Back to the GAVEL….. The gavel was donated by the “founders” of MENC and made from wood from The Westminster Presbyterian Church in Keokuk which was the site of the firs
t meeting in 1907 of the Music Supervisors National Conference predecessor of MENC. The inscription reads: “Presented 1938 to M.E.N.C. by Founders Wood from first meeting place Keokuk Church 1907.” Note here that the original church was torn down many many years ago. When I first arrived here at MENC in November 1979 – the gavel was traveling around to every National Executive Board meeting – as part of my job it became my responsibility to take it and make sure it got back home. In the late 1990s the gavel stopped traveling outside of headquarters. It was decided, as we got closer to the Centennial, maybe we should make sure it stayed safe since it is one-of-a-kind and could not, under any circumstances, be recreated. So gavel got its own little special place in the lobby of MENC.The original case for the gavel when I came was a 1940s hosiery box – quilted satin on the outside. The box is a treasure in itself. Today the gavel still serves the purpose of what I call “the changing of the guard” and every two years
when one MENC president leaves office and a new President begins the gavel is passed in the first official meeting of the new biennium. The organizers of Keokuk II asked if an exception could be made, and the gavel travel back to its roots in Keokuk for the meeting. After much soul searching – OK, so I get a little dramatic – I am happy to report that the gavel will be sent to Immediate Past President David Circle and will have the “MENC Royal Treatment” of riding and being guarded in David’s car to Keokuk by President Lynn Brinckmeyer and President-Elect Barbara Geer – WOW, this is better then sending it in an armored truck. And, if it doesn’t make it back – UH OH.Gene Morlan and Harriet Mogge will be attending the meeting and have, in the past, been responsible for carting the gavel to and from Headquarters; we decided it wouldn’t be worth it to try to explain to airport security that the gavel was not a dangerous weapon and not a hammer, etc. Can you imagine TSA confiscating the GAVEL? OH NO. Remember – the church has been torn down! At one point we thought we would get the Gavel duplicated and s
ell copies on e-bay, you know like bits of the original Plymouth Rock? Nope, just kidding. Or how about, we have David or Harriet gather Keokuk dirt around the area where the founders walked? Good idea? We tried to find out what happened to the stained glass windows in the church and were told they were made into jewelry and sold to church members – OK, guess there are not little pieces around the parking lot where the church stood. We were told there might be some of the church sandstone dumped in the quarry – but David wasn’t willing to go rock digging. My life can be so hard sometimes. So, if you couldn’t go to Keokuk, what would you want? Rocks, vials of dirt – give me your ideas! I’m thinking we could hold a séance and talk to the founders – don’t even think it, I get to be Madame Zola! If you had the chance to ask questions of a past MENC leader, who would it be and what would you ask?
