NEWS
A MONTHLY
PUBLICATION OF
RESIDENTS AND
ADMINISTRATION
Celebrating 100 Years • 1915 - 2015
August 2013
THE RELIGIONS COMMITTEE
2013 SPEAKERS’ SERIES
Contemplative Christianity: The Monk Within
The next event in our Speakers’ Series is a
presentation on Friday, August 9, at 3:00 p.m. in
Decker Hall by Father Robert Hale, a CamaldoleseBenedictine monk who is the former Prior of the
New Camaldoli Hermitage in Big Sur, and the
founder of Incarnation Monastery, an urban retreat
center in Berkeley, California. Father Hale will be
speaking to us about Christian contemplation.
Christian contemplative practices can serve as a
bridge in East/West interfaith dialogues, as well as a
way back home for many Christians who have gone
to the East in search of spiritual wisdom. The
practices allow the practitioner to experience the
fullness of personhood, the primacy of the sacred,
and the opportunity to rest in God. Christian
contemplation is not so much about seeking God, as
beginning to experience God who is always present.
Father Hale is a graduate of Pomona College and
was a student of the late Professor Fred Sontag. He
received a master’s degree in Theology from the
Collegio Sant’ Anselmo in Rome, and a doctorate in
Spiritual Theology from Fordham University.
The Camaldolese monastics are an order of
hermits and cenobites founded in the 11th century.
The order includes both monks and nuns and is a part
of the Benedictine family of monastic communities.
They have been very instrumental in the development
of the dialogue between Christianity and the religious
traditions of India. The Venerable Father Bede
Griffiths was a very well-known Camaldolese
Benedictine monk who founded various ashrams in
India and became a noted yogi.
-Anne Rivero & Lourdes Arguelles
AN EVENING OF ENLIGHTENMENT:
THE ARTS & CRAFTS OF THE PHILIPPINES
Wednesday, August 14, 7:00 p.m.
Napier Common Room
On August 14, the arts, crafts, and music of the
Philippines will be presented and displayed in the
Napier Common Room. Marilee Scaff, and other
Pilgrims who served there, have put together a
program that will long be remembered. Distinctive
Filipino refreshments will be available at the end of
the program. Come and experience this midsummer
tour of the islands that will broaden and expand your
cultural horizons.
Throughout 2013, Petterson Museum’s programs
have focused on the Pacific Ocean—ranging from
Polynesia to Micronesia. This year, Petterson’s annual
Evening of Enlightenment adds an additional
component—exploring the cultural bounty of the
Philippines.
-Ward McAfee
“We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to
us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may
begin to use it with love and respect.”
-ALDO LEOPOLD
Page 2
MEDCHAT DISCUSSION ON THE
FUTURE OF MEDICARE
With health care costs spiraling, policy leaders are
seeking reforms and innovations to help ensure that
the Medicare program will best serve current and
future generations. The California MedCHAT
Collaborative, composed of 20 statewide and regional
non-profit organizations, is offering opportunities for
the public to be part of this debate.
MedCHAT is a computer-based, highly interactive
discussion process that educates the public while
identifying their health care coverage priorities. The
results of these discussions will be shared with
Medicare leaders.
On Thursday, August 8, we in Claremont can
join this MedCHAT discussion and contribute our
insights into community values concerning health
care. Pilgrim Place and the Claremont Senior Program
are co-sponsoring two separate sessions, each one
open to a maximum of 12 participants. They will be
held at the nearby Joslyn Senior Center, one session
at 9:30-12:30 pm, and the second one for a new
group of participants at 1:30-4:30 pm.
Participants must be willing to share their
opinions about Medicare, be able to attend a 3-hour
group session, and be familiar with using a computer
and mouse (equipment to be provided by the Joslyn
Center).
If you are interested, contact the Claremont
Senior Program at 909-399-5488.
-Donna Ambrogi
ANNUAL GIVING FORUM FEEDBACK
Thank you to all who attended and participated in
the recent forum hosted by the Resident Annual
Giving and Resident Health and Support Program
Committees. We have collected and summarized your
questions and areas of concern. Sub-committees of
the joint committee are meeting this summer to
address the issues that have been raised. We want to
assure you that this discussion remains a work in
progress; no decisions have been made to restructure
these committees at this time.
In the meantime, if you have additional input,
please do be in touch. We anticipate that the joint
committee will have a progress report to make at the
Town Meeting scheduled for September 19.
