FBC deacons host ‘Senior Single Ladies luncheon’
Deacons at First Baptist Church and their wives hosted a “Senior Single Ladies Luncheon” in the church’s Family Life Center Monday afternoon.
Deacons Kinney Black, Darrell Massey, Mark Roberts and James Stinnett served a variety of sandwiches, treats and sweets to the single senior women. The men’s wives were in charge of decorating the venue with a thoughtful nod toward history and preparing the array of food.
The meal was presented in appreciation for the senior women and in celebration of their Godly devotion, sort of a “belated Valentine’s” tribute to them. The meal event was a regular occurrence before COVID, but this was the first time back in a while, and the women who were being honored seemed excited to catch up with everyone in this setting, and to learn more about the fascinating centerpieces on each table in the room.
The general theme was a nod to the good ole’ days with both rustic and elegant “stuff that they used back then” adorning each table, surrounded by flowers and arranged with a touch of class. Each table had a specific theme—one table had a variety of old cooking implements in its center, another while another had items related to fashion trends and necessities from the earlier part of the 20th century.
“I said, Let’s make it fun, let’s make it something that they can sit and enjoy and talk,” Charlessa said when explaining the idea behind the decor.
Some of the items were familiar, such as an old mechanical whisk and a metal flat iron—items our mothers and grandmothers used daily. Other items were a mystery at first, but Charlessa compiled an incredible historic log of the items that included explanations
of their individual purpose and a loose timeline of the evolution of the technology that helped us do daily chores, dress to impress, and make the most our of life “back in the day.”
One item of particular interest was a dainty, round, gold item that looked like a tiny hat box with a straight handle sticking out, that this reporter guessed was either a compass, a makeup compact or some type of watch.
Charlessa revealed that the small item was actually a woman’s purse ashtray, which she carried for her and her spouse’s personal use when out on the town and in need of such.
Another throwback to history was a small, delicate plate with a simple image of wheat stalks trimmed in 22K gold, sitting on a decorative metal stand.
Charlessa shared that this “Golden Wheat” dinnerware were common inserts in boxes of Duz laundry detergent during a promotional campaign they ran in the 1950’s.
Massey’s wife Cindy designed the lovely flower arrangements at each table and Black’s wife, Charlessa, supplied most of the unique historic items on display at each table. Becky Roberts also assisted in the table arrangement.