[Dialogue] Fwd: James Bell (His Happiness)

Tue Sep 4 09:07:52 PDT 2012

Answers to a couple of questions, and a bit more about the 1966 program for
the Montana Conference that Doug wrote about.
Charles talked with Jim 2 or 3 years ago when he (Charles) was trying to
get the music to Brother Van's Song. At that time, Jim and Lynn were both
living in Post, Texas (a little town about 40 miles southeast of Lubbock).
They moved there after Jim retired, I think; however, they subsequently
divorced, and Jim remarried. His wife owned a bookstore, I think. I don't
know what the tie to the Catholic monastery is. I think Lynn is still
there; she loves the town.

There was an airline strike in the summer of 1966; so the faculty for the
Montana program went from Chicago to Montana by train. That group included
Joe and Lyn, Frank and Aimee Hilliard, Charles and I, plus John Slicker.
Lyn suggested that we take our daughters, but they were on a trip out west
with Sue Burdick's parents and sister. So, Lyn said, "Let's take John
Slicker," which we did. This was a conference for the Montana Conference
pastors and families. Lyn, Aimee, and I created a program for the kids, and
also led some of the adult program. John was a big hit with everyone, and
they managed to take him fishing one afternoon, after which we had a fish
fry for supper.

Doug certainly is right about Brother Van's Song. The morning following the
day we sang that song at a meal, we were waiting for people to gather for
Daily Office. Among some of the group, the mood ranged from indifference to
major upset. We were waiting outside, and as folks wandered up, Joe said,
"Hey, let's sing Brother Van's Song again." So, we immediately sang with
gusto, and from then on to the end of the conference, there was lots of
singing, and an amazing mood shift. I am sure there was still plenty of
resistance, as Doug indicated, but the combination of Brother Van's Song
and the John Slicker fishing trip resulted in a dramatic change.

On the way home, Joe kept trying to figure out how we could speed up the
trip, but no solution worked, and we eventually returned to Union Station
in Chicago.

Doris Hahn

On Mon, Sep 3, 2012 at 9:15 PM, James Wiegel <jfwiegel at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Lyn Bell?
>
> Jim Wiegel
> Jfwiegel at yahoo.com
>
> It may be that we live in a time of collective heartbreak ... the sense
> that we might not be equal to the ecological, political and economic
> transitions that are necessary, that our own selfishness may be writ too
> deeply into our genes and that the future is therefore untenable and
> unreachable. We do not as yet know if this is true. -- David Whyte, “Letter
> from the House"
>
> Partners in Participation Upcoming public course opportunities:
> ToP Facilitation Methods, Sept 11-12, 2012
> ToP Strategic Planning, Oct 9-10, 2012
> The AZ Community of Practice meets the 1st Friday- Sept 7, 2012
> Facilitation Mastery : Our Mastering the Technology of Participation
> program is available in Phoenix in 2012-3. Program begins on Nov 14-16,
> 2012
> See short video http://partnersinparticipation.com/?page_id=55 and
> website for further details.
>
> On Sep 1, 2012, at 8:34, DOUGLAS DRUCKENMILLER <dpat23 at msn.com> wrote:
>
>  I knew Jim and his family for many years.  My dad had the parish just
> outside the Blackfoot reservation.  He and Jim were colleagues in mission
> and also hunting buddies.  I'm attaching family photos from my collection
> of those days in Montana.  The first shows the Bell family at Luccock Park
> camp near Livingston Montana.  The photo was taken in the summer of 1965 or
> 1966.  This camp was the Methodist Church's summer camp and retreat center.
>  In the summer of 1966, the Yellowstone Conference of the Methodist church
> invited the Ecumenical Institute to come to Montana and do a week-long
> program with all of the pastors from the conference.  Joe Mathews, Joe
> Slicker and a number of other people from EI:Chicago came out to Montana
> that summer and did an extended PLC.  My parents were there with the Bells
> and were profoundly affected by the program.  It was a rough week at first
> and created a division in the conference between people who got the message
> and others who couldn't get past the offense.
>
> At one point a rebellion was formed in the dining hall at dinner.  People
> were tired of singing the "Songs of the Ecumenical Institute" all the time
> and started a counter revolution by singing "Harvest Time"  - the Brother
> Van Song.  My Mother, Grace Druckenmiller stood up at dinner and started
> singing "The seed I have scattered at springtime with weeping"  and the
> Bells and others joined in.  This evidently delighted Mathews, who after
> the last of the song had finished said, "Sing it again!"  And so the song
> made it into the movement.  Jim and family's decision to leave Montana and
> join the global movement meant that the song had its chief champion and
> singer.  He loved that song and we sang it at my father's funeral, led by
> Jim who was the presiding pastor.  My father died in 1968 of cancer and for
> me Jim was always there  as a colleague, friend and father.
>
> The second photo is one of dad and Jim just before one of their famed
> hunting expeditions.  Our families were close and I have many fond memories
> of Jim, he had a profound impact on me and my family and I miss him.
>
> "Yes, the tears of the sower and the songs of the reaper shall mingle
> together in joy by and by"
>
> Doug Druckenmiller
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
> To: Dialogue at wedgeblade.net
> From: facilitationfla at aol.com
> Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2012 16:48:41 -0400
> Subject: [Dialogue] Fwd: James Bell (His Happiness)
>
>  Forwared by Cynthia Vance
>
>
>  -----Original Message-----
> From: Ackroeger <Ackroeger at aol.com>
> To: FacilitationFla <FacilitationFla at aol.com>
> Cc: JimBell <JimBell at XMission.com>
> Sent: Thu, Aug 30, 2012 8:56 am
> Subject: James Bell (His Happiness)
>
>  *Bob and Cynthia:*
> **
> *I just received word from Jim Ed Bell that his dad, Jim Bell, died last
> night. He will be sending me information on arrangements, but in the
> meantime I know you keep up with the OE/ICA dialogue group and ask that you
> notify that list serv, please.*
> **
> *Jim Ed said I could pass on his contact information. He and his family
> are on route to Texas.  Thank you.*
> **
> *James and Xiomara Bell*
> *4605 South 600 East*
> *Murray   UT  84107*
> *801-685-6145*
> *email: JimBell at XMission.com *
>
> Amelia Kroeger
> 952-476-6126
>
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> <JimBellFamily.jpg>
>
> <bellhuntRussSled.jpg>
>
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