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Committees:
A - F
Art
Studio to index
The
purpose of the Art Studio Committee is to make the studio a welcoming
and available space for residents who want to do work in fine
arts or crafts.
From
the 2006-7 Annual Report
The
Studio is always open and gets some use every day. On Mondays and
Tuesdays there are group sessions, with about a dozen people participating
fairly regularly one or both days. Others prefer to come when they
can work by themselves. Residents supply their own materials, but enjoy
the space and availability of tools, paper cutter, etc. as well as
mutual support.
Our regular
major events are the Fall and Spring Exhibits. The Fall Show in 2006
included work by 22 painters, a quilter, and seven photographers. 109
people came to the Opening on October 16. Our Spring Show, with work
by 28
painters, a quilter, and 7 photographers, opened on April 16 and drew
112 attenders. Each show stays on the walls and continues to be enjoyed
until the next show is hung.
Last summer
on August 15, the Studio
hosted a water color demonstration by a professional artist. More than
a dozen Medford Leas painters were able to take advantage of this opportunity.
In October
this year the Studio had an off-campus show for the first time. Work
by 15 Medford Leas painters was on display
at the Friends Center in Philadelphia for almost a month.
Auditing
to index
The
Auditing Committee is described in section 6.03 of the
bylaws
Auditorium
to
index
Purpose: The purpose of the Auditorium Committee is to provide for the
convenience, comfort, and safety of residents at all events in the Auditorium
sponsored
by the MLRA and other events when called on for assistance by Management.
Members of the Committee are volunteers with sufficient interest, training,
experience, and some technical knowledge to use the equipment and facilities
in a wide range of programs.
The committee is divided into two groups: Ushers and Technicians.
Ushers are
responsible for distribution of hearing aid devices and programs. They
assist with seating and location of wheelchairs and walkers. They also
handle the portable microphones used by audience members for questions.
Technicians
set up the audio-visual equipment specified by the program originator
which can include podium, stage, and portable microphones, a VCR/DVD
projector, slide projector and/or computer projector. TV progams can
also be projected. The technician is then responsible for operating
the selected equipment, adjusting sound, picture, and lighting as required.
The technician
and head usher consult with and assist the speakers, instructing them
on proper use of the equipment and determining lighting levels and
cues to be used for the program.
Bird
Club of the MLRA
to
index
- The Bird Club is organized for those residents interested in Ornithology,
and to stimulate and educate those other residents who show an interest
in identifying and feeding birds in and around the Medford Leas Communities.
- Hold meetings once a month which are open to all residents from
September to the following June.
- Keep a Monthly record of birds found
on the three Medford Leas Campuses.
- Compile and keep an up to date
pamphlet or bird list of birds found in this area.
- Hold frequent bird
walks and a yearly census in January of birds found on the three
campuses.
- Have bird trips to good birding areas during the different
seasons of the year.
- Cooperate with the Cornell University's
Department of Ornithology in their Feeder Watch and the Great Backyard
Bird Count programs,
and to also participate in their house finch disease survey
and other programs,
if there is an interest
- Erect and maintain bird boxes in
the meadow and the purple martin houses near the Community Gardens
at Medford
Leas.
- Encourage the Horticulture Department at Medford
Leas
- To plant native shrubs and trees which provide fruit
and habitats for birds
of this area.
- To not remove dead trees as they provide
food and nesting areas for birds,
- To
continue to
mow the
meadows which
encourage the
bluebird
populations.
Budget
and Finance to
index
The Budget
and Finance committee prepares and submits three budgets to the MLRA
Council and MLRA membership: The Activities Fund Budget, the Appreciation
Fund Budget and the Community Services Fund Budget.
In June, 2006 the Activities Fund Budget for the MLRA residents of all
campuses was $33,495 with a goal of $21,600 for residents. This goal
was achieved with a resident participation of 73.9%.
In October, 2006
the Appreciation Fund Budget was $149,800 with a goal for residents
of $134,500. This goal was achieved after substantial additional contributions
from several residents. The resident participation was 86.3% and checks
were distributed to 352 staff members.