-Keith Tennis & Bill Lesher (on behalf of the joint committee)
Keith’s Komments
Following the forum sponsored by the
Admissions Advisory Group in May, several Pilgrims
met to reflect on the presentation and consider the
future of Pilgrim Place. Our current admirable
situation of full occupancy and a long waiting list
provides a good occasion for residents and staff to
devote attention to analyzing why we are full, and
also to address any concerns related to admissions
policies and practices. The approach of our 100th
anniversary is further cause to look seriously at the
big picture, and to plan steps that can continue to
move us in a positive direction as we enter our
second century.
One concern expressed is that there is limited
racial and ethnic diversity. It was felt that our
community is consequently deprived of the rich
diversity that is increasingly characteristic of our
national life. We strive to be a community
prophetically engaged with the great issues of our
time. Our voice would be enhanced by attracting
significant numbers of historically underrepresented
people. This group of concerned individuals brought
a proposal to the Town Meeting Executive
Committee. As a result, TMX voted to support the
creation of a working group to consider ways to
move toward greater ethnic and racial diversity at
Pilgrim Place.
This group will be convened by the TMX
moderator, will appoint its own chair, and will seek to
have its work completed in 18 months time. The
group is charged with the responsibility for: (1)
Analyzing the reasons for Pilgrim Place’s current
success in achieving full occupancy; (2) Reviewing
current policies, practices, and attitudes which may
act as obstacles to greater ethnic and racial diversity;
(3) Entering into dialogues with representatives of
various ethnic and racial groups to learn how our
community can be a welcoming and appealing home
for all; (4) Exploring what steps should be taken to
increase our diversity, including input from the
Pilgrim Place community; (5) With the advice and
consent of Admissions Advisory Group and TMX,
present recommendations for change to the Pilgrim
Place Board.
The Working Group shall be established by
September, 2013, and will include no more than 10
people, with its members appointed by: Admissions
Advisory Group (up to 3), TMX (up to 3), senior
staff (2), and the Board (2).
-Keith Tennis, Moderator
Pilgrim Place News / August 2013
Page 3
Considerations from the CEO
PASSPORT TO TRAVEL
“Passport to Travel” is a first-of-its-kind travel program initiated by the United Church of Christ’s Council
for Health and Human Services Ministries (CHHSM), a community made up of more than 350 organizations
dedicated to advancing the healing ministry of Jesus Christ by serving youth, families, older adults, and those with
disabilities.
It allows residents at eight CHHSM-related senior living organizations to lodge at a partner community of
their choice for minimal cost for up to two weeks (incidental expenses not included). Designed by CHHSM’s
Senior Services Collaborative, on which I have served for the past year, the program allows residents of member
communities to travel and experience the hospitality of partner CCRC communities while taking in the sights of a
new city or region. Most accommodations include efficiency apartments, although some, such as Pilgrim Place,
are primarily guest rooms. Because of limited accommodations, it is understood that Pilgrim Place may not always
be able to accept reservations from Passport to Travel participants from other communities due to the relatively few
guest accommodations we have available. Priority will always go to our resident guests and those visiting Pilgrim
Place as prospective residents.
Nevertheless, residents of Pilgrim Place can choose to spend time at one of the following CCRC’s by
submitting a request for consideration to Executive Assistant, Mary Paine ([email protected]), or by
calling 909-399-5501. She will confer with the community in which you’ve requested lodging and determine
availability for the dates you have submitted. For additional information about the program and more information
about each site, go to www.chhsm.org/passport/communities/ptt-flyer.pdf. Participant communities include:
Beatitudes Campus, Phoenix, Arizona
Cedar Community’s Cedar Ridge Apartments, West Bend, Wisconsin
Evangelical Homes of Michigan’s Brecon Village, Saline, Michigan
Havenwood/Heritage Heights, Concord, New Hampshire
Horizon House, Seattle, Washington
Phoebe Berks Village, Wernersville, Pennsylvania
Pilgrim Place, Claremont, California
Plymouth Place, La Grange Park, Illinois
St. Andrew’s Cape Albeon, Valley Park, Missouri
United Church Homes Parkvue, Sandusky, Ohio
United Church Homes’ Abernethy Laurels, Newton, North Carolina
United Church Homes’ Piedmont Crossing, Thomasville, North Carolina
United Church Homes’ Lake Prince Woods, Suffolk, Virginia
Happy trails to you!
