This is the only information we have pertaining to the lovely baptismal font which is located on the front right side of the All Saints Chapel. We found it interesting that the illustrious grandfather and great grandfather were identified, but not the parents. Nor do we know who gave the font. Since William Henry was born in 1913 and Epiphany wasn't founded until 1914, there is no baptismal entry. Nor was there any entry of communicants named "Backofen". However, when we came to the Burial page the first entry was: "William Henry Backofen - male - 15mos. - Cherrydale (last residence)- died 15 Feb. 1915 - cause of death - pneumonia - Place of interment - Olivet Churchyard, Cherrydale, Feb. 16, 1915". The officiating minister listed was the Rev. Nelson P. Daine.
    Mr. Daine was not listed as one of Epiphany's Vicars or Seminarians nor did the receptionist at Mt. Olivet recognize his name. For those who are new to the area, Mt. Olivet Methodist Church, founded in 1854, is the oldest Methodist Church in Arlington and is no longer considered to be part of Cherrydale. It's located at the corner of Glebe Road and 16th St., North (between Washington Blvd. and Lee Highway).
    The entrance gate to their small, well-kept graveyard is on 16th street. If you walk through the gate and go directly across to the wooden fence on the far side, you will find William Henry's grave and headstone. His parents were William and Alice D. Backofen. Aside from the dates, the only other engraving is: "Of such is the Kingdom of Heaven."
    With the help of the one local (Herndon) Backofen family, we are continuing to search for William Henry's branch and we're trying to find out more about the Hon. Mr. Allen and the Rev. Mr. Denison. We'll keep you posted.

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III. Land Ownership: What's in a Name?

    Walking or driving around St. Andrew s neighborhood can be as hazardous to your intellectual health as to your physical safety. We hope this little sketch of "land-begetting" will pique your interest in our parish and its local history, which often ties in with our nation's history.
    Arlington Country was originally called "Alexandria County" and was actually part of the District of Columbia until 1846. The name change occurred in 1920 to avoid confusion with the City oft Alexandria. It was named after "Arlington House" the Custis-Lee Mansion located in Arlington Cemetery - most visible as you drive across Memorial Bridge to the Virginia side.
    St. Andrew's occupies a site which was part of a 218-acre land grant issued by Thomas, Sixth Lord Fairfax, to George Mason of Gunston Hall, on 5 September 1767. That grant became part of about 2000 acres of land between Four Mile Run and the lower falls of the Potomac; later inherited by Mason's son, John. John Mason suffered financial reverses which sent all of his land into bank receivership. In 1835 it was surveyed by Lewis Carbery, and divided into lots and offered for sale to the public.
    Our church is near the center of Lot 18 of the Carbery survey. This lot (the northwestern most Mason tract) contained 106 acres and was sold in 1858 to W.W. Corcoran and George W. Riggs, Washington bankers and agents for Anthony Hyde. During the Civil War, Corcoran and Riggs sold the tract to Robert k Phillips from Dryden, New York. Philips resided in an elegant home on the Potomac Palisades at what is now (1997) 2515 N. Quebec Street.
    Mr. Phillips also acquired Lot 17, east of and adjoining Lot 18. In 1872 he sold a tract of 15.4 acres made up of lands from Lots 17 and 18 to John C. Brown of Washington and Mr. Brown sold the same tract eight years later to Thomas McFeely of Union City, Indiana. In 1883, McFeely and his wife, Maggie, sold this parcel bounded by Military Road and Lorcom Lane (then called "New Washington Road'? plus another parcel of 10.6 acres across Military Road to James Otterson, a Philadelphia attorney. By 1892, Otterson's nephew and executor had sold these combined tracts to Washington physician Joseph Taber Johnson. Dr. Johnson named the "New Washington Road" "Lorcom Lane", after two of his sons, Loren and Bascom. In 1921, Dr. Johnson's heirs sold five acres from the 1872 15.4 acre tract to John M. and Ruby Lee Minar. Ruby Lee acquired other property and created a housing development in 1930, which she named Lee Heights. (Both the Johnson house and St. Andrew's occupy land with Section 12 or Lee Heights).
    By 1943 John Minar (then of Chicago) and Ruby Minar (then of Miami) had conveyed Lot 1224 on which the Johnson house was located to Patricia Lee Minar. The Grace and Epiphany mission churches merged in 1950 and, with the help of the Diocese, were able to buy 1.1 acre lot at the comer of Lorcom Lane and Military Road for $18,000. We've since added other properties which include the Rectory, purchased in 1952 from E.N. Jansen for $37,000 and the "2310 house." purchased from a parishioner, Mrs. William Amold, in 1954 for $21,500. This is currently being used as the Korean congregation vicarage.
    For 183 recorded years this small corner of Arlington County passed through many interesting hands before becoming part of The Diocese of Virginia. As we approach Thanksgiving it seems appropriate to mention that the first service held in the new St. Andrew's (now the All Saints Chapel) was held on Thanksgiving Day, 22 November 1951. Let us give thanks for the foresight of these founders and pray that our stewardship is such that St. Andrew's will remain strong and vital throughout future centuries.
Barbara Kelly

