Chicken Man

One of the regular features on my Youth Group Hotline over the years was a character called Chicken Man.  Each week he would be introduced the same way, with me saying in my best game show announcer voice, "And now...another amazing adventure in the life of the greatest superhero the world has ever known...CHICKEN MAN!!!  (He's everywhere, he's everywhere!)."  In my imagination, CM looked something like the guy in the chicken suit on the right- a real superhero type.  Little did I know that I would meet the Caped Clucker on our Floridays 1993 trip- and he would be nothing like I imagined!

Mark Rumley was an unassuming married man, father of two girls at the time (and one son since), and uncle to a number of students involved on our youth ministry.  Mark and his family attended a local Methodist church, but they often hung out with us Quakers for special events.  I knew Mark to be a good (and pretty normal) guy.  He had asked if he could join us on this Disney trip and I was glad to have him along.  I had no idea what we were about to unleash on WDW...

At first I wasn't suspicious of his costume.  It seemed like typical tourist clothing- a t-shirt (tucked in), shorts, sun glasses, fanny pack and fluorescent pink baseball cap.  We all commented that having Mark with your group was like having a secret signal, because his hat could be seen from all over the parks.  But it wasn't until later in the week that his true identity became known to us.  We were at the Magic Kingdom, near Cinderella's Castle, waiting for one of our daily check-ins when someone mentioned being hungry.  Quick as a flash, mild-mannered Mark Rumley changed in front of our eyes, opening his fanny pack to reveal...FRIED CHICKEN!  And not just any fried chicken- the amazing chicken that he had gathered from the tables at Hoop-de-doo several nights before!  We were all a bit stunned.  It was 95 degrees in the shade, and this man was carrying two day old fried chicken in his fanny pack.  Needless to say, we were a little hesitant to accept this offering.  But Mark, now fully in Chicken Man mode, pulled out a piece and began to eat.  I don't remember if anyone else joined in- I just know I didn't.  I know that Mark did indeed have super powers, because he never got sick from eating that bird.  For the rest of the trip, we would wonder what miraculous things he might have in that fanny pack. 

We kidded Mark unmercifully about the chicken and about his hat, and he was always a great sport about it.  When we presented the slide show of the trip in August of 1993, every time a picture of Mark came on the screens the soundtrack was playing the theme music from The Twilight Zone.  One of my parting gifts when I left Springfield Friends Meeting in 1994 was a fluorescent pink hat, just like the one Mark had worn.  I have many great memories of that trip, but without a doubt the discovery of the true identity of Chicken Man ranks high on my list. Thanks Mark, for the memories and the friendship.  I hope you are still using your powers for the good of humanity by distributing only the very best fried chicken...  Join us again tomorrow, when we won't have any superheroes but you can hear the tale of our performance of the musical Grease at the Beaches and Cream Soda Shoppe!  Don't miss it!

Because of Jesus,