-Bill Cunitz, President/CEO
CONTACTING PILGRIM KIN & FRIENDS INTERESTED IN PILGRIM PLACE
As we approach our Centennial celebration and campaign, we want to be sure that your family
and friends are included in our communication about the various activities being planned, which
will include special speakers and gala events.
If you wish to check the contact information we have, or add someone to our database, please
phone or e-mail Susan Maire at 909-399-5513 or [email protected]. Thank you.
-Joyce Yarborough, Vice President for Advancement
Page 4
ANNOUNCING
The Homer discussion group will be
listening to lectures on the “Odyssey” each
Wednesday throughout the month of
August, 10:30 a.m. to Noon in
Friendship Court. All are welcome to
attend any of the weekly meetings.
-Ken Hougland
THANK YOU!
For all those from Pilgrim Place who journeyed to
the Long Beach Convention Center on Sunday,
June 30, to serve as ushers for the UCC General
Synod 29 worship service, we give you our thanks.
We have been told over and over again how friendly
and helpful all of our volunteers were, and how
smoothly everything moved under their guidance. The
UCC national staff thanked us for our quality
responsive team. It has been fun to soak up all the
appreciation, but it really belongs to you.
We thank all of you who worked in the wildly
successful blitz of congregations last September and
October, for baking cookies, and contributing
financially. At times there were 50 children enrolled in
the Synod childcare room, and they all wore tee shirts
that said, "Pilgrim Place knows we are the future of the
UCC," on the back. You strengthened the bond
among the churches and with the conference.
-Paul Kittlaus & Janet Vandevender
YOU ARE INVITED
to an exhibition of Ken Dale’s paintings...
“Abstract Expressionism: Order and Chaos”
during the month of August at the
Claremont Forum (Old Packing House)
Welcome to the opening reception…
Friday, August 2, 5:00-7:00 p.m.
“I invite you to explore the many facets of our life
through non-verbal expressions of line and color.
Discover both order and chaos in my
non-objective paintings.”
IN THE GOOD OLE’ SUMMERTIME
A Turn of the Century Picnic
Join us for...
Catch the Spirit of Pilgrim Place
Saturday, August 17, 5:00–7:00 p.m.
Picnic Supper, Music, Volunteer Recognition
Visit with historic characters from
Pilgrim Place’s founding
$35 per person ($20 tax deductible)
RSVP to Viki Battaglia at 909-399-5573
or online at www.pilgrimplace.org
PILGRIM TRIO CONCERT
The Pilgrim Trio, with Marjorie Marth, violin;
David Held, cello; and Eleanor Dornon, piano, will
give a concert featuring two trios by Ludwig von
Beethoven on Sunday, August 11, at 4:00 p.m. in
Decker Hall. They will play Trio 5 in D Major
(Kakadu Variations), and Trio 11 in G Minor (Ghost
Trio). Plan to attend, and bring your friends!
-David Held (909-625-2206)
All residents are invited to the Health
Services Center Open House on
August 2, 3:00-5:00 p.m. We are
celebrating the completion of the new
therapy wing and the grand opening of the
Bistro. Learn about the services being
offered by therapy specialists, and their
vision for rehabilitative care. Cookies and
punch will be served.
-Sue Fairley
Pilgrim Place News / August 2013
Page 5
HORSESHOES AT PILGRIM PLACE
If you hear melodious clinking
and shouted expressions of joy or
dismay early on Saturday
mornings, you probably are
overhearing some of the noise
and comments of the Pilgrim
Place Horseshoe Players.
There are two horseshoe
courts on the Joslyn Senior
Center grounds (Larkin Park) which were constructed
by Pilgrim Place a number of years ago. When the
Cambridge Way houses were built, some land
exchange took place with Claremont and Larkin Park.
Since both Larkin Park and Pilgrim Place provide
community service to Claremont residents, it was
agreed that there would always be cooperation in the
use of facilities of the two institutions. Thus, Pilgrim
Place provided the cost of the two horseshoe courts
for use by Pilgrim Place residents or senior users of
the Joslyn Center.
As many as eight contestants, both male and
female, can play at the same time. We currently have
openings for more. If you are interested, come out at
8:00 a.m. on any Saturday morning and volunteer
your pitching expertise (or learn more about the
game).
Most people think that horseshoe pitching is an
American sport which perhaps originated in Texas or
the Midwest. A look at history tells a different story.
As early as the second century B.C., iron plates or
rings for shoes were nailed on horses’ hooves in
western Asia and Eastern Europe. In Greece and
Rome, athletic contests formed part of religious
festivals, including the Olympic Games in Greece.
