Month: August 2024

A Musical Note

The Sanctuary Choir and Derry Ringers performed to over 300 people at Mount Gretna on Sunday, August 4. The concert was extremely well received, and my deepest gratitude goes to each musician who sang and rang with passion and artistry. Derry Church was well represented, and the presence of the Holy Spirit was felt in that sacred place.

Sanctuary Choir rehearsals for its fall 2024 season have begun! Save the date for the 2024 Christmas at Derry concert, set for Sunday, December 8. The concert will be at 3 pm, followed by a reception in Fellowship Hall. The youth will provide gourmet popcorn at the reception.

Derry Ringers will begin rehearsals on September 10. Claire Folts and Debbi Kees-Folts are completing a fall schedule for the children and have worked out dates for singing in worship.

A Programming Note

Our 2024 Arts Alive season is well underway, and we are also finalizing plans for the 2025 season. Here’s what you can look forward to in the months ahead:

• October 6: Pianist Thomas Pandolfi returns to play a concert on the Lee Ann Taylor Memorial Steinway 
• November 3: Silver, Wood, and Ivory
• December 8: Christmas at Derry, one concert at 3 pm in the Sanctuary

My deepest gratitude to Dick Hann and the Arts Alive committee for their tireless work in preparing for this upcoming season.

A Note on Organ Tuning

When the Aeolian-Skinner organ, Opus 1132, was installed, A-Thompson Allen included ten tunings within the removal, refurbishment, and reinstallation contract. When those tunings were completed, the subsequent tuning cost was $1,800 (which included travel and lodging). Seeing that this amount was not reasonable as there are so many qualified and skilled technicians in our area, I sought the services of a local tuner and technician. The work carried out on March 8 was unsatisfactory as the organ had temperament discrepancies throughout several divisions, and maintenance issues were not resolved as requested.

I am happy to report that on Friday, August 9, Steven Emery, a highly respected tuner, rebuilder, and technician, came to tune our organ, fixing every issue previously mentioned, and the organ is playing and sounding better than ever. The cost for Steve’s work was roughly half that of A-Thompson Allen’s, and his work is exceptional. Steve is the curator of organs at many esteemed institutions, including St. Bartholomew’s in New York City and the Wanamaker Organ in Philadelphia, and is currently working on the complete refurbishment of the National Cathedral Organ. His skill and artistry bless us at such a reasonable cost.

A Note of Thanks

Sarah and I would like to thank the members of Derry Church, the Session, and Pastor Stephen for all your love, care, and support of our recent wedding in June. We are blessed to now live in the Hershey area and be 10 minutes from Derry Church, which was made possible by the generous support of the congregation of Derry Church. Now that I am fully recovered from Covid, I look forward to an exciting season ahead.

It has been over a year since I had the privilege of becoming Derry’s first Faith Community Nurse, and what a year it has been. I have been so welcomed by all of you and for that I am grateful. Derry truly is a special place.

In November, I completed a 16-week online Faith Community Nurse Course from West Virginia University College of Nursing.  The course dealt with all aspects of Faith Community Nursing.  I learned so much, including much about myself, through the readings and online discussion with my classmates and instructors. Upon completing this class, I am officially a Faith Community Nurse and can use the FCN title.

As an FCN, I am tasked with the care of our church community through knowledge of the body, mind and spirit. Let me share with you what I have been doing for Derry over the past year:

