Highfalls, Ulster County, N. Y.
By six o'clock Thursday morning, July eighth, 1937, hundreds of FATHER DIVINE Followers were hastening to the steamboat landing, 132nd Street and Hudson River, on the way to the excursion which was to take them to the grand official opening of beautiful Greenkill Park, the Promised Land, Ulster County, N.Y.
Before 7 AM two long lines of Followers stretched back on the boat landing three or four abreast, while many smaller groups stood and sat about. Around 7:30 FATHER arrived and went on the boat, and some time after, the boat left the dock.
His Royal Majesty delighted the Children by going around the decks and allowing some of the Brothers to photograph HIM, and later HE graciously posed for the newspapermen. HE was like a boy in HIS pleasure in everything, straddling a railing to get from the lower to the higher level of the top deck. Afterward HE spent some time beside one of the two bands which played almost continually.
During the forenoon FATHER sat on a platform while one of HIS recently published Messages was read and after more testimonies and songs HE delivered another personally very practical and forceful. In this HE called attention to the great privilege of the excursion and how they were made possible by sacrifices HE and some of the co-workers had made.
FATHER said HE had asked more that 1500 of the Followers not to go on the excursion and to remain outside the Promised Land until they were free and independent. HE said: "Think of an outing like this, where the weather is guaranteed to be favorable and you are insured against accidents and disasters. See if any of the scientists who study the weather. Tell them to join with ME. The cosmic forces work harmoniously with us because of the unity of all of you with ME. In all of our assemblies we are trying to unify man with man."
Arrived at King's Town, the Children sought transportation to Greenkill Park. But the buses, contrary to their agreement for a fare of 10 cents per person, which had been announced in New York, wanted 20 cents. The Followers refused to pay this, as FATHER had told them to do; and many hired smaller cars, the rest starting to walk. However, when FATHER arrived a the park and learned of the situation, He asked those who had cars to go back and pick up the wayfarers; thus all were furnished a pleasant means of reaching the park. Before the last comers had arrived it was learned that all the sleeping accommodations in the hotel and the several cottages were already reserved and the other excursionists had to arrange for space at other extensions High Falls, New Paltz, etc. Even at that a great number slept on rugs and blankets spread on the grass around the hotel and even in autos.
Greenkill Park
During the afternoon of Thursday the children amused themselves with baseball, tennis, cricket and swimming in the pool near the hotel, also in other ways. In the early evening a banquet was served with many guests present. At the end FATHER again poured forth one of HIS wonderful Messages and afterward asked the guests to speak.
The first to respond was Captain Millard Bloomer, whose enthusiastic support of FATHER and HIS Work is well known to the Followers. He thanked FATHER for the great privilege of being present on this occasion as HIS guest and bringing an old friend, Mr. Winthrop Booz, retired from active business. Captain Bloomer also spoke with great joy of the progress of the Righteous Government work as it is spreading all over the world. Later on, in a private conversation, he told how FATHER had fulfilled his life-long desire for a being who was worthy of his whole heart's love and devotion.
Charles Becker, of Newark, also thanked FATHER for the wonderful privilege accorded him and his family as FATHER'S guests. He said FATHER had taken Heaven out of the hands of the politicians and put it in the hands of the people. That the politicians had demanded all things for themselves andgiven the people nothing, but FATHER has received nothing from the people and given them everything. He also mentioned two who were opposed to FATHER and HIS work, one of whom is now a paralytic and the other a church leader fell from a ladder and suffered a broken leg.
Equally enthusiastic was Mr. Sidner, practical politician, of Ulster County. Although he has known FATHER only a short time, he has already become HIS hearty supporter; and whereas he was formerly one who enjoyed the reputation of being able to "put away" quite a quantity of liquor, he has now stopped drinking it entirely. Mr. Sidnar said some politicians who had accompanied him to Greenkill Park were amazed at FATHER'S works, and being unable to remain to the banquet, had asked him to express for them: That FATHER had already done more for Ulster County than all the men in it.
What a joy to hear these expressions of appreciation and support from "hard- headed" men in the different walks of life!
Some of the other guests of FATHER on this occasion were Fred Dickens, a real estate dealer, and W. G. Clerk, both of the Democratic Association of the 19th Assembly District, New York City; and the following from Poughkeepsie, N.Y.; Counselor Bolin; H.E. Sundelle and two friends, J. R. Ryan and Jas. A. Ross; the last being Consultant, Adviser and Arbitrator of Racial Problems for the WPA in New York city, and living in Albany.
In the early evening a meeting of testimony and song started in the theater or auditorium, which later turned into a Righteous Government Meeting with plenty of spirit although not so many in numbers, for many of the children who had secured accommodation for the night in other extensions were obliged to leave Greenkill during the afternoon whenever it was possible to get means of conveyance.
The meeting was conducted by Happy Heaven, a resident of the High Falls Extension and in the Promised Land candy business there. One of the brothers from a distant extension, stopping in New York, said that before he had come to New York he had thought he knew FATHER DIVINE was GOD, but today he realized how little he had known and understood HIM. "I truly love GOD, FATHER DIVINE with my whole heart, mind, and soul and strength."
The Chairwoman of the Righteous Government Department in the Promised Land compared FATHER'S renovation of the old houses and other buildings in the Promised Land to HIS wonderful renovation of the minds, souls and bodies of the followers. She showed how people of the vicinity are coming to look upon FATHER'S Work, by relating that a group of strangers, when invited to visit the buildings of the Krumville Extension, would not even leave their car because they felt they were not properly dressed to go onto the grounds. Also, one of the Followers of the Promised Land had been chosen to run one of the largest private farms in Ulster County.
A sister from New Rochelle told of her ignorance about voting before she became a Follower. She knew so little about registering and voting that she did not know whether her ballots were correct enough to be counted. Now, after taking the class instruction in registering and voting, she is instructing a political class herself.
At the end of the meeting announcement was made that FATHER in HIS Love for HIS children, had made if possible for them to have a longer stay at Greenkill than first planned by arranging for the boat to leave for New York at eight or eight-thirty P.M.
Two banquets were held on Friday the ninth, and a demonstration, but space prohibits giving details of the banquets as well as many other features of the event.
Taken from The "Spoken Word" July 13, 1937 A.D.F.D., Pages 1,