The games consisted of boxing, putting weights,
chariot races, archery, and discus throwing. The
discus was similar in form, but not in size or weight to
the modern quoit. Camp followers of the Grecian
armies who could not afford the discus took
discarded horseshoes, set up a stake, and threw at it.
In 1869, England set up rules to govern the game.
No tournaments were played in the United States
until 1909. The impetus for horseshoe pitching as we
know it today grew out of throwing mule shoes in the
Union camps during the Civil War. The first
horseshoe pitching tournament in which competition
was open to the world, was held in 1910 in Bronson,
Kansas.
If anyone is interested in more details, ask Konrad
Kingshill, or go to the internet where much of the
above information was provided by David Sullivan.
-Konrad Kingshill
PILGRIM TOURS • • • •
Fifty-five residents signed up months ago to visit the Hollywood Bowl on Tuesday, August 13. The
wait is over!
It is a time-honored tradition to bring along a picnic supper to enjoy at the Bowl. You may pack your
own or choose to order a fancy box specially prepared by the Garden Cafe. Please indicate your selection
on our sign-up roster located at the Pilgrim Tours counter. Your order will be ready to pick up as you board
the bus, and billed on a future rent statement. You may also bring wine to the Bowl. We know you have
come to expect that little something extra from Pilgrim Tours. Since you will have your hands full juggling a
box supper and beverage, we have thoughtfully ordered cushions to be pre-placed at your seat!
Bus will depart at 5:00 p.m. and returns around 11:00 p.m.
And coming up…
 The Annual Beach Party, with optional overnight camping, Wednesday, September 11.
 Traditional holiday kick-off at the Haugh, Saturday, December 7.
-Jeanne Halverson & Dale Morgan
Page 6
THE FESTIVAL SHOW FOR 2013 IS WRITTEN & READY FOR REHEARSAL
The Festival Show for 2013 will be a departure from the recent years’ telling of first-person resident stories;
this year the show will celebrate two important and inter-connected events in U. S. History–Abraham Lincoln’s
signing of the Emancipation Proclamation (150 years ago this year), and the campaign for woman suffrage.
The story begins with the arrival of Pilgrims seeking religious freedom (and a turkey feast in Abernethy); it
continues through the Declaration of Independence proclaiming “all men are created equal,” the Women’s
Declaration of Sentiments that “all men and women are created equal,” the rousing speech by Sojourner Truth (“ain’t I
a woman?”), the work for the abolition of slavery by men and women, the Emancipation Proclamation and passage
of Thirteenth Amendment, the Civil War, and World War I…and finally, the passage of the Nineteenth
Amendment in 1920 granting women the right to vote. It is a sweeping history, featuring many famous and
familiar figures, including Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Susan B.
Anthony, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Horace Greeley, Harriet Beecher Stowe, four more U. S. presidents,
and a parade of suffragists! The Pilgrim Pickers will lead the audience in familiar songs such as “Dixie,” “Tramp,
Tramp, Tramp,” “Rally ‘Round the Flag,” “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” and “Bread and Roses.”
In addition to the actors and musicians, there will be two hosts on stage welcoming our Festival visitors and
leading us through the dramatic scenes—and a backstage crew of technicians crossing their fingers that the
outdoor sound system will work–and that it will NOT rain! The show will have three performances: the day
BEFORE Festival, Thursday, November 7, for residents, staff, and community volunteers (since many are unable
to attend the show on Festival days), and the two Festival days, Friday and Saturday, November 8 and 9. All three
performances begin at 1:45 p.m. and last about 45 minutes.
-Dale Morgan
THE FESTIVAL SHOW 2015 (CENTENNIAL) DESIGN TEAM INVITES YOU TO IDEAS
On several occasions, the Design Team has gathered interested residents to share their thoughts on the
direction of the annual Festival Show. In 2008, as we were transitioning from the traditional and long-running
Story of the First Thanksgiving to a musical (and closer-look) presentation of Pilgrims and Native People, the
community gathered on three occasions and filled yards and yards of newsprint with IDEAS. In 2010, as we
planned a Festival Show for 2011 on civil rights, we gathered women to share IDEAS about women’s rights, too.
In 2011, preparing for 2012, missionaries who had served in various places around the world gathered to
share IDEAS, remembering their work and celebrating their legacy. These collected IDEAS have provided
valuable inspiration for the design of our Festival Shows. And the sessions of sharing have been great fun, too!
