Memories of the "old" auditorium

[Bishop Billy]

I doubt anyone would remember me but maybe my wife that grew up in the schools, Pamela Van Gorp. My folks went to Bob Gray's church in Bourbonnias, IL.

Do you know Owen Ivey?  He also attended Gray's church in Bourbonnias.

Yes, I knew Owen. My family was there from day one at Faith Baptist. Bob Gray performed our wedding ceremony. I know and lived all the stories. I even moved to Longview. I just don't post about it much. It was hard to move on. However, I still talk with Bro. Gray from time to time. Dr. Hyles was supposed to marry us but my MIL wound up seeing (before his divorce) and marrying one of the Deacons after he divorced (yup, another saga). She was a well known realtor from Munster.

 

[RAIDER]

I doubt anyone would remember me but maybe my wife that grew up in the schools, Pamela Van Gorp. My folks went to Bob Gray's church in Bourbonnias, IL.

Do you know Owen Ivey?  He also attended Gray's church in Bourbonnias.

Yes, I knew Owen. My family was there from day one at Faith Baptist. Bob Gray performed our wedding ceremony. I know and lived all the stories. I even moved to Longview. I just don't post about it much. It was hard to move on. However, I still talk with Bro. Gray from time to time. Dr. Hyles was supposed to marry us but my MIL wound up seeing (before his divorce) and marrying one of the Deacons after he divorced (yup, another saga). She was a well known realtor from Munster.

Owen came to HAC from Faith Baptist.  Gray had left for Longview before Owen came to college.  He still had a great respect for Bob Gray.  I remember when Gray came to preach at HAC chapel.  Owen was very excited to see him.  Owen waited for him with several other students.  When Gray saw Owen he said, "You need a hair cut".  that was it.  That was all he said to him. Owen was fuming mad and never looked at Gray the same way again.  Of course, we make fun of him for the incident for four more years. 

 

[Route_70]

"Old" auditorium?  I pre-date the JH memorial building.  I arrived in time to enjoy the last few months of the "old" auditorium.  During the fall of 1974 the church met at the Civic Center while the "new" church was  being built.  HAC was located at Baptist City.  During the summer of '74 the Capuchin Seminary on Burr Street was purchased, and the college moved there in time for the fall of '74 semester.  Only girls, and all of the single female students, were housed on the new campus; but a few lucky guys were given rooms there -- ostensibly for security reasons.  Among the lucky few were Dave Nelms; Johnny and Tom Murphrey; Chris Bonesteel; Dan Partin; Cliff Falen; myself; a few others whose names I cannot recall.

THOSE were the "good ole'" days!

 

[myeyesareopen]

You jogged my memory....there was a very scruffy, disheveled man who sat in our section on the main floor, east pie section, by the K beam. I called him "sweater man" because he always wore the same sweater. Sweater man wasn't there for a couple of weeks, and for the life of me I do not know how, this part I don't remember, but my husband and I found out his name and address. We visited him. It was a very run-down trailer in a trailer park. Very run-down. I had baked some goodies for him, and my husband always prefers to give the gift of cash. So, on the plate with the goodies was the cash. Sweater man looked at the cash and gasped. He began to cry. He said, "How did you know? How did you know? I need medicine and I don't have the money for it...." He was so grateful. I don't remember if we saw sweater man anymore, it was such a long time ago. But I'll not forget him. And that is a nice memory of the old gold auditorium.

There was also another sweet old lady who sat near us back there, and whenever we sang, "In The Sweet By And By", she would raise her hands toward Heaven. That used to make me tear up, seeing her do that.

 

[prophet]

The first time I was in the old gold auditorium was Spectacular 1975 when I was not quite 13 years old. 
The way Mrs. Colsten herded us out like kindergarten-aged cattle to obtain boxed lunches and sit on the floor in the Ed Bldg to eat really made me wonder if the place was nuts.  Too tired and often bored to really appreciate the size of the place and definitely was not a fan of the autumn gold color. 

Went back 3 years later to YC. "The Hammond Family" was the featured skit complete with the Addams' Family theme song.  That fall I returned to Spectacular.  Mrs. Colsten treated us the same way as we went to get our boxed lunches.......  Enjoyed both YC and that Spect a little more.  I guess I matured, but still wasn't a fan of the autumn gold. 

As a college student, I do remember that one could always seem to locate anyone else in the old auditorium.  There was somewhat of a small church intimacy that remained there.  Granted, my eyes were not middle-aged back then, but you could see people who were across the auditorium and upstairs or down.  My man - before we even started dating - says he "watched" me for several weeks across the auditorium before and during church services. (I was student teaching during these weeks so he didn't see me around campus much.)

