A Member of the Family, Part 1
Proverbs 3:11-12
Exodus 20:12
Ephesians 6:4
“A Member of the Family, Part 1” is episode #17 of the Adventures in Odyssey audio series. It was written by Susan McBride, and originally aired on March 12, 1988.
Summary
Monty Whittaker-Dowd, Whit's grandson, comes to visit for the summer, and learns a few lessons along the way.
Plot
This episode starts with Whit and Tom Riley waiting at the airport for Monty Whittaker-Dowd, Whit's grandson who is visiting for the summer. But, much to Whit's surprise and dismay, Monty turns out to be a rude, spoiled brat.
After much conflict between the two of them, Whit applies a few house rules which he hopes will set Monty straight.
The next day, Whit takes his grandson to Whit's End to earn a bit of spending money. After Monty is told what to do, he waits for Whit to leave, and decides that he doesn't want to work for the money — or to be there at all! Monty calls his mom and lies about how Whit is mistreating him and demands that she pick him up immediately. Jana refuses, saying she can't pick him up for another week. Angry, Monty slams the phone down and cons a Whit's End employee to open up the cash register and give him some money. Monty then leaves for the movies, very pleased with himself.
When Whit finds out, he does not spare the rod on his grandson. Afterward, Whit explains to Monty why he had to be spanked. Monty responds positively.
After this, Monty finally starts having fun, and even joins up with The Odyssey Coyotes, completely forgetting that he ever called his mother. Everything seems to be going well until Jana finally shows up, very upset.
Discussion Questions
- Do you think Whit had a good reason to spank Monty?
- Could Whit have handled the situation in any other way? Explain your answers.
- Why was Jana so angry with Whit?
- Why was Monty so rude to Whit and Tom?
- What mistakes did Whit make in raising Jana?
- How could he have avoided those mistakes?
- How did he correct them?
Cast
Heard in episode
| Role | Actor |
|---|---|
| John Whittaker | Hal Smith |
| Tom Riley | Walker Edmiston |
| Monty Whittaker | Chad Reisser |
| Jimmy | Bob Luttrell |
| Jana Whittaker-Dowd | D.J. Harner |
| Role | Actor |
|---|---|
| John Whittaker | Hal Smith |
| Monty Whittaker | Chad Reisser |
| Tom Riley | Walker Edmiston |
| Jana Whittaker-Dowd | D.J. Harner |
| Jimmy | Bob Luttrell |
Mentioned in episode
| Character | Mentioned By |
|---|---|
| Phil Dowd | Tom Riley |
| Jenny Whittaker-Dowd | Tom Riley |
| Jerry Whittaker | John Whittaker |
| Jason Whittaker | John Whittaker |
| Heather Bullock | Tom Riley |
Notes
VERSION DIFFERENCE: [view]
- This episode is a re-airing of FP #11: "A Member of the Family, Part 1".
- In the original Odyssey USA broadcast of this episode, Connie replaces Jimmy, who appeared in the Family Portraits version. However, when this episode was broadcast its second time on December 7, 2002, Jimmy returns. This is because the Connie version was lost in the episodes library.
- These episodes did not appear in a mainstream album until 2003, when it was placed in #1: The Adventure Begins. Because of this, the episode features the theme song used at that time.
- Trivia
- Whit's parenting style versus that of Jana Whittaker-Dowd reflects "Old School" versus "Modern" parenting styles.
- Goofs
- Monty watches Whit's television in this episode. However, Whit makes it clear that he does not want to own a TV in #9: “Doing Unto Others”.
Reviews
- At Whit's End: Read
- AIO Update: Read
Quotes
Tom Riley: Well, you know, Whit. It just occurred to me, if Monty wants to. He could be a Coyote.
John Whittaker: What?!
Tom Riley: Well, he can play on the team. The Coyotes. Little League, Whit!
John Whittaker: Oh.
John Whittaker: The boy thought that loving the puppy meant giving him what he wanted, but in this case the most loving thing was to give him what he needed whether he liked it or not. It was the little boy's job to recognize the hidden danger the puppy couldn't understand.
John Whittaker: You see, we all have to live by the rules Monty. I don't just make them up, you know. God is the one who sets down the rules about what people do and how we ought to treat each other. And if I love you, if I really love you, not only will I obey those rules myself, I'll do what I can to see that you do too. I don't get any pleasure out of it. I do it because I love you. and because that's the responsibility God's given me, at least for these few weeks.
Resources
- Episodes aired 6 times
- Episodes in Album 01: The Adventure Begins
- 1988 Season Episodes
- Episodes sorted alphabetically
- Episodes sorted chronologically
- Episodes hosted by Chris Anthony
- Episodes written by Susan McBride
- Episodes directed by Steve Harris
- Episodes produced by Bob Luttrell
- Episodes with sound design by Bob Luttrell
- Episodes with music by Library
- Episodes recorded at Unknown
- Episodes engineered by Bob Luttrell
- Episodes executive produced by Chuck Bolte
- Episodes with cassette numbers
- Episodes with Whit's Invention intro
- Episodes with Normal wraps
- Episodes with theme of Discipline
- Episodes with theme of Family conflict
- Episodes with music by John Campbell
- Episodes with references from Proverbs
- Episodes with references from Exodus
- Episodes with references from Ephesians
- Episodes produced by Steve Harris
- Episodes with samples
- Episodes on CBD
- Episodes on iTunes
- Episodes on AIOHQ
- Episodes on the Odyssey Library
- Episodes on the Odyssey Scoop
- Episodes on the Soda Fountain
- Episodes with John Whittaker
- Episodes with Tom Riley
- Episodes with Jana Whittaker-Dowd
- Episodes that mention Phil Dowd
- Episodes that mention Jenny Whittaker-Dowd
- Episodes that mention Jerry Whittaker
- Episodes that mention Jason Whittaker
- Episodes that mention Heather Bullock
- Episodes with version differences
- Previously Unreleased Episodes