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IV. The First Rector of St. Andrew's

    When St. Andrew's began in 1951, the first rector was the Rev. Richard Cobb Fell, born in Alabama in 1916. He graduated from the Virginia Theological Seminary and was ordained in 1948, then became rector of Grace Church in Sheffield, Alabama. From there he was called to St. Andrew's by a six-man search committee formed from the congregations of St. Andrew's two predecessor churches, Grace and Epiphany.
    Mr. Fell (he was not generally known as "Father") took up his duties at St. Andrew's on January 1, 1951. During his four-year pastorate he tactfully presided over the merger of the two somewhat disparate congregations of Epiphany and Grace and oversaw the building of the fist St. Andrew's Church (now All Saints Chapel). Meanwhile, he and his wife, Kathleen Fell, became the parents of two daughters. He resigned effective January 1, 1955, to accept a call to St. Thomas's Church in Richmond, Virginia.
    As to the kind of man he was, Kathleen Fell tells us that "Dick had a special way with people that was gentle and loving. He knew how to make each person feel that he or she was important and loved. He also could be "tough" when it came to issues of principle. As one friend said later, 'He is the softest man on the outside and the toughest on the inside I ever have known.' If he felt something was right he held to that, being loving and caring all the time."
    Kathleen Fell now lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Some of us had the privilege of meeting her when she visited St. Andrew's a few years ago. I recently spoke with her on the phone and am happy to report that she is in good health and good spirits.  
Bob Watson

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V. The First Congregational Meeting

    Since we have recently had our Annual Parish Meeting we thought you might like to hear what took place at the first congregational meeting held in the "Parish Hall, Maywood" at 8pm Tuesday, January 23, 1951. Our first Rector, The Reverend Richard C. Fell presided. You may be interested to know that when Mr. Fell accepted the call to our new parish in November of 1950, the annual salary offered was $3,500 with a $300 car allowance and a rectory on Quincy Street!
    Mr. Paul Rollins was elected Secretary for the first meeting and the first order of business was to unanimously accept the name "St. Andrew's Protestant Episcopal Church, of Arlington, Virginia." It was then decided that the first vestry would be elected to serve a one year term after which a determination would be made as to what type of vestry was most desirable, i.e. "rotating" or not. They also decided to elect 12 vestrymen, six from each mission church. They were allowed to nominate a total of 24 and each voter present wrote his or her list of six names.
    The following gentlemen were declared elected: From Grace, Kenneth M. Barker, Harold Brown, Willard E. Scott, A S. Nemir, Dr. E. G. Hendry and H. C. Albin; and fiom Epiphany, D. K. Sutherland, Warren Horstman, Harry Foxwell, Chester J. Pask, Edward W. Ockershausen and Robert C. Rollings.
    The following positions were then appointed by the Rector: Judge Paul Brown and Mr. R. C. Rollings to be Co-Superintendents of Sunday School; Mr. R. C. Rollings to be Chairman of Publicity; Mrs. Hoffinan and Mrs. Cannon, Altar Guild, and Mrs. Catherine Davis and Mrs. Winifred Grimes, Organists.
    The remainder of the meeting dealt pretty much with routine matters; however, because there was no St. Andrew's Church building per se they instituted a "Church of the Month" system whereby thev alternated services beginning with Quincy St. (Epiphany) in February and the "Maywood Edifice" (Grace) for March. They also arranged for transportation for those who would have difficulty in attending either church.
    The meeting was adjourned about 10:30pm "by the singing of the Doxology and an invocation by the Pastor.
    Of the original twelve vestrymen, we're thankful to still have Kenny Barker with us as an active communicant.
Barbara Kelly