I returned for several YCs, Specs, and PSs over the years.  Still, you could stand just about anywhere and be located by someone or spot someone for whom you were looking. 

Sat in the section of the mezzanine one Spec. that was directly behind piano against the wall.  A whole chunk of the pew cushion had been jaggedly ripped out and removed.  It was then I realized RAIDER had been there (yes, likely for a Christian WOMANhood Spectacular!)  I think that cushion might be in his shopping cart now.

  That's 'auditorium yellow'.  Did you ever notice that we had 2 versions of it?  We painted up 'hand high' with a semi-gloss oil, washable.  Above it we painted with a flat latex.  When I went to purchase the paint, for the '02 repaint, the manufacturer no longer made it.  So I went to ICI in Hammond, and had them help me come up with a match in a brand new waterborne oil product.  If you ever decide you wanna redecorate, call the Hammond store, and ask for the formula.  O0

Anishinabe

 

[tobytyler]

"Old" auditorium?  I pre-date the JH memorial building.  I arrived in time to enjoy the last few months of the "old" auditorium.  During the fall of 1974 the church met at the Civic Center while the "new" church was  being built. 

THOSE were the "good ole'" days!

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[patriotic]

The first time I was in the old gold auditorium was Spectacular 1975 when I was not quite 13 years old. 
The way Mrs. Colsten herded us out like kindergarten-aged cattle to obtain boxed lunches and sit on the floor in the Ed Bldg to eat really made me wonder if the place was nuts.  Too tired and often bored to really appreciate the size of the place and definitely was not a fan of the autumn gold color. 

Went back 3 years later to YC. "The Hammond Family" was the featured skit complete with the Addams' Family theme song.  That fall I returned to Spectacular.  Mrs. Colsten treated us the same way as we went to get our boxed lunches.......  Enjoyed both YC and that Spect a little more.  I guess I matured, but still wasn't a fan of the autumn gold. 

As a college student, I do remember that one could always seem to locate anyone else in the old auditorium.  There was somewhat of a small church intimacy that remained there.  Granted, my eyes were not middle-aged back then, but you could see people who were across the auditorium and upstairs or down.  My man - before we even started dating - says he "watched" me for several weeks across the auditorium before and during church services. (I was student teaching during these weeks so he didn't see me around campus much.)

I returned for several YCs, Specs, and PSs over the years.  Still, you could stand just about anywhere and be located by someone or spot someone for whom you were looking. 

Sat in the section of the mezzanine one Spec. that was directly behind piano against the wall.  A whole chunk of the pew cushion had been jaggedly ripped out and removed.  It was then I realized RAIDER had been there (yes, likely for a Christian WOMANhood Spectacular!)  I think that cushion might be in his shopping cart now.

  That's 'auditorium yellow'.  Did you ever notice that we had 2 versions of it?  We painted up 'hand high' with a semi-gloss oil, washable.  Above it we painted with a flat latex.  When I went to purchase the paint, for the '02 repaint, the manufacturer no longer made it.  So I went to ICI in Hammond, and had them help me come up with a match in a brand new waterborne oil product.  If you ever decide you wanna redecorate, call the Hammond store, and ask for the formula.  O0

Anishinabe

Our church does the same thing in the educational buildings (two different finishes).  Actually, in one of the buildings where many of the bus classes meet, we have T-111 up about 4 ft high to keep from having to repair holes all the time.  It has helped. 

 

[Baptist City Holdout]

My greatest memory of the auditorium itself was when we came into church one day and the balcony extension had been started even before the church had voted on it!

Of course the story was that only a quote was given and permission to build was not granted, but we all really knew better.

And if the vote for it didn't pass..... , it would be removed.

 

[RAIDER]

My greatest memory of the auditorium itself was when we came into church one day and the balcony extension had been started even before the church had voted on it!

Of course the story was that only a quote was given and permission to build was not granted, but we all really knew better.

And if the vote for it didn't pass..... , it would be removed.

"Allinfavorsay,"Aye"allopposedsamesign"  And the motion is carried. 

 

[RAIDER]

My greatest memory of the auditorium itself was when we came into church one day and the balcony extension had been started even before the church had voted on it!

Of course the story was that only a quote was given and permission to build was not granted, but we all really knew better.

That's just sad, Smellin'.

Just out of curiosity, do you know anything about the incident when there was a store in downtown Hammond that was mistakenly torn down by the church.  It was in the late 70s.  I can't remember if Bro. Hyles mentioned it from the pulpit or what happened.

That's a classic!  If my memory serves me correctly (of course abusing Binaca has taken its toll), the church had voted to tear down an old building that they had purchased.  This was going to become a parking lot.  The demo company got mixed up and tore down the wrong building.

