Luncheon Clubs Research Articles

Nut Country: Right-Wing Dallas and the Birth of the Southern Strategy by Edward H. Miller

Reviewed by: Nut Country: Right-Wing Dallas and the Birth of the Southern Strategy by Edward H. Miller David Cullen Nut Country: Right-Wing Dallas and the Birth of the Southern Strategy. By Edward H. Miller. (Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 2015. Pp. vi, 230. $25.00, ISBN 978-0-226-20538-0.) Between 1968 and 2008 the GOP's southern strategy resulted in the political reorientation of the solid South. Once a comfortable home for the Democratic Party, the former Confederacy was a house full of Republicans by the first decade of the twenty-first century. The story of the southern strategy often begins with the Richard M. Nixon administration embracing the arguments made by Kevin Phillips in The Emerging Republican Majority (New York, 1969). Edward H. Miller challenges this assertion by arguing that the work of a handful of skillful Dallasites foreshadowed the southern strategy by at least a decade. Miller's well-written and well-organized book profiles ultraconservative residents of Dallas who challenged the consensus that Texas would remain loyal to the Democratic Party for the foreseeable future. Some of the figures profiled are well known, such as H. L. Hunt, Bruce R. Alger, John G. Tower, Edwin A. Walker, and W. A. Criswell. Other persons may be recognized by scholars but not the general public. Examples are Dallas Morning News publisher Edward Musgrove "Ted" Dealey, oil and gas tycoon Peter O'Donnell, and the CEO of Texas Instruments, J. Erik Johnson. These men provided the money to sustain the Republican Party, forums to publicize their concerns, colorful personalities to draw attention to their cause, and a conviction that the solid South would dissolve and provide an opportunity for the GOP. [End Page 746] One particular strength of the book is that Miller identifies an important but overlooked group that proved invaluable to the party's success: women. Bruce Alger's successful runs for Congress in the 1950s resulted from the support and work of Highland Park women. Miller includes Rita Bass, who led "80 Women from Dallas," a group opposed to disarmament, in his assessment of the importance of Texas women to shaping the Republican Party. Sue Fitch chaired the Public Affairs Luncheon Club, using the organization to bring in conservative speakers who argued that capitalism and the American way of life were threatened by communism and the civil rights movement. Margot Perot used her influence to network and lobby in behalf of the party. Miller points out that seven of the nine directors of the Texas Republican Club's Women's Division were Dallasites. Miller also focuses on three institutions that shaped the debate between ultraconservative and moderate Republicans. Under the leadership of Dealey, the Dallas Morning News became a venue to argue against organized labor, the Supreme Court, and, in particular, the John F. Kennedy administration. The day of Kennedy's assassination, the paper ran an ad accusing the president of communist sympathies. As he and his wife were leaving Fort Worth to travel to Dallas, the president responded, "We're heading into nut country today" (p. 7). The money for the ad came from members of the John Birch Society. Dallas was home to over seven hundred John Birch Society members, making the city's chapter one of the largest in the country. Finally, Miller examines the influence of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, the largest Southern Baptist congregation in the United States. Under Criswell's leadership, the church became a strong voice that opposed the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) decision and conflated communism and the civil rights movement. Miller convincingly argues that these persons and institutions made Dallas the catalyst for the political realignment of the region, successfully contending that white southerners who felt betrayed by their party and, in the early 1960s, by their native son Lyndon B. Johnson should switch their loyalty from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party. David Cullen Arkansas Tech University Copyright © 2017 The Southern Historical Association

Mark Twain and the Minister

Abstract The long-awaited edition of Samuel L. Clemens's correspondence with his closest friend—the Rev. Joseph Hopkins Twichell of Hartford—is due out in Spring 2017 from the University of Georgia Press, under the editorship of Harold K. Bush, Peter Messent, and Steve Courtney. The volume—The Letters of Mark Twain and Joseph Hopkins Twichell—is due in part to the extraordinary generosity of Robert H. Hirst and the Bancroft Library at the University of California for making available, and preparing for first publication in print, the post-1880 Clemens side of the correspondence. In May, Steve Courtney gave a version of the following to the Luncheon Club, a group of donors to the Mark Twain Papers and Project in Berkeley.