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VI. The Building of St. Andrew's

     The congregations of Epiphany and Grace Episcopal Churches formally merged in January 1951 to form St. Andrew's. On April 9, 1951, a letter from The Rev. Mr. Fell, Rector, went out to all parishioners announcing a Building Fund Rally at the Quincy Street Parish Hall, after which they hoped to begin construction on the original church building, now All Saints Chapel. The parish wanted to build a stone structure of English country-side style." They chose the Arlington firm of Sharpe and Hamaker to do the work because they had already designed and built several churches including St. Michael's, which celebrated its 50th anniversary on Christmas Eve, 1998.
     The April rally must have succeeded because ground was broken on May 6, 1951. The total cost of $105,000 included land ($18,000), building ($73,000) and equipment (514,000) and was paid for by both a grant and a loan from the Diocese of Virginia, and the sale of the Quincy Street property and bank loan/congregational pledges. Floor plans are posted on the bulletin board. The upper level, consisting of the sacristy, chancel, nave, foyer, Rector's study, and choir loft, could seat 250. The bulk of the lower level, which is now the Renehan Christian Education Center, housed the heating plant, rest room, storage, large multi-purpose assembly hall, a 13'x19' meeting room and a kitchen in the general area where the new changing room/rest room is now.
     The building was completed in less than a year. However, there was never a "cornerstone" per se, as The Rev. Mr. Fell explained in a 1954 letter: "Because our present church is a first unit in a three unit proposed plan- the present building eventually to become a parish hall - we did not have a cornerstone laid when we were building this unit. " The original architects envisioned this conversion along with adding an educational building immediately adjoining the church on the north (Lorcom Lane) end and a larger church running approximately at right angles and parallel to Lorcom Lane, with the altar in the east end. These additions would have continued in the stone "English country-style." If the firm of Sharpe and Hamaker was still around, we think they'd approve of our latest stonework additions.
     A message of the time to the congregation from The Rt. Rev. F. D. Goodwin, Bishop of Virginia, said, in part, "It is a great tribute to the vision and the unselfishness of the former members of Epiphany and Grace Churches that they have seen the need for a strong Episcopal parish in this area and have come together with the determination to see that this great parish becomes a reality. ... I feel sure that the same spirit will lead the members of St. Andrew's congregation to contribute generously of their time and of their means to make the new St. Andrew's, both in its material structure, and in its spiritual life an influence and blessing to this area. "
Barbara Kelly

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VII. St. Andrew's Korean Congregation

    St. Andrew's Korean congregation is currently celebrating its fifteenth anniversary. The group began in January 1984, when a retired bishop of Seoul, Korea, the Rt. Rev. Paul Lee, a friend of the Bishop of Virginia, visited the diocese and attended a service at St. Andrew's. The rector of St. Andrew's, Father Michael Harmuth, learned from Bishop Lee that there were Korean Anglicans in the community with no place to worship in their own language. Father Harmuth at once offered the use of St. Andrew's chapel for the purpose. Bishop Lee accepted and held a service there on January 29, 1984, with 22 persons in attendance.
    Bishop Lee conducted services until December 1984, when he returned to Korea. Services then were intermittent, depending on the availability of a clergyman. The Rev. Joseph Dae-young Lee, a seminarian at Virginia Theological Seminary, served part-time in 1986-1987. He was succeeded by the Rev. John Wilme (1987-88), a friend and fellow student at VTS and a native of Burma (now Myanmar). Since he did not speak Korean, he conducted the services in English, with the congregation responding in their own language. Both Mr. Lee and Mr. Wilme subsequently became bishops, the one in Korea, the other in Myanmar.
    The first full-time vicar was the Rev. John Chung-nan Hong, who served until June 1991. For the next year, the Koreans occasionally worshipped with the larger St. Andrew's congregation. A young Korean college student, Katherine Kim, served as interpreter to translate sermons into Korean.
    The present vicar, Father Valentine Seung-Gyu Han, was ordained in Korea in 1979 and served several churches there. He studied in London for a year and, while there, occasionally preached to a Korean community there. He came to St. Andrew's in 1992 and was formally installed as vicar of the Korean congregation on June 3 of that year by Bishop Robert P. Atkinson, of the Diocese of Virginia.
    From 1995 to 1997 he also served a Korean congregation in Baltimore, commuting to that city for afternoon services after celebrating at St. Andrew's in the morning.
    He married Teresa Kyung-hae Lee in Korea in 1979. Under his leadership, the Korean community at St. Andrew's has made such strides that they are now looking forward to constructing their own church.
Bob Watson

