Chapter 2 the harvey family

RALPH'S BOATYARD

By summer, I felt healthy enough to sail. I had just registered the Mutineer when someone at church asked if they could use my sailboat to advertise Vacation Bible School. The theme was "Treasure Island." I agreed and towed it to the church. On the way there, a car pulled out in front of me. I had to brake hard and swerve to avoid a collision. The rope which held the boat snapped and the Mutineer slid off the trailer and hit a telephone pole! The driver of the other vehicle continued on his merry way to the beach or casinos while I inspected the damage. In addition to many bad scrapes, the starboard side was caved in where it hit the telephone pole. The youth Pastor of our church just happened on the scene and helped me get the boat back onto the trailer. Soon everyone was talking about me hitting a telephone pole with my sailboat on the way to church! And it wasn't even Sunday! Imagine explaining that to an insurance agent! Unfortunately, the boat was not insured.

KOLIBRI

GLOBE STAR

On May 20, 1984, the scene was much different. A crowd of enthusiastic fans, prominent politicians, camera teams from TV stations and reporters from area newspapers converged on National Park, NJ, opposite Philadelphia Airport, to give Creamer a rousing hero’s welcome. Contrary to nearly every prognosis, Creamer did it! My parents were on hand at the departure and also at his triumphal return. Pop Harvey gave his old friend a 5-gallon bucket of Harvey's honey for the voyage. When Creamer came ashore, he returned the bucket filled with oatmeal from Grenada.

NATURE AND TECHNOLOGY

We take electricity so much for granted that, during power outages, we continue to flip light switches in our search for a candle or flashlight. With no power, food stores close and cars can't get fuel, yet few people are prepared for a natural catastrophe.
Sailors also realize that weather forecasts and technical devices are not always reliable, yet they depend heavily on modern technology and have no back-up plan, should it fail them.
Marvin Creamer knew that nature can be extremely violent and dangerous, but he was also convinced that man is capable of harnessing nature's forces for positive ends. Creamer believed that nature with all its quirks is more consistent and dependable than man-made mechanisms.
The Globe Star ran into 90 mph winds, 40-ft. seas and experienced several knockdowns. Marvin dislocated his shoulder while attempting to take down the storm jib, and two hours later, Globe Star's mast was 45 degrees under water!
Technical and material failures, however, proved as bothersome as storms. One of the first blows to the Globe Star, was a dangerous fire in the galley due to faulty oven construction. Half way between Whangaroa and the Falklands, the “indestructible” stainless steel tiller broke off. Marvin was able to make temporary repairs in a storm and continue sailing to the next port.
During the first leg of his circumnavigation, the transponder, which sent positioning signals to the Coast Guard, quit functioning. Doomsday reporters had a field day speculating on what likely happened. When Creamer arrived in Cape Town, he called his wife, Blanche. She said, "I was expecting your call today." She had more confidence in the navigational skills of her husband than in an electrical gadget!
Creamer expected storms and was prepared for them. He also expected material fatigue and equipment failures. For decades prior to the Globe Star voyage, problem-solving had been a near obsession with Creamer and this served him well.

REDISCOVERING THE PAST

When Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon on July 20, 1969, he made that now famous statement, “One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” Most people assume that there is little left to discover, but Marvin Creamer showed the world a serious deficit. After successfully completing his circumnavigation of the globe without instruments, Creamer told reporters that he had just taken "one small step backwards."
In our insatiable appetite for knowledge, we have become ignorant in many respects. Students who send hundreds of text messages daily can not spell. Knowledge is committed to memory, but that memory is on a hard drive or server out in cyber-space. In man's quest for something new, he tends to forget the past. Few care to learn how grandmother canned fruit and vegetables or how grandpa worked a team of horses and repaired shoes. In our technological arrogance, we are no longer concerned about history and the past. This is a disturbing trend that could lead to disaster.
"Acts of God" have always posed a danger to mankind, but acts of evil men are just as much of a threat. Terrorism is an immanent danger. The explosion of an EMP (electro-magnetic pulse) bomb could destroy all computer chips in a sizable region of our nation, rendering us helpless and vulnerable to enemy attack. Computers, telephones, wrist watches, cars, refrigerators, furnaces, air conditioners and global positioning systems cease to function if the chips are damaged or destroyed.

