Haddonfield65 Club
The Retired Men’s Club of Haddonfield
Web address: http://haddon65club.blogspot.com/
110 Rhoads Ave
Haddonfield, NJ 08033 September 1, 2014
Thought for the
Month
At the turn
of the twentieth century, labor unions were in their ascendency with the AFL
membership numbering over 1,676,000 (1). Strikes were not tolerated
by the J.P. Morgans of the day. A plutocracy of railroad, coalmine, and
financial house owners controlled the police and sheriff offices of most large
cities across the land. In 1902, 180 union men were killed, 1651 injured and
over 5000 arrested (2).
The center of
political power had shifted from rural America to the big cities. With this shift
came the inevitable control of State and City government. Big business ruled
and corruption was the way of the land. The
discrepancy in the income of the owners and working class was enormous.
Teddy
Roosevelt, the “Trust Buster”, put a large dent into the fabric of the
monopolies that ruled business. For a while, the economics for the little man
improved. Jump 110 years or so ahead and we are facing some of the same
inequalities Roosevelt faced in 1904. While labor unrest no longer results in
deaths or injuries, labor has taken a back seat to big business. Wages have not
kept up with inflation and indeed have lost ground while the top executives
reap untold millions from the workers beneath them.
Congress is
impotent to level the economic field: still giving large subsidies to BIG OIL
and BIG AGRICULTURE. Our representatives
in Washington are ignoring the basic failing of much of our infrastructure.
Massive problems with our bridges, highways, municipal water systems are
waiting to overwhelm our country.
This Labor
Day let us all give thanks for our heritage of workers who built this country
and to the reformers through out the years who have fought to make us truly one
nation. We are in need of men and women in Congress to be our modern T.R. who
will work for the common good and not just for reelection.
(1) The Era of Theodore Roosevelt: George
Mowry, 1958
(2) Violence in Labor Conflicts:
Slason Thomason, 1904 – –
Frank Gaudiano
President’s Message
September is a pivotal month, it signals the end of the
summer months, and introduces us to the coming of the fall season.
Sure, we may be able to pick a few more tomatoes in our
yards, but the inevitable cool weather is coming. We may even be able to sneak in a day or two
at the beach, but those days won't last long.
September is also the start of the school year for
Haddonfield students; whether it's their first year to attend school, or for
HMHS Seniors – that exciting year of proms, college selection, SAT's, sports
teams and hopefully championships, and finally graduation. September starts
that roller coaster of events that you can only embrace once in your lifetime.
I'm sure that most members can still recall our final year in high school.
For 65 Club members we still have many things to look
forward to in September as well as the rest of the year. Weekly we have our
guest speakers that entertain and inform us on an on-going array of topics,
from health, travel, entertainment, history, and the arts as well as
discussions on local topics of interest, such as should we sell our water
department or should the borough continue to maintain it? On Monday we have
bridge instruction as well as duplicate bridge, Tuesdays are set aside for
trips, and several are being planned at this time, Wednesday is golf as long as
the weather holds up, as well as pinochle. Thursday is of course our regular
meetings, plus after the meetings there will be something new initiated by our
membership chairman, Joe Ade. We will be holding the Tournament of Champions
where teams will compete in cards, darts chess, checkers and other games of
skill on our Wii game system. Friday of
course is bowling, where each week the righties and lefties compete. Speaking
of bowling, the wives and girlfriends are invited to join in this activity.
Separate alleys of course.
The wine and cheese party, which was a big hit last year,
will be repeated again this year, with new guidelines to make it even more
enjoyable than the first time. The date has not been set yet.
Planning has begun for our annual Christmas Party, the
second Thursday of December, expect to see new innovations at this event.
So what if cool weather is coming, hot times are still
being provided at the 65 Club, bring on that hot cider and pumpkin pie.
–
– Bill Brown
Reminder: Flea Market –
September 20th
This is your
chance to clean out some of that “stuff” you have been accumulating in your
house for years, thinking that someday it would be useful. Well, it can be
useful as donated items for sale at the Flea Market.
Please bring
the items you are contributing to the regular meeting on Thursday, September 11th or on Thursday, September 18th. You may
also bring your items to the Clubhouse on Friday, September 19th between 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM. The pricing of items and
the preparation of other details will take place during this time.
