Request to have an opening prayer at the monthly County Supervisor’s Meeting

Alexander “Al” Cuppett

US Army & Action Officer, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Ret

366 Graves Mill Road

Madison, Virginia 22727

10 March 2014

Editor

Madison County Eagle

Madison, Virginia 20227

Subject: Request to have an opening prayer at the monthly County Supervisor’s Meeting

It’s good to see Supervisor Campbell ask for prayer at the Board meetings. Let me tell you all once again the “Madison saga”; from 1990 through 1998.

In January 1990, as the Gypsy Moth ravaged our oak trees, I stood before the Supervisors and stated that since we have the Gypsy Moth invasion one thing is blatantly plain; if we don’t get the Lord’s help we have REALLY GOT this fellow! I got five empty stares.

Well, unbeknownst to most people some “events” as in fervent prayers were offered up weekly and the Gypsy Moth rebuked in the Name of the Lord Jesus each Saturday on WKTR. Lo and behold the moth departed our county; and Kevin Racer, the County Moth Spraying Coordinator, lost his job. However, shortly the appropriated “moth funds” were apparently used to give him another position in the “recreation department”. That “change” was commendable as far as I can remember.

Subsequently, in 1993 I stood before the Supervisors again and admonished, “You know we ought to give the Lord the credit in some manner, lest a worse evil befall us.” And again I saw blank stares.

Once more in 1994 I addressed the “assembled elders” and again exhorted them to, like maybe open the meetings in prayer, huh? “Lest perchance a worse evil befall us”! I even tossed up a big Bermuda onion and said, “Ya know weather, and especially big hailstones, can cause damage; and even kill your cows”.

To wit, 5 inch hail had just that very month fallen in Montana; and Barboursville had just been hit with 6 inches [deep] of dime sized hail! For my effort I was mocked and even “cartooned” in the press hither and yon.

However, for you all with short memories, I wasn’t mocked on 27 June 1995 when “The Bridges of Madison County“, went away”; or were severely damaged in that 500-year storm!

Several years later one past-Supervisor told me in, “You know Al, when my car was wrecked by hailstones in 1998 I remembered what you’d said in 1994”. Yep, and my USMC friend Millard Wood, now gone on to his Eternal Reward, who lived in Hood, had baseball-sized hailstones through his tin roofed gun shop in 1998! I saw them!

So maybe Bill Campbell needs to be listened to this go around – huh? How about it? And if the clergy-folks hereabouts are too timid or embarrassed to open in prayer I’ll volunteer for the job; because Barak Obama can’t fire me as he did that Navy Chaplain!

Respectfully, with warm regards,

Al Cuppett