EXPLORATION

In past centuries, explorers captained fragile wooden sailing vessels across the mighty oceans, discovering new territories and continents. Once man had traveled from Pole to Pole, a new breed of explorers set their sights on the moon and planets, ushering in the space age. More recent exploration has produced the age of technology, also called “The Information Age.”
A number of years ago, a group was attempting to row a small craft from California to Hawaii when their sextant fell into the sea. Fortunately, they had a radio and could call for help. They were connected with Marvin Creamer, who showed them the basics of natural navigation. With his guidance, they made it to Hawaii.
There is much to rediscover!

SUCCESS & FAILURE

Success and failure are like Siamese twins, difficult to separate. Sometimes our failures become successes, and then there are situations in which success leads to failure.
Most great men and women were at first failures. Christopher Columbus sought a western route to India and even after his fourth voyage, he thought he had found Japan and China. Today we celebrate his failures.
It is not the success of Creamer's circumnavigation that makes him worth emulating. It is his determination to do his best that earns our admiration. If he had failed, we would not be celebrating his achievement, but someone else would have learned from his failures and been inspired to give it a try.
Today, we laud Creamer for his determination and celebrate his success.
Ralph V. Harvey

May, 2009

Index

CHAPTER 31 - PIANO TALES

Although neither Verna nor I play the piano, our piano experiences could fill a book.