If you have items
to contribute and can’t deliver it, please call the Committee Chairman Bernie
Schaming at 428-0932 to have someone pick it up. The plan for September 20th
is to have our SET UP at Centennial One Parking Lot on Euclid Avenue completed
by 8:00 AM. The public hours run from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
On behalf of the membership,
please support the Flea Market project by donating marketable items since this
is the only annual fundraiser held by the Club. Please exercise good judgment
when making donations by not including: propane tanks; large grills, partially
used chemicals/oil; rusty pots and pans (or those used for paint), chipped or
cracked glassware, or, large furniture. Help us help you by contributing items
that are clean and marketable. All useful items not sold are taken to Goodwill
at the end of the day. Nothing is wasted.
60th Anniversary
Allan R. Ritchie and Virginia Carter
attended Olney High School in Philadelphia together. Familiarity bred love in
this case and they were married on August 21, 1954 in the Holy Trinity
Bethlehem Church in Philadelphia. Allan attended what is now Drexel University
and graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering. He later earned a
Masters Degree in his discipline from Lehigh University. Allan also served two
years as a 2nd Lt in the U. S. Army Engineers. He was assigned to a
base at Heidelberg, Germany. He worked many years and retired from the
engineering firm of Modjeski & Masters, Consulting Engineers. Virginia and
Allan have three children, Susan, Philip and Steven. There are four
grandchildren.
They
celebrated their anniversary at their son’s house in Harrisburg.
John A. Marchesani and Marie De Varo
met at Margate vacationing with their respective families in the summer of
1951. Their first date was to go dancing at the Steel Pier. In the fall of that year Jack started as a
freshman at Jefferson Medical College.
Since he didn't have much time or money, their subsequent dates were few
and far between. However, by 1952 they
were convinced that they should be together for the rest of our lives. So, after Jack’s third year in medical school
they were married on August 21, 1954.
After his internship at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital he enlisted in the
Army and served two years at Camp A.P. Hill in Bowling Green, VA. as Post
Surgeon. After that they lived in
Washington, DC during Jack’s two years of Pediatric Residency at Children's
Hospital of the District of Colombia. In
July 1961 Jack started a Pediatrics practice with no money and four
children. Fortunately, he did very
well. Over the sixty years of marriage
celebrated on August 21, 2014, they had our joys and sorrows much like everyone
has. Jack and Marie have six children
and ten grandchildren, ages 4 to 29.
Jack & Marie thank God they are in relatively good health, able to
enjoy their family as well as do for others.
50th Anniversary
Dennis Dobie of Woodlynne and Virginia (Ginny) Matthews of Collingswood
were married September 12, 1964 at the Episcopal Church of the Savior in
Philadelphia near the Penn campus. Ginny had just graduated from the Penn
Nursing School two days before and Dennis was about halfway through Mechanical
Engineering at Drexel Evening College. They first dated at Collingswood High
School in 1957. They first resided in an apartment in West Collingswood and
later moved to Haddonfield where they lived for 40 years. They now rent an
apartment in Cherry Hill where “maintenance” does all the work. They worship at
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Oaklyn and are both active in church activities
and food banks in Camden and Oaklyn.
They both retired from full-time employment in 1999,
Ginny as an executive Secretary from NJ American Water in the Health and Safety
Department and Dennis as an Engineering Manager at Fluor Daniel. They then both
worked part time for many years in Nursing and Engineering. Dennis plays golf
with the 65 Club and Ginny is involved in a Bridge group and a Book club. They
are also snow birds in winter and enjoy their time in Melbourne Beach, Florida.
New Member
Al Schmidt lives at 1106 Mercer Dr.,
Haddonfield with his wife Bobbie. The telephone number is 856-672-0172. Before
retirement, Al was a Product Manager with IBM.
His hobbies are volunteering, travel, garden railways, along with art
& cultural activities. Glad to have
you as a member Al. We hope you enjoy the 65 Club.
Unwelcome Visitor – October
29, 2012
The police
told us we were not allowed onto the street where our summerhouse was located.
