[Choir] Here's to Harris!!

Thu Mar 2 09:28:52 CST 2023

Renee,  thank you so much for sending this memory in.  And congratulations
to Harris for, once more, showing up as a true merch.

On Wed, Mar 1, 2023, 8:17 PM Mary Alice Bisbee via Choir <
choir at unitarianchurchofmontpelier.org> wrote:

> Who would have ever guessed it, Renee!
>
> On Wed, Mar 1, 2023 at 1:16 PM tom--- via Choir <
> choir at unitarianchurchofmontpelier.org> wrote:
>
>> Very cool connections!
>>
>> On Mar 1, 2023, at 12:31 PM, Renee Lagala <renee.lagala at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Hello, all.
>> Even though I am not a member of the choir yet (I was a member many years
>> ago and would like to return - waiting for health issues to clear up), I
>> wanted to share that Harris Webster and I go way back! He was my social
>> studies teacher at Everett High School in Lansing, Michigan. (I think it
>> was my junior year - 1970 ish ). He and a language arts teacher decided to
>> teach an integrative course combining history and fiction. (They were way
>> ahead of their time). They asked students to help figure out a name for
>> this course. I came up with Hi-Fi, using the first two letters of History
>> and the first two letters of Fiction. My name was chosen, much to my
>> delight.  (Remember stereo being called hi-fi?) He taught for 40 years in
>> Lansing, even though he is originally from Vermont.  Harris was doing a
>> sermon about Mother's Day at the church years ago after he returned to
>> Vermont, and I didn't hear much of it, due to me racking my brain trying to
>> figure out where I knew this familiar-looking man. Before seeing him in
>> church, I saw him near the post office and almost said hello, but held
>> back. He looked that familiar because he didn't change much!  When I
>> finally figured it out, I approached him after church. What are the odds?
>> Better for him than me, after teaching thousands of kids through the years.
>> I told him about the intimidating dreaded oral test he facilitated and how
>> badly I did (history was NOT my forte, but the fiction part of the course
>> was more to my liking). I just wanted to share this because I think he and
>> his teaching partner were trying to make history come alive with the
>> combination of courses. I still didn't do well in history, but as I look
>> back, it was fun being in that class. He and Mr. Hal Hines had a great
>> rapport and worked well together. If someone had told me my social studies
>> teacher and I would cross paths and I would be wishing him a happy birthday
>> 53 yrs down the road, I would have asked them what they were smoking. HAPPY
>> BIRTHDAY, HARRIS! (I still want to call him Mr. Webster, but I guess I can
>> be more informal now).
>>
>> Renee Lagala (thankfully on the email list)
>>
>> On Wed, Mar 1, 2023 at 11:25 AM MaryJean McKelvy via Choir <
>> choir at unitarianchurchofmontpelier.org> wrote:
>>
>>> It’s been fun watching this thread of accolades re: Harris, who by all
>>> accounts is a kind, classy man and an awesome human being… Also,
>>>  I don’t think even this barrage of compliments on line will change his
>>> humility or his barely concealed love of women… He’s truly one of a
>>> kind  among men…Love, MJM
>>>
>>> On Wed, Mar 1, 2023 at 9:51 AM tom--- via Choir <
>>> choir at unitarianchurchofmontpelier.org> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Ginny mentioned Maeve McBride in a story about Harris, and Maeve
>>>> McBride is preaching this week.
>>>>
>>>> On Feb 28, 2023, at 4:42 PM, Brenda J Bean via Choir <
>>>> choir at unitarianchurchofmontpelier.org> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> These are all wonderful descriptions of Harris!  Harris, you set such a
>>>> high bar for life – modelling what ordinary people can do yet being kind to
>>>> those of us who fail to do all we could.  I’m grateful you are in our
>>>> lives.  Happy birthday!  Love, BB
>>>>
>>>> *From:* Choir <choir-bounces at unitarianchurchofmontpelier.org> *On
>>>> Behalf Of *Lindsay Wade via Choir
>>>> *Sent:* Tuesday, February 28, 2023 8:06 AM
>>>> *To:* Harris Webster <hewebster at comcast.net>
>>>> *Cc:* UCM Choir <choir at unitarianchurchofmontpelier.org>
>>>> *Subject:* Re: [Choir] Here's to Harris!!
>>>>
>>>> Happy birthday Harris.  You are an adventurer, positive thinker, funny
>>>> and definitely a doer.  Best wishes to you!
>>>>
>>>> Lindsay
>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Feb 28, 2023, at 7:08 AM, Catherine Lowther via Choir <
>>>> choir at unitarianchurchofmontpelier.org> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Happy Birthday, Harris!
>>>> Catherine
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Feb 28, 2023, at 7:07 AM, Mazi Marie via Choir <
>>>> choir at unitarianchurchofmontpelier.org> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> HaPpY BiRtHdAy ��Harris!!!!
>>>>
>>>> Diane
>>>>
>>>> On Tue, Feb 28, 2023, 6:03 AM Vamarie via Choir <
>>>> choir at unitarianchurchofmontpelier.org> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Happy birthday to my movement brother!
>>>>
>>>> Let me share a little story. In December 2012, Harris and I were seat
>>>> mates on an early morning departure/late night return bus to Boston for an
>>>> environmental march and rally. It was cold. We marched through a shopping
>>>> district and got a lot of stares. Maeve McBride was one of the speakers.
>>>> Food was served -- food that was scrounged from food that had been thrown
>>>> out by restaurants.and grocery stores. Harris and I both ate it, and it was
>>>> delicious. It was a long, amazing day. That was when we decided we were
>>>> brother and sister in the cause.
>>>>
>>>> Harris never gives up working for a better world! Plus, I think he's
>>>> been in our choir longer than any of the rest of us. He's a great bass, a
>>>> great citizen of the world, and I hope he has a great birthday!
>>>>
>>>> Ginny
>>>> Unitarian Church of Montpelier
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>>>> Unitarian Church of Montpelier
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>>>>
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>>>>
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>>>>
>>> Unitarian Church of Montpelier
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>>
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