34
—Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, December 23,1978
6 Muppeteers 9 used to convey Christmas message 9
By JOYCE BUPP
Staff Correspondent
HAMETOWN - The
Christmas message has been
told in countless times and
places and in a variety of
ways.
But few Christmas
programs could be more
endearing than the “Mup
peteers,” a delightful half
hour program of song and
inspirational entertainment
created by members of the
Calvary Bible Church,
Wilson Avenue, Hanover.
Muppets are those alxnost
human creations, originally
designed for use with the
children’s educational
television series, “Sesame
Street.” They became
popular overnight and
caught the attention of the
Muppet cast members lead the group in the singing of “Silent Night.”
Bicksler hired by Heritage
EPHRATA Dean
Bicksler of 1107 Sandhill
Road, Lebanon, has been
hired as a salesman for the
Heritage International
dealership, here.
No stranger to
agribusiness, he has
previously worked with
Wengert’s Dairy and the
Stanford Seed Company. He
and his wife, Karen, own and
operate a small farm in
North Lebanon Township.
The couple has three sons.
nation with their own
program, “The Muppets.”
Richad and Jean Mould,
Hanover, have been
fascinated for many years
with puppetry. They saw the
muppet-puppets as an ideal
medium for deepening the
understanding and religious
faith of the children within
the Hanover congregation.
Programs were written
and taped with ac
companying music, while
Richard designed a portable
stage of metal and maroon
velvet fabric. Muppets kits
come through a California
company, Puppet
Productions.
“The idea of the muppets
is to help spread the gospel
in a unique and entertaining
way, with a moral and a
purpose worked in
Dean Bicksler
throughout the program,”
says Richard Mould,
referred to by the puppet
characters as “The Boss.”
Two regular monthly
appearances are scheduled
on the church’s calendar,
with additional appearances
scattered at other intervals.
Church members assist in
staffing the backstage and
operating the puppets. Jean
Mould serves as a sort of
head puppeteer and operates
“Virgil,” a brilliant-orange
lion who is the program
emcee and steals the show
with his endearing per
sonality.
The Muppets entertained
at the annual Christmas
family banquet of Society 11
of the York County Farm
Women, held at St. Paul
Lutheran Church last week.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -
USDA recently made its
largest single telephone loan
in history. Recipient of the
$60.5 million loan was the
Puerto Rico Com
munications Authority, San
Juan. Telephone service will
be extended for the first time
to 43,000 rural residents and
upgraded for almost 22,000
others. Funds were provided
by USDA’s Rural Elec
trification Administration.
ONE PRAYER...ONE HOPE
OBERHOLTZER ROOFING & SIDING
Assisting the Mould’s
during the program were
Deb Wickline, Beth Meckley
and Steve Wildasin.
While the Farm Women
□ Please send me color catalog on the Cherokee horse stock trailers and GN flatbeds.
I Address
Phone
ay the Peace and Happiness
of the Christmas Season
he yours forever more!
Our ferrant thanks to aIL
RD #2 EAST EARL, PA. 17519
PHONE: 717-354-7561
RT. 322 & FETTERVILLE ROAD
appearance was one of the
few outside presentations
given to date by the Mup
pets, the group is interested
in sharing their muppet
message with church and
State
community organizations.
Additional information may
be obtained by contacting
the Moulds at their home or
through the Hanover
Calvary Bible Church.