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VIII. The St. Andrew's Players

    St. Andrews' Players are now preparing for their twenty-eighth annual production, "The Dark at the Top of the Stairs," by William Inge and directed by Kim McKnight. The Players began in 1972 under the leadership of then rector, Robert H. Andrews, who was keenly aware of the role played by the Church in the development of the arts, including drama. The congregation was also blessed with two extremely talented and experienced professional actresses, June Hansen and Pamela Brown. Another member, Marvin Hunter, had had amateur experience in drama at the University of North Carolina. There was thus a promising nucleus for a drama group.
    Discussions among these individuals led to a decision to undertake a play that same year. The play selected was Noah, a seriocomic retelling of the story of the Ark by French playwright Andre Obey. It was suggested by June Hansen who had acted in the play in Scotland. "Noah," with Marvin Hunter in the lead role, proved to be a particularly happy choice, since it afforded opportunity for a large cast of both adults and youngsters to play the role of the animals.
    From the beginning it was agreed that St. Andrews' Players would not be just another "community theatre," but would consist primarily of members of the congregation. It would be a ministry to the parish which could be shared with outsiders.
    The second production, in 1973, was The Vigil, about the Resurrection. Other productions based on religious themes, or raising religious issues, were The Rock (1975), Sound Brass (1977), The First Born (1979), Saint Joan (1984), A Man for All Seasons (1992), and The Crucible(1996). All these were performed in the chancel, originally using only the chancel steps, then expanding to include the entire area.
    In 1974 the Players presented their first secular play, the modern French classic, The Madwoman of Chaillot. The majority of subsequent productions have been lighthearted comedies providing family-oriented entertainment. These have included You Can't Take It With You(1976); A Quiet Wedding (1978); Life with Father (1980); Murder in the Vicarage (1981); The Importance of Being Ernest (1982); The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker (1983); The Dining Room (1985); Arsenic and Old Lace (1986), The Late Christopher Bean (1987); The Foreigner (1988); The Silver Whistle (1990); Major Barbara (1993); Cheaper by the Dozen (1994); Harvey (1995); and Blithe Spirit (1997).
    The Players first musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1989) was marked by the stage debut of Father Randolph Bragg. (Gwen Bragg made her appearance the next year in The Silver Whistle; their sons have also appeared in several productions). Other musicals have been The King and I (1991) and Li'l Abner(1998).
    These secular productions were presented in the undercroft. This occasioned some difficulty at first, since there was no proper stage. Space had to be gerry-rigged by making use of tables of suitable height, which were somewhat wobbly and often rattled. A permanent stage has since been constructed. A permanent lighting system is also in preparation.
    For the first sixteen years, June Hansen carried the principal burden of directing the plays, ably assisted by Pamela Brown and by Marvin Hunter (until his untimely death). Since June did not feel competent to direct a musical, she yielded the post to Ada Lowe for the 1989 production. Subsequent directors have included Cliff Rigsbee, Don Crabill, Brian Sullivan and Jane Massant.
    At the outset, choice of each year's production lay with the "big three" - June, Pam, and Marvin, often on the basis of suggestions from members of the congregation. More recently, plays have been selected through informal discussions among members of the group.
    The Players have never had any formal membership or organization; the group consists merely of all those who are interested, and newcomers are always welcome. Currently, the unofficial head and guiding genius is Brian Sullivan. He comes by the position honestly, having been associated with all the Players' productions, as actor, director, or producer. St. Andrew's is also deeply indebted to June Hansen for the continuing success of the Players. She has guided and advised them even while carrying on her career as one of the Washington's outstanding actresses.
    The Players and their annual productions have become a valuable part of the life of the parish, providing Christian fellowship along with entertainment for the congregation and the community. Our group is nearly unique among churches in this area. Others have of course presented plays from time to time, but few if any have, have such well-established groups, except Mount Vernon Place Methodist Church in Washington, whose theatrical organization has existed for over sixty years. Let us hope that our important tradition will continue indefinitely! For those who are new to the congregation, we urge you to see the current production, Dark at the Top of the Stairs. You'll be in for an entertaining experience.
  Bob Watson

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IX. The Evyngar Brass Rubbing

