he 50s, 60s, and 70s
The 50s, 60s, and 70s
CHIP SHERER President
appointed Board of Trustees. All of my information comes from Peggy Murdock’s wonderful book, Bonclarken—A Story of Faith, Hope, and Tenacity, published in 1975. as manager. Mr. Maloney was a skilled carpenter, electrician, and handy man, and dur-
A i (1950 1960) h tb
ing his ten years of service (1950-1960) he stabilized Bonclarken’s physical plant. One of the most interesting events during this period was the attempt in 1953 to purchase Highland Lake (the lake in view from the
Hotel porch) from a Catholic organization. The Bonclarken Board moved quickly upon learning the property was for sale and autho- rized Mr. Maloney and Mr. L.S. (Eel) Weir to lead a committee to investigate. With Bonclarken having no funds for such a purchase, they met with Synod’s Executive Finance Committee to determine a way to fund the $90,000 asking price.
At the 1954 meeting of
Synod, the Bonclarken Board recommended that Synod purchase the property. No action was taken by Synod, but a local newspaper included the recommendation in their article on the meeting. Through this newspaper article, the national Catholic organization that owned the property learned of the interest of the ARP Church and blocked the sale! Peggy Murdock states that “a widely-told story that the ARPs failed to get the property because they refused to sign the papers on the Sabbath is quaint but untrue.” The Bonclarken Board was undeterred and, under the supervision of Board member Grady Patterson of Kings Mountain, NC, set happy group of spectators cheered—most of those present took off their shoes and waded in! Grady Patterson’s name appears often in Bonclarken’s records of the 1960s. In 1962 he became Chairman of the Board and volunteer
manager. Peggy Murdock states that “the remarkable work of Mr. Patterson slips by almost unnoticed, because most comes muted in such common-place activities as providing the funds to greatly improve the summer staff living quarters.” Mr. Patterson’s vision, leadership, and incredible generosity guided Bonclarken through the 1960s. - pened as new facilities were added to meet the demands of a growing level of guest attendance. The Motel (now known as Founders South), Synodical Hall, the Dining Room, Terrace Apartments (now known as Janeen’s Cottage) are some of the larger facilities added during this period. Peggy stressed to her readers to not neglect the vital role the Women of the Church played in Bonclarken’s development during these years. In addition to the building of Synodical Hall, local circles and societies were a major source of needed furnishings for many facilities. Donations made at the annual Silver Tea were used to enhance the facilities. Peggy stated, and I fully concur, that to completely evaluate the support of Bonclarken by the Women of the Church would be impossible. the accomplishments during Jim’s tenure, recent advancements, and future plans. Thanks for your interest in these articles!
An Environment for Christian Inspiration and Renewal November/December 2022 11
s we celebrate Bonclarken’s 100th Anniversary during 2022, I am writing a series of articles on the beginning, development, and future plans for our conference center. My last article on the early years ended with Synod’s accepting the own-
Bonclarken
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