Dumela Mma: an examination of resilience among South African grandmothers raising grandchildren

ABSTRACTGrandmothers serve as primary care-givers for a significant number of South African children. Previous research has documented that South African grandmothers experience physical, financial, emotional and social adversity. However, less attention has been given to South African grandmothers' resilience, or their capacity to respond to the challenges associated with raising their grandchildren. Utilising Walsh's (2003; 2012) family resilience model, this qualitative study examined resilience and resilient processes among 75 Black South African grandmothers raising grandchildren. Grandmothers participated in structured interviews during a weekly visit to a local luncheon (social) club. Results indicated that the grandmothers perceived themselves as engaging in a number of resilient processes, including relying on their spirituality, accessing sources of instrumental support, and seeking emotional support and companionship from their grandchildren and larger communities. Grandmothers also believed that focusing on their grandchildren contributed to their sense of resilience. This involved maintaining a sense of responsibility to their grandchildren, having hope for their grandchildren's futures and finding enjoyment in the grandmother–grandchild relationship. The findings reveal that, by engaging in various resilient processes, South African grandmothers raising grandchildren perceive themselves and their families as having strategies they can utilise in order to successfully cope with adversity. Findings also highlight the need for prevention and intervention efforts designed to promote grandmothers' resilience, as well as the resilience of their grandchildren.

Eating Solo: Food Practices of Older Hong Kong Chinese Migrants in England

By documenting some of the food practices of a particular cohort of older Chinese migrants to Britain, this article attempts to show how a study of food can provide insight into the complex experience of migration because food is central to the memory, comfort, and all the processes needed to adapt to a host country. In this case, it also has an impact on the migrants' social relations within and beyond the family long after they had stopped working. This cohort is unique in their being the first amongst their peers who chose to retire in Britain and in their living in sheltered housing instead of with their married children, which was the pattern they expected. As most of these respondents were involved in the food service industry, this article will also explore how this memory of “eating bitter” (hardship) in the Chinese restaurant business continued to mark their personal prestige and social status. In analyzing their avoidance of commensality—thus eating solo—within their flats, I use the concepts of gossip and the “gift as poison” to demonstrate the important role that a luncheon club played in providing not just food but a safe, neutral, and social space for these respondents. The willingness for the one exception to let others into her flat for meals is viewed as an example of conspicuous consumption, which, in turn, confirms how the respondents’ previous status within the Chinese restaurant “food chain” remained an indicator of their social status.

Optimizing healthy ageing in disadvantaged communities: insights into older people’s use of health and social care services

The European Year of Healthy Ageing recognizes that health care systems need to be improved and reorganized if services are to optimize the opportunities for people to stay healthy and well in their own homes for as long as possible. However, current services tend to be fragmented and insensitive to the needs of older people and their carers resulting in services being underused or refused leading to increased admissions into acute hospital care that could have been prevented. The main aim of the study reported in this paper was to identify the factors that affected older peoples’ decision and choice-making processes, when using or contemplating the use of care services. Using a constructivist methodology, this study used participant observation and 23 interviews in three study settings: an African Caribbean support service, day centers for people with memory and cognition problems and luncheon clubs for older people. An inductive analysis of the data revealed that when older community dwelling people found themselves struggling with certain aspects of their daily care needs; they used adapting, coping and seeking as strategies to manage. Additional issues of how well services were able to meet individual’s aspirations for care and support were identified through themes of match-mismatch, fair-unfair, independence-dependence. The findings reported in this study provide important insights as to how people’s needs are complex yet are negatively affected by rigid state controlled services that ultimately affect individual decisions to use or refuse services.

Community luncheon clubs benefit the nutritional and social well-being of free living older people

Background: Older people are at increased risk of malnutrition. Community meals have the potential to reduce the risk of developing malnutrition. However, little is known about the nutritional content of these meals or why older people chose to eat in community lunch settings. Wilson (2009) found community meals benefited older people through increasing the appetite of those living alone. This study aimed to explore how meals provided in a community setting contribute to the health, nutritional intake and wellbeing of free-living older people aged 65 years and over. Methods: The study included one-to-one (n = 17) and group (n = 9) semi structured interviews, and 7 day food-diaries (n = 5) with older people aged over 65 recruited using convenience sampling from a local volunteer run, community luncheon club. Qualitative interview and fieldnote data were transcribed and data were coded and thematically analysed (using NVivo 7™), Quantitative analysis of the food diary data and recipes used to prepare food at the lunch group (Using Dietplan 6.2™) was used to explore the nutritional contribution of the food eaten at the lunch group during the study week. Ethical review was undertaken by the University Ethics Committee. Results: Analysis of the food diaries showed that nutrient intake on the day they ate at the lunch group was higher than their median intakes for other days of the week for iron, calcium and folate, though intake of Vitamin D did not reach the DRV(RNI) (Department of Health 1991) see Figure 1. Qualitative analysis found that eating in a community setting played an important role in providing a space for social interaction and support. Perceived nutritional benefits included the provision of a ‘proper’, ‘home-cooked’ meal, increasing the range of food eaten and the affordable price. (1) [ Micronutrient intake between 1 day attending luncheon club and median intake for other 6 days as median percentage of DRV (RNI). ] Discussion: This pilot study is limited by both its sample size and being undertaken in one setting, however, it does demonstrate the contribution that the voluntary sector may be making to both the dietary intake and social well-being of older people. Further work is needed to explore other types of community food provision. It was interesting to note that malnutrition or concern for health did not emerge as a reason for choosing to eat in this setting. Conclusion: Community lunch group meals may contribute to the nutrient intake of older people and provide benefit to their physical health and social well being. This type of voluntary provision is likely to be of increasing importance to older people in the current economic climate.

