A Tin Cup Brings History and Fond Memories to a Friend

By Andy Nixon

Our maintenance conference giveaway in May was nothing outrageous. As we like to say, we are ballers on a budget. Perri had done a phenomenal job crafting our booth space into an outdoor camping theme, complete with a mock campfire. We handed out a simple tin cup with the MRO Insider logo to match the camping feel. When joined around the campfire by Dendall Wood, the AOG boss at Stevens Aerospace and Defense, our team learned what a tin cup could really mean.?

Dendall sat and held the cup in his hand, sharing the story of a natural spring located behind the church he attends in Ware Shoals, SC. The Methodist church was established in 1825 after the Indians gave the land to the group. He shares “back behind the church, there is a natural spring in the woods, my great great great grandfather, Captain Billy Wood is buried at the Mt. Bethel cemetery; he was a captain in the Civil War.” Billy had learned of the spring in the 1800s. He adds “my father and uncle used to take my cousins and me down the path to the spring, which is such a fond memory."?

“My father always carried an old tin cup on his belt, just like this one, and when we got to the spring, he would dip the cup in so we could all take a drink." He continued “I could remember walking back and drinking the water at the age of four, back in 1971", which he still claims is “the purest water in South Carolina”. As a company, we search high and low for a sense of emotion in our marketing. When Dendall shared his story, we became enamored with how vivid the memory was. Days after returning from the show, he sent us a photo of our cup being dipped into the sacred spring, just as his father’s tin cup had done in the past.?

In today’s fast-paced world, we tip our hats to Dendall and anyone else who can recall these fond experiences. If you ever have the chance, sit down and ask him about the history. With a simple cup, we were able to learn a fascinating story that will be shared repeatedly. History, especially that of our families is so important. This story is something that inspires the team at MRO Insider. Take a moment to sit back and listen to those previous generations; what you find may be a surprise. What does your??“tin cup” look like??