In the past, the Senior Friends of Olivet Moravian Church in Pfafftown put out the word about its annual Community Day for Seniors only through other local churches.
This year, Bill "Preacher Bill" Campbell, Olivet's pastoral assistant, added a notice in the newspaper that included both the words "free" and "food."
So, as Lois Conrad hustled around the Olivet Moravian kitchen Wednesday afternoon, she was fretting that more people might show up than they had food for.
"I've been working on this for a week," said Conrad, who was in charge of the refreshments.
Thank goodness, she said, she had seven good people helping her (including her husband, Robert) and refreshments weren't being served until the middle of the program. With a Harris Teeter just down Robinhood Road, she figured she would have time to run out for extra food if necessary.
As it was, she and her helpers had made sure that they had a gracious plenty. Along with pimento cheese sandwiches, cucumber-and-cream-cheese sandwiches and such, they had such extra-special treats as squares of Shirley Harper's chocolate cake and red-velvet cake and Ralph Calhoun's Old Victorian Vinegar Cookies with Rosemary.
Calhoun, who does a lot with herbs, thought the rosemary might be a tasty addition to a traditional recipe.
"I invented that part," Calhoun said.
Harper is a go-to person whenever people at the church and elsewhere need a cake. She also did the arrangement for the refreshment table.
"This lady is extremely talented," Roslyn Rothrock said.
As befits a day for seniors, there was lots of horsing around about getting older. Harper said that, like Jack Benny, she kept her age at 39 for years.
In recent years, though, she had to bump it up a tad, she said. "I stayed 39 until my kids caught up with me."
Out in the fellowship hall, church members such as Melody Lee Campbell and Jerry Smith, who had gotten his hand slapped earlier for trying to sample the refreshments before it was time, were making sure that everything was ready, and guests were coming in.
The idea for the community day grew out of desire to connect with seniors at other churches, said Pat Calhoun, the president of Olivet's Senior Friends.
Carol Hunter and Mattie Taylor had read about the program in the bulletin at New Philadelphia Moravian Church, and, seeing that it included music, thought that it looked like fun.
At 101, Gladys Doub took the honors for oldest guest. To people who said she didn't look her age, she responded, "Don't look at me close."
For the most part, she said, she really likes being 101 because people give her lots of attention. Doub, who uses a walker, is still as sharp as they come.
"My brain hasn't give out yet," she said, "but my legs have."
As it turned out, about 125 people came from 27 churches -- not all of them Moravian. Campbell, who served as master of ceremonies for the afternoon, joked that heaven no doubt had room for a Methodist and a Baptist or two.
"Hopefully, heaven is a big place," he said.
The program was set for 1 to 3:30 p.m. First up was Joni Hanna, whom Campbell has known since she was a teen-ager in a youth choir that he led 35 years ago.
"I raised her from a puppy," he said.
Hanna works for Wake Forest University Health Services and sings when she can.
"Music is my passion, and a real job pays the bills," she said.
Following her on the program were the Rev. Brad Bennett and the Rev. Sam Gray, both of whom also played music and sang.
Gray delivered his message in 24 minutes by devoting two minutes each to 12 people, all from the Bible except for the last one, which was you and me and everyone else.
Gray used lots of humor and props. He whipped out a cymbal to make a point about "symbols," and a grater to illustrate "greater wisdom." In his story, the prophet survived on Honey Nut Cheerios rather than the more traditional locusts and wild honey.
Everyone stuck to the timetable, and, at 3:30, all the guests headed home.
"Now the fun comes -- I have to clean up," said Naomi Algood as she headed toward the refreshment table, which could have handled lots more guests.
Smiling, she added, "I love it."
■ Kim Underwood can be reached at 727-7389 or at kunderwood@wsjournal.com.
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