I believe that what fundamentally sets churches apart from so many other community groups, is their open-arms acceptance policy of new folk regardless of their particular station in life. The statement recorded in that grand book of whosoever will, may come, was practiced fervently at the Coopers church and was totally supported by our Youth group. I was approached one Sunday by a senior member of the pastoral care, who said that two new young people, Russell and Trevor, were going to join our planned weekend youth camp at Burleigh Heads Convention Centre. It was explained to me that both young men had some physical impediments and I was asked to take special care of them. So, when the sleeping bunks were allocated in the 8 bed huts on our first night, I was placed in the same hut as the two new invitees. Sharing that same hut were members of the very cool inner club consisting of Greg Hill, Phil Peterson, Peter Johnson, Pip and John Tomlin. Most of them had taken to their bunks by the time I arrived with Russell and Trevor in tow. Our entrance was greeted by a certain hush and a slight sense that look Sam, we are all for your compassionate feelings but couldn’t you go somewhere else and feel them, why in our hut? Still, as too cool as everyone was in that hut, there was no belittling of the new boys, rather just a cramped awkwardness about how to properly conduct one self in this delicate political cum spiritual situation. Now Trevor’s impediment was quite evident in his dragging gangly gait and his obvious need to begin every word with an H. Russell’s impediment was not so obvious at first glance, until he pulled out a huge raw onion from his bag and began to munch it much like one would do to an apple This caused our eyes to water as much from the vegetable’s spray as the attempted containment of don’t laugh this is serious type feelings. To their credit, the too cool boys did attempt to engage in conversation with the new boys, but appropriately directed most questions to the more articulate Russell. Where do you live Russell In Darra, Do you go to school No, we both work, Where abouts at Mach 1, What’s that It’s a place where us handicapped people work. Now you could feel the tension in the room notching up a little more with none of us really knowing where this was all going to lead and whether any of us would inadvertently say or ask the wrong thing. Trevor remained quiet during the entire time of this discourse but one could sense from the brightness in his eyes that he was following the conversations intently. The next natural question asked by too cool – yet sensitive Greg was What do you do there. Trevor’s loud interjection as he rock back and forwards on the bed with hands clasped together and his face full of glee, was Hugger Hall. For just a moment no one got it. For just a moment everyone had to drop the letter H and translate Trevor’s intended letter substitute. For just a moment no one dared believe that at this Church camp, that the translated statement could have been delivered into this spiritually sensitive environment by the very person we were politically trying to protect. All of us looked at each other and then we burst out laughing. We got to sleep finally at about 3am that night, but when we did, we could all translate Trevor Halk and besides our stomach muscles needed a respite from the raucous laughter generated by this new comedy paring (just acting normally – for them). Both Trevor and Russell became as close to a real life Abbot and Costello as I have ever experienced. They may have been unsure of the objects of our laughter but they were absolutely sure of their acceptance. They became an integral part of the youth group and were treated always as equals and fully paid up members of the Coopers fraternity, much to the horror and dismay of most of the other far much too cool groups that we encountered.
