June 2018

The 2018 Masonic Homes Scholarship Winner—Written by Kim Hegg,

Community Relations & Event Manager Leader

The New Haven Schools Foundation is a non-profit foundation dedicated to supporting

schools in the New Haven Unified School District. They are committed to providing financial

assistance to students through support from local businesses, foundations, parents, educators,

and civic leaders.

One of these programs is Pathways to Success. The New Haven Schools Foundation

administers the “Pathways to Success” community scholarship program that provides

financial aid to graduating seniors of James Logan High School, Conley-Caraballo High

School, Decoto School for Independent Studies, and New Haven Adult School.

Masonic Homes of California has been a generous donor to this program for the last

several years. The Masonic Homes Scholarship is based on various criteria, including

community service, scholarship focus area, financial need, student essay, and academics.

Of the 47 applications received, Ms. Noor Gill

was selected to receive the 2018 Masonic Homes

Scholarship. Ms. Gill attends James Logan High

School, where she maintains a 4.45 grade point average

and still somehow found time to accumulate over 1,500

hours of community service. Noor is an accomplished

Track & Field athlete, has won awards for public

speaking, and created an Instagram account dedicated

to encouraging optimism and positive thinking.

Many thanks to our scholarship application

review committee – Carole Silva, Carole Boyes, Cheryl

Costa, Sally Hartley, Marion Papay, Jerry Chamberlain,

Jeanne Fershleiser, and our Communications Manager,

Ola Afolabi, for a job well done. Noor Gill, scholarship recipient and Gary Charland, President, Masonic Homes of California

Masonic Homes congratulates Ms. Gill on her success and wishes her all the best in

her future endeavors.

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Messenger—June 2018—Page 2

Quotable

“If you do not take an interest in the affairs of your

government, then you are doomed to live under the

rule of fools—Plato

It is almost halfway through the

year with several happenings. We

must vote for one of the candidates

and decide on the propositions. Here’s

how I do it without any discussions. I

draw a “T” on a blank paper, on the

left I write my most passionate wants.

What is June all about?—Written by Carole Silva

It could be anything - border control, gun control, abortion, whatever, then my “sorta”

passionately want, and under that a third desire. On the right, I write the candidates who

say they believe in two of the three desires. I draw another line under all that for the

propositions. On the right what I am interested in, and on the left what seems to make

sense. With so much on the ballot these days, this helps me make a decision. Voting is an

honor and a privilege.

Next comes Flag Day. Our Red, White & Blue

went through 48 changes to become the one we have

now, with 50 Stars and 13 stripes. Another design has

been proposed by Congress, with 51 stars and 13 stripes,

just in case another state is added. Some of the most

interesting designs involve adding stripes for each state

and having a circle of 13 stars, or putting the stripes in the

upper left corner and placing a circle of 13 stars on the

large part of the flag. As you can imagine, a lot of

committees, congressional and otherwise, were

established to finally decide on the design we have now.

Most are aware of the “don’t tread on me” flag and on the

right are two examples of other designs: the New England

flag and the John Paul Jones flag. Ah! Fathers’ Day came about in 1910 in

Washington State, because Senora Smart Dodd believed

that a father was very important to families. Earlier, in

1909 in West Virginia, Grace Golden Clayton asked her

minister to honor fathers after a mine explosion that

killed 361 men. Thus Fathers’ Day was celebrated on a

casual basis until LBJ, in 1966, declared the 3rd Sunday

in June as Fathers’ Day. It wasn’t until 1972 that Nixon

made it an official holiday. Today, with many gangs,

we can see how important it is to have a father in the

home. *************************************************************

Messenger—June 2018—Page 3

The Chaplain’s Corner By Chaplain Joel Ingram

“Time to scratch your head”

Answers on page 4

This month there is something a little different. It’s a fun little Bible

Quiz! Come on, you can do it! Some questions are about things mentioned

in the Bible. Other questions are about the Bible itself. Do your best.

1. Who was vertically challenged and had to climb up into a Sycamore tree to see Jesus

pass by?