In February, 2007
the Community Services Fund Budget for the Merdford campus was $15,100
for the
eight Medford Township service organizations that MLRA supports. By April,
2007 $14,277 had
been received from Medford Campus residents with a balance due of
$823. Resident participation
was 62.2% The Lumberton Campus has a separate Community Service Fund
for service organizations in the Lumberton Township.
Building
to
index
The
purpose of the building committee is two-fold:
- To
ensure that all residents in the vicinity of a scheduled expansion
of an apartment fully understand
the impact the expansion will
have on the area.
- To
advise the residents of any possible modification of the plans that
might reduce or eliminate any undesirable
aspect
of the plan
Busy
Hands to
index
The "Busy
Hands" Room, is used by the following groups: Sewing,
Knitting, Needlework, Quilting, Weaving.
Quilters meet on Monday afternoons, with about five people usually in attendance.
The Knitting and Sewing groups
meet on Wednesday mornings. Six or eight regulars come to knit
hats, scarves, sweaters, and afghans for charity, while there are
many others who knit at these items at home. Two or three people come
into
do sewing for residents who cannot sew and more are always needed
since there
were about 300 garments repaired or altered during the past year.
Five or
six people attend the Needlework
Social, held on Thursday mornings. This event
provides a setting in which to do their own needlework such as embroidery,
cross-stitch, needlepoint,
knitting,
and crocheting.
The South
Jersey Weavers, a group of 10-15 meet regularly in the Busy Hands Room.
The looms in the room belong to the residents who use them, other weavers
have looms that they use at home.
Each year these
groups combined forces to show and sell their products in the Atrium
raising money for
the Medford Methodist Church women for
local chairty and
$720 for the Amercian Friends Service Committee for emergency relief.
During the Appreciation Fund Drive, the Knitting and Sewing Group and
the Quilters donated to it. Afghans which were not
needed for Haddon
and Estaugh and garments not sold at the sale are given to the Medthodist
Church women for distribution to local charities. Knitted caps
are sent to Indian Reservations during the past year and 80 rompers
for teddy bears are knitted for the Salvation Army to give to children
at Christmas. Knitters also make many caps for newborns
at local hospitals.
Citizens
to
index
from the
2006-7 Annual
Report:
High point
for the year was the series of Candidates Nights prior to the 2006
General Election. Three events were designed to offer residents exposure
to the candidates seeking their votes. That objective was realized.
Comments from many residents showed their appreciation for the Committee's
work.
Monday,
September 29, three of the four candidates standing for the office
of Freeholder in Burlington County gave their positions on current
issues facing the county and answered questions asked by the audience.
Commitments
were secured from the two major party candidates running for U.S. Senator
for two separate dates. Two weeks prior to his date the Republican
candidate, State Senator Thomas Kean, Jr. withdrew citing
another campaign opportunity as his reason. With the arrangements for
Friday, October 6 already secured, the Citizens Committee moved quickly
and skillfully to secure agreements with U.S. Representative James
Saxton, Republican incumbent, and Deocratic candidate Reichard Sexton.
They came to address Medford Leas residents and all other citizens
through media and party contacts. For a similar event in the future
every effort should be made to have newspaper and other media persons
present. Candidate Nights like this are rare in the District.
Monday,
October 9, incumbent Senator Robert Menendez, Democratic candidate
for the U.S. Senate, spoke to a very engaged audience and fielded questions
asked of him.
In April
when area citizens were invited to a Community Dialogue with Governor
Jon Corzine at a nearby location, the Citizens Committee organized
registration and carpooling for ten Medford Leas residents.
Communications to
index
The five
committees dealing with communications are: BulletinBoards,
Copier, MailboxDistribution, MonthlyCalendar, Voice.
Bulletin
Boards to
index
In the Community
Center, four bulletin boards display information for residents and
are supervised by the MLRA Bulletin Board committee.
Atrium
Bulletin Board
Left Section Obituaries, notices of memorial
services, vespers and other religious meetings and activities.
Main Section Notices of events sponsored
by the MLRA and the Administration. Includes roster of MLRA Board
and Committee Chairs; monthly calendar; daily
menus; MLRA committee and activities information. Material is posted
and removed by the Bulletin Board Committee.
Bulletin Board between Gift and Coffee Shop
Left Section Arboretum Committee displays.
All material is posted and removed by the Arboretum Committee.
