June 2006
Monday, June 26th 2006
Going Home04:18 PM Location : UA 116 Seat 14A
Alarms went off early on Monday morning in Melbourne so that we could begin our trek back to Chicago. We were expected to gather at Box Hill Corps at 7:00 am to begin our journey that would conclude at O'Hare Airport more than 27 hours later. All were present and accounted for at the appointed time. For one last ride we boarded our coach driven by Rob Beasy and headed to the Melbourne Airport. Once there we got our equipment checked in and had one last cup of coffee/tea with our liaison Alan Collett and our truck driver Shaun Maxfield. We then proceeded through Immigration and security before board United 840.
Bob was to meet his wife in Sydney early Monday morning but she was delayed 24 hours due to a flight cancellation. We also said good-bye to Mike who is travelling to Ukraine to meet his brother for the next 8 weeks of mission work.
The flight from Melbourne stops briefly in Sydney. Even though they told us we had to get off the plane because there was a change, about an hour later we reboarded the exact same plane that had been cleaned and loaded with pillows and blankets. This 747 would be our home for just over 15 hours in flight to Los Angeles. Some (most?) were able to sleep, some read, some watched movies, some ate and some worked puzzles. The flight was uneventful but never did settle down for prolonged periods of time the way the flight over did. I suspect that part of that is because we were leaving mid-day rather than late at night. We arrived at LAX at about 10:20 am and proceeded through Immigration and Customs. We then rechecked our bags and equipment and prepared to board UA 116 to Chicago. We were scheduled to leave LA at 1:10 but in reality we took off about 1:45 pm. We're due into Chicago by 7:30 pm. There are still a few bandsmen who plan to see their doctors upon their return.
This will likely be my last posting about our Australia tour and since our season is basically over until the fall it's not likely the blog will have much activity until September. So, I'd like to summarize a bit about the tour with the following statistics:
More than 19,000 miles flown per bandsman for a total of more than 684,000 air miles.
A couple of thousand miles traveled by coach
14 concerts/worship services over 9 days
Nearly, 4,500 people in attendance at concerts/worship services
11 performances each of "Alexander, etc..." and "Toccata in D Minor"
Choral Benediction sung 15 times
New friends made.... countless
We have much to be grateful for as we fly over the Nevada desert heading toward home. It was truly a visit of a lifetime, even for those of us who have been on tours before.
A big thank you goes to all of you who have supported us with your prayers and support during our time away.
Melbourne (Camberwell/Moreland City)04:00 PM Location : UA 116 Seat 14A
Although it is Monday it is time to catch you up on our activities on Sunday.
Sunday morning our billets brought us to the Camberwell Corps. Upon arrival we did a quick set up before taking our instruments to the Camberwell Market. The Market is located a few blocks from the Corps and is open only on Sundays. Think of it as an American flee market and you'll get the idea. It is run as a fund raiser by the Rotary Club. Since we were a few blocks away, Camberwell bandsmen, billets and MSB members shuttled us there in their vehicles two or three at a time.
Once there we set up in a typical open air configuration and we played for about 30 minutes. There were many people around listening and taking pictures. At one point a couple came right into the center of the band to have their picture taken. The Camberwell Band visits this market once a month and they report it is a viable ministry having had some families actually come to the corps as a result.
Following the Market we were shuttled back to the corps for an 11:00 am service. Actually, the corps has two morning services with the first taking place at 9:30 am while we were at the Market. Prior to the service there was time for a cup of coffee/tea.
All of the overflow seating at Camberwell had to be opened up and used. I estimate there were 350 or so in attendance. The meeting was led by the CSB with Lt. Colonel McLaren speaking. There were seekers at the conclusion of the service as there had been in Adelaide.
Following the service we went with our billets for dinner and an afternoon off. It was reported that some rested, some did some sight seeing and others did a little shopping before reporting to the Moreland City corps for the evening. Sitting in the front row for the evening meeting was General Eva Burrows and a number of us had the opportunity to greet her. In addition to the General, I estimate there were 400+ in attendance.
The Sunday night meeting was designed to be a regional praise service and we had plenty of opportunity for presenting musical selections including "Glorifico Aeternum" and "Alexander....". This final performance of "Alexander..." on our tour included a first time appearance of a stuffed koala. The evening concluded with one final performance of "Toccata in D Minor" and the singing of the choral benediction.