    A few decades ago it was popular to do "rubbings" - making an impression of a design or picture taken from a raised or incised surface by placing paper over it and rubbing it with graphite, was, etc. In fact, rubbings became so popular that most English churches had to put a stop to it because their artifacts were being rubbed to oblivion.
    No doubt most of these rubbings were used for decorative purposes; however, many were done for historic purposes, particularly if an artifact was difficult to photograph because of its low relief. Here at St. Andrew's we are fortunate to have three interesting examples of rubbings.
    In the lounge on the wall next to the Memorial Garden is a gold on black brass rubbing of the 16th century Evyngar Brass located in All Hallow's-by-the-Tower Church, Tower Hill, London. It depicts Andrew Evyngar(salter), his wife Ellen, their son and five daughters (see if you can find the children!) The top left comer shows a coat of arms; the top right comer shows three salt cellars; the center is a Pieta. This brass rubbing was done by the late Carolyn Donnelly in 1971.
    The other two rubbings are located in the narthex. As you face the altar them is a gold on black brass rubbing of the 16th century Abbot Bewfforeste, taken from his memorial brass located in the floor in front of the sanctuary at the abbey church of St. Peter and St. Paul, Dorchester, England. Since the good Abbott had given the choir stalls at the abbey church, his location by the stair that lead to our choir loft is well placed!
    This brass rubbing was done by Jane Youngblood Spurting. Jane, the daughter of Rubye and Curtis Youngblood, did this rubbing in 1974 while her husband was reading law st Oxford and she was teaching school. The Spurlings reside in Bermuda.
    The third rubbing follows the stone rubbings technique developed by the Chinese 1,000 years ago. It is a rubbing of an Ethiopian wooden cross, using blue oil paint on rice paper. As you face the altar, the Ethiopian cross is on your left and shows St. George, patron saint of Ethiopia, as a rider on horseback with lance in hand, cloak flying out behind and a crown on his head.
    I had the pleasure of talking with the donor, Martha Caldwell, about the cross. While accompanying her husband, Robert, a political officer with the State Department's Foreign Service, Martha had done historic stone rubbings for various organizations including the East India Company and the Institute of Ethiopian studies.
    She did this cross about 1974. It was a panel from a six foot wooden door which probably had been part of a rock cut church outside Addis Ababa. This Christian shrine had been destroyed but the door panels displaying many intricate cross designs were being protected in a warehouse.
    These detailed and beautiful crosses are a most important part of the religious life of Ethiopian Christians. In fact, Haile Selassie's nephew, Hapte Selassie, asked Martha to leach a young blind boy how to do the cross rubbings so that he could make a living. He proved to be an adept pupil but because of the revolution in Ethiopia, Martha was never able to follow-up on his business acumen. If you're interested in the details of the stone rubbings technique Martha used, she would be happy to answer your questions.

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X. St. Andrew's Art Show

    Many members of St. Andrew's may not be aware that, for seven years (1964-70), this church sponsored a highly successful annual religious art show - one not limited to members of the congregation. The initiative for this step, as with the St. Andrew's Players, stemmed from the rector, Father Robert Andrews. He hoped to stimulate appreciation of religious art and to foster its wider use by the church. The vestry and the congregation approved the proposal, and a parishioner, Garry Lightowler, offered to direct the show, aided by volunteers from the congregation.
     Invitations were sent out to 500 prospective entrants. In reply, there were 136 entries -1 10 paintings and 26 pieces of sculpture or craftsmanship. Both amateur and professional artists entered on payment of a modest entry fee of $1.50 (later increased to $2.00). Several prominent local artists agreed to serve as judges. Entries might be sold, with St. Andrew's receiving a commission of 15 percent.
     The show received favorable notice in the local press, and in succeeding years, interest spread, with the affair becoming increasingly ecumenical. Mr. Lightowler continued in charge except in 1968 and 1969, when another parishioner, W. Preston MacDonald, took over. For the 1970 show, Mr. Lightowlet instituted a change intended to upgrade the quality and prestige ofthe show. Participation was to be by invitation only, extended to artists who had won prizes or had sold entries in previous shows, plus a few other artists selected for their ability.
     After 1970 Mr. Lightowler had to give up direction of the show. No one was found to replace him, and the project had to be discontinued. For various reasons, it has, unfortunately, never been revived.
  Bob Watson

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XI. The All Saints Chapel Font, Part II