• I visit members who are hospitalized (20 visits), at home (13 visits), and in long term care facilities (16 visits).
• I contact members when they have had surgery or are ill at home. Well over 100 of you have received at least one phone call, email or text from me. I answer medical questions and have made many referrals from my list of health resources. Many of you have called me or dropped by my desk at church to chat or to receive advice.
• I take part in worship services at Londonderry Village and help lead the Prime Timers programs.
• Education is a priority. There are now eight Health Time with Nurse Beckie presentations available on the church’s YouTube channel, including subjects such as diabetes, heart health, home safety, advance directives, and health maintenance and screenings.  
• This past spring, we presented “A Matter of Balance,” a class led by Amy Bollinger, RN from the Penn State Health Trauma Team. The eight-week class instructed participants on staying safe from falls, including exercises for increasing strength, flexibility, and balance. The class was so well received that we are holding another class beginning October 8: contact me if you’d like to attend.
• We offered the “Safe Sitters” program through the Penn State Pediatric Trauma Team this summer. The 20 teenage participants received instruction on child care, choking rescue, how to stay safe in a home, and who and when to call for help. If you are in need of a sitter, call the church office for names of available graduates.
• I am a member of our Health and Wellness Team. We are an active group and among our many initiatives is a new Wellness Connection Group that promotes fellowship through physical activity.
• I serve as a resource for the Disability, Inclusion, and Accessibility Committee, which has instituted several programs and initiatives to better serve all who enter this church.
• I am a substitute co-leader for Derry’s GriefShare support group.
• We now have three AEDs, checked monthly to assure the operation of the devices. The AEDs are located outside Fellowship Hall, outside the Hammond Library, and outside Room 5 on the lower level. First aid kits are located on the wall outside the kitchen, in the kitchen, above the AED by Fellowship Hall, in the closet outside the Sanctuary, by the entrance to the office, and in the office.
• I have had the privilege of serving as liturgist in worship services and at funerals.  

In July, my husband and I traveled to Lusaka, Zambia, where I was able to visit the family of Cecilia Kangwa, pictured above. Cecilia attended Derry Church and passed away in February. It was such a meaningful experience to reconnect with Cecilia’s mother Grace, meet her family and accept their hospitality. Grace was so thankful that we were able to visit her in her home so far away, and to grieve her loss as someone who was there with her at her most difficult time.

This year has been one of learning and experience, and it is my honor to serve the people of Derry as your Faith Community Nurse.  I am blessed with this unique nursing ministry.

In 1894 Milton Hershey established the Hershey Chocolate Company in Lancaster, Pennsylvania as a subsidiary of his highly successful Lancaster Caramel Company. The chocolate business grew quickly, and he soon needed to build a new, larger factory for his company. He looked up and down the Eastern seaboard for the best location, and in 1903 he selected a site near Derry Church. Milton Hershey envisioned building not just a factory but also a model industrial town for his workers.

Milton Hershey’s construction of the chocolate factory and his decision to build a model town would have a significant and beneficial impact on Derry Presbyterian Church.

After the Chapel was completed in 1887, Derry Church continued to struggle. In 1900, membership was only about 12 people. Derry did not have the financial resources to call a pastor. Instead, Derry continued to be served by stated supply ministers, including Reverend John Groff (1895-1905), who offered a Sunday evening service each week. Reverend Groff was the pastor for Middletown Presbyterian Church during these years. 

When Milton Hershey came to this area, he needed fresh water for his chocolate factory and approached Derry Church to rent the Derry Church spring. The church session agreed, and in 1903 a ten-year lease was signed at the rate of $75 a year. To manage the water flow, Hershey installed a pump at the spring and ran a line to the factory. The pump was enclosed by a shed. Hershey Chocolate Company continued to rent the spring until 1928 when Derry Church sold the land on which the spring was located to Milton Hershey to be part of the new Hershey Country Club golf course. 

It wasn’t until 1909 that Derry Church was able to call its first pastor in decades, Reverend Benjamin Segelken. Milton Hershey donated one-third of Rev. Segelken’s salary, $300, to Derry that year. Carlisle Presbytery also provided financial support to the slowly growing congregation.

Milton Hershey provided financial support to Derry Church for several more years. In addition, Milton Hershey agreed to maintain the church grounds, providing funds for lawn mowing, snow removal, and maintaining the paths that connected Derry to the new community.