At the conclusion of the meeting it was time to repack all of our gear so that it would be ready to go on the plane Monday morning. Then we proceeded home with our billets for our last night in Australia.
Special thanks for Sunday go out to the members of the MSB, the Camberwell Band and the corps officers of Camberwell and Moreland City.
Saturday, June 24th 2006
Morwell to Melbourne04:37 PM Location : Melbourne Billet
It's Sunday morning and time to catch up on the events of Saturday.
The bus departed Morwell on Saturday at 9:00 pm after saying good-bye to our host Peter Roberts. The corps officers in Morwell were on holiday in Queensland. A second pick up of about 13 of us took place at about 9:45 in Warragul. We then continued on into Melbourne, arriving at the George Woods Performing Arts Centre at Yarra Valley Grammar School around 11:30. Several members of the MSB had arrived and already unloaded most of our equipment for us. So, Bill had a few items to touch on after a quick set up.
Then, we had a short "Classics in Brass: rehearsal with several young people from both Box Hill and Waverly corps. That done, we prepared our music for the evening concert before having lunch with the MSB. It was a good time of fellowship and we had opportunity to renew acquaintances with Staff Bandmaster Ken Waterworth, MSB Secretary Darren Waterworth (who made all of the tour arrangements), Colin Woods, Major Howard Davies, Noel Jones and many others we have met on previous occasions when our two bands have been together. Times like these always remind us of the worldwide fraternity of Salvation Army banding and the unity it instantly brings when men and women of like mind, spirit and beliefs come together.
Following lunch we met our hosts for the weekend and proceeded to their homes. I hear that some went shopping and some did some sight seeing. Most though, just rested. before having tea with their billets and returning for the evening concert.
The George Woods Performing Arts Centre was magnificent and filled to a capacity of something like 850 people who received us warmly. The program included "In Good Company", "Jubilance" (Peggy Thomas, soloist), "Shine As the Light", "Finale from Symphony #3 (Organ Symphony)", "Classics in Brass", "Cause for Celebration", "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" and other items.
Following the concert we returned home with our billets for the evening to prepare for worship at Camberwell Corps on Sunday before preparing for the long journey back to Chicago.
More about Sunday later.....
Friday, June 23rd 2006
Rosebud to Morwell04:46 PM Location : Morwell Billet
It was Friday and we marked the one week mark since arriving in Australia. In that time we've travelled many kilometers, played often, eaten too much and met many friends both old and new. Today we said good-bye to friends in Rosebud and travelled to the city of Morwell. The trip took only about three hours and included a short stop at a lookout over Prince Philip Bay which was spectacular. We also had a late morning coffee stop.
Upon our arrival at the Morwell Corps we were met by Sergeant-Major Peter Roberts. I had actually had e-mail exchange with Peter before coming to Australia and it was great to meet him. He boarded the coach and guided us to Drewett's Farm about 30 minutes south of town. The Drewett's are soldiers of the Morwell Corps and Mrs. Drewett is a local officer and they hosted us for lunch. It was a lovely relaxing time looking out over their valley and their cow pasture land. We met some of their grandchildren who filled us in on their school and farm life. One of the girls told us that their father had named two of their cows Odwey and Omps which stood for "One day we'll eat you" and "On my plate soon". It was an amusing lesson in life on the farm. The food and fellowship were fantastic. In addition to the livestock and many birds we saw, just before leaving we walked to their daughters property and saw a live, wild koala high up in a tree. For most it was the first koala we'd seen since arriving. Fantastic! Many thanks from the band to the Drewetts.
When we left the farm we drove past the power station that generates the majority of the power for the state of Victoria. Not coincidentally the station is adjacent to an open brown coal mine which I believe is the largest in the world. Words cannot describe the enormous mine.
Our dinner was provided at the local Italian Australian Club. Dinner ran a bit late and we didn't arrive back at the Hall until 7:22 for a 7:30 concert. So, we made the decision to wear our travel pants (men and women) along with our festival tunics in order to be able to start the concert by 7:40. The main part of the hall was filled and I'd estimate about 200 were in attendance. It was a great night of music making and we did meet many friends including one who had corresponded with me months ago regarding the possibility of Bill Himes looking at the potential of writing music for lyrics she has written.
Following the concert we met our billets and we headed off. Some of us (myself included) have been taken care of by Salvos in Warragul which is about 30 minutes closer to Melbourne. The band will pick us up there on the way in. As has been the case all week, our stay in Morwell has been all too short but worthwhile. Special thanks to the Morwell Corps and Sergeant-Major Peter Roberts for being such excellent hosts!