We thought that each of our children should have an opportunity to play a musical instrument, but the only music teacher in town was an elderly lady who taught piano. After paying $100 for an old piano and another $200 to have it tuned, Becky and Richard began their musical careers. Ralph was not interested in learning to play an instrument, so we didn't push. The piano had lovely woodwork, but didn't stay tuned. It wasn't long before we realized that music lessons could prove to be cheaper than keeping the piano in tune, so when furlough time arrived, we gave the instrument to a Bulgarian refugee who knew how to tune it.
Upon our arrival in America, we moved into the "pink house,“ which my father had bought after it was gutted by a fire. I helped to fix it up before we left for Austria and one of the two apartments was reserved for missionaries on furlough. It was located behind the church, which made it nice for missionaries, but proved to be the house's downfall - literally. A few years later, Pop Harvey needed money to fix up another property and sold the pink house to the church for a very reasonable sum. The church tore the house down to make room for parking.
When I heard about the church's plans, I argued with leaders that the parking problem only existed for one hour a week and razing the house would make room for no more than six cars. One side of the pink house was bringing in $500 per month and the other side cost them nothing because missionaries paid for utilities. This meant the church would be paying over $20 an hour for each parking space! I argued that it would make more sense and cents to pay members who lived within a block or two of the church $10 to leave their cars at home and walk to church on Sunday mornings. My suggestion fell on deaf ears of course, and in the decade that followed, another house was sacrificed to make room for six more cars.
Now to get back to the subject of pianos. Just down the street from the pink house was a large weekly public auction. I noticed that someone had brought a Baldwin piano to be auctioned off, so decided to try my luck at bidding. Baldwin owned the world famous Bösendorfer Piano Company in Austria, so I assumed that this would be a very good instrument. For fear of legal action, I will not continue on this subject, except to say that some fool bid more than I was willing to pay and that purchasing Bösendorfer was a smart move for Baldwin. You can't get sued for compliments, can you?
The auction was not over, however, and there was an electronic organ there as well. By the time the auctioneer got to the organ, many potential customers had gotten tired or run out of cash. Only a handful of people remained at the auction and none of them seemed musically inclined. No one was bidding and the organ was about to go for $40. I quickly bid $50 and got it.
It was a name-brand organ with a split level keyboard and foot pedals. All the keys, pedals and stops worked perfectly, but Verna informed me that our children were taking piano lessons and an organ is NOT a piano!
I asked around the church if anyone was interested in trading us a piano for an organ, and one member took us up on the deal. I should have said "good piano" but I was desperate. After shedding some blood, sweat and tears (I pinched my finger), the organ was delivered and there was a piano in the pink house. Verna smiled and I knew that I had exonerated myself - for a while at least.
We had the piano tuned and the church pianist, who had studied in Vienna and played the church's Bösendorfer, gave our children lessons. The piano we got for an organ also happened to be a Baldwin and it must have been a close relative to the piano we owned in Austria. Our children didn't make nearly as many discords as that instrument.
Pop Harvey had done construction work for a Christian piano dealer, who lived in Greenwich, New Jersey.
You have probably heard of the Boston Tea Party, which made history because settlers dressed up like Indians (Native Americans) and dumped English tea into the ocean in protest of high taxes. Early settlers in Greenwich also had a tea party, but no one ever heard of that one.
We went to see the Piano Dealer in Greenwich, hoping he would take our Baldwin in trade for a newer or at least better model. He sold us a new Korean Kawai upright piano. I can't remember what happened to the Baldwin, but the dealer said that he wouldn't even look at it.
We had priced new pianos in Austria and knew that the Kawai was one of the pricey ones, so after using the piano for the duration of our six-month furlough, we had it air freighted to Munich, Germany for one Dollar per pound. After our arrival, German customs officials demanded about $300 duty for the piano even though I assured them that it was going to Austria. He explained that their officials on the border would reimburse me after showing evidence that I had imported it into Austria. I changed Dollars into Marks and rented a truck. We packed five people, luggage and the piano into the truck and headed for Austria.
It was after 6:00 PM when we arrived at the border. Few Austrians, especially customs officials, worked after that unearthly hour! All stores were closed by six PM and only restaurants and service stations stayed open longer. Actually, we rather liked that peaceful arrangement, but it didn't last. Today, many larger stores are open until 7 or 8 PM on weeknights and until five or six on Saturdays. They are still closed on Sundays. Customs officers who check passports have to work at all hours, but they don't do pianos. I could not take our instrument into Austria until it had been cleared by a customs officer who checked freight.
I called a missionary who lived near Salzburg, and he came to get Verna and the kids. They slept in comfortable beds while I kept watch over the truck by night lest someone steal our piano.
At 6:00 o'clock the next morning, I got in line with all the not-so-polite truckers, hoping to get through customs as soon as possible. When I finally reached the office, I displayed all the necessary documents and was prepared to pay whatever duty was due. It was not to be that simple however. The official shuffled papers around as if looking for something that was missing. Finally, he said that he needed to know the weight of the piano. I have no idea what this has to do with customs, but Austrians are masters of the art and who was I to question an authority? I pointed to the shipping papers in his hands, which gave the weight in both pounds and kilograms, but he wasn't satisfied. "This shipping weight includes the crate" he said, "I need the weight of the piano." I took a brochure from my pocket which I had gotten from the piano dealer. The weight of the piano was also given, so I gave a sigh of relief and offered this for his inspection. "No, we cannot accept your word or this paper. I need a slip from the Scale Master." The customs official pointed out a window to the scales where heavy trucks were being weighed. He explained that I would have to take the piano out of it's crate, place it on the scales and get an official slip from the Scale Master.