Now we are looking ahead to the celebration of our centennial year and the opportunity to highlight the
history of Pilgrim Place in two Festival Shows: The one for November of 2014, which will announce the
Centennial year that will begin in January, and the Festival Show for November of 2015 which will celebrate the
past Centennial year and look forward to an exciting future for Pilgrim Place.
We are scheduling IDEAS during the quieter days of 2013 after the end of summer travels and before fall,
when all its usual activity begins. We hope that you will be able to attend one of the following sessions, where you
will find us with yards and yards of newsprint waiting for your IDEAS:
Monday, August 19
Tuesday, August 27
Wednesday, September 4
Monday, September 9
10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m., Porter Conference Room
3:00-4:30 p.m., Pitzer North Lounge
3:00-4:30 p.m., Napier Common Room
10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m., Porter Conference Room
Here are some questions that may help to focus your IDEAS: What do you think is most important about our
heritage? What do you hope is our legacy? What is our greatest strength, our greatest challenge? What excites
YOU about being part of Pilgrim Place? What makes us unique? In a changing world, how do we meet those
changes, or how do we maintain important traditions? And beyond these questions, what IDEAS would you like
to share? Your IDEAS are important! Please join us.
-The Festival Show Design Team: Jim Fiske, Joan Forsberg, Joe Hough, Jim Manley, Stan R. Moore, & Dale Morgan
Page 6 Place News / August 2013
Pilgrim
Page 7
PILGRIM PLACE WATER USE REPORT FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF 2013
The graph below shows that water use in the first
three months of the year was lower than in 2011 and
2012 for the same period. But water use in May and
June this year was higher than in the previous two
years for the same months.
Water use in January and February of 2013 was
less than one million gallons per month. As most of
the irrigation systems were shut down during these
months, this use reflects the indoor water use by
residents and staff at Pilgrim Place. The average water
use for these two months was 966,416 gallons per
month, or 11.6 million gallons per year.
The total water use for 2011 was 26.9 million
gallons and for 2012 was 26.3 million gallons, so the
average total use for these two years was 26.6 million
gallons per year. Subtracting the average indoor use
(11.6 million gallons) from the average total use (26.6
million gallons) reveals that the average irrigation use
of water for 2011 and 2012 was 15 million gallons
each year (more than 55% of the total).
Conserving more water in our personal use is
always important. Now that water rates have
increased about 20%, this is even more crucial. So
here are a few reminders:
Be sure you have a low-flow showerhead
(uses about 5 gallons/minute).
If you aren’t sure you have a low-flow
showerhead, ask B&G to check.
Limit showers to 5 minutes (lowest water
use: turn the water off while applying
soap/shampoo). Wash clothes and dishes
only with a full load.
Don’t let the water run when brushing
teeth, washing hands, or hand washing
dishes.
Don’t use a hose to clean sidewalks (if you
see a B&G employee doing this, report it).
Wash your car at a carwash that uses
recycled water.
If you see irrigation water runoff in the
street, notify B&G or security.
Most residents are doing all these things (and
more!) to conserve water. So, thank you. It matters.
But to reduce our water use (and cost)
substantially, as a community, we have to reduce
substantially the water needed for irrigation.
Implementing the Sustainability Plan, which was
approved unanimously on April 19, 2013 by the
Executive Committee of the Board, will mean
replacing much of the (non-Festival) turf lawn on
campus with plants requiring less water. We will also
need to invest in more efficient and cost-effective
ways of watering these new landscapes. Your support
in making these changes, in a way that is aesthetically
pleasing for residents and applicants, will be greatly
appreciated.
-Bob Traer for the Environmental Concerns Committee
SUSTAINABILITY SECTION ON WEBSITE
The old "Campus Development" menu of the residents' section of the Pilgrim Place website has been
replaced by a "Sustainability" menu. Visit and scan water use reports, look up information on recycling,
read the text of the Sustainability Plan, raise a question or make a comment in the Forum, or send an
e-mail to report irrigation runoff. Help us become a more sustainable, intentional community.
-Jim Dwyer for Environmental Concerns Committee
Page 8

NEW PILGRIM PLACE LIBRARY BOOKS
AUGUST 2013
NON-FICTION
 Brotherhood: Dharma, Destiny, & the American Dream by Deepak Chopra and Sanjiv Chopra.
New Harvest/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013. Two paths to success in America by brothers
from India.
