Upcoming Events Hosted by Barclay Friends

Annual Garden Party

Please plan to join us for our annual Garden Party Friday, September 11th from 5:30-7:30 PM. This event is held in Anne’s Garden and is a special time dedicated to our residents, families, and friends. Music, hors d’oeuvres, and beverages will be provided. Your personal invitation will be mailed to you in August.  

Woolman residents typically eat dinner first at 5:30 PM and then join us for the festivities while many Cotter residents prefer to stop at Anne’s Garden at 5:30 PM and then go to dinner at 6:00 PM.  Others simply make an entire meal out of hors d’oeuvres!

5th Annual Festival of Gardens

The 5th Annual Festival of Gardens will be held on Saturday, September 12, 2009 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The gardens toured this year will be in the Quaker Hill neighborhood.  All proceeds from the event benefit the Horticulture Program at Barclay Friends. Tickets will be available in advance for $20 each or on the day of the event for $25 each. For additional information, please email gardentour@bf.kendal.org or contact the Development Office at 610-696-5211 extension 433.

Tour of Mohonk Mountain House

Barclay Friends is hosting a tour of the historic Mohonk Mountain House in the Catskill Mountains of New York October 6-8, 2009 for families and friends of Barclay Friends. The Mohonk Mountain House is a unique resort reflecting 19th century European elegance. It is located along Lake Mohonk in the heart of a 24,000 acre natural area consisting of a state park and the private preserve of the Mohonk Mountain Resort. The tour cost is $795 per person, double occupancy, with a single supplement of $115. Two nights lodging at the Mohonk Mountain House, all meals, and deluxe motor coach transportation are included in the cost of the tour. For additional information, please contact Doug Enck from MTS Travel, the coordinator for the travel arrangements.  Mr. Enck may be contacted by email at douge@mtstravel.com or by telephone at 1-800-418-2929.

Recent Events at Barclay Friends

8th Annual Golf Classic

The 8th Annual Golf Classic was held on Monday, June 8th at Honeybrook Golf Club. Eighty-two golfers enjoyed the perfect weather and camaraderie on the links with their friends, family members, and co-workers with Barclay Friends' residents as spectators.  During the past eight years, the golf tournaments have raised well over $100,000 for the benefit of the Barclay Friends’ Caring Fund.  The Caring Fund provides resident financial assistance as well as supports resident programs such as horticultural therapy and the creative arts. The Golf Classic is supported by a committee of dedicated volunteers who help plan and organize the event with the support of Barclay Friends staff.  We thank our volunteers for their            generous support of this fund-raising event!

Family Ice Cream Social

The Family Ice Cream Social held on Saturday, May 30th was a huge success as evidenced by the smiles and laughter from residents, families and staff!  The weather was perfect for the enjoyment of the musical talents of The Hagans Family Singers.  The Dog Parade was also a highlight of the day for all and we thank the families and staff who brought their dogs for this event.  Children were provided with numerous arts and crafts activities and the two balloon men made exciting balloon creations for children of all ages. With the pleasure of sampling popcorn, ice cream, and cookies, the day was complete!

West Chester Friends School  Students and Residents Enjoy Flower Arranging Program Together

The fourth grade class from the West Chester Friends School recently joined the residents of Barclay Friends in making flower arrangements during a floral arrangement program enjoyed by all in attendance.  The children and residents worked together to make the floral arrangements from natural seed pods and cones along with a Dove of Peace made of beeswax.  The arrangements were placed in vases to decorate the tables in the dining rooms and each child took an arrangement home with them as a gift from the residents.

State Representative Visits Barclay Friends

Barbara McIlvaine Smith needed no introduction to the group of Barclay Friends’ residents, family members, and staff gathered in Pippin Corner March 19th. She knew several of the people in the audience and is an approachable representative to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives because, as she stated, “I enjoy my job!” Advising that one should not take solicitations over the phone, her concerns about older constituents also include their quality of life, living wills, guardianship, and what to do about managed care problems.

The burning questions in the audience revolved around taxes. “How does taxation affect us at Barclay Friends?” inquired a Barclay Friends’ resident. Barbara said that the federal taxes support Medicaid (managed by the state) and Medicare. Public welfare and education are Pennsylvania’s largest expenses with incarcerations next. Improved education could help prevent many of those incarcerations in Barbara’s opinion. Going back about 350 years, Barbara is the fourth of her family to be a representative in the state house. Her major concerns are the Environment and Education. We look forward to more visits from Barbara in the future!