It was pouring rain and I was not about to expose our new piano to that! I offered to pay duty on the extra weight of the crate, but with disdain in his voice, he said "We don't charge customs for crates. You must have it weighed."
I knew this to be true, for we once had a landlord who worked for a steel mill in Africa. When it was time to return to Austria, he had the packing crates made out of thick teak planking that weighed more and was worth more than the contents! His employer even paid the shipping costs. He sold the teak "crates" to a veneer factory for enough money to furnish his new home.
I was totally frustrated by this time. I prayed silently, asking God what I should do. There were many impatient truckers waiting in line, and one of them motioned to me with an outstretched hand. I got the message. He was trying to tell me that the customs official simply wanted a generous tip. I am not opposed to tipping when people are nice and efficient. But when they are not nice and don't even do what they are paid to do, nothing can make me give them a tip!
Customs officials operate under a strict hierarchy, so I decided to look for the top brass. I found the central office building for border guards and customs officials, but in order to get inside, it was necessary to ring a bell and explain to the porter exactly what I wanted. I knew that would not work, so I stood in the rain until an official came out. I slipped in before the door closed behind him. The porter was drinking coffee and didn't see me sneak by and up the stairs. I climbed to the top floor where bosses have their offices and sure enough, I found a polished brass plate with an impressive sounding title engraved on it. Hearing voices inside, I knocked briefly, opened the door and walked in.
The "Upper-Upper Customs Official" (as near as I can translate his title) stopped talking and looked at me with a startled look. "Who are you and what do you want?" I addressed him using his proper title, being careful to pronounce his name correctly. "I have a piano to import and Customs Officer Meier doesn't seem to know what to do."
"Did Meier send you to see me?" he asked. "Oh no,“ I replied, "Herr Meier couldn't help me, so I decided to see if you could give me some advice." "How did you get in here?" he wanted to know. I told him politely that I simply came in when someone else walked out. Then I repeated my hope that he could find a way to help me. The other men were looking quite amused by this time and the Upper, Upper Customs Officer asked what my problem was. I came quickly to the point and mentioned that they could hardly expect me to place a brand new piano on the scales in the pouring rain. Culturally gifted Austrians would certainly be more appreciative of fine musical instruments than that! The Upper, Upper must have seen through the ploy, for without a word, he picked up his telephone and dialed a number. When Herr Meier answered, he shouted into the phone, "What's the idea of sending this man up here to bother me with this piano thing? You take care of him right away if you know what's good for you!"
I returned and walked past a long line of truckers into the customs office. Herr Meier looked up and said with an obvious quiver in his voice, "You didn't have to go to the boss; I can take care of you." Within a few seconds he placed the needed stamps on my papers and sent me to the bank. After changing money into Shillings and paying the duty, I walked to the German office and got my Marks back as promised. Of course these had to be changed into Shillings, but I was happy to have it all taken care of. I was ready for a good meal and some much needed sleep!
The piano was exported from Korea to America, air freighted from America to Germany and transported to Austria in a rented a truck. We had to exchange money and pay import duty, but still saved $1,500 over the purchase price for the same Kawai piano if we had bought it in Austria!
One year later, in October, 1984, we opened the Austrian Bible Institute. Hundreds of visitors plus the Mayor and other important people would be on hand for the occasion. A choir was to sing, but the school had no piano. We agreed to move our heavy piano into the assembly room of the school, figuring it would be no problem for our kids to practice their lessons in the school.
By November, 1985, we desperately needed money to keep up payments on the car we bought in May. Becky left for the Black Forest Academy and Rick flew to America to begin college. Someone had donated over $1000 towards a piano for the school, so I asked the Director if he thought the school would purchase our piano. He asked if there was enough money on hand and I replied that there was. Then he said that he could not make that decision; I should ask the other Board members.
I should have known better than to do this by phone, but one by one, I called all but one of the Board members. That person, the treasurer, was in Germany and unreachable. All were in agreement, but a couple thought we should get an official appraisal for the piano. One of the men went to a piano store and checked on the value of our piano. Our asking price was considerably below what they quoted, so as Business Manager, I made the sale. The school got a fine piano for a bargain price and we got out of debt.
At the annual Board meeting in March, 1986, the treasurer asked about the piano purchase because it was in my financial report. I explained and there was no further discussion. In the March 1987 Board meeting, the treasurer of the school accused me of embezzling money (I wrote about this in a previous chapter). He also accused me of selling our piano to the school without permission of the Board. The Director spoke up first, "I don't know anything about purchasing a piano." The Board Member who had checked on its value remembered the transaction, which had occurred two years earlier, but the others had only vague recollections of a phone conversation.
I was crestfallen and surprised at such unfair accusations after all we had done to found the school and keep it solvent in hard times. I had personally insisted that the school we founded should be operated by a Board of Directors and had picked most of them myself. The only reason I accepted the job of Business Manager was because our supporters in America were paying the bills for the first three years. If I had cheated the school, it was our supporter's money!
I said that I knew someone who would gladly buy the piano for more than the school had paid. The Board Member who remembered me asking, spoke up in my defense, "The piano is worth much more than we paid for it and we should keep it."
The Board decided to keep the piano. It served the school well for 14 years and when the second campus was sold, one of the Board members bought the piano for a bargain price.
I wrote about how we obtained and sold pianos for our musical teams in 1976 and 1996 elsewhere.
Index

Directory: documents
documents -> Concept stage
documents -> Concept stage
documents -> The great global switch-off
documents -> Nonprofit grant application
documents -> The Truth about the Rwandan Genocide
documents -> Annual InStructional unit plan
documents -> Chaos equipment included

Download 2.2 Mb.

Share with your friends: