Baptist Student Union

 SIU 40s, 50s, and 60s
Contact - helen@BSU-SIU.com
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 History of the BSU Reunions
1992 - 2006
THIS SEPTEMBER (2006) WE ARE CELEBRATING THE 14TH ANNUAL BSU REUNION. HOW DID WE GET HERE?? WELL, IN THE FALL OF 1992 NONA GRACE AND GORDON EADE WENT TO VISIT HAROLD AND EVELYN SPENCER. THEY LIVED IN CHATHAM ILLINOIS. LISTEN TO WHAT RINNIE SPENCER HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE MEETING "Nona Grace and Gordon Eade were visiting Harold and Evelyn Spencer in Chatham IL and came over to our house. I said why don't we call people and have them to come to our house Saturday morning and we can all talk.

It had to be at my house because I was having a yard sale. My neighbor came over and did the yard sale for me. We had a party. Gordon brought doughnuts, but Bob Hastings asked if he could have cornbread instead. It was on the counter so he had cornbread and milk. I believe Don Dillow (maybe Helen), Bob and Bessie Hastings, Betty Walker, Harold and Evelyn Spencer, Maurice and Charlotte Swinford, John and Mary Ruth Whitman and Gerald and I. We were the only ones there and maybe not all of these -- memory loss!!

The following year Evelyn suggested she have one at her house. We wrote letters to those we knew the addresses of and when we received forty that were coming we changed from Evelyn's to Chatham church. That was the first year 1993 and I think we went to Effingham the next year. You may take it from there. Rinnie"

NOW, LET ME SEE IF I CAN GET THE PLACES AND THE DATES IN THE CORRECT ORDER. I NEEDED MAURICE SWINFORD TO HELP ME WITH THIS.
  • 1993 -- CHATHAM
  • 1994 -- MT VERNON
  • 1995 -- MT VERNON OR EFFINGHAM
  • 1966 -- CARBONDALE
  • 1997 -- COLLINSVILLE
  • 1998 -- CHATHAM
  • 1999 -- EFFINGHAM
  • 2000 -- MT. VERNON
  • 2001 -- COLLINSVILLE
  • 2002 -- EFFINGHAM
  • 2003 -- COLLINSVILLE
  • 2004 -- CARBONDALE (UMB)
  • 2005 -- COLLINSVILLE
  • 2006 -- CARBONDALE (WALNUT ST)

IT WAS DURING THIS SECOND MEETING IN CHATHAM (1993) THAT MAURICE SWINFORD WAS CHOSEN TO BE THE GROUP PRESIDENT. HAROLD SPENCER AGREED TO BE SECRETARY AND TREASURER. MAURICE WAS PRESIDENT ALL OF THESE YEARS UNTIL HE RETIRED IN 2002. HAROLD CONTINUED TO BE TREASURER UNTIL 2005. THE REUNIONS GREW UNDER THEIR LEADERSHIP AND WE OWE BOTH OF THESE WONDERFUL FRIENDS A DEBT OF GRATITUDE FOR THEIR DEDICATION. WE HAVE BSU REUNIONS TODAY BECAUSE OF THEIR LEADERSHIP. RUSSELL DAVIS AND HELEN RUTH DILLOW LEAD THE MUSIC DURING THESE EARLY YEARS. WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THEM, TOO.

IN 2002 HELEN GREEN GALLOWAY WAS ELECTED TO SERVE AS PRESIDENT. IN 2004 HAROLD SPENCER RETIRED (TIRED) AS TREASURER. GERALD GLASCO WAS ELECTED TO THIS POSITION. HELEN RUTH DILLOW CONTINUES TO PLAY THE PIANO FOR US. IN 2004 HELEN (OUR NEW PRESIDENT) ASKED JIM AND ROSIE ROBINSON TO LEAD OUR MUSIC. BILL AND IRMA RICHARDSON WERE ASKED TO BE OUR PHOTOGRAPHERS. (SEE MORE OF BSU REUNION HISTORY ON OUR BSU WEB SITE) www.bsu-siu.com

THE BSU ORGANIZATION HAS REMAINED ACTIVE DURING THESE 14 YEARS. ATTENDANCE AT THE REUNIONS HAS BEEN STEADY (70-100). WE NOW HAVE 233 BSU MEMBERS ON THE POSTAL MAILING LIST AND WE HAVE 124 EMAIL ADDRESSES. WE HAVE 23 STATES REPRESENTED. (SOMEONE IS ALWAYS ASKING "HOW DO YOU GET ON HELEN'S LIST) NOW EMAIL AND THE BSU WEB SITE HAVE BEEN THE KEY TO THE RENEWED INTEREST AMONG OUR BSU MEMBERS AND HAS HELPED IN THE ATTENDANCE AT OUR REUNIONS.

THE BSU WEB SITE (www.bsu-siu.com) HAS A WEALTH OF MATERIAL ABOUT OUR BSU PAST, OUR CURRENT LIVES AND MEMORIES GALORE!! IT CONTAINS HOURS OF MEMORABILIA AVAILABLE FOR OUR VIEWING. THERE ARE 14 SECTIONS (PAGES) STORED ON THE WEB. A DIRECTORY LISTING 233 ADDRESSES, PHONE NUMBERS, AND AN EMAIL ADDRESS IF AVAILABLE. THERE IS A VINTAGE PAGE WITH MORE THAN 70 "OLD" PICTURES, A PAGE LISTING THOSE WHO ARE DECEASED. A LIST OF MAIDEN NAMES. INDIVIDUAL PICTURES OF THOSE WHO ATTENDED THE REUNIONS IN 1997-2003-2004-2005 (200 PICTURES). THERE IS EVEN A RECORDING OF THE ECHOES 2 ALBUM MADE IN 1961. YOU CAN EVEN LISTEN TO THE SONGS. THE MUSIC IS THERE FOR YOU TO HEAR!! A 50TH ANNIVERSARY PAGE (INCLUDING SEVERAL PICTURES OF YOU BACK THEN) IS MOST INTERESTING. THERE IS MUCH MORE ON THE WEB SITE -- ALL PREPARED FOR YOU. WE PLAN TO CONTINUE TO USE THE WEB SITE FOR PROMOTING OUR BSU WORK.

WELL, NOW YOU KNOW THE HISTORY OF THE BSU REUNIONS. STAY TUNED TO THE BSU WEB SITE FOR MORE NEWS ABOUT OUR FUTURE BSU REUNIONS INCLUDING THE ONE AT THE WALNUT STREET BAPTIST CHURCH IN CARBONDALE IL ON SEPTEMBER 28-29 2006

HELEN GREEN GALLOWAY, BSU PRESIDENT