Dr. Hyles went before the deacons and offered his resignation.  I believe this was the time when some of the deacons began to tell him what a help his ministry had been to them.  Long story short....FBCH had to pay someone for a building that they tore down!

 

[Baptist City Holdout]

My greatest memory of the auditorium itself was when we came into church one day and the balcony extension had been started even before the church had voted on it!

Of course the story was that only a quote was given and permission to build was not granted, but we all really knew better.

That's just sad, Smellin'.



Just out of curiosity, do you know anything about the incident when there was a store in downtown Hammond that was mistakenly torn down by the church.  It was in the late 70s.  I can't remember if Bro. Hyles mentioned it from the pulpit or what happened.

That's a classic!  If my memory serves me correctly (of course abusing Binaca has taken its toll), the church had voted to tear down an old building that they had purchased.  This was going to become a parking lot.  The demo company got mixed up and tore down the wrong building.

Dr. Hyles went before the deacons and offered his resignation.  I believe this was the time when some of the deacons began to tell him what a help his ministry had been to them.  Long story short....FBCH had to pay someone for a building that they tore down!

My Binaca ventures also cause me to remember that the deacons wanted to have a group of them (...committee) to oversee the demolition of the (intended) building, but Hyles told them there was no need for a committee, he would handle it........... 

 

[Baptist City Holdout]

The old auditorium had the feeling of anticipation...something exciting was going to happen.
Every service felt like revival was in the air.

Exactly!

There's something different in the air, it's Sunday. So, you guys noticed what I noticed.

 

[RAIDER]

The old auditorium had the feeling of anticipation...something exciting was going to happen.
Every service felt like revival was in the air.

Exactly!

There's something different in the air, it's Sunday. So, you guys noticed what I noticed.

I especially noticed it on Sunday nights.  The placed was absolutely packed and there was a feeling in the air!

 

[Baptist City Holdout]

Back when we awere on ther "Other Forum" this waould come up every now and again.......... Remember the Rest Rooms between th eMain Floor and Auditorium..... Smelled like a Bus Route were the words of one staff member.

 

[RAIDER]

Back when we awere on ther "Other Forum" this waould come up every now and again.......... Remember the Rest Rooms between th eMain Floor and Auditorium..... Smelled like a Bus Route were the words of one staff member.

That was awful!  Every step you took toward the balcony, the smell got stronger.

 

[raised2walk]

It was the biggest church sanctuary I had ever seen, and as a freshman I felt so overwhelmed and lonely. Found my niche sitting on Hyles right, in the deaf section. Sat there for a long time. Even after I found my circle of friends, who mostly sat in the Hyles-right balcony, I would often still sit in the deaf section by myself. It was weirdly comforting to me.

I don't know a lick of sign language. Lol

 

[Fresh Air]

"Allinfavorsay,"Aye"allopposedsamesign"  And the motion is carried. 

My dad was a pastor so I grew up in business meetings. I was like 15 before I realized there was supposed to be a pause between allopposednaymotioniscarried...

 

[patriotic]

My dad was a pastor, and he almost always got out his Roberts' Rules of Order out and in detail outlined the notes for the business meeting prior to conducting one.   

 

[BALAAM]

My greatest memory of the auditorium itself was when we came into church one day and the balcony extension had been started even before the church had voted on it!

Of course the story was that only a quote was given and permission to build was not granted, but we all really knew better.

That's just sad, Smellin'.

Just out of curiosity, do you know anything about the incident when there was a store in downtown Hammond that was mistakenly torn down by the church.  It was in the late 70s.  I can't remember if Bro. Hyles mentioned it from the pulpit or what happened.

I have always wondered about this. I am not a demolition contractor but even a peon contractor like me would not tear down a building without permits, gas and electric disconnected, and meeting with the owner or general contractor first. Is this a true story or a jh story?

 

[tobytyler]

My greatest memory of the auditorium itself was when we came into church one day and the balcony extension had been started even before the church had voted on it!

Of course the story was that only a quote was given and permission to build was not granted, but we all really knew better.

That's just sad, Smellin'.

Just out of curiosity, do you know anything about the incident when there was a store in downtown Hammond that was mistakenly torn down by the church.  It was in the late 70s.  I can't remember if Bro. Hyles mentioned it from the pulpit or what happened.

I have always wondered about this. I am not a demolition contractor but even a peon contractor like me would not tear down a building without permits, gas and electric disconnected, and meeting with the owner or general contractor first. Is this a true story or a jh story?

All very true!  You have to remember that State Street buildings were all vacant and FBC was buying them all up, one by one, some to renovate, others to demolish for more needed parking spaces.  I remember when the wrong bldg was torn down, he kept it all upbeat and jovial, but the press really ate this episode up.