MONTREAT ADULT SUMMER CLUB
Welcome to Montreat Adult Summer Club’s website.
2025 Programs
Enjoy the videos of each of the 2025 Programs.
July 9 - Click here to see the video.
David Fleming
Which Came First: The MecDec or
The Declaration of Independence?
ESPN award-winning senior writer David Fleming was curious about the “May 20, 1775” on the North Carolina flag, and he stumbled on quite a controversy. After extensive global research, he became convinced the Mecklenburg Declaration (MecDec) of Independence was real and was signed on May 20, 1775 by over 25 mostly Scots-Irish Presbyterians who were highly respected patriots opposed to English domination. This was close to fourteen months before the Declaration of Independence was signed in July 1776, and John Adams leveled plagiarism accusations at Thomas Jefferson for using the MecDec document language when he wrote the Declaration of Independence.
Many historians doubt that the MecDec happened, but on the Centennial of the MecDec signing, May 20, 1875, 40,000 people traveled to Charlotte/ Mecklenburg County to celebrate MecDec when Charlotte's population was only about 6,000. Also, eleven US presidents acknowledged the authenticity of MecDec, along with such notables as David McCullough, Ken Burns, George Will, and Cokie Roberts.
Fleming's book, Who’s Your Founding Father?, is both very entertaining and informative, and you can make up your own mind about this debate after you listen to Fleming. You can also determine what Dick and Lila Ray and Hugh Alexander had to do with this MecDec controversy.
Righton McCallum
Scottish Roots in the Modern World
Did you know that one-fourth of the US population has at least one Scottish ancestor? And even closer to home, nearly every Cherokee Native American has at least one Scottish ancestor.
Righton McCallum is a retired English teacher and research librarian living in Montreat. She has taught the Local History and Research course for North Carolina Department of Archives and History at Blue Ridge Community College in Hendersonville.
She is also the author of the Folklore chapter in the NC textbook, North Carolina Research. A published author in newspapers and magazines, she has written two books of poetry, The Montreat Gate and Beside the Lake.
She and her husband, Brown, have two sons, three granddaughters, one grandson, and (although they are usually dog parents) they are all owned by a tabby cat!
July 23
Gary Overton
An Insider’s View of the Nashville Music Industry
Gary Overton spent his career in the music business in Nashville. When he retired in 2015, he was Chairman and CEO of Sony Music Nashville where he oversaw the discovery, promotion, marketing, media, and sales of many recording artists, such as Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley and Brooks & Dunn.
Prior to Sony, Overton was Executive Vice President & General Manager of EMI Music Publishing/Nashville for 15 years. During these years, EMI worked with and had hits by virtually every current country music artist, including Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Vince Gill, Carrie Underwood, and Reba McEntire to name a few.
Overton was also personal manager for Country superstar Alan Jackson. He oversaw all aspects of Jackson’s career, including touring, record sales, media appearances, marketing, and radio promotion. It was under Overton’s guidance that Jackson won his first CMA Entertainer of the Year award as well as many other awards from the Grammy’s, the Academy of Country Music, and the People’s Choice awards.
He is currently on the board of the Country Music Hall of Fame. Gary and his wife, Jan, have been married for 40 years and reside in Nashville.
August 6 Potluck Dinner at 6:00 in Gaither Fellowship Hall
Join us for our end of season annual potluck dinner and old fashioned sing along. Good food, fellowship, and entertainment are guaranteed. The Rockhoppers (Steve Shepherd, Mason Blake, Bill Waterstradt, and Tom Donnelly) will lead us in songs we used to sing around the campfire. It will bring up fond memories. See you at Gaither Fellowship Hall at 6:00 on August 6.
Drinks will be furnished. Please bring a salad, sides, main dish, or dessert to share.
2020 AT HOME
PROGRAM #8
TAKE A HIKE MUSICAL 2008
“Take a Hike” performed in 2008 was the first Montreat Madness musical in 25 years and was the first of three recent musicals written and directed by Dr John L Currie. It is a fun community happening that features Andy Andrews in his classic fishing outfit with Heath Rada. The Wilde Boys singing in barrels is memorable and entertaining, along with Sam Sloan, a veteran of many Montreat Madness shows over the years. You will enjoy this musical honoring Wade Boggs and John Mack Walker.
PROGRAM #7
ROCK, ROLL & PRAY, MONTREAT
GROWING UP IN MONTREAT IN THE 50S
Enjoy this show, “Rock, Roll & Pray, Montreat”, written and directed by Dr. John L. Currie. John L died in April, 2015 after doing this musical in July, 2014, the last of several that he created for the community that he loved all of his life.
The community had great fun singing and dancing together. Thanks to the Presbyterian Heritage Center for getting this video on YouTube for easy access enjoyment.
PROGRAM #6
WINDOWS ON THE WOMEN
Montreat Madness Musical : The 2011 “Windows on the Women” in Anderson Auditorium in honor of Montreat women over 100 years, 1911-2011, was written and directed by Dr. John L. Currie. You will see many performers that you know and some people who are no longer in our presence.
PROGRAM #5
"WAY BACK WHEN" SUMMER CLUB 2006
A new video is now available for your stay-at-home enjoyment! Get out your popcorn for a most entertaining program, filmed in 2006, that includes Montreaters Gracie Nichols and Margaret Neale in 20s style bathing suits along with longtime Montreat resident Jim Crook in his 20s attire. Click on the black bar below. In case you missed the videos and Montreat Madness musical posted earlier, you can still watch them below.
PROGRAM #1
ANDY ANDREWS
“From Normandy/D Day & Beyond”, filmed in 2006, features machine gunner Andy Andrews and the group who traveled with Andy to Normandy and other WWll battle sites where so many lives were lost in pursuit of freedom. Andy was Montreat’s first elected mayor and a frequent visitor to Summer Club with his homemade ice cream. Andy passed away at age 92 in 2016, but not before he did everything he could to inform as many people as possible about WWll in tribute to his friends and fellow soldiers who never got to come home from the war.
Click the black rectangle below to see the video.
PROGRAM #3 A PBS “MAN AND MOMENT” PROGRAM ON T. MOFFATT BURRISS
Attached is a PBS interview with T. Moffatt Burriss whose heroic service as a paratrooper in numerous battles, including Operation Market Garden, is detailed in his book, Strike and Hold. Captain Burriss has spent a lot of time in Montreat with his children who all have homes in Montreat. (John, Moffatt, Francis, & Louisa). He spoke about his many battle experiences at a Summer Club meeting in 2015. T. Moffatt Burriss passed away in 2019 at the age of 99.
Click the black rectangle below for the video.
OUR ORGANIZATION
DAFFODIL PARTY
An informal fellowship time in the spring held at the home of Margo & Tyler Smith. Many bring snacks and often wear yellow at the drop-in gathering that is open to all.
PROGRAMS AND PICNIC
For many years, Summer Club has provided enriching and entertaining Wednesday afternoon programs in July for the enjoyment of the community with everyone welcome. The meetings have always been an ideal gathering place for new people to meet their neighbors as well as for summer residents to visit with year round residents. An annual August picnic concludes the summer activities.
MONTREAT MADNESS MUSICALS
Montreat Madness Musicals : Part of Montreat’s rich history that led to the return of the Madness in 2008, 2011, and 2014. The first one we are posting is the 2011 musical that celebrates the centennial of what was for many years the Montreat Woman’s Club that became the Montreat Adult Summer Club. “Windows on the Women” takes a musical look back at the involvement of Montreat women over the years.
