By Joni Johnson

Did you know that one of RVM’s residents reached the quarter-finals in the National Lawn Bowling Championship in Seattle? That was Eleanor Ritchie in 1985, when more than 200 men and women from all over the United States had competed in that event.  In addition, in 1983, also at the Nationals, Eleanor won the “triples” (bowling with 2 others) and was runner up in doubles.  It is still possible to find her name on the internet.

       First Bowling Green at RVM

Did you know that 1961, the very same year the Manor opened, was the year that RVM broke ground for a natural grass, three-rink green that existed approximately where the current exercise room and indoor pool exists today?  That was also the same year that the indoor one-rink green was built.  One might wonder why an ecumenical community group of Methodists, Episcopalians, and Presbyterians who were creating Rogue Valley Manor for retirees might be so interested in creating two lawn bowling greens at the very beginning of RVM’s existence.  No one knows for sure, but the guess is that one of the members of the RVM executive Board, the Rev. R.V. Bolster, who was a native of County Cork, Ireland, educated at Trinity College, and a member of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, was the initiator.

                Bowling in 1973

What happened next? you ask.  After more than 10 years, the natural-grass green became very difficult to maintain, so a new green was created in 1973 using donations from 27 people for the artificial turf.  The single green ran between the old health center and what is now the gym area, but went north south. And then, in 1992, to make room for the new health center addition, the current, two-rink green facing east-west was created.

All sorts of tournaments took place in the ensuing years.  Someone said that “a day without bowls is like a day without orange juice.”  In 1987, RVM’s bowling club accepted invitations to tournaments with three clubs in Oregon and individual members bowled in Arizona, California and Washington.

I started bowling shortly after I arrived on campus in the spring of 2019.  At that time, Alan Bushell gave us several classes to understand the game and how to roll the bowl.  For those new to the game, it’s called a bowl rather than a ball because it is not symmetrically round and therefore, when it leaves your hand, it goes straight for a while and then it curves. So it’s not only a physical game, it’s also a game of strategy.  When I started, there were meetings and dinners, and it was very hard to get on a team.  I was a sub for quite a while until someone decided to quit and there was a place for me.

Then Covid hit and all turned to naught.  While people still played, rather than being a club that felt cohesive and strongly bonded, we became just a gaggle of teams.  Nobody met as a group beyond the teams and so enthusiasm sort of waned.

                 Norm Boice

Norm Boice, the new president of our RVM Lawn Bowls Club, wants to return us to our former glory.  He would love to have receptions and tournaments and events and meals again. “We have to be a little cautious because of the pandemic,” he says, “but with almost all of the residents and employees vaccinated, life might return somewhat to normal here at our cocoon on the hill.  Lawn Bowling used to be THE sport.  And the fact that we have both a beautiful outdoor two-rink green and an indoor green for winter is extraordinary.  There are only two other lawn bowling clubs in Oregon.  One is in Portland, and the other is in a retirement center in King City. How lucky we are, and we should take full advantage of our good fortune.”

If you are interested in knowing more about the game, please contact Norm Boice at X6164 or email him at normb2306@gmail.com

This is part of a series of articles on the experiences of RVM residents in the Peace Corps.  Also in this issue is the article on Jean and John Herron; the November issue featured Joni Johnson and Asifa Kanji and David Drury.  Stay tuned…

by Joni Johnson

Russy and Anita Sumariwalla were trainers in the Peace Corps almost at its inception. They were both students (close, but not married) at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst when Russy was tapped as the Assistant Training Project Director for the first group of volunteers to go to Senegal, the Ivory Coast and Niger. This was in the Fall of 1962. President John Kennedy started The Peace Corps in 1961 as a project to promote world peace and friendly international relations. The first trainees went to Africa and South America in the summer of that year. Russy and Anita were right on the cutting edge of the Peace Corps, providing training for their groups just one year later.

At the time, Russy was working on a project for John Ryan, the Secretary of the University, while doing post graduate study. Russy had come from Bombay (now called Mumbai) and had only been in the country since 1959, first getting his Master of Laws degree in Charlottesville, Virginia, and then moving to the University of Massachusetts for study in International Law and International Organization. Ryan admired his work and thought that his multicultural background would help him in running the nuts and bolts of a training program which took volunteers from everywhere in the United States with plans to send them to three French speaking African countries. Anita had arrived in the United States by boat from Rotterdam in 1961. Having been born in the French speaking region of Switzerland, Anita was a perfect addition to the team of eleven French teachers for these 60 students. The goal was to get the new volunteers, ranging in age from 18 to 64, ready to take part in a two-year program to help and support the citizens of these African countries, largely in rural areas.

Almost none of the students spoke French when they arrived on campus. Anita and her fellow teachers needed to get these students able to speak passable French so they could carry out their lives in their new environments. So Anita not only taught these students during their 7am to 10pm daily schedules of classes and activities, but she ate meals with them as well. The Peace Corps had provided materials for teaching French, which they used in class. Meals and outside activities were a time to help them develop their vocabulary and conversational and reading skills in their new language.

