I am a parishioner of St. Luke’s Church in Forest Hills, NY, an Episcopal Church parish in the Diocese of Long Island. Father Tom Reese, the Rector of St. Luke’s, is a thoughtful and prayerful influence on my spiritual development. The parish itself is a vibrant place with a full slate of activities and community involvement, all the more remarkable because it is not a large parish. Thanks to a core group of deeply committed and diverse parishioners, St. Luke’s opens its arms to all who seek a closer relationship with God.
Holy Cross Monastery is an Anglican Benedictine monastery an retreat house located in West Park, NY, on the Hudson River. I have made several individual retreats as a guest there and each time come away with my faith renewed. God’s voice can be heard in so many ways at Holy Cross—the chanting of the monks, the whisper of breezes through the woods, the murmur of current and tide along the riverbank are only a few—and I cherish each chance to listen.
Little Portion Friary is another spiritual haven, located in Mount Sinai, NY, on Long Island. Smaller and more intimate than Holy Cross, Little Portion nevertheless bubbles over with the joy of living in a deeply committed community of faith—every visit uplifts my spirit and strengthens my own faith. Until his election as Minister General of the Society of Saint Francis, Brother Clark Berge was my spiritual director, with an unnerving ability to drop ideas into conversations like seeds that only open to full bloom hours, or even days, later—when least expected. Clark is now almost continually on the road (and at sea, and in the air!) tending to his scattered flock of friars, so I rarely get the chance to catch up with him except by email. Luckily, he maintains a blog, Itinerarium: The World is my Friary, which helps me keep in touch with his unique brand of spiritual insight.
The Daily Office, a cycle of daily prayer services consisting primarily of Morning Prayer (Matins) and Evening Prayer (Vespers or Evensong), provides a meditative focus for the passage of time in each day, holding open the necessary dialogue between God and ourselves that forms the core of spiritual growth. This site puts together all the elements of each Office in a handy, do-it-anywhere format (it’s even downloadable to PDA’s).
The Mankind Project is an international organization dedicated to redefining what mature masculinity means in the 21st century. MKP’s signature training is the New Warrior Training Adventure, an intensive weekend of self-exploration and self-renewal. Graduates of the NWTA usually go on to join Integration Groups, circles of men that meet weekly or bi-weekly to support each others’ life missions and daily challenges. My I-Group consists of 15 or so men from diverse backgrounds of age, ethnicity and culture, all of whom are living models of what emotional maturity is all about.
The Jericho Circle Project was founded by some men of the New England Mankind Project community to bring “men’s work” into federal and state prisons. The work they do with inmates is truly extraordinary, resulting in profound transformations—not just in the inmates, but also in the “outside” men who choose to work with the inmates.
From age 6 to age 15, with the exception of a single year, I spent part of my summers at Camp Pok-o-Moonshine (Pok-o-MacCready Camps), a summer camp which in 2004 celebrated its 100th year owned and operated by the same family. Jack Swan, the grandson of camp founder Dr. Charles Robinson, recently turned over the Directorship to his son Sharpe Swan—and a fifth generation of Robinson-Swans is already at camp as campers, counselors and section heads. Poko is now fully integrated with its sister camp, Camp MacCready, and provides an exceptional summer adventure for boys and girls aged 7 to 16. As a measure of how treasured summers at Poko are, many campers return year after year, first as campers and then as counselors. I returned to the camp at age 21 as a counselor, and have returned as often as vacations and other factors permitted as a volunteer ever since. I’m far from the only former camper and counselor to do this—many others come back year after year to volunteer their time, providing the camp with an extraordinary depth of experience and continuity.
St. Paul’s School a co-ed prep school located in Concord, NH, made me who I am today. Yes, I know that’s an very sweeping statement to make, but I do so without any reservations. The school still leads the way in secondary school education, perhaps even more so than in 1977 when I graduated. Any parent seeking to give their teenager the very best education money can buy need look no further than here. Generously supported by a loyal alumni association, over 2/3rds of the cost of tuition and board are funded from the school’s endowment. The school is also seeking to provide truly “needs-blind” admissions, providing scholarships for whoever qualifies.
Holland Lodge No. 8, F&AM, is a Masonic lodge in New York City. Founded in 1787 by New Yorkers of Dutch ancestry, Holland Lodge continues to be one of the premier lodges in American Freemasonry. I was Master of the Lodge in 2000-2001, following in the footsteps of my grandfather, father and younger brother. My brother continues to be actively involved as a Past Master and Assistant Secretary, and is known in the First Manhattan District for his engaging “Road to the East” seminars. Recently, he was elected President of the Holland Lodge Historical Society and appointed Grand Representative of the Grand Lodge of Saskatchewan near the Grand Lodge of New York.
River Road Financial Management is my freelance financial administration business. I provide bookkeeping and financial administration services for individuals and non-profit organizations.
The Rangers and the Mets are my favorite sports teams. I have the scars to prove it. Apparently, the hockey gods allow only one Stanley Cup per lifetime for Rangers fans, and as for the Mets… do I really need to explain? There’s always next year. Sigh.
My father, Hugh Eustis Paine Jr., died on 30 September 2005 from complications arising from lung cancer. His funeral was held at the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin in New York City on 12 October 2005. His ashes were buried in the family plot at Lakeview Cemetery, Willsboro, NY, on 13 August 2006. Remarks given by Andrew and me at his funeral are available in pdf format, as are the sermon given by The Rev. Ian B. Montgomery and the full funeral service program. Rest in peace, Dad… we miss you!
John Rayburn and I met through our mutual love of Camp Pok-o-Moonshine (see above). Dr. Rayburn (PhD in Geology) is an Associate Professor of Geomorphology at SUNY New Paltz; his primary area of research is the development and drainage of ancient glacial lakes, especially the Lake Champlain valley. John and his wife Karen live in Hurley, NY, and at Birchcliff, John’s lakeside cabin on Willsboro Point.
Rear Admiral Anthony Kurta, USN (Retired), served with me as a junior officer in USS Moinester, a Knox class frigate, in the early 80’s. After a thirty-plus year career, Tony traded in his uniform for a business suit as the Department of the Navy’s Director of Navy Flag Officer Management and Development. Tony’s last military posting was as Director, Military Personnel Plans and Policy (N13), having previously completed a very successful tour as Commander, Combined Joint Task Force—Horn of Africa. Former commands include Commodore of DESRON 24 and Captain of USS Carney, an Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer. Hard to believe so much time has passed since the Delta Squad was let loose on the Mediterranean. I could write a book about it but the details are still classified SECRET-NOWIFE. Those of us who served with Tony always knew he’d make flag one day.