 The Good Girls Revolt: How the Women of Newsweek Sued their Bosses & Changed the Workplace by Lynn
Povich. Public Affairs, 2012. In the 1960s era of “Mad Men,” four talented women fought the
male-dominated system limiting their success.
FICTION
 Americanah by Chimanda Ngozi. Alfred A. Knopf, 2013. A Nigerian love story.
 The Body in the Piazza: A Faith Fairchild Mystery by Katherine Hall Page. William Morrow, 2013.
Set in modern-day Italy.
 The Bookmann’s Tale: A Novel of Obsession by Charles Lovett. Viking, 2012. Searching through books
for a lost love.
 A Constellation of Vital Phenomena: A Novel by Anthony Marra. Hogarth, 2013. The transcendent
power of love in wartime.
 The Importance of Being Seven: A 44 Scotland Street Novel by Alexander McCall Smith. Anchor Books,
2012. Book 6 in series about a boy in Edinburgh.
 Inferno: A Novel by Don Brown. Doubleday, 2013. Using Dante’s “Inferno,” a Harvard professor
solves a riddle to save the world.
 Midnight at Marble Arch: A Charlotte & Thomas Pitt Novel by Anne Perry. Ballantine Books, 2013.
New York Times bestseller set in Victorian London, with the Pitts solving a mysterious death.
 The Rainmaker by John Grisham. Doubleday, 1995. Large Print Edition. Legal maneuverings in
Memphis by bestselling author.
 Trains & Lovers by Alexander McCall Smith. Pantheon Books, 2012. Regular and Large Print
Editions. Four stories told by travelers on a train trip from Scotland to London.
-Jean Lesher
Pilgrim Place News / August 2013
Page 9
A REFLECTION ON THE NAPIER CLASS AFTER 18 MONTHS
When I think back to the person I was a year and
a half ago, I can hardly believe how drastically my
worldview has changed. I was looking for some kind
of reprieve from the ardent focus on internships and
starting salaries at CMC. I set foot in the classroom
with some naïve ideas about what it means to serve
others. My overwhelmingly Catholic education had
given me a conception of service shaped
predominantly by constant reminders of how much
Jesus loved the poor, some passing references to
social justice, and the completion of several service
projects. Unsurprisingly, the first few weeks of class
proceeded to shatter all my vaguely held notions
about what it meant to be a good person. For my
class practicum, I had been volunteering regularly at a
local homeless shelter. I started to dread going. I felt
like everything I did was selfish and condescending.
Who was I to impose on people who already lived
such hard lives? Was I rubbing my own privilege in
their face just by showing up? Completely
disillusioned, I had to slowly rebuild my worldview.
Halfway through the semester, we transitioned away
from the interrogation of the idea of service and into
real world examples. After a lot of conversations and
even more reflecting, I started to feel okay again, like I
stood on some sort of solid ground. And when we
learned about community organizing, I started to get
excited.
I was scheduled to spend my next semester
studying abroad in Rwanda. Thanks to a connection
from David, I found myself there two months early
and in the company of the John Rutsindintwarane,
the founder and director of PICO–Rwanda, and one
of the most inspirational people I have ever met.
Organizing with John was instrumental in shaping the
way I see the world today. However, without the
Napier class, I never would have been able to approach the experience the way I did. I probably would
• • • Reminder,
have approached it like many of the international
NGO workers I met who showed up thinking they
knew what was best for Rwanda and proceeded to
draw up projects and plans in line with their vision.
Instead, I learned. I learned and learned and learned. I
saw the country as strong and proud and innovative,
not as some nameless African nation I could feel
good about myself for saving. I spent my sixth and
final month there researching the United Nation’s
Millennium Village Project, which is heralded
internationally as the paragon of successful
development and has its star site in Mayange,
Rwanda. I approached the project with the skepticism
that has been my unshakeable companion ever since
the Napier class. I found that, though Mayange has
made a lot of progress in areas that matter to the UN,
it is heavily reliant on money and guidance that are
due to evaporate in less than three years, and that it
has seen rising inequality and a drastic increase in
violent crime since the project began. I thought back
to the girl who stepped into the Napier class on the
very first day. She would have loved the Millennium
Village Project. She only would have seen how good it
looks on the surface. I marveled at how lucky I had
been to go from the Napier class, to PICO-Rwanda,
to this research project. I couldn’t have planned it
better, couldn’t have learned more, couldn’t be more
different today if I tried.