    Last September I wrote an article about the All Saints Chapel baptismal font, which was given in 1916 to Epiphany Church in memory of William Henry Backofen (also spelled Bachofen) William Henry died of pneumonia at the age of 15 months and was buried in the Mt. Olivet Methodist churchyard at Glebe Road and 16th Street, Arlington.
    The Epiphany church register entry did not list his parents and the only clue as to whom he was in a handwritten note identifying his grandfather as the Hen. William Gaston Allen of Bluffton, S. C. and his great grandfather as the Rev. Henry M. Denison of Wilkes-Barre, PA. I was fortunate to locate his headstone at Mt. Olivet and learned that his parents were William and Alice D. Backofen.
    It's taken a little time to research further but thanks to the assistance from librarians at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria (VTS) and Arlington's Central Library I've been able to discover quite a bit more about William Henry's maternal ancestry. Had the handwritten note gone back one more generation it would have read: "Great great grandson of John Tyler, 10th President of the United States." I found this to be pretty exciting and without indulging in too many "begats" these are the highlights.
    President John Tyler, (an Episcopalian) and his first wife, Letitia (m. 1813), had seven children, one of whom was Alice Tyler. Alice married the Rev. Henry Mandeville Denison in 1850 while he was Rector of Williamsburg's Bruton Parish. An 1844 VTS graduate, the Rev. Dennison was also fourth Rector of St. Paul's, Louisville and Rector of St. Peter's, Charleston, S.C. (1857-8) Alice died of colic in 1854 at the age of27; and Henry died of yellow fever in 1858.
    Although their marriage was brief and their deaths premature, Henry and Alice had a daughter, Elizabeth Russell Denison, born in 1852. Elizabeth married William Gaston Allen (1849-1891)who served in the U.S. Consular Service (thus the title "the Honorable".) Their 23 year old daughter, Alice Denison Allen, married William Backofen in 1910. Our William Henry was born in 1913 and died in 1915.
    The reference book I used did not show what happened to William Henry's father but it did show that his mother married one Raymond Pierson Nicholson in 1919.
    When I started this project some eleven months ago I was curious to know what this child's tie-in was to the Episcopal Church in general and Epiphany in particular. I still don't know why one of our original parish churches (Grace and Epiphany) was the recipient of this graceful old font; however, I feel we've more than established his Episcopal heritage.
  Barbara Kelly   From The Consecration of a Church, Book of Common Prayer, p. 569 The Bishop moves to the Font, lays a hand upon it, and says:
Father, we thank you that through the waters of Baptism we die to sin and are made new in Christ. Grant through your Spirit that those baptized here may enjoy the liberty and splendor of the children of God.
V. There is one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism,
R. One God and Father of all.
We dedicate this Font in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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XII. The Glass Altar Panels

    In early 1960 when plans were being refined for the "new" St. Andrew's, the Rector, Father Andrews, Senior Warden Howard R Massey, and Building Committee Chairman, Albert S. Nemir, appointed various subcommittee chairmen. Judge Charles N. Hulvey, Jr. was in charge of memorials. This subcommittee was tasked with suggesting appropriate items for memorials along with estimated costs. They were also charged with relocating existing memorial gifts and making preparations for a permanent memorials committee which would supervise, install, arrange for dedication and give proper recognition for all memorial gifts.
    The Memorials subcommittee held its first meeting on March 7, 1960 at 2213 N. Pollard. It was obvious from the beginning that they would have to maintain close liaison with the Architecture, Finance, and Furnishings and Equipment subcommittees. Their proposed list of memorials pretty much jibes with the church furnishings we see today.
    While receiving a memorials folder in the archives I ran across a number of handwritten notes, some of which concerned the individual glass panels in the altar rail. The forty sand blasted panels were designed and executed by The Willett Stained Glass Studios of Philadelphia. The diversity of their artists is apparent in that they also produced the chancel and facade windows as well as the windows in All Saints Chapel. The original cost was $50.00 per panel.
    Installed in 1962, the panels were based on the Benedicta, omnia opera Domeni - A Song of Creation, from the Book of Common Prayer. This joyous canticle is part of Morning Prayer (page 47 for Rite I or page 88 for Rite II.) The tract rack in the narthex has a blue booklet entitled "The Ornamental Glass of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church," and page 7 lists all forty panels which were generously donated by parishioners. I am sure there are interesting stories involving all of the panels but I would like to mention four in particular.
    As one faces the altar, counting from the left is panel #13. "Dews and Frosts" was given by John H. Fess, father of Kenneth B. and John J. Fess. The panel is in memory of John, Jr. who was lost at Pearl Harbor when the USS Arizona was sunk.
    Panel #19, "Light," one of two panels given by a group instead of an individual, was given by the Senior Young Peoples Fellowship, "In Thanksgiving."
    Panel #27, "Seas and Floods," was given by Capt. M. E Thompson, USN, in memory of 26 men of his destroyer, USS Walke, lost in the Korean War, 12 June 1951.
    Panel #33 was originally called "Israel" and is now entitled "People of God (Star of David)." Why? In the 1928 version of the Book of Common Prayer (page 13) we prayed, "O let Israel bless the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever." Our 1979 version of the same canticle reads: "O ye people of God, bless ye the Lord." After President John E Kennedy was assassinated St. Andrew's held a memorial service on November 25, 1963. The special offering was used to purchase panel #33 in his memory.
    When you have a few minutes, take some time to look at these lovely panels; and read the Benedicite, omnia opera Domini (page 47 or 88).
    O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord, praise him and magnify him for ever.
Barbara Kelly

