In the company of men

Young Chang

Winton Ashton can fend for himself in the kitchen. He can head up a

crew and whip up a mean bacon and cheese omelet. He can grill sausages

and heat up baked beans.

He attributes the skill to a friend by the name of Stan King.

King used to be the crew chief. Ashton was one of his cooks. And at 6

a.m. every Wednesday, in the back kitchen at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian

Church, King would lead an all-guy team in the feat of preparing a varied

menu for a room full of male appetites.

“When he wasn’t able to do it anymore, I took over,” Ashton said.

Tradition is important to members of the Men’s Fellowship Breakfast

group at St. Andrew’s. Some of the 50 or so men have been gathering every

Wednesday morning since 1958. Newer members rarely miss a meeting.

Cooking crews arrive at 6 a.m. or even earlier, table-setters set the

table, cleanup crews scrape together trash and shine what’s dull.

It’s been this way for 42 years now, and president Jack Geerlings

hopes for nothing less than more -- and perhaps, younger -- members.

“It’s just a bunch of guys who have enjoyed each other. They share

problems, sit at the table, it’s a camaraderie-type thing -- Christian

comrades,” said Geerlings, 75.

He calls himself an “antique.” Most members are 60 or older. Breakfast

menus include cereals, fruits and “things of that nature,” according to

Geerlings, because cholesterol isn’t exactly everybody’s friend.

They share prayer requests, introduce one another at the lectern, play

guitars to lead the singing and listen to a speaker every week.

Kathy McCarrell, executive director at the Center for Prevention of

Child Abuse in Orange, spoke Wednesday.

Empty plates before them, members listened as McCarrell shared

startling statistics on the rate of child abuse in Orange County. She

advised her audience to hug their grandkids, daughters and even their

sons.

“We felt that her talk would be of interest,” Geerlings said. “Maybe

there’s some way we can help her program.”

Norm Killingsworth, who plays the piano, organ and guitar for the

group, said the style of Christian fellowship fits his needs. There are

men who used to hold prestigious offices from private industry and even

high-ranking former military officers.

Killingsworth met his wife through one of the church’s singles events

six years ago.

“I like the fellowship,” the 71-year-old Costa Mesa resident said. “It

fits in with my not only Christian way of thinking, but commercial way of

thinking and all that sort of stuff.”

Ashton said he has fun cooking with the rest of his guys. This week,

they made bacon and cheese omelets, baked beans, sausages and toast. They

served the menu with orange juice, coffee, four different kinds of

cereal, bananas, raisins and yogurt.

He’s modest about his cooking skills.

“I’m not a good cook, but I had a good teacher,” he laughed.

Geerlings emphasizes that the men have fun.

“The guys have a good time doing that,” he said. “They make all kinds

of different stuff, and they keep coming up with different things, which

makes it fun.”

FYI

The Men’s Fellowship Breakfast of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church

meets from 7 to 8 a.m. Wednesdays in Dierenfield Hall, 600 St. Andrews

Road, Newport Beach. $2.50 at the door. (949)631-2880.