-Rachel Waterman
Rachel Waterman was one of the 18 undergrads that took the
first “Napier Class” which Jerry Irish and I co-instructed in
2012. She sent this reflection just recently. Stay tuned for your
opportunity to be an “elder” in one of three Napier-sponsored
classes in the spring of 2014!
-David Mann
Note: Rachel will be a senior at Claremont McKenna in the
fall. She has chosen to major in International Studies and
Economics.
campus speed limit is 15 miles per hour!
Page 10
CULTURE CHANGE JOURNEY
For some time, Pilgrim Place has been thinking
about and working toward “Culture Change,” especially
in the Health Center and at Pitzer. Our model for
implementing this change is a program called “Person
First,” with a focus on resident-centered care. This
model replaces a long-held hierarchical (a “Father or
Mother Knows Best”) model of care. In order to make
this change, we formed “Action Teams” and began to
dream—envisioning what changes in our culture
would entail. And dream we did!! Then we began to
put these dreams into action. The ripple effects are
still being felt in many ways. New programs emerged
such as our model for spiritual care teams (replacing
an older model of chaplaincy) for the Health Center
and at Pitzer. The model called for a team of spiritual
caregivers (Pilgrims) who would become a part of a
neighborhood of staff and residents. In the past two
years, three such neighborhoods of residents have
formed at HSC—Robins’ Nest (memory support);
Oak View (long-term); and Garden Terrace (Rehab).
Each neighborhood has its own great room for
activities and meals, and its own staff. While much
effort has gone into the training, education, and
implementation, this has been an exciting and
rewarding adventure.
But change doesn’t stop with a new program.
Once the ball is rolling, the vision continues to open
in new areas such as “Resident Plus,” and another still
in formation for palliative care. It would seem that
transition is the operative word. We are moving in a
new direction, but the end is not yet in sight. (Sort of
like living out the dream of God for all creation.) So
we are called to hold all aspects of our design
loosely—to let go of a focus on “end products,” and do
the transitional, interim work that is ours to do. One
part of a prayer of Teresa of Avila asks, “Let us never
forget the possibilities that are born of faith.”
To this end, the spiritual care teams, along with
Health and Wellness Committee, are holding a retreat
in August to continue the dreaming. For the past two
years we have been working hard to initiate the new
model. Many Pilgrims have participated in moving
along our part in the process of change. Some have
left the teams, while many continue. Still, we find
ourselves in need of more volunteers to fulfill what
we had envisioned. I would welcome a conversation
with any who are interested. The questions for us to
consider are: “Are we on the right track? What changes need
to be made? What is God doing among us?” For myself, as
team facilitator, the time has come to let go of my
leadership position in order for the new vision to
emerge. The Health and Wellness Committee will
host a forum in September to share the next steps we
see for our journey. Meanwhile, we invite your
engagement to participate, forming and carrying the
vision with us by asking and praying the questions:
What changes do I see? What is emerging? What is
our next step? I welcome engaging in conversation
with you and encourage your conversations with
others about these next steps.
Blessings on the journey…
-Joan Stock
“On Asking for, Receiving, and Giving Forgiveness”
As we grow older and approach our eventual death, we ask forgiveness…for work that we have left undone
that we ought to have done…we ask to be forgiven for not giving forgiveness…we ask to accept the fact that we
have not accepted being forgiven by God and our neighbor.
You are invited to join us for one or more Tuesday sharing sessions in North Pitzer Lounge beginning
August 6 through September 10, 4:00-5:00 p.m. (except August 27).
We will be taking time to let our souls speak to us about some work of forgiveness which needs to be done.
We will do our individual process in silence, using a journal to write in if we wish, sharing only what we choose.
The sessions are held in strict confidence. You are welcome to attend any or all sessions. Please bring writing
materials.
-Howard Fuller, Convener
Pilgrim Place News / August 2013
Page 11
About Pilgrims...
RESIDENT GIVING
In response to recent comments received,
presented below is an overview of all Resident
Giving to-date this year. There are currently 234
family units at Pilgrim Place; please note that
some individuals give to more than one category.
As of July 23, we have received the following
gifts:
Happy August Birthdays!
