip Denney 347; Daniel Williams 32b; Hayden Arp 387 (in memory of his grandmother).

Following announcements, Cecil Roberts, Miranel Swafford, and Donna Bell led 46 as the closing song. Philip Denney offered the closing prayer, and the class was dismissed.

Chairman—Cecil Roberts; Vice Chairman—Miranel Swafford; Secretary—Donna Bell