Nashville did not have a chapter of The Compassionate Friends until July 1987. David and Peggy Gibson had attended meetings of the small TCF chapter in Clarksville, Tennessee from early 1986 and were urged by the leaders there to start a chapter in Nashville. The Clarksville group had started in 1981 and had served their area well. Nashville’s Alive Hospice had a small support group for bereaved parents that was lead by a professional, Dr. Alix Sharp. It met twice a month but did not seek out newly bereaved parents. The parents that did find help through the hospice group generally stopped attending when they felt better able to cope with their own lives and they were not there to be role models to the newly bereaved as would occur in a TCF chapter.

      In early June 1987 the Gibsons met with Terry MacDonald, who had formed a Mother’s Support Group in Brentwood, and Bob and June Knabe. These five decided to request permission from the National Office of The Compassionate Friends to establish a Nashville chapter. It was decided that the chapter would meet in the afternoon of the second Sunday of each month. This was a fortunate choice as it permits people to drive from out of town to the meetings and it doesn’t require a mother to drive across town on a weeknight. By being on the second Sunday, major holidays are avoided.

       Letters were written to several organizations requesting permission to use their facilities as a meeting place on the second Sunday afternoon of each month. The letter sent to Dr. Thomas F. Frist, Jr., President of Hospital Corporation of American (HCA), resulted in permission to use the dining room in their headquarters building on Park Plaza, just north of Centennial Park. Dr. Alix Sharp encouraged the establishment of the chapter and supplied a mailing list of bereaved parents as did the Clarksville TCF chapter. A letter was sent to the names on these mailing lists announcing the new Nashville chapter. The first meeting was held on July 12, 1987 with about 17 parents attending. David Gibson accepted the role of chapter leader with Peggy Gibson becoming the newsletter editor, Bob Knabe treasurer and Kay Ivey librarian.

      All local funeral homes were visited, given TCF brochures and samples of the chapter newsletter and asked if they would provide the addresses of newly bereaved parents when called. All but one of the funeral homes agreed and were glad that such a support group was available. Our outreach chairperson then sends a sympathetic letter, brochures and helpful articles to the bereaved, telling them about the chapter and inviting them to the monthly meetings.

       Newspaper articles in The Tennessean and in area newspapers along with interviews on three radio programs also helped in getting the word out to the general public that the chapter existed.

       In an effort to hold down the cost of printing and distributing the monthly newsletter, David Gibson contacted several businesses with the result that the J. C. Bradford company agreed to send the newsletter by first class postage through their mailroom. Within a few months the Dominion Bank agreed to a similar arrangement with the results that each of these businesses provided postage on alternate months. In the spring of 1989 Insty Prints on Elliston Place agree to print the newsletter free of charge. With the generous support of these three businesses the financial needs of the chapter were taken care of and eliminated the need for the chapter to have fundraisers.

        During 1988 bereaved parents from Murfreesboro and Tullahoma attended our meeting with an interest in establishing chapters of their own. We encouraged them to do so and in both towns the Gibsons met with them during their early months and helped them get started.

       The need for a steering committee was recognized and with the help of Denny and Shirley O’Donnell a committee was organized in 1988. Members who have served on the steering committee through the decade of the 90’s have been: David and Peggy Gibson, Denny and Shirley O’Donnell, Larry and Julie Crist, Bonnie Rodgers, Roger and Deborah Wiseman, Mike and Paula Childers, Pat and Ellen Donlon, Kenneth and Kathy Hensley, Polly Moore, Mary Conway, Lamar and Joy Bradley, Deanie Gregory, Dan and Candan Gardner, Joe Ladd. As attendance at chapter meetings began to be forty or more, it was important to have a large enough steering committee to provide sharing table facilitators and to function in other areas.

       The Nashville chapter has been invited to make panel presentations for various professionals organizations such as: nurses, church groups, civic clubs, law enforcement personnel and annually to graduate students in counseling at Peabody College and second year medical students at Vanderbilt. In 2000 the chapter was able to have a thirty minute video program about TCF on the cable access channel three times a week with only a $25 annual cost to the chapter. This provides good information about the work of The Compassionate Friends to the newly bereaved and the general public as well.

      In October 1990 chapter leadership was transferred to Bonnie Rodgers and Larry Crist as co-leaders, with Mike Childers as treasurer. After a few months, Larry resigned as co-leader. Bonnie and Mike finished out their first term of two years and were elected for a second two-year term. Following Bonnie, Polly Moore was elected for a two-year term starting January 1995 with Kenneth Hensley as treasurer. After finishing their two-year term they were elected for a second two-year term. Paula and Mike Childers were elected to be co-leaders of the chapter starting in January 2001 with Mary Conway serving as treasurer.

       Special events are held during the year. An event is held each June that is well attended. In the past the group has released balloons and began by going to Centennial Park. Later a picnic was added to this event. The December meeting is the Candlelight Memorial Service, and it has attracted as many as 250 family members. It is a very meaningful experience for all.

      The steering committee has gone on a few weekend retreats to attend to chapter business and to get to know one another better. In the fall of 1997 and the spring of 2000 the group went to Henry Horton State Park and in the fall of 2001 it expects to go to Montgomery Bell State Park. Committee members pay their own expenses at these retreats.

      A major undertaking for the Nashville chapter was the sponsorship of the 1998 National Conference of The Compassionate Friends. With much planning and a lot of work on the part of the steering committee a very effective conference was held at the Renaissance Hotel, July 3-4, with about 1,200 people attending. At this conference, Karen Taylor Good, the sister of Bonnie Rodgers, introduced the song, Precious Child that she wrote especially for this conference. It is now used by TCF chapters around the world.