Everybody notices them. Their orange logos stand out brightly against black fabric, an aura of confidence and knowledge precedes them, and they always seem to have something on their minds.
The Future Leaders Institute, or FLI, is what transforms these young adolescents. February 23, 2009, sophomore Camille Dyhr successfully hosted a tea party for a senior center in Piedmont. Following her passion of cooking and serving, more than 20 elders gathered that Monday afternoon to enjoy a relaxing and unifying gathering of the residents.
“Technically, they could just live in their own rooms and never have to come out,” Mr. Ross, a FLI guide, mentions. “They looked really excited to just be there.”
Dyhr had been planning to throw her event ever since November this year, when FLI groups started to meet and flesh out their ideas. Dyhr assembled a variety of teas including black, green, and jasmine. Using her own homemade recipe she baked a batch of blueberry scones that all the seniors greatly delighted in.
The party was hosted in the Recreation Room where game nights or occasional lounging would occur. There were shelves of books all around and treadmills for walking. Armchairs and sofas littered the room giving it a very relaxed and tranquil atmosphere.
Name-tags brought an aura of inclusiveness and familiarity that all could just feel free to approach one another. A brief presentation was made about 20 minutes into the gathering that explained some fascinating facts about the history of tea, including different cultures’ teas, and customs associated with them. The event went off very smoothly with just the right amounts of food and tea, and the seniors just talked the afternoon away.
wow i look sort of creepy in that picture.
“Must…find delicious brains …senior center…slow runners…gooooood….NOM NOM NOM.”