Hint: Name starts with a “Z” ……………………...

2. Three of the four Gospels (books about Jesus’ life) are written in a similar style. They

are called “Synoptic Gospels”. Which three are they?

Hint: They come in order. ………………………….

3. Genesis and Revelation are the first and last books of the Bible. What’s the second and

next-to-last book of the Bible?

Hint: One starts with “E”, the other with “J” …………………………..

4. True or false: The Bible says Jesus had brothers and sisters?

Hint: Sorry – no hints for True and False questions. It’s 50/50 already! …………………..

5. The first printed Bible was the 1611 King James Version. Who printed it?

Hint: His name starts with a “G” …………………………….

6. The Bible is written in three languages. What are they?

Hint: First letters for each are: “H”, “A” and “G” …………………………..

7. Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt. Joshua took over afterwards and led the

nation into Canaan. But, who served as 2nd in charge for both leaders?

Hint: He was a priest and his name starts with an “A” …………………………...

8. Who wrote most of the books in the New Testament?

Hint: His name was changed after an event on the road to Damascus. …………………..

9. What is the name of the first city overthrown by the Israelites when entering the

Promised Land?

Hint: Its walls are said to have fallen down. …………………………...

10. What make of automobile is mentioned in the Bible?

Hint: It gets 28 mpg. ………………………………..

Messenger—June 2018—Page 4

Answers:

(1) Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10). (2) Matthew, Mark and Luke. (3) Exodus and Jude. (4)

True. (Mark 6:3) (5) Guttenberg (6) Hebrew, Aramaic & Greek (7) Aaron (8)

Paul (formerly known as Saul) (9) Jericho (10) Honda (Acts 2:1 says, “When the

day of Pentecost came, they were all in one accord”. There were also motorcycles in the

Bible; Triumph Motorcycles to be specific. Proverbs 28:12 says, “When righteous

people triumph, there is great glory…”

Sad, but True—Submitted by Ola Afolabi Forgiving people is not just a good idea.

It’s God’s idea. Actually, more than an idea.

It’s an instruction.

Sad, but true!

How you respond to a situation

Can be more important than the situation.

Sad, but true!

Your ability to overlook an offense

Determines the degree of dominion

You’d exercise over many other things.

Sad, but true!

Wisdom will help you solve problems.

A large heart will help you accommodate people.

You need both.

Sad, but true!

When all is said and done, let the

Fear and the love of the Almighty God

In your heart pour through your daily walk

Sad, but true!

The wise is he who takes lessons

From above, and with them benefit others.

Sad, but true

Some people may think this piece is targeted at them

No. Everyone alive will need one of the points at some point or the other

Sad, but true

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Messenger—June 2018—Page 5

Calvin DeVecchis

Sponsoring Lodge:

Confidence #110

City: Santa Cruz

Moved in on: April 25,

2018

William & Geneva Hornbeck

Sponsoring Lodge: Vesper #84

City: Red Bluff

Moved in on: May 29, 2018

************************************************

If you

thought

Dorothy

Hoover,

you

were

right!

Do you know

who this

young

farmer in a

cowboy’s hat

is?

Margaret (Peggy) DeVecchis

Sponsoring Lodge: Confidence

#110

City: Santa Cruz

Moved in on: May 16, 2018

May Guess Who Answer:

John & Monica Webb

Sponsoring Lodge: Ridgewood #146

City: Ukiah

Moved in on: May 24, 2018

Mary Markel

Sponsoring Lodge:

California #1

City: San Francisco

Moved in on: May 29,

2018

Messenger—June 2018—Page 6

The First Masonic Home High Tea—Written by the Recreation Team On Tuesday, April 24, we had our very first High Tea

Celebration. This was a special birthday celebration recognizing

residents who are in their 90’s and 100’s. Guests from the Home’s

Resident Council members, Milt Dykstra & Jim Ward, a

representative from Senator Bob Wieckowski’s office, Carol

Dutra-Vernaci, Mayor of Union City and a representative from

the Union City Police Department were in attendance.

We kicked off this year’s High Tea by celebrating the

residents whose birthdays are between January and April.

