Summer Singing Tour Groups

[Justice1976]

Random thoughts.

I note that the Summer tour groups are on the road again.

I also note that the Spring semester at HAC is now over by May 1. When did that start?

I looked on the college website and saw photos of the four singing groups. One thing in particular was a bit surprising about the groups, but I don't feel free to say what it is. While it states that the purpose of the groups is to "recruit" new students, I find it lacking that there is no schedule of where any of the groups will be appearing. I mean, if I wanted to show up somewhere and perhaps write a check to the college, I would not know where to meet them. I might want to show up out of pure curiosity and nostalgia. Seriously, I wonder how many students that have attended in the last decade came through the recruitment of summer singing tours. I'm betting not that many and I would guess that putting these kids on the road each summer is not an inexpensive venture.

I've been gone 44 years and only went back to the school once in the intervening years, in 2001, less than 100 days after Bro. Hyles died. While looking on the school's website, I listened to some of the sample music of the tour groups in recent years. It is EXTREMELY different than what was sung years ago. I can't help but believe that this is an institution on life support.

 

[sword]

Random thoughts.

I note that the Summer tour groups are on the road again.

I also note that the Spring semester at HAC is now over by May 1. When did that start?

I looked on the college website and saw photos of the four singing groups. One thing in particular was a bit surprising about the groups, but I don't feel free to say what it is. While it states that the purpose of the groups is to "recruit" new students, I find it lacking that there is no schedule of where any of the groups will be appearing. I mean, if I wanted to show up somewhere and perhaps write a check to the college, I would not know where to meet them. I might want to show up out of pure curiosity and nostalgia. Seriously, I wonder how many students that have attended in the last decade came through the recruitment of summer singing tours. I'm betting not that many and I would guess that putting these kids on the road each summer is not an inexpensive venture.

I've been gone 44 years and only went back to the school once in the intervening years, in 2001, less than 100 days after Bro. Hyles died. While looking on the school's website, I listened to some of the sample music of the tour groups in recent years. It is EXTREMELY different than what was sung years ago. I can't help but believe that this is an institution on life support.

First of all what could you have seem that you can't discuss. Sounds like some top secret If I talk they will come after me stuff. If its the fact that 2 of them are mixed groups that has been a thing for a while and has been popular. I don't see why that would be an issue.

Second: they have 1/5th the number of students they had 30 years ago. That will limit the available candidates willing to travel all summer long for the college.

Third: why do you care when their last day of school / graduation is. What does it matter.

Forth: for safety reasons many evangilists and tour groups don't post their travel schedule or post it they day of an event.

The college has been slowly recovering since the Schapp debacle. They have been growing slightly year after year. Wilkerson is respected within IFB circiles and I believe he is trying to do the right thing. The college will likely never see its 2500 student hayday, but they are healthy and survying. 600 students is the sweet spot to break even and it's my understanding they are on there way to getting back to that number. With all the college closures every IFB schools should benefit. The cost of attending HAC seems to have crept up over the years. Compared to other schools they seem to be more expensive.

 

[Starlifter]

I speak to several staff men and they tell me that the spirit is different from when I attended.
In saying this, they are not criticizing the spirit but actually liking it.
I actually had the tour group scheduled for a Tuesday in June, but I cancelled b/c I'm sick and tired of begging people to do stuff that they don't really want to do.
I'm not spending beau coup time and money so 25 people can hear the singing group. (It's embarrassing as well to have a big auditorium that can seat 200 and like 25 people present. No thank you.
I've gotten to the point where I just barely care about it anymore.

 

[sword]

I speak to several staff men and they tell me that the spirit is different from when I attended.
In saying this, they are not criticizing the spirit but actually liking it.
I actually had the tour group scheduled for a Tuesday in June, but I cancelled b/c I'm sick and tired of begging people to do stuff that they don't really want to do.
I'm not spending beau coup time and money so 25 people can hear the singing group. (It's embarrassing as well to have a big auditorium that can seat 200 and like 25 people present. No thank you.
I've gotten to the point where I just barely care about it anymore.

Why would you not have them on a Wed. night or on a Sunday night. Is your mid week service on Tues?

 

[Starlifter]

Why would you not have them on a Wed. night or on a Sunday night. Is your mid week service on Tues?

All of their Sundays and Wednesdays were taken up. The only viable day of the week for them to come for us would have been a Sunday morning but they were booked. My church attendances are so pitiful on Sunday nights and Wednesdays that it's not worth the trouble to have them in. The tour group has to be housed, fed supper, breakfast and a sack lunch (including a pickle) to go...
Also, we give each tour group member a small offering, $50 - 75 at least, and the tour preacher an offering as well. We end up housing the preacher in a hotel as well. So, it gets pricey. But then the effort to buy food, cook, clean, organize, worry about anybody coming... yada yada yada. Just tired of putting in the effort for next to nobody coming. It's humiliating. So, I'm done.

 

[IFB X-Files]

All of their Sundays and Wednesdays were taken up. The only viable day of the week for them to come for us would have been a Sunday morning but they were booked. My church attendances are so pitiful on Sunday nights and Wednesdays that it's not worth the trouble to have them in. The tour group has to be housed, fed supper, breakfast and a sack lunch (including a pickle) to go...
Also, we give each tour group member a small offering, $50 - 75 at least, and the tour preacher an offering as well. We end up housing the preacher in a hotel as well. So, it gets pricey. But then the effort to buy food, cook, clean, organize, worry about anybody coming... yada yada yada. Just tired of putting in the effort for next to nobody coming. It's humiliating. So, I'm done.

I knew you were backslidden when you said, "big auditorium that can seat 200". That's big? It's all about the numbers! Oh, for the old paths!

 

[Starlifter]

I knew you were backslidden when you said, "big auditorium that can seat 200". That's big? It's all about the numbers! Oh, for the old paths!

Well, comparatively speaking, it's big. It's big when you only have 30 people in it. We could actually fit about 40 more if we put chairs up. But I've never needed them except for a couple of funerals.