Central Section Notices of external
events and opportunites such as concerts, festivals and trips.
All material is posted and removed by the Bulletin Board Committee.
Right Section Personal resident-to-resident
messages, e.g. lost and found, items for sale. Material may be
posted by residents; it should be dated and removed generally
after
two
weeks.
Bulletin
Board on Bank Wall
Left section is reserved for the Health Cares Issues Committee.
Center section: Transportation.
Right section: Citizens
Committee.
Bulletin
Board on Haddon Ground Floor opposite elevators
Business cards, services notices, items for sale.
Duplicate copies of menus, calendar, vespers & visitors material may
be posted by residents.
Except
where indicated otherwise above,, all material is submitted to the
Bulletin Board Committee for posting by placing it on the
Bulletin Board shelf of the horizontal mail boxes next to the Receptionist.
MLRA Board policy prohibits the posting of political and activist
material. to
index
The
five committees dealing with communications are: BulletinBoards
(described
above) and
Copier, MailboxDistribtion, MonthlyCalendar, Voice (described
below).
Copier
The
committee keeps the residents' copier in condition for use at
all times and is available
to answer calls for help from those using the copier. to
index
Mail
Box Distribution The
committee places notices and advisories fromstaff
and administration, as well as notices from the MLRA Board, into
residents' inhouse mailboxes.
There is a resident volunteer for each day of the week who distributes
notices for that day. to
index
Monthly
Calendar A
resident is responsible for coordinating the calendar of events
which is produced
by the Administration. A form to request than an event be listed on
the calendar must be submitted by the 20th
of the preceding month. Copies of
the calendar
are
distributed to
all residents, and enlarged versions are placed on several bulletin
boards. to
index
The
Voice There
are two recorded message tapes that are available to residents
24 hours a day. Residents can listen to the tapes by dialing 2 (for
activities) and 7 (for menus) on their resident phones.
A Chair
and committee of nine volunteers record these messages every day. The
activity messages includes items from the monthly
and
weekly calendars with any changes that have occurred, special events
not on the calendar, alerts for special events, and other
items of interest to the community for that day.
Residents
can leave messages for the VOICE in a box at the left of the mailboxes
in the
Atrium.
Computer
to
index
The Chairman
of this committee works with an informal group of computer literate
residents, and with Don Bernard, our valued
volunteer, to ensure
that the equipment is in good working order, that supplies are adequate,
and that the user group provides enough funds, from voluntary "dues" and
charges for instructional courses, to keep the operation self financing.
By being
available to cope with problems, the chairman finds answers from expert
residents, or Don Bernard, or Russell Pepe (Medford Leas
telecommunications manager). Also the chairman finds economical sources
for supplies or replacement equipment.
Finding mentors from among knowledgeable residents to assist residents
in sending e-mail, work on the Internet, or accomplish tasks such
as word processing, spread sheets, etc. is an important function.
There is
little formality of committee operations, and it has been practical
to run the computer room on an ad hoc basis, solving problems
as they
come up.
In September
2007 the facility will be moved to a ground floor room near the Information
Technology Deaparetment as the Haddon 3rd floor converts to assisted
living.
Display Case in the Atrium to
index
Inspired by the committee
chair, Todd Butler, all five Display Case committee members work
in close contact with one another and all assist with ideas. The
co-chair
works
on future plans
and
writing
requests for material. Two
help collect and return materials, the others plan, assemble materials,
and arrange and install the displays.
In
a room in the basement there is a mock display case, of the
same dimensions as the three-shelf display case
in the atrium. Todd Butler prepares his arrangement there
and when it
is ready each
piece is again wrapped to transport to the display case upstairs.
Then there is a "Street Circus" moment as items for the new display
are unwrapped and arranged and items from former display are carefully
wrapped to be taken to the work
room
and
then returned
to
the
lenders.
Some of
the followers of the display case arrive in wheel chairs and spend
a long time viewing each and every detail, and return often.
The
most favored displays have been those of sheet music of Old Broadway
Show Tunes. Whole groups would gather before, and then again after,
dinner
to join
in
singing those long-remembered tunes. A few boasted of remembering the
words to every song in the display
Diversity
Committee to
index
Mission Statement
To combat
bigotry and prejudice through the promotion of mutual awareness and
understanding. To appreciate the differences among people and value
their contribution the constantly evolving American culture; to promote
(or seek) in our resident population and staff diversity of race, color,
religion, national origin, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation
and economic status.
