It is a part of our American tradition — Thanksgiving has to come before Christmas.
More specific and local traditions in our greater Scotland County area are that Ingatherings, or Harvest Days, in our rural churches have to come before Thanksgiving.
One such Ingathering that occurred on Thursday can trace its local foundations back to 1792 when the Scotch Fair was chartered and held in late October on the land behind the present day Old Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church (c. 1797) and it operated until the 1870s as a trade gathering with traders coming from more than a hundred miles away, as well as the ancient Feast of St. Martin or “Martinmas”celebration that was held in old Scotland on Nove. 11.
The Feast of Saint Martin was also celebrated in Scotland by cattle drives, trading, and of course – feasts. The Scottish immigrants began Scotland County’s oldest church, and their old traditions from “back home” may have carried forth to the “first Thursday in November” timing of this week’s local event.
There have always been those special moments in old days for the greetings of old friends and meeting the new, the welcomed break from summer heat, the harvest season, and the arrival of winter, and with a traditional lunch on the church grounds or in their buildings that for many in years past have formed the true beginnings of our holiday season.
Actually, those special moments on church grounds are as happy and enlightening as the holidays.
It was just a week earlier at St. John’s United Methodist Church’s annual Harvest Day — where I conversed with a beautiful and lively lady (Eugenia Odom) and one of her two daughters, (Sheryl), met a seldom seen former classmate (Ben Pate) to catch up on life — and also where a plate of their homemade chicken salad was thoroughly enjoyed. It was impossible to leave without speaking with, listening to, and reminiscing with dozens of others who have either come to enjoy food and fellowship or were personally serving hospitality and delicacies that will from henceforth become fond memories.
Organizing such events year after year cannot be accurately described or defined unless you are working the events year in and year out. Rather, the planning, organization, and working the events to completion are deeply imbedded in the DNA of those who have organized, mixed, blended, and cooked to make the traditional autumn events ever more special every year.
This week Scotland County hosted the largest of such autumn church events at Old Laurel Hill, but it is fortunately never so large as to become impersonal.
Unfortunately this year the ever reliable: the late Keiko Eto Fore — magician of the kitchen, sharer of love, pleasant greetings, and her special delicacies — was missed. Others stepped up to fill the void, but Keiko will never be replaced.
Meanwhile, and well before Thursday the women of the church have boiled, and carefully cut up countless chickens, stalks of celery, and other ingredients for their famous chicken salad, hundreds of large chicken halves have been ordered for the barbecued chicken that will go on the grill about 5 a.m. Thursday morning, and of course the hogs and Boston Butts were ordered and were slowly cooked to perfection on the church’s large grill and countless personal cooking grills the day before. These “heavy” jobs are deferred to the men with approval of their wives.
Cutting, separating, and storing the hot pork as it comes off the grill always falls into the hands of the baseball team from St. Andrews University as they worked their shifts and learned about rendering community services, and they have assisted for decades under the watchful eyes of the long-time barbecue preparers from the church.
The cole slaw was purchased locally, the sweet potatoes were prepared and cooked, the batter was mixed before the thousands upon thousand of hush puppies could be fried, and barbecue sauce for the chickens and a different barbecue sauce for the pork were blended and cooked.
That is just the food preparation for Old Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church!
The historic church buildings and grounds were thoroughly cleaned, chairs and tables were placed inside the fellowship hall and on the church grounds, crafts and baked goods were carefully arranged on tables under canopies, and on the porch of the fellowship hall.
As traditional the morning devotion was given by the Rev. Dr. Deck Guess, before which and after which everyone’s DNA programming kicks in and every detail that had been carefully organized is implemented.
Smiles, laughs, hugs, conversations, are the magic ingredients for making all of the foods taste better. Some special moments will remain cherished as ones 11 years ago when 103 year old, Mrs. Katie Seals Currie, and I were standing, conversing, and sharing memories when she glanced at a man walking by: “I should know him. Do you know who he is?” were her words. Yes, I did, and he turned out to one of her elementary school students from over 60 years earlier. She walked over to him and addressed him as any teacher would: “Are you still forgetting to wash your face in the mornings?”
Legacies, traditions, friendships, and an abundance of God’s love: the autumn Ingatherings have them all!
Once the traditional Thursday autumn Ingatherings become your personal tradition, your autumn and early winter holiday season will be greatly lengthened. If you volunteer to help at one of the country churches for their events, then Ingatherings and Harvest Days will become a part of your eternal DNA.
Beacham McDougald is a Laurinburg resident and Scotland County historian.
