Did You Know?

Bannerman and the Stoney Creek Boys, from left to right: Doc Snodderly, Boyd Black, Leonard Hollifield, Glenn Bannerman, George Banks

“Grab your partner and circle up! Say Howdy to your partner; say Howdy to your neighbor.

Now clasp hands and circle left! Everyone join in. Now circle right!”

Another Big Circle Mountain Dance in The Barn was underway.

Glenn Quince Bannerman (1927-2020)

Whether he was crafting his own graduate program at the Assembly Training School in Richmond, Virginia (which in 1959 became the Presbyterian School for Christian Education and in 1997 federated with Union Theological Seminary), educating decades of young church workers, creating opportunities for youth in Richmond, calling Big Circle Mountain dances, or building the Montreat Campground, Glenn Bannerman was a force of nature. He firmly believed that play and recreation were integral parts of worship. After working briefly in city recreation departments, he sought a graduate program that would prepare him to take his passion into the church. Not finding one, he approached the Training School and was able to create one. In 1958 he received a master’s degree in Christian Education and remained as a faculty member to develop the curriculum that he headed until he retired in 1989. In 1968 he compiled and edited Folk Dancing for Fun. The Presbyterian Heritage Center has a copy of this book and many others on folk dancing and recreation from his library.

In the summers, Glenn and his wife Evelyn came to Montreat. In 1968 Larry Wilson hired him as the Director of Club Programs. One of his first decisions was to move the club square dances out of the basement of the gym and into the old skating rink. He also began the Friday Night dances, open for all. In 1969 he organized a dance on the tennis courts for the World Mission Conference. Needing a band, he contacted a colleague in Asheville who referred him to Clyde Cable, a fiddle player for a brand new band. The band agreed to play and, needing a name for the introduction, they chose The Stoney Creek Boys. It was the first professional gig for the band that has been a mainstay for Montreat Big Circle Mountain dances since then. That same year the old skating rink was officially renamed The Barn and remains a lively place on Friday nights during the summer.

Glenn’s passion for incorporating play into worship has manifested itself in other ways in western North Carolina as well. In Montreat, he orchestrated the construction of the campground and, with Larry Wilson, reinstituted the annual July 4 parade. In 1969, at nearby Blue Ridge Assembly, he and Evelyn held a weekend intergenerational folk dance camp. This event has morphed into the Bannerman Folk Camp and continues to be strong. He allied with the Folk Heritage Committee in Asheville to begin another event that has continued annually, Shindig on the Green.

In 1989 Glenn retired from PSCE and moved to Montreat. He remained a vibrant presence in the community, still calling Big Circle Mountain dances with the Stoney Creek Boys through 2019. Rev. Dr. Brian K. Blount, President of Union Seminary at the time of Glenn’s death in 2020, quipped that “even as God has called Glenn to Heaven, I can’t help but believe that Glenn is calling Heaven to dance.”

Thanks to the Presbyterian Heritage Center, especially Nancy Midgette, for this glimpse from the past. Stop by the PHC for additional Montreat history and so much more. Have an idea for a future “Did You Know?”? Let Nancy know at midgette@elon.edu.