2006-2007
Annual Report
The committee's
primary objective this past year has been to bring to our residents
several opportunities to experience the accomplishments of minority
persons in our society.
In doing
this we have frequently had cooperation from other MLRA committees.
October
28 -- The Forum Committee present Joseph Qutub, and Arab-American from
Palestine who founded Arab Students International. This organization
has provided scholarship aid to more than 17,000 Arab students to obtain
bachelors and graduate degrees from colleges and universities around
the world.
November
10 -- The Diversity Committee promoted and organized attendance at
a concert by the Morgan
State University Choir, held at Moorestown
High School. This was attended by forty-four residents.
January
15 -- On Dr. King's official holiday, twenty-two residents participated
in the Mount Holly program sponsored by the Continue the Dream Committee.
Medford Leas residents Toby Riley and Suzanne Thorp provided leadership
to parts of the workshops following the breakfast.
Meanwhile,
committee member Joanne Cardona spent the King holiday at Moorestown
Friends School to discover ways that interested residents might participate
with the students in service activities in future years on Martin Luther
King Jr. Day. She came back with many good ideas.
March 17
-- The Music Committee brought concert pianist Maxwell Brown to Medford
Leas. The auditorium temperature was chilly, but the concert was enthusiastically
received.
March 24
-- The Forum Committee presented a program, "How to Make Kids Count
in New Jersey" by Mary Coogan, Assistant Director of the Association
for Children of New Jersey.
April 28
-- The Forum Committee will bring Zia Rahman, the Director of the Muslim-American
Association of Voorhees, New Jersey. His talke will be entitled, "Understanding
Islam."
July 28,
2007 -- The Forum Committee will present a talk about Buddhism by Abbot
Seijaku Stephen Roshi, of the Pine
Wind Zen Center.
Employee
Scholarship to
index
Financial
assistance for educational pursuits is available to qualified Medford
Leas employees through three programs: Nursing Scholarships, General
Education Advancement Scholarships, and the Lois Forrest Scholarship.
Each program is administered in collaboration with the Human Resources
Director.
The Nursing
Scholarship Committee is a committee of the Estabugh Board. The General
Education Advancement Scholarship Committee is a committee of the Estaugh
Board. The Lois Forrest Scholarship Committee is a subcommittee of
the MLRA, its coordinator is appointed by the MLRA President. The award
is $2500 to a qualified employee based on merit irrespective of other
Medford Leas education financial assistance.
2006-2007
Activity
The total of all scholarship awards this year was $65,424.
- The
Nurses' Scholarship Committee awarded
$33,259 to 14 employees for contined study in nursing and healthcare-related
programs. Of this amount, seven grants were expected to be used
in the RN program at Burlington County College, while two were
to fund LPN studies at the Burlington Institutde of Technology
- The
General Education Scholarship Committee awarded
24 scholarships totalling $29,665. One emplyee planned to use her
scholarship at the Masters of Health Administration program at
the University of St. Francis. (The Nursing Scholarship fund, which
can only use the interest of the fund for grants, hadn't the funds
to cover this program.) Another will use the funds to transfer
to a four-year college from Burlington County College.
- The
Lois Forrest Scholarship of $2500 was awarded to Katie
Denauris from Dining Services. She has completed two years at the
University of South Carolina and will use her scholarship to begin
the competitive pharmacy program, which will earn her a doctorate
in four years.
Financial
Review to
index
Link to the Financial Review "Committee Room"
The purpose
of the MLRA Financial Review Committee (FRC) is to know and understand
the finances and financial and operating decisions of the Estaugh Board
which affect residents, and to respond from the perspective of the residents
of Medford Leas.
The Committee
of nine residents meets at least quartely with the Financial officer
of Medford Leas, and at least once each year with the Estaugh
Finance Committee. Dennis has made himself available to discuss issues
as needed.
The Committee holds information meetings at open sessions of the MLRA,
when deemed necessary, and reports on financial matters of concern
to residents.
