"Dinner on the Grounds"

 

          'tis the Season, again. No, not Santa, Jingle Bells, and Christmas.  Rather, now that Spring has made its debut and the weather is (usually) warmer, it's time for the Southern 'ritual' of "Dinner on the Grounds".  For the uninitiated, it is neither the evening meal nor is it literally 'on the ground'.  

    Celebrated mostly in rural and small-town Southern churches, Dinner on the Grounds is usually a staple of such events as 'Homecoming' , 'Memorial Day',  or 'Decoration Day' (placing flowers on the graves of family members).  The name likely originated with people spreading blankets for picnics on the church ground.

   Now the bountiful feast is on folding tables and sometimes under a shelter.  After the Benediction signals the end of the church service, everyone heads to the homemade delicacies (Occasionally someone will sneak in a 'store bought' item) such as fried chicken, fresh vegetables prepared in several ways, deviled eggs, sweet iced tea, casseroles of various kinds, and DESSERTS galore. (One of my all-time favorites was Mrs. Loucilla Chilton's fresh strawberry cake).

And the minister is often encouraged to sample Mrs. So and So's speciality.  How many kinds of fried chicken can one accommodate ? Postures for eating ranged from seats at a table to standing while balancing plate in one hand and keeping a close eye on one's nearby beverage.

   In his television documentary North Carolina is My Home, Charles Kuralt had a segment showing a Homecoming at Rountree Christian Church near Ayden, North Carolina. The musical accompaniment by jazz pianist Loonis McLohon, a native of Ayden, was originally Dinner on the Grounds at Rountree. Old-timers told me that his parents often brought him to the church when he was a youth. (To hear the version used in the t.v. program, search the internet.) Having been minister to that congregation from 1980-84, I recognized many people. (For purposes of the program, many non-members participated in order to boost the numbers, I suppose.)

   Largely absent now is the post-meal singing.  Various groups rotated segments of  their repertoires.  (Hear the late Reverend Grady Nutt's You Tube "All Day Singing and Dinner on the Grounds".)

   As a teenager, I often heard a Native American family's energetic performances. The son, Joel, who was approximately my age became overly zealous on one occasion only to have his father stop their song and admonish him to stop showing off.

    It was considered a compliment for a cook to carry home an empty dish as that meant the item was popular and often had     disappeared before the unlucky people at the back of the line had had their chance.

  Once at Rountree, a person unknown to anyone came well after the meal was over and began  preparing 'take out', telling a somewhat overwrought story of her needy family. The food  was freely given. And,it was well known at _________ Church that _________ always returned home with more food in their basket than had been earlier brought.

    In many instances, quite likely the day had its appropriate ending with a late afternoon nap, with   'visions of home-cooked goodies dancing in our heads'.

     Satchel

SCAMMING GRANDMA/GRANDPA

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     "Hello, Grandma" the voice on the line said.  My wife who has no adult grandsons recognized the nature of the call and quickly replied!"Hello, honey. We missed you at the family Easter dinner yesterday. Are you in the hospital, have you been in a wreck, is your leg broken, do you need money to return to the States after someone stole your travelers' checks?"  On the other end---silence, followed by 'click'.

Somewhat like the call I received a few months ago: "Hello, Grandpa".  Didn't sound like either of my grandsons, but I played along, asking which grandson. A  vague response and when  I asked for elaboration, the same 'click'.   And we are not the only household to have this kind of scam call.  Have you  received your plaintive request ?  If not and an internet  search of your personal information indicates that you are of grandparent age, your call may be forthcoming . And, by the way, however charming the caller may be, do not utter the word YES in any way.  Apparently, some of these thieves record the conversation and use  voice recognition in nefarious ways injurious to your finances.

  Those who 'fall for' the scam are usually asked for credit card info or to wire money, etc. for various spurious 'needs'.  Unfortunately , the scam must be 'profitable' witnessed by the longevity of the ruse.  A couple of years ago, a former client told me that he had wired several hundred dollars to his 'grandson' before he realized the deception.

   This  preying on the presumed vulnerability of older persons is repugnant at best and damnable otherwise.  Former parishioners were duped by someone purporting to enhance the outside of their house. When the wife became suspicious,  she  went back into the house  and found a second person rummaging through their personal effects.  Though  they quickly fled  with some valuables, the thieves were later apprehended.

  Do you need your roof repaired, house painted, driveway repaved, financial portfolio updated, . . . on and on and on ?  And, just now when I had my lunch break, a call came for  (my first  name . .  which  I do not use)   A kind person was offering to expand my Medicare benefits!  My wife having had a similar call a few days ago, I recognized this deception and decided to  play along.  I asked if mental health costs were covered, including hospitalization for  psychotic experiences because I had been hallucinating and hearing voices.  (In case you wonder, this was a fabrication.)  The caller assured me that would also be covered. Did I have my old white card with my numbers on it and if not, he would be glad to wait while I retrieved it. At that point, my hunger won over my fun and I told him that  I knew his game and hung up.

    When you are 'lovingly' addressed by a 'grandchild' asking for money, perhaps an idea that my wife shared will be helpful: tell the caller  the grandparent can be reached at the following number . . . which is the local police station.

         Satchel

PS    I have no idea why the font size changes randomly.