NOAC 2002 - Daily Coverage

Daily Coverage
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Thursday, September 5, 2002

Weather: Another foggy beginning followed by another beautiful day. High in the 80s.

Schedule highlights: Final Bible study with Bob Neff, general session with guest speaker Marty Richards; final day for interest groups, handcrafts, service project, and recreation (including finals for horseshoes, shuffleboard, and tennis tournaments); afternoon entertainment with Appalachian folklorist Betty Smith; evening entertainment featuring Brethren duo Joseph Helfrich and Shawn Kirchner; late-night small group gatherings.

Quotes of the day: "This is one of the most hospitable groups I've ever been part of." -- guest speaker Marty Richards

"NOAC is my favorite gathering of Brethren!" -- ABC staff member and NOAC coordinator Scott Douglas

"Doing easily what others find difficult is talent. Doing something talented people find impossible is genius." -- Joseph Helfrich, prasing the abilities of his concert comrade Shawn Kirchner

The main events: Richards asked the NOAC crowd to consider how they can share the stories and gifts they have with other generations, doing so in a spirit of reciprocity. She used three metaphors to describe aging: a mosaic, a quilt, and a kaleidoscope. "It is important to look at the simple gifts we have," said Richards, who also called the group to "lively" aging. "How often do we tell people what our gifts are?" In the evening, Helfrich and Kirchner blended their considerable talent through a program of old favorites, folks songs, "doodling" on Bach, moving melodies, beautiful harmonies, banjo jokes, stories, and more. They used several songs to speak to the need for unity in the church before closing with a rousing encore rendition of "I'll Fly Away."

Elsewhere: George Baker of Tyrone, Pa., and Art Hall of Oregon, Ohio, teamed up to win the NOAC horseshoes tournament. Don and Nancy Mack of Bradford, Ohio, won shuffleboard. Twenty people played in a round-robin tennis tourney.... Hats were presented to the youngest and oldest official NOAC attendees Thursday. Ruby Witter, 96, of North Manchester, Ind., repeated as NOAC's oldest, while Donna Layser of Myerstown, Pa., who will be 50 this spring, received the youngest award.... A large group of Brethren Pension Plan participants gathered for a group photo celebrating the plan's 60th anniversary in 2003.... Final registration for NOAC 2002 stood at 1,140; Pennsylvania sent the most participants, with 340.... A total of $7,662.08 was gathered in Wednesday night's offering.... The total number of school and health kits gathered or assembled at NOAC neared 650 as of Thursday midday. Nancy Faus
Shawn Kirchner and Joseph Helfrich

Bob Keim

Marty Richards

From top: Nancy Faus of Richmond, Ind., directs an impassioned time of hymn singing before the morning Bible study; Brethren musicians Shawn Kirchner and Joseph Helfrich set hands clapping with their harmonious evening concert; Bob Keim of Mesa, Ariz., leads one of three optional "Meet the New Day" early-morning Bible studies; Marty Richards, a counselor and consultant from the Seattle area, speaks on "Sharing Blessings on Life's Journey."

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Daily Coverage
Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday

Thursday, September 5, 2002
Weather: Another foggy beginning followed by another beautiful day. High in the 80s. Schedule highlights: Final Bible study with Bob Neff, general session with guest speaker Marty Richards; final day for interest groups, handcrafts, service project, and recreation (including finals for horseshoes, shuffleboard, and tennis tournaments); afternoon entertainment with Appalachian folklorist Betty Smith; evening entertainment featuring Brethren duo Joseph Helfrich and Shawn Kirchner; late-night small group gatherings. Quotes of the day: "This is one of the most hospitable groups I've ever been part of." -- guest speaker Marty Richards "NOAC is my favorite gathering of Brethren!" -- ABC staff member and NOAC coordinator Scott Douglas "Doing easily what others find difficult is talent. Doing something talented people find impossible is genius." -- Joseph Helfrich, prasing the abilities of his concert comrade Shawn Kirchner The main events: Richards asked the NOAC crowd to consider how they can share the stories and gifts they have with other generations, doing so in a spirit of reciprocity. She used three metaphors to describe aging: a mosaic, a quilt, and a kaleidoscope. "It is important to look at the simple gifts we have," said Richards, who also called the group to "lively" aging. "How often do we tell people what our gifts are?" In the evening, Helfrich and Kirchner blended their considerable talent through a program of old favorites, folks songs, "doodling" on Bach, moving melodies, beautiful harmonies, banjo jokes, stories, and more. They used several songs to speak to the need for unity in the church before closing with a rousing encore rendition of "I'll Fly Away." Elsewhere: George Baker of Tyrone, Pa., and Art Hall of Oregon, Ohio, teamed up to win the NOAC horseshoes tournament. Don and Nancy Mack of Bradford, Ohio, won shuffleboard. Twenty people played in a round-robin tennis tourney.... Hats were presented to the youngest and oldest official NOAC attendees Thursday. Ruby Witter, 96, of North Manchester, Ind., repeated as NOAC's oldest, while Donna Layser of Myerstown, Pa., who will be 50 this spring, received the youngest award.... A large group of Brethren Pension Plan participants gathered for a group photo celebrating the plan's 60th anniversary in 2003.... Final registration for NOAC 2002 stood at 1,140; Pennsylvania sent the most participants, with 340.... A total of $7,662.08 was gathered in Wednesday night's offering.... The total number of school and health kits gathered or assembled at NOAC neared 650 as of Thursday midday.		From top: Nancy Faus of Richmond, Ind., directs an impassioned time of hymn singing before the morning Bible study; Brethren musicians Shawn Kirchner and Joseph Helfrich set hands clapping with their harmonious evening concert; Bob Keim of Mesa, Ariz., leads one of three optional "Meet the New Day" early-morning Bible studies; Marty Richards, a counselor and consultant from the Seattle area, speaks on "Sharing Blessings on Life's Journey."