Donald Swearer
John Forney
Eleanor Hire
Jim Dwyer
Betty Frank
Joe Hough
Anne Robinson
Henry Atkins
Betsy Bacon
Bob Hurd
David Mann
Audrey Schomer
Mildred Moser Smith
Maxine Denham
Jean Underwood
Ann Appley
2
4
4
6
6
8
8
9
9
9
9
10
11
12
12
14
Mary Kuhns
Sue Gallagher
Donald Waddell
Donna Klein
Jean Lesher
Allen Hinand
Sally Simmel
Paul Lawson
Pia Moriarty
Hugh Wire
Gene Preston
Lynne Simcox
Bruce Jones
Bob Wallace
Grace Moremen
Barbara Troxell
Residents’ Annual Giving
$117,454
128
Capital Gifts (renovators,
energy upgrades)
152,119
30
Memorial Gifts
(includes RHSP)
7,335
39
Petterson Museum
6,735
92
58,025
86
912
1
1,000
1
300
1
INTERNAL MOVE
45,520
2
300
1
Mary Jean Gano
From: 627 Leyden Lane, #205
To: 627 Leyden Lane, #6/#8
Napier (pledge payments,
banquet sponsorships)
Bequests
Endowment (undesignated)
Resident Christmas Gifts
Miscellaneous (includes
special designated gifts)
Resident (HSC)
Total
15
16
16
17
17
20
20
22
23
23
26
26
28
28
30
31
$389,700
If you have questions about this gift table, please
contact Joyce Yarborough at 909-399-5511
CORRECTIONS TO
SENIOR OLYMPICS WINNERS LIST:
AQUATIC FITNESS EVENT
 Don Swearer: Silver Medal, Men’s Breast
Stroke (ages 76-85) (not Bob Smith)
 Ken Dale: Gold Medal, Men’s Crawl (ages
86-95)
 Konrad Kingshill: Gold Medal, Men’s
Breast Stroke (ages 86-95)
-Priscilla Chau
I can see far, far away;
Who is on the other
side of this vast
expanse of water?
Are they looking my way
and wondering who
I am?
I’m glad that we
both share the same
sky and the same
sea.
-BABS DAVIS, FROM REMEMBRANCES OF A DAY
AT LAGUNA BEACH, DECEMBER 3, 1999
All newsletter articles may be submitted to Karen Laponis at
[email protected]. Deadline for September
newsletter is Tuesday, August 20, 1:30 p.m.
Calendar
Thursday, August 1
7:00 p.m. Vespers: “The Great Mystery Remains a
Mystery;” Leader: Jack Jackson
Musician: Ann Gray
Friday, August 2
3:00 p.m. HSC Open House •
5:00 p.m. Exhibition of Ken Dale’s Paintings •
Sunday, August 4
10:30 a.m. HSC Worship - Leader: Joan Stock
Musician: Yasuko Shorrock
Tuesday, August 6, 13, 20
4:00 p.m. Forgiveness •
Wednesday, August 7, 14, 21, 28
10:30 a.m. Homer Discussion Group •
Thursday, August 8
9:30 a.m. MedCHAT •
1:30 p.m. MedCHAT •
7:00 p.m. Vespers: “The First Commandment”
Leader: John Cobb
Musician: Yasuko Shorrock
Friday, August 9
3:00 p.m. Religions Committee Event •
Sunday, August 11
10:30 a.m. HSC Worship - Leader: Henry Hayden
Musician: Eloise Dale
4:00 p.m. Pilgrim Trio Concert •
Tuesday, August 13
5:00 p.m. Pilgrim Tours •
Wednesday, August 14
7:00 p.m. Arts & Crafts of the Philippines •
Thursday, August 15
7:00 p.m. Vespers: “Thinking About God”
Leader: Ken Dale; Musician: Eloise Dale
Saturday, August 17
5:00 p.m. Catch the Spirit Event •
Sunday, August 18
10:30 a.m. HSC Worship - Leader: Gene Boutilier
Musicians: David Lutz & Gene Boutilier
Monday, August 19
10:30 a.m. Festival Show Design Team •
Tuesday. August 20
1:30 p.m. September NEWS Deadline
Thursday, August 22
7:00 p.m. Vespers: “Open My Eyes, Lord”
Leader: Ann Marie Sullivan
Musician: Norma Puntney
Sunday, August 25
10:30 a.m. HSC Worship - Leader: Judy Chatfield
Musician: Zola Cadwallader
Tuesday, August 27
3:00 p.m. Festival Show Design Team •
Thursday, August 29
7:00 p.m. Vespers: “Sacred Ground”
Leader: Audrey Schomer
Musician: Ann Gray
Denotes NEWS article
 AUGUST EVENTS COORDINATOR 
Suzanne Brown: 624-4100
 AUGUST GUEST ROOMS 
Alice Cook: 626-7471 • Linda Tennis: 624-1953
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