We will celebrate May through July birthdays in July and

the Recreation Team looks forward to residents attending this

special event.

Last month we had a chance to go to

many different places in the Bay Area. We

listened to a concert by the Ohlone Community

Band and watched high school students perform

in the NCPA Drum Championship competition.

We also attended Fiddler on the Roof at

Irvington High School, watched Little Women

at Chanticleers, and La Traviata Opera in San

Jose.

April 2018 Fun Recreation Department Outings

We ate out at a crab feed, tasted Chinese food at East Ocean Seafood in Alameda, and, of

course, enjoyed our annual fine dining brought to us by Job Corps students at Treasure Island.

Lastly, we experienced riding in a jeep to tour Safari West in Santa Rosa, and watched the

animals.

To continue experiencing these wonderful outings, please sign-up on the Registration

Sheets that come in the Event Calendar packet you receive monthly in your mailboxes. If you

would like to suggest any places to go or any programs to add, please come to our Recreation

Planning Meeting on the first Thursday of each month at 3:00 pm, or call the Recreation

Department at ext. 6468. As always, we are always grateful for all your suggestions and help.

Messenger—June 2018—Page 7

May Candlelight Dinner

Messenger—June 2018—Page 8

-Written by Chris Gershtein, Director of Quality Management

Since the last update there have been 9 Blue Box Cards Submitted to me as of May

15, 2018. There were 2 compliments! One was for the way that the staff handled the Code

Red in mid-April. The second was for the wonderful Beef Stew served in the Main Dining

Room. It was enjoyed by some recent guests to a resident couple. The compliments were

sent to the appropriate departments/managers so that they can be shared with the staff in

those areas.

There were 7 concerns (some with associated suggestions). Here are the highlights of

how they have been addressed:

1. There was a concern about the two identical “100 Year Anniversary” pictures hung in

the same hallway. One has been removed because as the writer has said, “They are

lovely, but one is enough.”

2. One was another concern about Acacia Creek residents walking their dogs here on our

grass especially without a leash. I have spoken again with Martin Herter, Administrator

at Acacia Creek asking him to remind their residents to use leashes when walking their

dogs here and to always clean up after their animals. He will again address this issue

with their residents.

3. There was a concern about having to move from rooms on the 5th floor of Adams for

remodeling. Soledad Martinez, the Resident Services Administrator, spoke to the

resident who had concerns, discussed the timeline and the reasons for the needed moves.

She would be happy to discuss this issue with any resident who has concerns.

4. There were two concerns about there being no pancakes at breakfast in the Main Dining

Room for a few Tuesdays in a row. I spoke to John Marshall, the Dining Services

Director about this concern. He explained that it was an ordering issue. The person who

usually does the ordering was away, and it was not noticed that there was a need of a

pancake batter mix so it was not ordered. He has assured me that he will obtain some

and that the ordering person should be returning soon.

5. There was a concern about no Apple Crepes at Easter Brunch although they were on the

menu. John explained that there were other items that replaced the Crepes that morning

and he hopes that everyone enjoyed the Easter Brunch. There was also a concern about

eggs getting cold, which he will address.

6. There was a concern about dogs being allowed in the dining room. Gary Charland, the

CEO, has recently discussed the Service and Emotional Support Assistive Animal

policy. These animals are allowed to be at the home and in the Main Dining Room under

the control of their owners. Every effort will be made for reasonable accommodations

for all. Animals in the Dining Room should not be petted, but if you do touch an animal,

please remember to wash or use hand sanitizer before touching utensils, plates, or food.

Thank you.

Thank you very much for continuing to use this communication tool, especially for

any safety related issues. Please keep the cards coming! But also please remember that the

fastest way to get a response may be to speak directly to the manager/director of the

department associated with an issue. They would love to hear from you.

Messenger—June 2018—Page 9

Father Murphy walked into a pub and said to

the first man he met, “Do you want to go to heaven?”

The man replied, “I do Father.” The priest said,

“Then stand over there against the wall.” The priest

asked a second man, “Do you want to go to heaven?”