Those fifteen hour days might include Physical Conditioning, Breakfast, and then classes in French, and, depending on their country, Food and Nutrition, Water and Waste, Goats, Irrigation, and Farm Machinery. Then more French, Lunch, American Studies and World Affairs, American Culture, Art, Music, The American Character, Rural Community Development, Mental Health, First Aid, Dinner, and more French.

Russy, as the Assistant director of the program, was charged with making everything run smoothly from housing to dining to problems between students. By the second week of fifteen hour days, students were generally exhausted, and that was the time that issues arose. Typically, many of the problems were with people who, from all over the country, from all ages and all walks of life and all types of American accents, were learning to get along with one another while experiencing exhaustion and anxiety as well as excitement. Both Russy and Anita emphasized that listening was probably one of the most useful tools of the trade in working with the volunteers as these problems arose. And of course, as the volunteers solved these problems with each other, they learned skills that would benefit them in the long run as they worked with their African colleagues.

Not only did the volunteers need to learn French, but they all had to become knowledgeable in the fields in which they were expected to support their African brethren. These areas included health, childcare, dealing with the sick, new skills to avoid Typhoid and Malaria (by boiling water, etc.) and help in the area of agriculture.

All the volunteers were idealistic and wanted to change the world. They all had a sense of adventure. But part of training was also to help them prepare for the disappointments that lay in store, like the possible non-existence of hot showers, or their programs being held up by lack of materials or promised materials not arriving for weeks. So that meant that training needed to include providing volunteers with the idea of never giving up and ways to maintain their spirits. One of the big adventures for the volunteers was a trip to the United Nations in New York for a reception, as invited guests of the Ambassador of Niger. This trip helped the volunteers form a deep connection to the Peace Corps and its goals.

I asked them both Anita and Russy what they would want their readers to know about their experience. Anita expressed her admiration for the volunteers: “They were so eager and courageous. Many of them had little idea of the country they were assigned to. Good training was such a vital part of their future success. I told them that they were ambassadors. Whatever they did or said would reflect on the U.S. Also, we cautioned them to respect the culture of their hosts even if they did not understand them. Seeing the generosity of the American spirit may have even influenced me to become an American citizen.”

Russy said that he was very impressed by our country’s enlightened approach to spreading our sense of freedom to developing countries. He admired all of the volunteers for wanting to make a better world and in a sense sacrificing two years of their lives to do this. He says, “I found myself lucky to have had that experience. It broadened my outlook. I had always felt that I was a citizen of the world, but this took it out of the abstract and made it a reality. I saw respect, love, care, tolerance and dignity for others.”

Russy’s and Anita’s experiences in the Peace Corps as trainers mirrored in many ways the experiences of the volunteers.  It was a life changing and life affirming event.

“Neighbors Together” Has A Bang Up Affair on Village Center Drive

By Joni Johnson

On Friday, August 27 at 4 pm, Village Center Drive turned into Party Central thanks to“Neighbors Together”, an idea originating with Carolyn Bennett, Willi Zilkey, Holly Lawson and Lynn Ogren. After all the isolation from the Pandemic, this group was on a mission to create social connectors throughout the campus. Well, they certainly succeeded on Village Center Drive.

With the help of a few interested residents on the drive, the Neighbors Together party was born. The small group of Village Center Drive residents chose a date and picked a spot on their street with a parking cutout and a bit of shade. They booked their time with Sarah Karnatz who then arranged for delivery of tables and chairs on the day of their gathering. They publicized their “Neighbors Together” with a flyer given to each resident and signage placed at the end of their street on the day of the event. The signage was designed and supplied by the Marketing Department. The signs have been designed to be able to pass from one neighborhood to another. Drinks were BYOB and foods were kept to a minimum. Bag snacks were purchased at Costco and put in inexpensive plastic bowels found at the dollar store. With ease and simplicity, the party was born!!!! I arrived a few minutes after four and the gaiety was in full swing. For all that showed up, the joy was apparent. People were just plain happy to be together. Even with a less than stellar air quality, the slight breeze at 4 pm made it all quite comfortable. Some people kept their masks on as a caution against either the smoke or the Delta variant.

Candice Bushell describes what it is like to be there

The masks did not seem to deter their sharing of greetings. In spite of the difficulties this summer to plan an outdoor gathering, I would guess that there were at least 35 people there if not more. Residents commented that for many it was the first chance they had in a long time to see people from the other end of their street. Another said that in the past, much of our socializing took place around mealtime; but, that sort of thing had been so difficult during the past year and a half. At last, this was a way to bring back some casual socializing amongst the neighbors. The bottom line is that it takes very little effort for a great return: Bringing “Neighbors Together”! Someone put it perfectly. “It was just wonderful to be together”.

Carolyn Bennett explains a little bit about the process

If you would like to do this for your street, it is easy. This event was resident driven, not a catered event. You can contact Sarah Karnatz directly (x7246) to set up the date, time, and location. If you need tables or chairs, she can assist you. For any other assistance please feel free to contact Carolyn Bennett (cjosmith341@gmail.com or 6249) or Willi Zilkey (willizilkey@gmail.com or 6871). They are willing to give you a packet of information regarding the advertising for your event and the information necessary to make your arrangements with Sarah Karantz.