Commun ty Matters Newton Presbyterian Manor
Special guests are scheduled on Tuesdays during summer break Just as many people take a summer vacation, the men and women’s Bible study groups at Newton Presbyterian Manor also are taking a break from their usual curriculum until September 1, and a variety of new programs featuring everything from missionaries to musical guests will take its place. “This is the first time we’re doing something like this,” said Eleanore Myers, Newton Presbyterian Manor resident and leader of the women’s Bible study group. “We have a really good schedule, and we plan to combine both the Bible studies for these seven weeks. We are hoping this summer, people will come visit and will continue to come after these sessions,” she added. The sessions include Chris Busenitz, a missionary to Guinea, West Africa, the Bergen Sisters Musical, Dr. Roy Beacham from Central Theological Seminary and Mr. Peter Hartman. “Usually we strictly study the Bible,” said Eleanore. “I’m hoping that as these missionaries come, that we as adults are going to have SUMMER, continued on page 2
August 2015
Lily Mullinax was born to teach When most of her friends were just learning how to tie their shoes or tell time, Lily Mullinax was planning how she would spend the rest of her life. “I got my first urge to teach in the first grade because I thought my first-grade teacher was the most wonderful woman,” said Lily. “I remember her sitting on the edge of her desk – we’d have our snack, then put our heads down on the desk and she’d read us a story. After that we’d sing songs. There was something about the warmth of that woman. I thought, ‘that’s what I want to do when I grow up.’ I just always wanted to teach.” As soon as she got out of college in 1956, Lily taught third and then fourth grade. After a few years, she quit her job to rest. “I had just worn myself out,” she says, and became pregnant shortly after. After having three children and getting them all in school, Lily started substituting until she was offered a job to teach kindergarten at her church, which she did for a while until she taught preschool there. “The last nine years I taught, I enjoyed the most,” said Lily. “I was teaching preschool music, but I didn’t just teach music. We sang, danced, told stories and did dramatics. And I used a lot of poetry. They called me the music teacher but I was sort of a Jill-of-all-trades. I think I enjoyed this teaching the most because it was the most creative teaching I ever did. I wasn’t bound to any particular curriculum, but one of my teacher manuals was called ‘Learning Basic Skills Through Music.’ I was free to improvise and do what I wanted.” That included having students dramatize “Peter and the Wolf ” for their parents and having them move to “The Skater’s Waltz.” Lily retired at the age of 68. “Sometimes I long to get back to it,” said Lily. “I tried being an honorary grandma at the school here at Presbyterian Manor recently but I got frustrated because I wanted to get up and teach.” Lily and her husband Roy have been married 59 years. They have three grown children and three grandchildren.