“Certainly, Father,” was the man’s reply. The priest

said, “Then stand over there against the wall.”

Then Father Murphy walked up to O’Toole

and said, Do you want to go to heaven?” O’Toole

said, “No, I don’t Father.” The priest said, “I don’t

believe this. You meant to tell me that when you die

you don’t want to go to heaven?” O’Toole said, “Oh,

when I die, yes. I thought you were getting a group

together to go right now.”

Old age ain’t no place for Sissies—Submitted by Zelma Campbell

fannye’s funnye’s

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Older women are best.

Because they always think they might be

Doing it for the last time.

So much has been said and sung

Of the beautiful young girls.

Why didn’t somebody

Wake up to the beauty of old women?

I am long on ideas,

But short on time.

I expect to live to be only one hundred

Gray hair is God’s graffiti.

You are the only one

Who is passionately interested in your age.

People have their own troubles.

I will never give in to old age.

Until I become old

And I’m not old yet!

Messenger—June 2018—Page 10

York Rite of Freemasonry at

Siminoff Masonic Center ‘There is no higher degree in Freemasonry than that of Master Mason’

‘The York Rite offers an insight into the degrees of the Craft and the completion of

Ancient Craft Masonry.’

9:30 a.m. Siminoff Daylight Royal Arch Chapter No. 163

11:00 a.m. Sword and Trowel Council No. 65

Lunch is at 12:15 p.m.

2:00 p.m. Morris Siminoff Commandery U.D.

Saturday, June 30, 2018 in the Siminoff Masonic Center

Information: Arthur H. Walton

Tel: 510-441-3913

Email: arthurwalton@sbcglobal.net

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Masonic Homes of California has been a longtime supporter of Relay For Life and

this year will be no exception. Residents, staff, and volunteers are encouraged to join the

Masonic Homes Team and walk for loved ones lost, honor survivors, and raise money in the

fight against cancer.

This year, the Relay will be

held at the Newark Community

Center Park, 35501 Cedar Blvd,

Newark, on Saturday, June 23,

starting at 10:00 a.m.

Flyers have been emailed to

staff and have been placed on

bulletin boards for resident sign-ups.

Registration forms are due to Kim

Hegg, Community Relations and

Events Manager, by Friday, June 8.

Hope to see you there!

Written by Kim Hegg,

Community Relations &

Event Manager Leader

Messenger—June 2018—Page 11

SAFETY CORNER

A monthly Reminder from the MH Safety

Committee: Home Fires

Home fires are preventable! Please take

the following precautions in your home: keep

flammable items away from areas that get hot,

replace any frayed wires, and stay in the

kitchen when cooking. To mitigate any harm

to you or others, check your area for clutter

especially by doorways. Exits must be

accessible. If you see any clutter in hallways,

please report it to Facility Services. The best

way to protect yourself and home is to

identify and remove fire hazards.

Life Lesson—Submitted by Ola Afolabi Three university guys avoided exam because

they did not study. They came up with a plan, got

themselves dirty using grease, then went to see the

Professor.

“Sir, we are sorry we couldn’t make it to the

exam. We attended a wedding and on our way back,

the car broke down, thus we became so dirty as you

can see”. The Professor understood and gave them

three days to prepare.

After three days, they went to the Professor

ready for the exam because they have studied. The

Professor put them in three separate classes with only

four questions in the exam paper.

1. Who got married? (25 marks)

2. Where was the reception held? (25 marks)

3. Where exactly did the car breakdown? (25 marks)

4. What type of car broke down? (25 marks)

Marking scheme: Your answers must be the same!!!

They are still in the exam hall as we speak.

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MASONIC HOMES COMMUNITY

BLOOD DRIVE

Friday, June 8, 2018

12:30 p.m.—6:30 p.m.

To schedule your appointment visit

redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor

code: Masonic Homes or call 1-800 RED

CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Streamline your donation experience and

save up to 15 minutes by visiting

RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass to

complete your pre-donation reading and

health history questions on the day of

your appointment. If you have questions

regarding your eligibility to donate blood,

please call 1-866-236-3276. Identification

is required.