Exerpts
from the 2006-7 Annual Report:
On a monthly
basis the committee continues to receive and review the same financial
data as the Estaugh Board. But more imortant, during the latter portion
of 2006, FRC experienced an increased availability and involvement
associated with information relative to finances and budgeting matters
at ML.
For Example:
- The FRC
met with the Chair of the Estaugh Financial Committee on the inverstment
policies, procedures, and some recent adjustments associated with
investments.
- While
still in the development stages of the '07-08 budget we were invited
to meet with Dennis, Heather, and the Management Team. We had the
opportunity to listen and enter an in-depth discussion as Department
Heads presented their section of the proposed budget. The emphasis
was therefore program behind the budget. The FRC asked numerous probing
questions. The subsequent dialogue led us to be satisfied that all
sides of the issues had been thoughtfully considered and the resulting
budget was both conservative and challenging, with a sound balance
of both long and short term goals.
- The FRC
met met with the Estaugh Board and the Administration for a session
with a representative of the A.V.Powell actuary group. This was a
thorough review of the actuarial process that provides years of statistical
data to the specific population of ML. This helps to predict future
needs of our current population and therefore aids in the development
of a sound budget not just for next year but also into the future
Today our
probing questions to administration are met with an attitude of
acceptance and entitlement so long as a rational reason is behind the
question.
All of us
at ML have witnessed a transition from a time when deficit budgets
were presented, then missed, with considerable amounts of funds being
taken from reserves. We have just had two consecutive years where a
surplus resulted. The '07-'08 budget is tight and may be a challenge
but it is also predicated on a surplus.
The occupancy
rate is the most challenging. More emphasis is being placed on marketing
of both existing units and Rushmore Crossing. We anticipate the completion
of the addition to the main building during the winter. Longer term
will be the planning for the renovations, etc. of the health care ares.
These are
challenging times for all CCRCs with all of the options being offered
to seniors; however, the FRC sees a management team up to the task
of sustaining Medford Leas as a premier choice going forward.
Grace Blackburn, 2007
Financial Review Chair
Fitness
& Recreation to
index
The Fitness Committee, consisting of nineteen residents and the
staff Director of Fitness and Aquatics, meets at 4:00 PM on the
first Monday of the month (except July and August) usually in
Room 7.
The
purpose of this committee is to promote good health through fitness
programs and physical activity for the residents. A Fitness
Brochure that is available to all residents at the receptionist
desk is kept current and lists the various physical activities
and exercise programs available.
Each
January the committee sponsors Fitness Day that may include demonstrations
of fitness equipment, lectures, water ballet,
fitness demonstrations, water volleyball, distribution of
fitness literature
and a luncheon with an appropriate program.Each
May the committee sponsors the Medford Leas month long Olympics with
many categories
of competition, including walking,
bicycle
riding, putting, tennis, shuffleboard, croquet, ping pong,
etc.
Committee
members with a knowledge of a particular activity usually assume
responsibility for that activity. There
is a separate
committee for Sports Days that are held in the mornings
of Memorial Day,
July Fourth and Labor Day.
Flowers
& Plants: to
index
Four separate committees
work with flowers and/or plants: Atrium Flower Arrangement,
Flower Show, Memorials, Plant Sale.
Atrium
Flower Arrangement The committee seeks
to make the atrium a place of beauty by having a place of beauty by
having a constant supply of fresh flowers
or plants on the reception desk and placed on the various tables
in the atrium. In addition to the arrangements supplied by residents,
sometimes funeral arrangements are broken into smaller bouquets
an displayed
in areas where they will be most appreciated. During 2006-2007 we
have had more flower displays in the atrium than last and the committee
is thrilled that 30 different residents have contributed plants or
flower arrangements for the atrium.
Flower
Show to
index
The 2006
Flower Show, "Call
it Country, held on September 12 and 13, 2006. An
in-bud, ready-to bloom night blooming cereus which is well over 100
years old was
entered by Peg Burgess and won the Best of Horticulture Ribbon.
There were 73 entries in the Horticulture division this year and fewer
in the new Vegetable division. The weather played havoc in farm gardens
this season, but a "Sugar Baby" watermelon managed to survive the summer
in Jack and Joan McKeon's plot and won the "Cream of the Crop" award.