Next stop... Melbourne. I'll write to you about that next time.
Thursday, June 22nd 2006
Geelong to Rosebud08:38 AM Location : Rosebud Billet
Today we travelled around to the other side of the bay to Rosebud via Melbourne. There is a ferry that could have carried us here without going through Melbourne but we were given the opportunity to have a couple of free hours in Melbourne on our own after having been up to the top of the Rialto Tower to see the city from their observation deck. It was a beautiful and interesting view and we thank the MSB for arranging, allowing and paying for us to visit the Rialto.
While we were up the tower, our Bandmaster was providing ABC radio with interviews. Guess that's the price he has to pay. While we are having free time he still has to work!
When we finished up at the tower we were allowed time to do basically whatever we wanted to for a couple of hours. Some shopped. Some ate. Some ate again. Don't know what the rest of them did. It was nice to have a little time on our own though.
Mid afternoon we headed on down for the two hour journey to Rosebud to set up for our concert. From the early afternoon, right on to now it's been raining. Most of the time it's been a light misty rain. But, right now (11:30 pm on Thursday) it's raining pretty hard.
By now if you've been reading my blog you know the routine. We arrive and set up, we eat and then we play a concert. That's basically what happened today too. Captains Alison and Graeme Eastley and CSM Neil Elliott had things well under control and we were very well taken care of. Interestingly, some of us had already met the CSM when he was in Chicago as a member of the International audit team a few years ago. We also got to see a Chicago/Milwaukee friend - Howard Hunt - who showed up for the concert.
Speaking of the concert, when we arrived at the Army hall seating had been jammed in for 300 and they were hoping the crowd would be that big. About 15 minutes before the concert started it was completely full and they opened yet another overflow area and brought literally every kind of chair they could find including office chairs and others. Neil Elliott indicated they had never had that many people in the corps for a concert and the people were very receptive. They had to have squeezed nearly 400 people into a relatively small hall.
All in all, it's been another good day in Australia. A few of the folks are not feeling real well, but it's a dry throat, hacking cough and congestion. Hopefully they will get some relief soon.
Time for me to get some sleep. I'll write more after we visit Morwell tomorrow!
Albums Added Again01:04 AM Location : Still on a bus!
I've just tried adding photo albums of sample pictures from our trip of Mildura, of from Mildura down to Portland and of our trip from Portland to Geelong (South Barwon Corps). Have a look!
Wednesday, June 21st 2006
Portland to Geelong07:24 PM Location : Tour Bus
It's Thursday here in Australia but I need to catch you up to date on our travels yesterday from Portland to Geelong. The day in Portland started out cloudy and we had breakfast at the hotel before boarding the bus for our 360 km trip to Portland.
As I think I'd mentioned before, Peggy hasn't been feeling well and it was decided it was time for her to see a doctor. Arrangements were made for us to stop and see a doctor en route to Geelong. On Tuesday night in Portland Dr. John Philpot, a Salvationist from Warrnambool was seated just a couple of rows from Peggy. Our liaison, Alan Collett made a telephone call to Dr. Philpot who agreed to see Peggy on our way through his town. We stopped at a McDonald's near his surgery (office) and he was very gracious to see both her and Heidi who was having some pain from her recent wisdom teeth extractions. We waited at McDonald's for about an hour and a half while they saw the doctor and then went to the chemist (pharmacy) to get prescriptions. It was diagnosed as bronchitis for Peggy and after a day resting on the bus, a night of sleep she is doing some better. She did play the concert last night but passed on her solo.
Alan Collett shared that when they arrived at surgery, Dr. Philpot's reception called to tell him that Alan and Peggy had arrived but the entire band had also come because we were all sick. Of course that wasn't true but it made a good story. Actually we do have a few that are starting to sniffle but nothing seems terribly serious. Also, after they'd left the doctor he came back out on the street, stethoscope and all, to be sure he'd taken care of Heidi satisfactorily and continued his consultation right there on the street.