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XIII. The St. Andrew's Oak

    Webster's New World Dictionary defines oak as any of a number of large hardwood trees and hushes (Genus Quercus) of the beech family, bearing nuts called acorns. They've been significant in North America since colonial times. A symbol of strength, oak leaves and acorns are still worn as military insignia to denote grades, job specialties and awards.
    It is interesting that the committee from Grace and Epiphany mission churches chose a building site which was home to a magnificent white oak Quercus Alba. In fact, the first joint service at the Lorcom Lane, Military Road location was held under the oak.
    Ground was broken for the new church (presently All Saints Chapel) at pm on Sunday, May 6, 1951. The fist Rector's wife, Kathleen Fell, recalled that the day dawned with rain but Mr. Fell announced at the two morning services that the ceremony would take place as scheduled and that there would be no rain! The Lord apparently agreed.
    No rain fell while Suffrigan Bishop Gibson turned the first spadeful of earth. This ceremony was followed by confirmation of St. Andrew's fist ten confirmands: Mr. & Mrs. Albert S. Nemir, Mr. & Mrs. Willard E. Scott, Margaret Brack, Russell Clark, Mrs. James Hall, Mrs. Mattie Redcliff, Mary Quinn and Joan West.
    According to historian, Bob Watson, in 1987 Don Frady, then consulting arborist of Arlington, estimated that our oak was approximately 205 years old. This was based on the tree's diameter(41 inches)at breast height (about 4 feet) plus a conversion factor computed from the known growth rate of this particular species. It appears that our oak "sprouted" circa 1782 and it was nominated as a "notable" Arlington tree in 1988. Alas, it did not win this title but the Beautification Committee did allow that it was "indeed distinguished." (At the rate trees are felled here today it may become "the only tree!")
    For many years, in order not to be inundated with too many oaks, volunteer gardeners have spent time pulling acorn sprouts from the Memorial Garden area. However in January of 1992, Fr. Bragg became concerned that a natural or man-made disaster could endanger the oak. He discussed this with parishioner Johnny Johnson who potted 30 "sprouts" later that year. By 1994 they were large enough to use as Bazaar centerpieces and were offered for sale as two year old seedlings. According to Johnny they're difficult to Brow and no one in the past had been successful in growing the St. Andrew's oak offspring. However we do know that one of this batch of 30 made it because Harry Amos took one home and nurtured it along.
    On Sunday, October 29, 1995, after the eleven o'clock Eucharist (at which time the organ's Trompette en Chamade and the newly sealed nave ceilings were dedicated to the Glory of God and in memory of Mrs. Johnny Johnson, and the young oak was transplanted with proper ceremony and blessings. It's located liturgically east of All Saints Chapel. Harry keeps a watchful eye on it and we've all been delighted with its health and growth.
And out of the ground the Lord God ;made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight...
Barbara Kelly     CORRECTIONS TO LAST MONTH'S HISTORY ARTICLE On page 7 of History Article #13 in the October 1999 Net, according to Bob Kursch, the Newcomer organ was a 30-rank (not 3-rank) instrument of American - not German - origin. Names and/or titles in paragraph 4 of the same article should read: Noah Greenberg (not Greenber), The New York Pro Musica, Fernando Germani (not Gedman), and Mrs. Cynthia (not Mrs. Roland A) Hoover. If you spot errors in these historical articles please let us know. Better to do it now than after we publish.

