Manor of the Plains
Chaplain’s Corner MARCH 2022
Meet ‘Pete’ James “Pete” Carmichael is Manor of the Plains’ newest Independent Living resident. A lifelong resident of Dodge City, Pete proudly says, “I know about everyone that lives here.” Pete’s only departure from Dodge City came during the six years he spent in the Navy. While there, Pete was educated in machinery. After being discharged, he returned to Dodge City to teach shop class and work at Speed King, where he manufactured agriculture machinery. After retirement, “Pete” Carmichael Pete had his own machine shop and was usually found tinkering with a project or two for himself, friends or family. Recently Pete has been occupying himself researching Carmichael family history. “I stay busy with research as I am writing a book,” said Pete. Some of Pete’s family history was featured in The Legend magazine including an article on his great-grandmother and a photo of his greatgrandfather C.L. Carmichael dated 1905. Pete is the proud owner of “Hidden Valley Ranch,” a pasture with hills, a valley and a spring-fed pond that has been passed down through the generations since it was homesteaded in 1888 by his great-grandparents. u
The joy of the unexpected discovery By Greg Schmidt, chaplain, Newton Presbyterian Manor
Editor’s Note: We continue to share chaplain messages from sister PMMA® communities in a nod to our roots in the Presbyterian Church. This month, we feature Greg Schmidt, chaplain at Newton Presbyterian Manor. Do you love the spring as much as I do? I hope so! The thing I enjoy most about spring is discovery. I love watching plants begin to poke their little “heads” up through the soil. I love watching little buds as they emerge from barren branches. And I can’t wait to buy the first of many flats of annuals and perennials and begin planting in the 25 or more pots I have around my house. In the same vein, I love discovering “new” things about “old” stories. For instance, all I’d ever enjoyed about St. Patrick’s Day was searching for three- and four-leaf clovers. As a child my friends and I would walk and crawl over tufts of grass in search of a three-leaf clover … always secretly hoping to find a Joy – continued on page 2
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Joy – continued from page 1 four-leaf one. Why? Just to be that lucky one who finds something few others can discover. A few years ago I began to search for the meaning behind the day and the person so many celebrated. What I discovered was a beautiful, faith-building story of a Scottish-born boy named Maewyn Succat … turned captive of Irish raiders at the age of 16 … turned slave shepherd … turned Christian convert on the run from the law … turned Catholic Priest who was known as Patrick … turned sometimes imprisoned Catholic bishop … turned missionary to Ireland who used the three-leaf shamrock to teach about the Holy Trinity … who ministered for 30+ years … who one day died on March 17 in 461 A.D. Whew! While I don’t know for sure, I choose to believe St. Patrick was spiritually driven by Matthew 28:19-20 where Jesus is recorded as having said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Did you know 2,000+ years ago, the later an idea came in the structure of a sentence, the more important the thought or teaching? That would mean “… teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you …” was the most important teaching Jesus offered in this set of commands. I believe St. Patrick knew that. Teaching Irish converts became his greatest passion. It drove his life with little or no thought given to his personal comfort. Spending time in prison, for St. Patrick and someone long before him, namely, the Apostle Paul, was understood to be a part of the process, not the problem. God used that life, that priestbishop, that testimony, to transform the Irish people who had once enslaved him. What an unexpected and mercy-driven “pay back!” We should all long to pay back our enemies with love, kindness
St. Patrick used the three-leaf shamrock to teach about the Holy Trinity.
and compassion. Sounds like something Jesus would do, doesn’t it? Perhaps forgetting self in order to serve others is exactly what becoming the lucky-one-whofinds-something-few-others-can-di scover is what our faith is all about. Humble yourself before the Lord … and crawl … or walk bowed … into the presence of the Almighty. And discover God discovering those at your doorstep who need to obediently follow His commands. u
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Community Matters 620-225-1928 ◆ Fax: 620-225-3982 200 Campus Dr. Dodge City, KS 67801-2760 ManorOfThePlains.org
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | March 2022
is published monthly for residents and friends of Manor of the Plains by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America, Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
To submit or suggest articles: jwiggins@pmma.org John Van Hook, executive director Joy Wiggins, marketing counselor
OUR MISSION: To provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.
Manor of the Plains receives award from satisfaction survey Manor of the Plains, a PMMA (Presbyterian Manors of MidAmerica®) senior living community, is a recipient of Pinnacle Quality Insight’s 2022 Customer Experience Award™. Qualifying for the award in both independent living and health care, Manor of the Plains displays a continued dedication to providing Best in Class senior healthcare services. “This award shows how much faith our residents and their families have placed in us,” said John Van Hook, executive director. “This recognition is truly a reflection of our employees’ dedication to our mission to provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.” Over the course of 2021, a sampling of Manor of the Plains’ customers and their families have participated in monthly telephone interviews that include open-ended questions, as well as the opportunity to rate the senior living community in specific categories. Every month, Manor of the Plains
has gathered its real-time survey results to gain a better understanding of the residents’ needs and make improvements when necessary. Throughout its 32-year history of serving the community, Manor of the Plains has placed a strong emphasis on ensuring that the individual needs of every resident are met. By qualifying for the Pinnacle Customer Experience Award™, Manor of the Plains has satisfied the rigorous demand of scoring in the top 15% of the nation across a 12-month average. Health care residents and their families rated Manor of the Plains in the top 15-percent in cleanliness, communication, demonstrating dignity and respect, meeting individual needs, laundry service, nursing care, overall customer experience, overall satisfaction, professional therapy services, response to problems, safety and security and a willingness to recommend to others.
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In addition, independent living residents rated the community highly in meeting transportation needs. A customer satisfaction measurement firm with 25 years of experience in post-acute healthcare, Pinnacle conducts over 150,000 phone surveys each year and works with more than 2,500 care providers in all 50 US states, Canada and Puerto Rico. Manor of the Plains offers independent living, assisted living, long-term health care and shortterm rehabilitation services. For more information, contact Joy Wiggins, marketing and sales counselor, at 620-225-1928 or jwiggins@pmma.org. u
Art is Ageless virtual exhibit Be sure to visit our Facebook page to view our virtual Art is Ageless® exhibit this month. Entries are due to Manor of the Plains by March 4, and an online exhibit will be posted to our Facebook page soon after. Winners will be announced on Facebook on or after March 16. u
Manor of the Plains | A PMMA COMMUNITY
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200 Campus Dr. Dodge City, KS 67801-2760 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | March 2022