The
farm gardens were photographed at their best and shown in the Landscaping
"Green Acres" exhibit." Nex to that was "Quilting Bee," a wonderful
display of the use of lowers in quilting design, presented by the Quilt
Interst Group. A third very interesting exhibit was on coal and its
formation from living plants, presented by Ann Hibshman.
Forty-eight
design entries were shown and the Medford Leas campus and meadow provided
an abundance of berries and grasses for some of the classes. A minitature
arrangement with ornamental peppers, entered by Joan McKeon, won the
Best of Design Award.
Memorial
Flowers The
committee prepares three sets of announcements for the deaths of
residents. A
vase of red silk roses accompanies each framed announcements and together
they are placed at 1) the table outside of the library in the Atrium,
2) on a table at the entrance to the Gallery, and 3) on a table near
the entrance to the Large Print Library.
Plant
Sale The sale was held on May
9 and 10th. The committee was pleased with the quality of the plants
from its new
supplier, Russo's Fruit and Vegetable Farm in Tabernacle.
Forty volunteers gave generously of time and energy. Gross receipts:
$2681, Cost of flowers: $1781.50, Miscellaneous expense: $00.00,
Net income $899.50. Proceeds from the plant sale are used to puchase
flowers for the Atrium during the winter months.
Food
and Dining Rooms to
index
The dining
experience is an integral part of life for the entire Medford Leas
community. The purpose of the Food and Dining Rooms committee is
to make that experience as enjoyable, healthful and convivial as possible
by fostering meals that are nutritious, varied, well-prepared, attractively
presented and served at convenient hours in comfortable surroundings
that encourage sociability. It serves as an important liaison between
the residents and the Food Service staff by conveying the needs of older
people to the staff while representing the Food Service to the residents.
The committee
meets on the second Tuesday of every month. The agenda always includes
a discussion of the "Put it in Writing" (PIW) forms that
residents submit in the dining rooms. These forms include concerns,
suggestions,
& compliments regarding any aspect of the dining experience.
Dining Services receives the PIWs and a supervisor gets in touch
with the
resident who filled it out to discuss the form. At the end of the month
Dining Services prepares a report with all the PIWs and distributes
it to the Food Committee members for review at the monthly meeting.
A Dining Services supervisor is present to answer committee members'
questions and to relay pertinent information to other supervisors.
Forum
to
index
The Forum
Committee generally offers two programs a month throughout the year.
Due to occasional conflicts with holidays or other resident activities
the annual total reaches about 22 or 23. Lectures are usually held
on Saturdays at 11:00 a.m. in the Auditorium. The average attendance
is about 80.
The success
of this program is totally dependent on the efforts of individual committee
members. One committee member assumes responsibility for each speaker.
Although most speakers result from a personal relationship with individual
committee members, other residents also contribute by recommending
speakers or volunteering to share from their own experience.
Each year
an attempt is made to provide a b alanced offering for the residents.
This is sometimes difficult as funds are limited. Each outside speaker
receives a $100 honorarium to cover expenses. This committee represents
another effort by Medford Leas residents to improve the quality of
life for their neighbors.
Friendly
Visitors Program to
index
When a new
resident moves into the main campus, he/she is welcomed, oriented,
and assisted by representatives of the administration
and of
the Medford Leas Resident Association (MLRA). These two welcomes are
separate and different. The main purpose of the administration's efforts
is to distribute the "red book" containing all policies,
rules, and regulations of the various operating departments, a directory
of
all residents, maps, and much other basic information.
The MLRA
set up the Friendly Visitor (FV) system to make certain that each new
resident
is promptly, warmly, and effectively welcomed as a new member of
MLRA and receives complete and accurate information about the operation
and
benefits of social and communal life at ML. Through a personal visit
from the FV as soon as this can be mutually arranged after the move-in,
the new resident gets to find out about his immediate neighbors and
has a chance to get his most urgent questions answered without having
to
hunt for the information in the "red book." The main purpose
of the FV system is to make the new resident feel welcome in his/her
new home and to let him/her know that there is a special person nearby
who stands ready to answer his/her questions about day-to-day routines
and procedures as they come up.
There are
currently 86 members of the committee who during 2006-7,
welcomed 36 new residents and 16 transfers within the community.
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