As the Hershey community expanded, Derry Church continued to play an important part in town events. In 1915 Derry Church celebrated Arbor Day by planting 50 trees. It was a major event, not just for Derry but for the entire town of Hershey. Hundreds of people attended. Honored guests included Pennsylvania Governor M.G. Brumbaugh and Milton Hershey. Two trees from that 1915 planting are still part of the church grounds. A Scarlet Oak stands near the rear entrance to the Sanctuary and a Laurel Oak can be found near the Chapel walkway.

The growth of the Hershey community brought new members to Derry Church. Between 1900 and 1930, Derry’s congregation grew from 12 to 150 members. By 1928, Derry had become self-supporting and no longer needed financial support from Presbytery. 

The following year, Milton Hershey once again came to the aid of Derry Church. The Session House was known to be the oldest structure in Derry Township. The church was proud of the Session House and the role it had played in the church’s history. At that time the church was concerned about the preservation of the building. One day Milton Hershey and Harry Erdman, manager of the Hershey Nursery, came to the church grounds to look at some of the old trees to see if any needed care. Reverend Robert Taylor (1916-1932) came out to greet them. He asked Milton Hershey for a contribution towards the preservation of the Session House. Harry Erdman told this story in an 1955 oral history interview: 

Mr. Hershey said, “Well, what’s it going to cost?” 

Well, he [Reverend Taylor] didn’t have any idea. He thought $5,000 – $10,000. 

Mr. Hershey said, “Well, I’ve seen a building like that over in France somewhere. I don’t recall just where it was. They had the whole thing enclosed in glass. I’ll get our architect here and see what we can do about it. We won’t give it to the Historical Society. Now is there anything else you can think of? 

“No,” he [Reverend Taylor] said. “I appreciate that very much, Mr. Hershey.”

Mr. Hershey said to me [Harry Erdman] “You’ll talk to him and let me know.”

He said, “We’ll take of it. Now, come on, Erdman, let’s get out of here before we get stuck for something else.”

That year Derry Church was also making plans to expand the Chapel to add additional classroom and fellowship space. Plans were drawn up, but with the onset of the Great Depression it was uncertain if and when Derry would be able to restart the expansion project. However, in October 1934, Harrisburg philanthropist Henry B. McCormick (1869-1941) approached Reverend John Corbin with an offer of a major donation ($5,000) to help underwrite the cost of the expansion plan. The McCormick family were members of Pine Street Presbyterian Church and long-time supporters of Derry. His father, Colonel Henry McCormick (1831-1900), was one of the members of the Harrisburg Historical Society who helped raise funds for the construction of the 1884 Chapel.

In addition to Mr. McCormick’s gift, the church also received $2,000 from Milton Hershey. 

Construction was nearing completion when on July 4, 1935, Milton Hershey gifted each of the Hershey community’s five churches $20,000 (Derry, Hershey First Methodist, Spring Creek Church of the Brethren, St. Joan of Arc, and Holy Trinity Lutheran). The gift helped many churches cover financial shortfalls resulting from the Great Depression. Derry Church used Mr. Hershey’s unexpected gift to expand the construction project, adding a vestibule to the Chapel entrance and new chancel furniture and architectural elements. The church also installed new carpet and purchased furniture and equipment for the new classrooms.

This unexpected gift also created an opportunity for Derry to establish a strong financial foundation. In the 1936 Annual Report, the church’s Board of Trustees shared this report:

The Year just closed has been a Happy and uneventful one to your Trustees, as with the full cooperation of the Congregation and the various organizations of the Church, they have been able to pay all bills promptly, paint the Manse, install a new fire door at the entrance to the Boiler Room, include liability insurance as a protection to the Church employees and close the year with out a penny of debt, all bills paid, and a comfortable balance in the Bank. In addition to this the congregation has an invested nest egg of $11,000 of U.S. Government bonds.
F.C. Snavely, Chairman

This $11,000 investment came from the balance of Mr. Hershey’s unexpected gift. 