Helping vulnerable adults to keep safe

Adult protection is about prevention and, failing that, investigation and aftercare. This article describes innovative work in Powys, mid Wales, where trainers are working with vulnerable adults to help them to reduce the risk that they will be abused, or if the worst happens, where to turn for help. College staff have developed a course that runs on one afternoon a week for the academic year for people with learning disabilities. For people with mental health problems the approach had been workshop based, with a programme of six or eight workshops run by skilled trainers. For older people a third approach has been developed because there are so many older people who need to hear about Keeping Safe. After piloting one‐off workshops and presentations, the trainer has worked with staff and volunteers from a variety of agencies who already work with older people to train them as trainers working in pairs. Those who have received the training will be delivering sessions in luncheon clubs, day services, care homes etc.

The effectiveness of a lunch club for the elderly: a rural case study

As part of its ministry to a village in South Oxfordshire a rural Methodist church developed the provision of a monthly luncheon club for the elderly. Those attending were asked to give responses to questions regarding their personal circumstances. Results suggest some of the difficulties relating to the care of the elderly in rural locations.

Undernutrition in the UK

Undernutrition in the UK

Self-reported oral health status and oral-health related behaviours of a sample of Chinese elders in Inner London, UK: A pilot investigation

Objectives To describe the self-reported oral health status and oral-health related behaviours of a sample of 54 Chinese elders aged 54 years and over, resident in Inner London.Design Cross-sectional study, using a structured questionnaire administered by two interviewers in English and Cantonese in three luncheon clubs in Inner London.Results Subjects who reported poor to fair oral health (33 subjects, 72%) were more likely to report poor to fair overall health rather than good overall health. Seventeen subjects (32%) reported having 20 or more natural teeth; 10 subjects (18%) were edentulous; 31 subjects (57%) wore dentures; 25 subjects (46%) reported having experienced at least two oral conditions in the previous twelve months; 40 subjects (74%) reported brushing their teeth or dentures at least twice a day; 31 subjects (58%) had not visited a dentist in the previous twelve months. Subjects who had visited a dentist in the previous twelve months were more likely to report having language difficulties rather than no difficulties with their use of health services.Conclusions Self-perceived overall health was found to be associated with self-perceived condition of teeth. Migration and ethnicity may have an impact on dental care utilisation. Although the sample reported a symptom-oriented pattern of dental care utilisation, poor self-perception of oral health and experience of oral conditions do not always lead to dental care utilisation. There is a gap in knowledge on the cause and prevention of periodontal disease. Further research is required to establish the correlation between the clinical measures of overall health and oral health, and between ethnicity and dental care utilisation.

The relationship of anthropometry and bio-electrical impedance to dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in elderly men and women

Objective: evaluation of the accuracy of fat-free mass (FFM) measured by anthropometry or bio-electrical impedance and by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Methods: 34 subjects (17 males) aged over 75 years, selected from the patients of a group general practice and from a luncheon club and a day centre and all living independently at home. FFM was measured by anthropometry (height, demi-span, knee height, weight and triceps skinfold thickness), bio-electrical impedance and DXA. Results: An equation for FFM provided by the manufacturer of the bio-electrical impedance analyser gave r2 as 0.900, standard error (SE) as 2.28 kg and systematic overestimate as 6.26 kg. FFM calculated from anthropometry gave an r2 of 0.944, SE of 22.5 kg and a systematic underestimate of 6.26 kg. FFM estimated from height, weight and gender gave an r 2 of 0.900, SE of 3.0 and systematic overestimate of 3-0 kg. New equations derived from the data gave a narrower SE for equations derived from bio-electrical impedance (1.2 kg), anthropometry (1.95 kg) and bio-electrical impedance with height, weight and sex (1.45 kg). Substitution of demi-span or knee height for height in equations involving bio-electrical impedance, height, weight and sex gave an r2 of 0.965 and SE of 1.87 for demi-span and an r2 of 0.975 and SE of 1.51 for knee height. Conclusions: by comparing calculations of FFM from bio-electrical impedance and anthropometry and by DXA we have been able to produce equations from anthropometry and bio-electrical impedance which provide a more accurate estimate of FFM in individuals over the age of 75 years.