Messenger—June 2018—Page 12

Lorber’s World Travel Week

Written by Janet Castro, SNF Active Living Guide

It's that time of the year again

and Lorber residents and staff are

gearing up for its “Annual World

Travel” week. In the past, we have

done a Mediterranean themed cruise

week and the USA Road Trip. During

this week, we will discuss and learn

about different cultures and traditions

around the world through music, food,

and games as well as celebrating

different festivals around the world. Each day we will be

discussing and learning about the Philippines, Spain, and

Louisiana, U.S.A.

The Philippines has many celebrations throughout the year.

For example, The Giant Lantern Festival is held on the Saturday

before Christmas Eve in San Fernando, Philippines. The festival

has become a competition of giant lanterns that range up to 20 feet

and have thousands of light bulbs. The lanterns each have a

different design with colorful dancing and spinning lights. This

celebration marks the start of the Christmas season and is regarded

as a symbol of unity.

Our next stop will be Spain with its celebration of the

La Tomatina Festival. This festival is held in the small town

of Bunol, Spain and takes place on the last Wednesday of

August. The day of the Tomatina festival, trucks full of

tomatoes will dump around 6 tons of this fruit onto the

streets of the plaza. People will then use the fruit as their

weapon in a giant food fight. Within an hour, the streets and

people are left as red as the tomatoes. This festival is said to

have started in 1945 and has continued all these years as a

way of entertainment for the people of Spain.

Our last stop will be New Orleans,

Louisiana with the Mardi Gras Carnival. Mardi

Gras means, "Fat Tuesday" in French and is

celebrated the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. It

is described as a day of celebration before the

duties of the Lent season. During these festivities

there are several parades with elaborate floats,

masked balls with costumes, food and music.

This week of celebration allows resident and staff to learn about some of the festivals from

around the world without having to leave Lorber.

Messenger—June 2018—Page 13

Updates from Dietary Department—Written by John Marshall, Director of Dining Services

These past few months we have had a

really nice citrus season, which now is at an

end. By the time you are reading this we

should be well into the stone fruit season

with cherries, peaches, nectarines, plums,

etc. Our garden is being readied for

planting as I write. We are putting in a new

irrigation system and should start planting

some of the seedlings shortly. This year we

are growing the usual suspects, tomatoes,

Please welcome the return of our Sous Chef, Manuel “aka Manny” Lopez to our main

kitchen staff. Manny worked here in the past from 2003 until 2012. It’s great to have him back.

basil and peppers, and we are also growing green beans on the fence line. Won’t be long!

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Messenger—June 2018—Page 14

Weekly or Semi-Weekly

Sunday Worship

Sunday, 10:00 a.m.- Siminoff

Ceramics Group Monday, Tuesday & Fridays, 10:00 a.m.

to 4:00 p.m.

2nd Adams Ceramics Room

Bible Study Monday, 10:30 a.m., 4th Lorber

Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.- Meditation Chapel.

Women’s Forum

1st & 3rd Monday, 1:30 p.m.

2nd Adams Living Room

Song & Prayer Thursday, 10:00 a.m. - 3rd Lorber

Thursday, 10:30 a.m. - 4th Lorber

Wednesday, 2:30 p.m. - Traditions

FYI The official “Lost and Found” for the

Home is located at the Front Desk in

the Head building. If you’ve lost

something— check there first. If you’ve

found something—take it there first. If

you have further questions, you can find

answers at . . . Front Desk. Please

report losses as soon as possible.

