Georgia Tech BSU Alumni Gathering

Georgia Baptist Assembly, Toccoa, March 9-11

Casual shots of the fellowship

We try to have one larger gathering of the Georgia Tech BSU group each year, and this year's gathering was at the Georgia Baptist Assembly in Toccoa. We started arriving on Friday afternoon, and soon our meeting room was buzzing with the kind of conversations when old friends get together after a period apart and pick up on their friendships.

Nancy Baxley arrives from Pffafftown, North Carolina, Becky Rollins from Sautee Nacoochie, GA and Barbara Petty from north Atlanta and they are quickly in conversation.

Norman Petty and Rod Nave are trying to make sure we have photos of this joyous occasion. If you have one you'd like to include, send it along to Rod.

As more Georgia Tech folks arrive, the room is soon buzzing (pun intended) with conversation. Walt and Carol McKinney, Jim and Gail Green, Clayton Teague & Frank Gudger, Butch Henderson & Rogers Redding.

Suzie Lowe and Brenda Henderson, Butch and John. The Hendersons from Tennessee, the Lowes from Austin, Texas. Nancy Bonds from Marietta, Walt and Carol McKinney from South Carolina.

These four guys represent geographic and professional diversity, but unity in a bond of friendship. John Baxley, North Carolina, Math; Laddie Rollins, Georgia, Math; John Lowe, Texas, Chemistry; Ronnie Jones, Kentucky, Physics.

Nancy Baxley, Becky Rollins, Barbara Petty, Brenda Nave, Nancy Bonds, Babs Gudger. The tables of this nice meeting room were good places to gather for conversation.

Saturday, March 10

Breakfast was at 7:30 in the Dining Hall with about three hundred other folks from the different conferences that were being held this weekend. It was a very well-run process and we were able to settle our group at three or four tables close to each other. We enjoyed the sunshine view of the lake, knowing that rain was predicted for the rest of the weekend.

We returned to our gathering room because we were by no means finished with our conversations. But now I was beginning to get some pushback on the photography I was trying to do. Ronnie Jones was firing back! At least Ellen, Linda and John were still being good photo subjects.

You might have thought that our several hours of conversations on Friday afternoon and evening would have been enough, but we were just getting started! We circulated with all size groups for discussion.

We very much enjoyed discussions with Tom Jones, who spent many years in Kenya and Tanzania in mission work. Butch Henderson, Rogers Redding, Henry Fields and Leland Strange were in active discussion with him and knew a good bit about his work. Tom is now very active with outreach to internationals here, so the discussion was relevant to all our churches.

Friday and Saturday made for a remarkable time of sharing. While we caught up with the personal lives, children and grandchildren, travels, etc., there were a lot of deep discussions about our work and ministry in our churches. It was gratifying to see that most were deeply involved in their local church's ministry and we discussed the handling of many types of problems and challenges in those ministries. Certainly there was a lot of experience and insight in this circle. While we took some walks, etc., it was remarkable that we spent most of both Friday evening and Saturday in fairly intense conversations. Clockwise around the circle: Barbara Petty, Norman Petty, Brenda Nave, Ellen Teague, Linda Jones, Suzie Lowe, Gail Green, Elaine Whisnant, Babs Gudger, Nancy Bonds.

We certainly had a lot of experience in ministry represented here with Henry Fields and Tom Jones, and we enjoyed hearing a number of their experiences. Henry Fields, Dick Whisnant, Tom Jones, Frank Gudger, Jim Green, Norman Petty, Brenda Nave.

Sunday, March 11

We had our final meal together for this gathering and then came back together in our meeting room for goodbyes. We sang "Blessed Be the Tie That Binds" with Ellen Teaque accompanying us on the piano. We took some group pictures and had to come to the point of saying goodbye for now.

Clayton and Ellen Teague. We took the time for some goodby photos, and will look forward to our next gathering.

Ronnie and Linda Jones. Bon voyage to all our dear friends until the next time we are together.