The nutrient intake of elderly men living alone and their attitudes towards nutrition education

Aims: A cross‐sectional study was undertaken among elderly men living alone in Sunderland to (1) assess their dietary intake and food habits, (2) to identify factors which influence their food choice, and (3) to investigate perceived needs regarding nutrition education activities.Methods: A random sample of 66 men, aged 70 years and over was drawn from members of luncheon clubs (n=33) and residents of sheltered housing accommodation (n=33). Dietary intake was assessed using a validated semi‐quantified food frequency questionnaire (FFQ).Results: Intake of all nutrients, with the exception of energy, vitamin D and fibre was adequate. Almost half of the subjects (47%) had energy intakes below the EAR, and the majority tended towards underweight, as indicated by the age‐adjusted reference standards for BMI. Taste and enjoyment were the factors which most influenced food choice. The main identified source of nutrition information was the media, followed by relatives and friends. Only half of the subjects perceived that they would benefit from nutrition education and 58% reported a willingness to participate in such activities if they were available.Conclusion: The findings suggest that although most subjects were aware of the role of dietary factors in the maintenance of an optimal health status, this age group is not a receptive audience for nutrition education activities. The targeting of elderly men living alone presents a challenge to nutrition educators.

Female Freemasons: Gender, Democracy and Fraternalism

Voluntary and nongovernmental associations are getting increased attention as part of popular culture: world of ideas, civil society is hot. It is almost impossible to read an article on foreign or domestic politics without coming across some mention of concept.... At heart of concept of civil society lie `intermediate institutions,' private groups that thrive between realm of state and of family.' There is little doubt that building of social trust through fostering of voluntary organizations is contributory to democracy, and to gender freedom: In a society that is looking for alternatives to a way of life dominated by corporations and state, social movements suggest other choices. A network of organizations that encompass broad constituencies can change our understanding of what is possible and desirable. Little by little we can build a new political culture based on our own questions about existing order. Meeting human needs neglected by state and market is basis for social movements. By working together they promote positive change and stretch our understanding of democracy and justice. The values of everyday world, including friendship, respect and concern for others, combined with shared hopes and aspirations, and healthy does of courage and patience, characterize what is best about culture of social movements.2 The debate about contribution of intermediate organizations to democracy should also include a discussion of contribution of such organizations to gender issues. Certainly more attention is needed to role of nongovernmental organizations, including those for women.3 This includes not only business luncheon clubs but ritualistic secret societies. Contrary to claims of Professor Robert Putnam of Harvard, who argues that civic life is collapsing and has popularized phrase bowling alone, volunteerism remains a strong force in American culture. An estimated seventy percent of American population belong to at least one association and twenty-five percent belong to at least four.4 I came to know hundreds of people who found meaning and satisfaction in performing community services, wrote Stephen Bailey about his years of residence in Middletown, Connecticut: ...volunteer firemen, members of library boards, organizers of community chests and United Fund drives, hospital aides, readers for blind. These activities were frequently in addition to service on PTA committees or church boards and participation in service-club benefits for crippled....no reform of bureaucratic and political system can possibly obviate need for intimate expressions of caring that are associated with voluntary performance of works of obligation and service.5 There has been little discussion despite this revival of interest in volunteerism of place that oldest of voluntary international societies, Freemasons, might have in years ahead either on democratization or gender viz culture. The generally held opinion is that Freemasonry is an adamantly male institution, but historically that is untrue. Those who claim, to intense irritation of some Masons, that women were involved in very beginnings of Masonry have substantial evidence to sustain their position. There is, for example, a record from 1408 where newly initiated Masons swore to obey the Master, or Dame, or any other ruling Freemason. In records of Lodge of Mary's Chapel in Edinburgh, dated 1683, lodge was actually presided over by a Dame or Mistress. The records of Grand Lodge of York in 1693 speak about male and female initiates.6 By eighteenth century anecdotes about women Masons take on a different tone. The women now are interlopers who become Masons by accident and are made members to protect secrets. A woman who found out secrets by spying was initiated in a lodge in English town of Barking in 1714. …

Determination of needs of black aged persons in Port Elizabeth: direction for future interventions.