Monthly

Monday, June 4

9:00 a.m. Tour Guide - Host & Hostess Meeting /

2nd Adams Crafts Room

1:30 p.m. Women’s Forum— 2nd Adams Living

Room-Guest Speaker, Minnie Imperio, Masonic

Assistance Intake & Resource Coordinator

Tuesday, June 5

9:30 a.m.-Low Vision Support Group—2nd Adams

Living Room

Thursday, June 7

3:00 p.m.— Recreation Planning Meeting—2nd

Adams Dining Room

Wednesday, June 13

2:00 p.m. — Fireside Chat—Auditorium

Wednesday, June 20

9:45 a.m. — Chapel Committee — Meditation

Chapel

10:00 a.m.—Resident Food Advisory Committee—

2nd Adams Living Room

2:30 p.m.—Welcoming Committee — 3rd

Wollenberg Conference Room

Monday, June 25

3:00 p.m.— Special Friends’ meeting 2nd Adams

Living Room—Guest Speaker—Chaplain

Christina Voissem

Wednesday, June 27

2:00 p.m. — Resident Council—Auditorium

2:30 p.m. — Town Hall Meeting—Auditorium

Special Event

Friday, June 1—11:30 AM—Move For

Wellness 2018 Finish Line BBQ Celebration /

for PARTICIPANTS ONLY. You must turn in

your final Tracking Sheet and get a ticket to

the BBQ (Auditorium + Patio)

“GUESS WHO”

Residents, if you have a photo of yourself when

you were younger and you are willing to share,

please bring it to Ola Afolabi at the front desk.

The Messenger Mailing List

If you want the Messenger Newsletter mailed to

a family member every month without postage

charge to you, please see Ola Afolabi to sign up.

Messenger—June 2018—Page 15

Residents Ann. Date Years

Richard & Marla Cummings 6/11 18

Mitch & Juli Franceschini 6/14 54

Barry & Barb Brown 6/18 52

John & Tricia Dahle 6/20 25

Jim & Sharyl Leggate 6/26 36

Hans & Ilse Straub 6/30 62

Resident Birthdays

Gayle Fields 6/1

Kay Hankins

Marilyn Waste

6/3

Helen Burkhead 6/4

Fred Bryan 6/6

Bill Stringfellow 6/8

John Alden 6/9

Eva Abbett (105) 6/10

June Graham

Wyn Selwyn

Ann Shields

6/12

Bill Carn

Dale Cochran

6/13

Jane Washington

Alice Walker

6/16

Pauline Yetter 6/19

Jeanne Fershleiser 6/22

Ken Bentley 6/23

Charmaine Peckinpaugh 6/24

Dodee Hill

Ralph Campbell

6/29

Lois Whitlock (103)

June Barker-Biggs

6/30

In Memoriam

ANNIVERSARIES

Hugh Noble

May 9, 2018

Mason of Windsor #181

Zack Taylor

May 10, 2018

Mason of: Siminoff

#850

Table of Contents — June 2018

The 2018 Masonic ………....…….……....…… 1

What is June/Quotable……..…………...…...….2

Chaplain’s Corner………………...….…………3

Sad But True/Answers to Quiz...……………….4

Guess Who/New Residents……...……..……….5

The First/April 2018 Fun............................……..6

Previous Month’s Activities….......……………..7

Blue Box……………….….………….…………8

Fanny’s Funnye’s/Old Age…...……..…...……..9

York Rite/Relay for Life………..…………..…10

Life Lesson/Blood Drive/Safety..……………...11

Lorber’s World Travel Week………....……….12

Updates from Dietary/Father’s Day Puzzles..…13

Meetings……………………………………….14

Birthdays, Anniversaries, In Memoriam….…...15

You’re Lookin’ At It…………………….…….16

The Messenger is published monthly as a vehicle of

communication and entertainment for the residents

and staff of the Masonic Home at Union City with a

focus on sharing information about residents, Home

activities, and items of interest to the “Masonic

Family.”

Proofreaders: Residents: Fannye Lower, Barbara

Dippel, Marion Papay, Bob & Peggy McCain, Richard &

Marla Cummings

Distribution: Residents: Earl & Sheri Purington

Photography: Joel, Ingram, Recreation Department Staff

and Friends

Editor: Ola Afolabi, UC Communications Manager

Messenger Online: Find us on Facebook: facebook.com/

Masonic Homes of CA

Messenger—June 2018—Page 16

NONPROFIT ORG.

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID PERMIT No. 100

Address Service Requested

“Together we create meaningful life experiences that

make a profound difference.”—The MHC Way