After we were done in Warrnambool we continued our journey along the Shipwreck Coast along the Great Ocean Road. What a scenic drive that was! I'm sure that there were more pictures taken on that part of our tour than the total number of pictures taken the entire rest of the tour. Out of necessity much of our "sightseeing" on this tour has been out the windows of the bus. But we were able to stop at Loch Ard Gorge, site of a famous shipwreck and the Twelve Apostles, a fantastic formation of rocks sticking out of the ocean in the surf. Words and pictures will not be descriptive enough to help those who weren't there to see it for themselves, but we will try. It did begin to rain on us a bit at Twelve Apostles but it really didn't deter us much.
As we continued our drive on the Great Ocean Road that runs right next to the ocean all the way and we looked at the beauty of the surf crashing into the beaches and rocks I was reminded of the scripture found in Jeremiah 31:35 that says:
"This is what the Lord says,
he who appoints the sun to shine by day,
who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night,
who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar -
the Lord Almighty is his name:"
The rest of our trip was spent passing through the Otway Range on winding roads skirting the ocean until we eventually found our way to Geelong. We were a bit late getting to the corps in South Barwon but our hosts were very gracious. We quickly unloaded and ate dinner. Then we changed into our uniforms and set up before beginning our concert at 7:30 pm. The hall was full with somewhere between 250 and 300 people that were very enthusiastic in their response.
Following the concert, as has become our habit, we met our host families and retired to their homes for the evening. Our special thanks go to Majors John and Wendy Friend as well as Band Secretary Brett Vale for all of the excellent arrangements made on our behalf. It's my understanding that Major Wendy Friend was not at all well and so we are particularly grateful for the effort made in spite of that circumstance.
Now we are off to Rosebud but will be stopping to see a bit of Melbourne first before heading to the east side of the bay.
(7673) Tuesday, June 20th 2006
Mildura to Portland06:48 PM Location : On the bus
Yesterday the band had an interesting ride of about 600 km (375 miles) from the country town of Mildura down to the southern port town of Portland. It was a very interesting ride through very different kinds of land. We started out passing through vineyards, quickly came into a very dry area desperately in need of rain, then into the base of the mountains which is sheep country, through dairy cattle areas and finally to the coast. As we went I was reminded of the scripture found in Psalm 50:9-12: "I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine." That scripture is a healthy reminder as we have had opportunity to look out the window of the bus at the rich diversity of the creation.
Early on in our ride the bus driver beeped his horn and those of us that were awake and alert looked forward to see a rather large kangaroo jumping across the road in front of our bus. The front of the bus is equipped with a cage to minimize the damage should a kangaroo be hit. Quite of few of us had our first kangaroo siting but a number missed the chance.
En route we stopped in a couple of small towns and had opportunity to explore. I do mean small towns with only a handful of shops on a main street. We also were privileged to stop at the Army in Horsham where they provided us lunch. Captains Cameron and Trudy Horsburgh and their team were gracious hosts providing lunch in their soup kitchen. Their soup kitchen is a relatively new ministry to the people of their community that drop in for a soup and slice lunch, have the opportunity for a reduced price haircut and a chance to learn of other Salvation Army ministries that are available to them. We quickly made friends and were pleased to meet them again when the Captain brought a bus load of people down to our concert in Portland. Before leaving Horsham some members of their local Army band played for us and Bill Himes also got to conduct them!
We continued on down the road to Portland after a quick stop for coffee at McDonald's in Hamilton. Upon arriving in Portland we checked into a hotel, quickly changed our clothes and then set up for our concert. A delicious dinner (is that getting redundant?) was provided for us by the Portland Salvation Army and a number of other churches that helped them prepare and clean up. It was noted that the food was provided gratis by the local Safeway and IGA stores which helped keep the costs for Portland to a minimum. They also had an official sponsor for the concert.
The concert itself. was well attended, particularly in light of it being a Tuesday evening. About 300 people were in attendance. It continues to amaze me the distances people in Australia are willing to travel in order to hear the band.
Following the concert the entire audience was invited to supper (coffee/tea/sweets) and a time of fellowship together. Even though it was late (after 10:00 pm) many people stayed and we didn't walk back to our hotel until just after 11:00 pm having had another wonderful day in the land down under. Thankfully our day on Wednesday doesn't start until an 8:15 am breakfast call followed by a 9:00 am bus departure.
Once again, we could not have been better taken care of than we were by Captains Christine and Warren Holman. They put together a fantastic team in their town to handle all of the arrangements which were superb. It was great to get to know them a little bit and to meet their six children!
That's all for now. We're off to Geelong and will write more later.
Monday, June 19th 2006
Adelaide Photos Posted11:15 PM Location : Horsham, Victory
Check out the new photos published of our visit in Adelaide! Gotta catch the bus.... more later.