Milton Hershey never joined any of the churches in Hershey. It was said that he would attend each church occasionally, generally sitting in the back and leaving as worship ended. His commitment to the community he established extended to the churches that served the residents. When Milton Hershey died, his funeral was held at the Milton Hershey School Senior Hall. All of Hershey’s churches were represented at the funeral service, including Reverend William Longbrake (1941-1950).

Throughout the summer, the theme for our Sunday sermons has been “That’s My Question!” I would venture to guess that at some point when you have arrived at Derry to attend a meeting or other event, your question has been, “Why is the door locked when I need to enter the building?”

Gone are the days when church doors were open 24/7 and no one worried about security or unauthorized entry into the building. Recently, Derry’s Session reinstituted a policy that we had prior to COVID – that of locking all church doors, except the courtyard door, on a Sunday morning from 10:40 – 11:30 am. While we have had no threat or security breach, the Session thought it would be a prudent step to bring back this small but important step.

However, this practice is not the full story when it comes to the church doors. Derry is a busy place with daily meetings, musical performances, Derry Discovery Days, Zumba, and other events. A PA Department of Human Services rule requires that the doors must be locked when Derry Discovery Days preschool is in session and students are in the building. During that time, the best place to enter the building is door #1 on the Mansion Road side of the building. There you can use the intercom located on the left-hand wall to contact me in the office, and I will electronically open the door for you.

The doors are controlled by a computerized security program in which all doors remain locked unless they are set to open and close at specific times.  While this program is controlled by a few staff members, including me, your help is critical in setting the doors correctly. If you oversee an event that is scheduled for the building, give me a call in the office and let me know when you would like to have the doors open and close. Many times, I simply guess on what is appropriate. Sometimes the times I choose work, but other times they don’t. 

The doors will open and close precisely at the time programmed. If you arrive early, realize that the door will only open at the time set in the program. If the light is red on the keypad by the door, the door is locked. A green light indicates the door is open.

Finally, the doors should never be propped open. Doing so negates any security feature. Also, it allows entry to any number of our outside friends:  squirrels, chipmunks, snakes, birds, and bats. Believe me, we’ve seen them all! 

Keeping the church building safe, secure, and uninhabited by local wildlife is a job for each one of us. Call the church office any time Monday thru Friday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm to report the times you would like to have the doors open for your event. 

Editor’s Note: On the first Thursday of each month (or close to it), the eNews feature article highlights the mission focus for the month. In August we’re lifting up Education of Children and our mission partner, the Boys & Girls Club of Harrisburg.

The Boys & Girls Club of Harrisburg has been a safe, positive place for kids since it opened its doors back in 1939. Although it has only been close to 100 years, the Boys & Girls club has served numerous generations of families in Harrisburg and its surrounding areas. What started as a recreational center for young males under the name “The Boys Club” has since blossomed into an activity and educational based program serving members from ages 6 to 18.

Career exploration, homework tutoring, trades, the arts, esports, athletic leagues, and most importantly, service to the community are a few programs offered to our members at the Boys & Girls Club of Harrisburg, which mirror what is done nationwide at other Boys & Girls Clubs. We also offer programming that is unique to our location. During our 2024 summer camp we partnered with a former club member who now owns his own therapy practice to discuss with our members the importance of understanding mental health. We have also partnered with several agriculture programs throughout the city which has allowed us to maintain our own garden at our main clubhouse. Having our own garden has allowed us to teach our members how to grow healthy alternatives and promote a healthy lifestyle.

The Boys & Girls Club is also a place for exploring and having fun during the summertime. We pride ourselves on providing our members with a fun and captivating summer experience all members want while off school. While planning for our summer, we make sure to schedule both familiar and new and exciting fieldtrips that our members will enjoy and remember for years to come. Whether it’s a swimming trip to our local pool or a trip to Baltimore to Top Golf we are positive that our members will create lasting summer memories with their peers.