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[Church of the Brethren News Services]

Date:      Sept. 2, 1998
Contact:  Nevin Dulabaum
V:  847/742-5100   F:  847/742-6103
E-MAIL:   CoBNews@AOL.Com

NOAC Notes                                   Sept. 02, 1998
The daily journal of National Older Adult Conference
Produced by Fred Swartz                 

Tonight's Multi-Media Program Celebrates Conference Theme

The theme of this year's NOAC, For Everything There is a Season,
will be celebrated in tonight's general session through music and
meditations that focus on an individual's life journey.  The writer
and reader of the meditations, Barbara Enberg, is a noted writer,
worship leader, and elocutionist from Los Osos, California.  For
several years, she, Ken Morse, Wilbur Brumbaugh, Nancy Faus, and
Joyce Miller took worship workshops across the Church of the
Brethren.   Barbara is married to Dwight Enberg, retired pastor and
youth social worker.  The Enbergs are parents of five.
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Kuceli To Visit NOAC Tonight

Kuceli the Clown will make an appearance during tonight's
announcement time and then do encores tomorrow and Friday.  She
will help us "put the FUN back in funding."  Out of character,
Kuceli (pronounced Coo-chel-li, means "joy" in Nigerian Bura) is
Carol Joy Bowman, a Church of the Brethren General Board staff
member who is half-time Congregational Life Ministries Team and
half-time Financial Resources Counselor, west coast.
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Handbells, Ensemble Add To Tonight's Celebration

For the second NOAC in a row, a handbell choir has been organized
by Kay Alwine of Roanoke, Va., and it will be playing for tonight's
Celebration.  Kay is a former teacher and wife of retired pastor
Paul Alwine, who served First Church of the Brethren in Roanoke for
many years.  Paul, also an accomplished musician, is a member of
tonight's handbell choir.  

Nancy Faus, Conference music director, issued a call for women to
form an ensemble for tonight, and the happy result was a chorus of
forty!   Nancy also reports that an good number of people have
volunteered to sing in the Conference choir for Friday morning's
closing Celebration.
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Conference Banner Produced By North Manchester Friends

Margie Petry and Esther Rupel, friends from North Manchester, Ind.,
who have teamed together to do many creative projects, combined
their talents again to produce the theme banner that has graced the
NOAC stage this week.  Margie designed the banner for NOAC III as
well.  She provided the concept for the 16-foot-wide banner that
depicts the "For Everything There is a Season" theme, and Esther
engineered the construction.  They "borrowed" the floor of the
recreation room at the Timbercrest Church of the Brethren Home to
lay out the banner, using the blocks on the floor to get the right
measurements!  Esther did the sewing and lettering;  Margie was the
artist and painter.
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Popular NOAC Fitness Leader To Address Conference Tomorrow
     
She has charmed and challenged NOACers with her paper plate
aerobics and other health-boosting exercises, now we will have
opportunity to hear Gayle Appel Doll articulate her formulas for
staying as healthy as possible all of one's life.  The winner of
the Governor's Fitness Award in 1996 will share her wisdom tomorrow
morning, 9:30 a.m., during the General Session in Stuart
Auditorium.
-----

"Wrap Yourself In Humor," Conference Is Told Last Night

"As you get older you have to wrap yourself in humor," 74-year-old
comedian Merrilyn Belgum told the NOAC audience during last night's
entertainment.  The Minnesota former social worker, who decided
late in life on a second career as a stand-up comic, said, "We must
breathe in the humor of our life situation, whatever it may be."  

Belgum called humor a divine gift "that helps us with the mystery
of existence."  She added, "Humor is the closest thing to the grace
of God...When I'm laughing I feel closest to God."
-----

Commentary on Eating Crow -- Urn or Wren?