Mildura08:25 PM Location : Tour Bus
We're at the point in our tour that is more difficult because we are only in a town for a few hours and hardly have time to get to know our hosts. We arrived in Mildura a little after 4:00 pm and only stayed 7:30 am the next morning. But even though the visit was short it was certainly worthwhile.
After having coffee at Woodsie's Gem Shop and having the opportunity to at least shop a little we went back to the Army hall to set up for our concert. The corps building in Mildura is relatively new having opened in 2003. But the corps itself has been there a lot longer. As soon as we had set up our hosts were ready for us to eat dinner and as has been the case everywhere we've been so far it was great.
Once again, the hall was full for our concert. They'd packed in about 200 chairs into the chapel of the corps. In order to do that, the front row was very close to us. In fact, I think the closes person to me in the concert was just over an arm length away. I suspect they're having a bit of difficulty hearing after being that close.
The concert drew attendees from all over the area. Even Broken Hill, where they tell us the Outback begins, was represented and that is about 300 km (180 miles) away. We also met a young lady from Colorado that is here on a Rotary study abroad program. Originally she is from Wisconsin and will be returning to study at UW in Madison this fall. Actually, she returns to the States on July 5 after having been here for more than a year.
Following the concert we dispersed with our various hosts for the evening and were taken very good care of even though it was a short night. Special thanks and mention should be made of Captains Quentin & Susanne Castle as well as Bandmaster Denis Harvey who put together a team that contributed to a successful time together. The Captain told us this morning that his daughter, who bought our CD with her own piggy bank money, will be listening to it for a long time. That's pretty good considering she was one of the people sitting on the front row!
Sunday, June 18th 2006
Monday - On The Road to Mildura09:54 PM Location : Still on the coach!
I'm still on the same coach I was on when I last wrote about our Sunday at Norwood. This morning we reported to Norwood Corps at 7:00 am for a 7:30 am departure for a 420 km (250 miles) ride to Mildura which is north and east of Adelaide.
Before beginning our drive to Mildura in earnest we stopped at Trinity College for a quick 50 minute concert for children in grades 2-7. There were about 300 children present sitting on a cold multipurpose room floor for the entire time. We did several hands on kind of pieces for them that included "Instruments of the Band" and "Island Dreams". We also did "Alexander" and they enjoyed Shaun playing "Grandfather's Clock". Shaun even had the chance to sign his autograph and have his picture taken with some of the students there.
We do have three Melbourne Staff Band members with us. Alan Collett, now retired from the MSB, is our official liaison. Shaun Maxfield, MSB Quartermaster is driving our equipment and Rob Beasy, solo cornet, is our bus driver. Prior to the concert we presented the three of them with our official CSB Australian tour jackets. The jackets have been very handy in the evenings and early mornings.
Following the concert, as the students returned to class we packed our truck and then headed for a cup of coffee. Then we headed back to the bus to begin the serious part of the trip.
The area we are heading into is along the Murray River. Irrigation from the river enables this area to grow a significant amount of citrus. So, in addition to seeing quite a bit of sheep we're also seeing lots of orange and grapefruit trees. As we entered the bus had to pull over and we had to either eat or discard any fruit we had on the bus. It's a serious effort to keep insect infestation under control in this area of the country that counts heavily on their citrus crops.
We do have a lunch stop scheduled soon and then later we have tea scheduled at Woodsie's Gem Shop. However, we are running just a bit late and unless our lunch is quick may not make it to Woodsie's.
We are sort of out in the country and my cell phone says "SOS Calls Only". I guess that means that full service is not available.... only emergency calls will get through.
Adelaide is in the state of South Australia and that state is 14.5 hours ahead of Chicago. However, Mildura is in Victoria and we will lose another half an hour so we will be 15 hours ahead and I think we stay 15 hours ahead for the remainder of the tour.
I'll write more about Mildura later although I don't know when I will next have Internet access to be able to update the site!
Sunday at Norwood (Adelaide)09:35 PM Location : Coach en route to Mildura
We are currently on a bus heading from Adelaide to Mildura on Monday, June 19 and we had a marvelous day at Norwood Corps yesterday. Norwood is a suburb of Adelaide and was our host for our visit over the weekend.
