Tradition in the 'shaking'

By LAUREN L. DILLARD

Of the News-Register

HOPEWELL - The ingredients dripped from the table tops - splashing into small puddles - then the rivulets of milk-products suddenly stopped as wash cloths wiped them away.

The McCabe Chapel just outside of McMinnville hosted its ninth annual ice cream social on Sunday. Considering the church has no running water, it was a bit messy.

"It's just something I always wanted to do," said Ruth Buntele, a McCabe churchgoer and the organizer of the event.

Buntele manned the station for ice and salt. It was her idea nine years ago to start the tradition, after moving to Oregon from New Jersey.

"This is a very countryfied area," Buntele said.

One cup of whipping cream, one cup of whole milk and a half-cup of sugar were poured into small coffee cans, while some ice cream connoisseurs added a splash of vanilla as well. The cans were nestled into larger coffee cans. The space between the cans was filled with ice and sprinkled with rock salt.

After snapping on the plastic lids, kids and adults alike donned mittens and shook the cans for a solid 10 minutes.

In his blue and green-knit mittens, youngster Joey McGhehey shook until his lid fell off, which happened more than once.

"You're putting on too much, that's why it keeps falling off," complained Joey to Buntele.

After shaking for the first 10 minutes, water was drained off, new ice and salt were added and 10 more minutes were passed shaking the cans.

According to William Cleek, a longtime McCabe member, the church is the only Methodist church in Oregon with an outhouse. Built in 1886, the church hasn't always had electricity and is still heated with a wood stove.

The rope connected to the church bell hangs just inside the front door within an arm's length of the Sunday school room.

"It's just special," said licensed local pastor Margaret Golden. "We have kids and we have old people."

She explained that even strangers to McCabe feel like they've come home while at the church. Golden is the pastor for McCabe United Methodist Church and Amity United Methodist Church.

"This is what church is about," Cleek said, pointing out that talking and being heard are key traits of community. "It's the people."

One can of ice cream makes more than enough for two people. It makes enough for the community to share.

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