In Person Meeting of Pen Pals on June 14, 2023

The highlight of the session occurred when the Pen Pals met in person for 90 minutes at McCall Middle School.  Conversations were animated and concluded with feedback about their positive experience. 

Pen Pals  

Letters Trellis joined the Winchester Intergenerational Team to support a Pen Pals program between Middle School students and seniors from the Jenks Center.  The WIT is supported by a grant from the Cummings Foundation.  The Winchester Council on Aging hosted and supports this program.

The Pen Pal Program – to June 2023

A report from Shukong Ou and Karen Fullerton, of Letters Trellis and the coordinating representative from the Jenks Center - Suzanne Norton, as well as the coordinating teacher from McCall Middle School, Christine Austin

Participation:

• February – June 2022

Seven pairs of Jenks Center seniors partnered with McCall Middle School students

Five sets of letters were exchanged, and many of the correspondents were able to meet their n person at a final session at the Jenks Center.

• November 2022 – June 2023

We began with nine pairs of seniors/students.  The program grew to thirteen pairs.

• Each month a set of letters are exchanged between the seniors and students.

• Three seniors participated in both sessions.

Feedback/ Summary 

• Early on we had many questions at our start-up session at the Jenks.

What if students can’t read cursive? 

Is it okay to sharing content from the letters they receive when we next meet? 

• Confidence grew with each session.

They are all very impressed with the quality and content of the letters they received, and how they already felt they had established a new friend.  One member summarized the success of this venture by expressing the thought that students probably felt refreshed by having a non-judgmental correspondent with whom to share their thoughts.  For the seniors, they love this new window into the world of these young people who seem to be very mature and responsive in their letters. 

• Sometimes our discussions went well beyond the subject of letter writing.

We had a lengthy discussion about “fitting in”, following a recognition of times we might have felt uncomfortable with our connection to a social group, based on our backgrounds.  The group has grown in trust with each other based on their sharing of themselves in relation to their pen pal.  

• The seniors adapted their commitment to their lifestyle.

One senior was abroad for the first two months of the program, but mailed her correspondence from France, with a special collection of postcards showing her travel stops.

• We learned along the way.

For future sessions, we will add preferred gender identity to the sign-up/agreement form in addition to indicating whether they read or write cursive. 

Some of the assembled seniors had a mixed feeling about hand-writing, with preference for the speed of typing their letters.  While not requiring hand-written letters, we emphasized the way a letter can be more personal when done by hand and suggested an amalgam of typed/written messages if this is easier for participants.

It is understood that this is an extra engagement for the students that may account for shorter writing periods. However, seniors did not want to give the students to feel pressure about the length of their letters given their busy schedules.

Insights from the Jenks Coordinator, Suzanne

• The Pen Pal Leaders did a good job establishing a program outline to provide a consistent schedule, location, time to meet (second Tuesday) and centralized drop off /pick up location for letters, which have been helpful for participants as well as Jenks staff. 

• It’s great that there’s been continued interest to join in the program

• The Jenks Coordinator also observed some great discussion between participants, and believes that the Pen Pal Leaders have done a wonderful job leading discussions and addressing questions as they come up!

• One improvement would be to establish a date when letters are due back (e.g. 7 days from the meeting at the Jenks)

• While it’s not the preferred way, I think seniors greatly appreciate the programs flexibility to create a letter in the way that’s most comfortable to them and understanding there may be limitations relating to aging such as arthritis, etc. and or just terrible penmanship that may preclude handwritten letters and making the difference whether they can still participate. This makes it more of an inclusionary activity- equal access. I think this could also be applicable to students who may have difficulty with handwriting that may want to voice to text as an options. 

• In the future, it would be helpful to establish a preferred method of communication from the Jenks to the seniors, for reminders about meetings, or school closings. While mostly all of the seniors have an e-mail address, there are some who benefit from telephone calls or via text messages.  The Jenks Coordinator will accommodate the preferences of participating seniors to maximize communication with the seniors.

Pen Pal Day – June 1

Pen Pal Day 2023: “Reviving the Art of Letter Writing.”

People around the world celebrate Pen Pal Day on June 1 with great excitement. The rich tradition of making pen pals continues even today despite social media. People love writing and reading letters from friends. Being a Pen Pal is an excellent way to learn about people from different countries and cultures, and/or of different ages, as in the Winchester Intergenerational Program.  Through the exchange of letters, we gain unique insights into others’ lives, cultures, and perspectives, fostering empathy and understanding.

HISTORY OF PEN PAL DAY

The trend of making pen pals itself started during the 1930s. Many pen pal companies back in the day charged a fee for their services. They would assist people in finding a suitable pen friend according to their likes, dislikes, and personality. During the 1950s, newspapers and magazines started columns dedicated to pen friends. People looking for a pen pal would either have their brief details published or find someone who listed similar interests.

PEN PAL DAY TIMELINE

1860s - Modern Postal Services are introduced

              People start sending and receiving letters through modern postal services.

1931 - ‘Pen Pal’ Enters the Oxford Dictionary

             The term ‘pen pal’ gets a place in the Oxford English Dictionary.

1936 - A society named Student Letter Exchange was formed to help people find suitable pen pals. 

1965 - Pen Pal Service Goes Automatic

            The Parker Pen pavilion offers an automated pen pal matching service.

1997 - A Memoir of Pen Friends is published

            Geraldine Brooks' memoir showcases her journey of meeting childhood pen friends in 

            Foreign Correspondence:  A Pen Pal’s Journey from Down Under to All Over

Quotes to Inspire Your Pen Pal Day Celebrations: (attributions unknown)

• “In a world of emails and texts, a handwritten letter is a rare gem.” 

• “Letters are the pause between our words.” 

• “A handwritten letter is a timeless gift that captures moments and emotions forever.” 

• “The best kind of conversation starts with a blank page and a pen.” 

• “Ink from the pen touches the soul, words from the heart heal the spirit.” 

Adapted from the following websites:   https://www.allworldday.com/pen-pal-day/ and https://nationaltoday.com/pen-pal-day/