On Sunday morning we reported to the corps at 10:00 am to prepare for our 11:00 am worship service. 10:00 am was a bit of a late start for the corps since they normally have Junior Soldiers and Corps Cadets before their service. But those activities were cancelled for the day. At 11 about 190 people gathered in the corps for our worship service together. Lt. Colonel McLaren preached and we had a great time together. It is always a blessing to be together with fellow Salvationists on a Sunday morning.
Following the service we were joined by a majority of those that attended the service for a lunch of chicken "on the barbie", roasted potatoes, peas and apple slice with ice cream for dessert. We're certainly not going hungry on this trip!
At 2:30 we had a "Pleasant Sunday Afternoon" concert which was basically a concert. I thought the hall was full on Sunday morning with 190 people present but they were able to squeeze in 300 for the concert with Salvationists attending from other local corps but as far away as Brisbane.
Because of the afternoon concert Norwood had cancelled their usual Sunday evening meeting and we had the night off. Many of our host families made arrangements to combine with other host families for tea and/or some final Adelaide sightseeing. Some of us made it out to Mt. Lofty to look out over the lights of the city and were also able to see the Southern Cross constellation which we don't get to see in the Northern Hemisphere. It was beautiful to see but it was cold and windy out there!
It was funny to see the koala crossing signs on the road up to and down from Mt. Lofty. That's something else you don't see in the States. Sadly, we didn't see any koalas. It made for a relaxing evening but we had an early (7:00 am) report time to look forward to on Monday so most didn't stay up too late.
We did hear that the US is still alive in the World Cup having tied Italy 1-1. The Australians were excited about the Socceroos having beat Japan earlier in the World Cup but no one really expected them to beat Brazil who is ranked #1 in the world. Sadly, their expectations were met as Brazil won 2-0. But they are still alive too and only need to win their next match to proceed to the group of 16.
Since Sunday was Father's Day in the USA we were sure to wish all the fathers in the band a happy Father's Day. Four of us fathers are fortunate to have at least one of our children travelling with us on this tour. So, we did take a picture of the eight of us together, just like we did when we visited Korea in 2003.
Finally, to all of the folks in Adelaide, especially those at the Norwood Corps, the CSB thanks you for hosting a marvelous time this weekend. To Major Daddow, Major Shellenberger, CSM Ross Tate, Bandmaster Harry Matear and Lindy Tate along with all of the many others that played a part thank you very much.
Saturday, June 17th 2006
Saturday in Adelaide08:56 AM Location : Adelaide, South Australia
We've had a great day today in Adelaide.
During the day today we were given a tour of the city which is really great. The we went to DHQ for a great lunch and to see some animals that are indigenous to the area that were brought in especially for the occasion. It was a great day of relaxing as we continue to adjust to the time difference.
We returned to our billets homes for tea prior to our concert at the University of Adelaide in Elder Hall. I think most of the band were anxious to get started playing and the concert went very well. There was a capacity crowd of nearly 600 people at the concert and we were very well received.
All in all it's been a good day. Tomorrow we have a Sunday morning worship service and an afternoon praise meeting. I'll write more about tomorrow.
Friday, June 16th 2006
Arrived & Rested05:38 PM Location : Norwood (Adelaide)
It's just after 6:00 am Saturday here in Adelaide which is 14.5 hours ahead of Chicago time. I've been able to get a good nine hours of sleep and I'm feeling pretty good for it. So, I thought I would take advantage of the quiet part of this day to catch up on our travel.
For those following the blog that may be concerned the story about the oxygen masks falling was really no big deal. Mike reported that they were just sitting there and they fell out. Even though they tried the flight attendants couldn't get them to stay back up so the moved the three people in that row out. Mike ended up getting to sit next to Bill for the rest of the flight.
Apparently, just about 20 minutes before landing in Sydney a young lady sharing the row with Erin and Bob decided to "share her breakfast" with those around her. But, other than those two incidents I think our flight to Sydney was very uneventful.
Upon arrival in Sydney we gathered our luggage and prepared to move on to our next leg after meeting up with Alan Collett. Alan is a retired Melbourne Staff Band member who will be our host throughout the tour and a few of us have met him previously when we were here (1991?) or when the MSB was in Chicago.
Doug's trombone case was damaged a bit so when the rest of us went to check in with Quantas for the flight to Adelaide he went to make his claim. Unfortunately, the desk he needed to make his claim at didn't even open until 8:00 am so we lost track of him. Mike was with him though because his ticket was a little different from the rest due to his trip following the tour and he needed to check in somewhere else. We had four hours to make the connection so they had plenty of time to take care of things and join up with us at the gate and made it easily. The Executive Officer was on a different flight to Adelaide so he moved on to his flight as well.