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XIV. The St. Andrew's Program for Young People, Part 1

    This is the first of two articles on the St. Andrew's program for young people (those of high school age). For the first few decades of its existence, St. Andrew's maintained an active program to harness the abilities and enthusiasm of young people, to enable them to deepen their understanding of the Christian faith, and to provide them with worthwhile social activities. The program began modestly in 1951 with 20 members. It expanded along with the growth of the congregation. By 1960 membership had grown to 65, divided into two groups, for senior and for junior high schoolers respectively. From the outset, the youth group contributed significantly to the life of the church. They put on a "Feast of Lights" for Epiphany, sponsored Shrove Tuesday dinners for Lent, assisted with Christmas tree sales, and raised money to purchase a movie projector for the church. A notable speaker at one of their meetings was John Walker, the first African-American to attend the Virginia Theological Seminary, later Bishop of Washington. Leadership for the youth group was provided by the assistant rector, seminarians, and members of the congregation.
    During the ensuing decade, the youth group continued to grow. By 1970 it totalled 180 members, and had been split into three groups, with grades 9 and 10 becoming a separate group that took the name of "St. Andrew's Youth" (SAY). There was also a "post-graduate" of 25 ex-high schoolers.
    The increase was by no means due solely to the expanding membership of St. Andrew's. The dynamism of the program attracted outsiders' well. Thus in January 1960, of the 36 members of SAY, only a third were Episcopalians and not all of these were from St. Andrew's. Forty percent were Roman Catholics; others included Baptists, Methodists, and Jews.
    Another reason for the expanded youth program was the charismatic leadership of the associate rector, the Rev. Herbert K. Lodder, who had a special "vocation" for working with young people. More will be said about this in the next article.
Robert J. Watson

HISTORY NOTES
#l In response to our query in History Article No. 15 in December's Net, Mrs. Jody Tiedemann called to say that she had donated the Sanctus bells. Thanks Jody.
#2 If anyone has a few hours to help sort old bulletins, etc. in the church archives, we could certainly use the assistance. Please contact Bob Watson or Barbara Kelly.

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XV. The St. Andrew's Program for Young People, Part 2

     This is the second of two articles about the St. Andrew's youth program. The Rev. Herbert K Lodder became associate rector of St. Andrew's in 1962. With the support of Fr. Andrews, he focused his energies primarily on the young people of the parish, with whom he enjoyed an extraordinary rapport. The decade of the 1960's was the "golden age" of the youth program at St. Andrew's. No doubt a portion of its success reflected the heightened religious idealism of young people generally during that era.
     Among the new activities begun by the young people under Fr. Lodder's leadership, an important one was a series of retreats to Shrine Mont. This became an annual affair, usually twice a year. The young people themselves planned the program, which mixed serious study and worship with recreational activities. These retreats proved so popular that in 1969 the entire congregation began a similar series of retreats to the same location.
     The senior youth group launched an impressive outreach program, in which members undertook missions to various parts of the United States, also to Canada and Latin America. This was at no expense to St. Andrew's, since the participants themselves raised the money for their trips.
     Beginning in 1965 the youth group conducted folk services at St. Andrew's, usually once each month, with Fr. Lodder as celebrant. The music, led by the young people, consisted either of folk hymns or of modem compositions in the same idiom. The youth group put out their own hymnal entitled "Now Let Us Sing". They also formed a singing group, which issued two recordings of folk hymns.
     The youth program spread beyond St. Andrew's. When the Arlington County recreation department found it necessary to discontinue the dances they had been sponsoring, owing to friction accompanying the civil rights movement, St. Andrew's youth filled the bill. They began a series of twice-monthly dances in our undercroft, open to everyone. Members of the congregation volunteered as chaperones, and off-duty Arlington police officers provided security. These went on for several years until the racial friction in the county declined and the recreation department resumed sponsoring dances. While these dances lasted at St. Andrew's they filled a genuine community need.
     Fr. Lodder left St. Andrew's in 1972 to become rector of his own church. The youth program at St. Andrew's continued for some years thereafter, but it never attained the scope and volume of activity reached in the 1960's. The number of young people attending St. Andrew's declined, and other activities competed for their attention and energies. Let us hope that eventually St. Andrew's may again enjoy a vigorous and vibrant program of youth activities.
Robert J. Watson

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