You would think that four sets of proofreading eyes would know the
difference between an urn and a wren!  An urn is a vessel, often
ceramic in nature, that is used for holding flowers or as a
container for ashes.  A wren is a small chattering bird with a
turned up tail, commonly seen in North Carolina.  There is
absolutely no resemblance between an urn and a wren.

Reminds me of a story told by a friend who used to be in the
memorial monument (a.k.a. tombstone) business.  He said a woman
came in to select a gravestone for her late husband.  She said she
would like one of those stones "with urinals on the sides."  Of
course, he knew she meant urns. But he had a hard time keeping a
straight face.

In yesterday's NOAC Notes there was a grievous error in the story
on the Web site.  "Brethren" was misspelled  brethern" in the Web
site handle, one of the editor's greatest pet peeves!  I remember
when I was a member of Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren in
Elgin, the church softball team rejected an order of uniforms that
had Brethren spelled "Brethern."  It's a common mistake because we
don't speak our church name correctly either: "Church of the
Breath-urn."

One eloquent, sharp NOACer called our attention to last night's
faux pas.  We deeply regret our ineptness!  How humbling to know
that Scribes have no natural guarantee to literary heaven!  - FWS
-----

Ten More Named Web Site Winners

Ten more conferencegoers were chosen winners in the daily Web site
star selection.  The following will receive a multi-colored slinky
from www.brethren.org:  Andrew Achenbaum, Leroy Lapp, Gayle Appel
Doll, Phyllis Brubaker, Theresa Eshbach, Martha Mayhue, Merrilyn
Belgum, Ethel Hamm, Alvin Bashore, and Ralph Moyer.

Printed pictures of the daily Web updates are posted just outside
the NOAC Information Center on the second floor of Harrell Center.
-----

Offering Bottle Made Some Friends

The bottle offering yesterday was $249.57, bringing the total for
the week to $254.09!  Checks are to be made to Lake Junaluska with
a note on the purpose line "NOAC."  Lake Junaluska is keeping a
custodial account for ABC this week.
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Antiphonal Singing To Take Place Around Lake Tomorrow Evening

The lakeside antiphonal singing will begin at 8:15 p.m. tomorrow,
following the evening entertainment by Steve Engle.  Three
locations have been selected so that all conferencegoers can enjoy
this event with easy access.  Plan on 25 minutes of responsive
singing of familiar hymns, under the direction of Wanda Miller,
Nancy Faus, and Gerry Pence.  Please bring a flashlight, if you
have one.
-----

Knepp, Minnich Win At Shuffleboard

Harold Knepp and Beverly Minnich were the first place winners in
Tuesday's NOAC Shuffleboard Tournament.  Finishing second were
Jesse Robertson and Wendell Smith.  Third place went to Donn Kesler
and Roger Keiser, and fourth place to Cliff Smith and Ralph
Ebersole.  A second shuffleboard tournament gets underway tomorrow,
1:30 p.m., at the courts near the Youth Center.
-----

Prostate Cancer Support Group To Meet Again Tonight At Terrace

A support group that formed this week of those affected by prostate
cancer will meet again tonight, 9:00 p.m., in Room 213 of the
Terrace Hotel.  Others are welcome to join the group.  The
participants would like to establish an information hotline and
prayer network that will continue after NOAC.
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Name Needed For New BVS Unit

Brethren Volunteer Service is looking for a name to catch the
spirit of the new Spring orientation unit for older adults.  Ideas
can be shared with Dan McFadden this week or with the BVS office in
Elgin.  A date and location for the unit will be announced by early
October.
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The Quick Note Board
     * Tomorrow is the last day to get in on afternoon handcrafts. 
          Check the Booklet, pp. 18-19, for locations.
     * The Smoky Mountain Folklore session tomorrow, 4:00 p.m.,
          Stuart Auditorium is a treat!
     * Speaking of treats, you can get more ice cream at the Daily
          Bread Cafe tonight after the session and during the day
          tomorrow.
     * The Message Board is now located inside the Information
          Center in Harrell Center.