At about 10:00 am we boarded a Quantas 737 for our flight to Adelaide which was very uneventful. We did get to see an episode of The Office on that flight. Felt just like home!
Upon arriving in Adelaide at about 12:30 pm local time we had safely logged in excess of 27 hours in transit. We were met by a number of Salvationists including the divisional secretary, Harry Matear and the Norwood officers, Major Glenda Daddow and Major Cindy Shellenberger. (Major Shellenberger is a Central Territory officer and the two of them were stationed in Racine, WI just prior to their appointment to Norwood about one year ago.) Again we collected our luggage with the exception of Doug's trombone (again!) For some reason his horn didn't make the flight. So, after making a claim we loaded our equipment on a truck, put our luggage under a bus and proceeded to the Norwood Corps.
Once there we unloaded and set up for a rehearsal that lasted about an hour and a half. Given the fatigue from our travel the rehearsal went pretty well. We then packed up our gear to store it, had a cup of coffee and prepared to meet our billet hosts where we will actually get to spend three nights in a row.
I can't speak for the rest of the band but following tea (dinner) I did my best to stay awake before giving up at about 9:00 pm when I went to bed. I slept very well and feel pretty good at this point. But, since I have Internet access here with my hosts I wanted to be sure to write to keep people up to date.
Today we do have a tour of Adelaide scheduled and then our first concert tonight.
Thursday, June 15th 2006
On Our Way Down Under Location : UA 863 Seat 41H
I'm sure the time stamp on this entry says it's something like 10:00 am on Thursday, June 15, 2006. In reality we have long since crossed the International Date Line and it's the wee hours of the morning somewhere out over the Pacific. In Sydney, our next stop, it's about 1:00 am. My world clock on my telephone helps me a lot to keep it all straight. As I usually do though I will likely keep my computer clock on Chicago time. For me it's just easier that way.
Glad to report that everyone made it to O'Hare in plenty of time and after checking in most of us grabbed something to eat since the leg from Chicago to San Francisco did not include a meal other than the $5 snack box you can buy. The flight to San Francisco was very full and we were basically on time. We didn't have a lot of time in the airport there though. We had to walk to the International Terminal which meant leaving the security area and going through security all over again. The walk wasn't long... maybe 10 minutes. Then we were only at the gate waiting about 30 minutes before we started to board this 747 that has been our transportation, cafe and bed for the last nine hours or so. And just think.... we only have about five hours to go before we land in Sydney! The plane is not full by any stretch of the imagination... but full enough to keep people from stretching out too much.
So far the ride over the Pacific has been uneventful. Just a few bumps where they turned on the seat belt sign but I personally slept through most of that. I've gotten what I would estimate to be about five hours of sleep. Most of us stayed awake until dinner was served (meat loaf or pasta) early in the flight. Then most lights went out and from what I can tell most of the plane has caught some sleep. Of course, it's "airplane sleep" but better than nothing.
About an hour ago we had a snack while the movie "King Kong" finished. I'm sure there were other things playing on the video but I was sound asleep and couldn't tell you what was on. (Wimbledon with Kirsten Dunst is currently playing...) My eye shade, ear plugs, Bucky pillow and slippers did the trick to help me sleep. Didn't even have to touch the Tylenol PM. I should probably still be sleeping but my body clock says it's time to be awake.
We did have one bandsman relocate on the plane for some reason. I woke up and saw the oxygen masks dangling over his seat and the flight attendants were working on relocating the people in that row. Don't really know what that was all about but will find out and write about it later. Don't worry... everyone is OK... but I'm sure there is a story behind it.
I guess that's about it for now... will write more soon.
Monday, June 12th 2006
Information from Morwell, Australia08:28 AM Location : Office
Upon returning to the office this morning I read an e-mail from Peter Roberts in Morwell. The CSB will be in Morwell on Friday, June 23 and Peter is the CSM and Acting Bandmaster. He provides the following information about Morwell:
"We are located in the Latrobe Valley area of Gippsland 160 kms east of Melbourne. The Latrobe Valley is noted for its power generation because of its brown coal resources, the surrounding tree plantations for paper making, the rural and bush environment as well as its range of small industries and educational facilities with Monash University being central to that. Morwell is the geographic centre of the Latrobe City and is situated in a very pretty part of Gippsland.