Social, economic and health care needs of elderly black persons in Port Elizabeth and areas in its immediate vicinity are investigated. Conclusions are drawn from a sample study of 301 elderly people. The investigation reveals that the majority of pensioners are women, their educational standard is below standard 10, and they have little vocational or specialized training. A high proportion (86%) of them are breadwinners and therefore they are unwilling to reside in institution. Recreational facilities are inadequate. Pension payout points are overcrowded and disorganized. Also health care services are inaccessible to most elderly people. In view of these findings, a community-based approach to care for the elderly is recommended. The approach should promote social interaction among elderly through establishment of luncheon clubs and service centres and well-being of all elderly through geriatric clinics as well as home care services for the infirm. This entails an intersectorial collaboration, with the elderly being fully involved and participating. Considering the exponential growth of the elderly population in South Africa, it is imperative that the government and other organizations should take cognizance of studies of this nature when making future decisions as regards the care of this group.

Psychotic States Arising in Late Life (Late Paraphrenia)

This study explored the association between 'late paraphrenia' and various risk factors such as female gender, sensory impairment, marital status, positive family history of psychoses, and the presence of abnormal neurological signs. It was hypothesised that patients would show significantly more abnormal neurological signs than controls. Inclusion criteria for the diagnosis of late paraphrenia were fulfilled by 47 patients, including in-patients, out-patients, day-patients, and those living in the community. Thirty-three age-, sex-, education-, and premorbid IQ-matched elderly controls were recruited from luncheon clubs in Southwark and Lambeth (London, UK). A scale for the assessment of neurological soft and hard signs was developed for this study. The Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) and the Tardive Dyskinesia Rating Scale (TDRS) were also used. There was a high female-to-male ratio (42:5), and a fourfold increase in the risk of patients having hearing impairment (odds ratio = 4.15, Clodds = 1.36 to 12.63). There was no difference between the two groups in visual difficulties nor in marital status. Patients were approximately ten times more likely to be living on their own (odds ratio = 10.61; Clodds = 3.59 to 31.33) and 16 times more likely to be considered socially isolated (odds ratio = 16.65; Clodds = 5.39 to 51.40). There was no difference between patients and controls in frequency of schizophrenia-like family history. Patients were more likely than controls to exhibit neurological soft signs (z = 4.70; P < 0.001; Cld = 4.61 to 9.63). The presence of abnormal involuntary and tardive dyskinesia movements was associated with the use of antipsychotic medication. Women appear to run a greater risk of developing late paraphrenia, especially those who are socially isolated and present with associated hearing impairment. The increased presence of neurological soft signs among patients indicates that brain disease may be a critical factor in the development of psychotic symptoms in late life.

Nutrition study.

The nutritional intake of a group of elderly people was found to be adequate in a small study of people attending a luncheon club in North London.

Elderly Luncheon Clubs

No abstract available for this article.

Those Two Martinis Before Dinner Every Night

REMEMBER the joke about two psychiatrists who meet on an elevator. The first psychiatrist says, "Good morning!" The second says (to himself), "What did he mean by<i>that?</i>" When someone casually asks about those two drinks every evening before dinner, the first question the physician might in turn ask (himself) is, why is he asking this question? Has an Authority for All Seasons at your friend's luncheon club said to him, "Drinking like that on an empty stomach will ruin a man's liver"? Think back, did your friend say two martinis before dinner or was it before lunch? Has your patient been listening to the radio and learned that alcoholism is our worst drug problem? One person in ten, or seven, or twenty has a drinking problem. A doubt begins to grow and he asks himself, "Have I got a problem?" Maybe his wife has asked the question, "George, do

Feeding old people

A conference on catering for the elderly is being planned by the Geriatric Nutrition Unit of Queen Elizabeth College, London University. It will be a one day conference on Friday, 13th September, 1974, and will deal with problems which arise in catering in small residential homes, luncheon clubs, meals on wheels and geriatric wards in hospitals and nursing homes. There will be speakers on nutrition, menu planning, recipe making, equipment, costing, advantageous buying and also on what old people like to eat.

BOOK REVIEWS

Journal Article BOOK REVIEWS Get access Meals for the Elderly. A report on meals on wheels and luncheon clubs in two North London Boroughs. B. R. Stanton Published by the King's Fund NOREEN THOMPSON NOREEN THOMPSON Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar Age and Ageing, Volume 1, Issue 3, August 1972, Page 191, https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/1.3.191-a Published: 01 August 1972