Morwell SA is one of three corps in this area... We are a medium sized country corps with a band of 9 and a singing group of a dozen. We celebrated our 50th corps anniversary in 2005. We have had a close relationship with the Melbourne Staff Band over this period with the band's first visit in June 1955 and its last in March 2005 - there were 16 visits over that period. In addition, we have had three bandsmen join the MSB at different times. As you can see we have a strong affinity with Salvation Army music making."
We look forward to meeting Peter and the Salvationists in Morwell in just a few short days.
Sunday, June 11th 2006
Leading Edge/Commissioning10:35 PM Location : Home
I've been home from Merrillville for a couple of hours and it was a great weekend in spite of the fact that General Clifton, Commissioner Clifton and Commissioner Eva Gaither were not able to be in attendance. Commissioner Israel Gaither, Commissioner Ken Baillie, Commissioner Joy Baillie, Lt. Colonel Barry Swanson, Lt. Colonel Sue Swanson, Dr. Charles Lake and Ken Medema all led us through a wonderful weekend together.
The CSB was very busy over the weekend starting with a rehearsal on Friday at 5:30 to put things together for the meeting that night. Then we had the meeting itself and were back on duty first thing on Saturday morning. At noon on Saturday we played a concert in the atrium and had an opportunity to play out some of our new repertoire for Australia. (Since some Aussie's actually are reading this blog I won't spill any beans about what we played. They will have to come to our concerts!) After the concert we grabbed some lunch and then went back to rehearse in the afternoon. Following a dinner break we were back on duty Saturday night and then again this morning and this afternoon.
For those that aren't familiar with the workings of the CSB you might wonder why we have to do all of the rehearsing at a weekend like this. Basically it is stuff that you can't do until you get there. We're often accompanying soloists that are from out of town or working on timings that can't happen until you are on site.
On the way home from Merrillville I-294 was completely closed down due to an accident. The accident was on the south bound lanes but they closed the north bound lanes to allow a medical helicopter to land. We just sat for quite a while. Turned out a semi truck had wrapped itself around a tree. No wonder they had to air lift someone out. Once we got past the accident the traffice moved pretty well.
All in all it was a good weekend and we really did play a lot. Now, we just have a couple of days of recovery before we get on the plane for Adelaide, Australia.
Will write more later. I should have some pictures to post from the weekend pretty soon.
Friday, June 9th 2006
Bloomington, IL Visit - Then Merrillville09:46 AM Location : Home Office
I guess it's been too long since I updated this blog. It's been rather busy lately and I let it slip away from me.
On May 20 & 21 the band had the privilege of visiting Bloomington, IL as part of their capital campaign program to raise money to replace their Safe Harbor Shelter. They have a big job ahead of them to replace this building whose foundations are more than 100 years old. I remember this building from when I was a boy. My parents were stationed in Bloomington and purchased that building that served as our corps. If I remember right it had been an old Moose Lodge and we converted the bar area into our chapel. Nice transformation! But, we left Bloomington 41 years ago and the building that now serves as temporary housing for the less fortunate does need to be replaced.
Captains Scott and Jolinda Shelbourn were gracious hosts for the weekend and arranged to have both the Saturday evening concert and Sunday worship services in the First Church of the Nazarene. Their pastor, Scott Sherwood, worked hand in hand with the Shelbourns to make our visit there a true opportunity for ministry. The Saturday night concert included presentation of a video highlighting the work that goes on at Safe Harbor Shelter. In addition, kids from Pekin, Peoria and elsewhere joined us for a presentation of "Classics In Brass" under the leadership of bandsman Jim Beardsley who lives in Peoria. No matter the audience, this always goes over big.
A big thank you goes out to the Shelbourns, Pastor Scott and every at the Salvation Army in Bloomington and the First Church of the Nazarene for a wonderful time together.
Since returning from Bloomington we have been busy preparing for the "Leading Edge Leadership and Discipleship Weekend" held in connection with the commissioning of our new officers. Unfortunately, General and Commissioner Clifton will not be able to attend as planned due to the death of his father. However, Commissioners Gaither will be leading us forward along with our own territorial leaders.
More about this weekend when I return on Sunday night (or maybe Monday morning).
No.... I didn't forget. We leave for Australia on Wednesday. We've been getting ready for that too!
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