It was too dangerous. They would advise us when it was safe. The drive down to
Tuckerton Beach generated a feeling of dread. It was like the trip to the
funeral of a loved one: knowing you had to go, but traveling with a knot in
your stomach fearing to see the damage from our recent visitor.
Hurricane
Sandy made landfall north of Atlantic City, hitting Long Beach Island and the
towns directly across on the main land with a furry that destroyed much in its
path: Tuckerton Beach was in the direct path of the storm.
Our summer
home was on Little Egg Harbor Bay. On pleasant days, our view of the bay and
not too distant Long Beach Island was delightful.
As we
approached our home, on that sad day, many houses on both sides of the road
were gone: the only remaining evidence that a house had been on many of the
lots was the pilings sticking out of the sand. Debris scattered in neighbors
yards, many feet deep, the only reminder of homes once lived in.
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After the initial shock, we walked down the street to find our deck across the street where it had taken out our neighbor’s home. Our roof two doors down from that in front of another home; our furniture piled over twelve feet high,
several lots
down the road. There is a picture of our former furnishings in a compilation of
photos in a book for sale on Long Beach Island.
We shed untallied tears that
day. The loss was of material goods. More importantly, it was the loss of part
of our life for over 31 years; a place where our children grew up enjoying
crabbing and swimming off the dock and untold barbeques on the deck.
At a recent party, two
neighbors who foolishly rode out the storm in a very high storm proof home two
doors down from us, described the destruction of our house. They said the roof was torn off first, then,
the rest of the house floated and rocked for a while in place and then suddenly
disintegrated, spreading our house and belongings along the street.
We moved into
our newly built shore house in April, 2014 on the same spot where the old house
stood. It is very high. Seventeen steps up to the living area.
Everything is
new; beds, dishes, towels… all new. I would trade the new house and new
furnishings any day for our pleasant old summer cottage that was like a
comfortable old shoe
Completed New House
– – Frank Gaudiano
Obituary
James L. Sullivan passed away on July
25; he was 88. James is survived by his wife Noreen. He had a son, James R. and
his wife Patricia of St. Augustine FL and daughter Marybeth Ackers and her
husband Thomas of Brant Beach, NJ and the late Anne Skernolis. James was
grandfather to 9 Grandchildren and 11 Great Grandchildren, along with many
nieces and nephews. Jim was a former marine and served in the invasion of Iwo
Jima. He graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and was with RCA for
40 years in engineering and management, retiring in 1988. He was a long time
parishioner of Christ the King Church and a member of the 65 Club for 27 years.
The 65 Club
Memorial for Jim was sent to the Anne Sullivan Skernolis
Scholarship Fund.
May he rest in Peace
Interested in Learning to Play Bridge?
If there is
sufficient interest, we will start a new activity in September to teach bridge
to people who never played the game but are interested in learning. Couples are encouraged, but if you play and
your spouse (or friend) is interested in learning (or vice-versa), this is an
opportunity to have your spouse (or friend) learn the game. Spouses are welcome
with or without their mate. This new
activity will commence only if we have a minimum of four people interested.
Multiples of four people are highly desirable but not necessary. If you are
interested or know of someone interested in learning the game, please contact
Bernie Schaming at 428-0932 or bschaming@comcast.net
by September 5th. Bernie recently completed the American Contract
Bridge League’s Teacher Accreditation Program (TAP) program.
Clubhouse Programs
Thursday
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Sep 4
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Directors meeting
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10:00 AM
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Thursday
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Sep 4
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AID FOR VICTIMS OF
CATASTROPHES…………………………Jenna Evans
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1:30 PM
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Thursday
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Sep 11
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Business meeting
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1:30 PM
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Thursday
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Sep 18
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CADBURY AT HOME………………………………………………Craig
Kinsey
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1:30 PM
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Thursday
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Sep 25
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FOOD & WATER WATCH with HOW
(HADDONFIELS’S OWN WATER) ………………………………………………………………………...Ambre Biehl
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1:30 PM
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Thursday
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Oct 2
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Directors meeting
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10:00 AM
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Thursday
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Oct 2
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SALE OF HADDONFIELD WATER……………John
Moscatelli, Commissioner
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1:30 PM
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Thursday
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Oct 9
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FALL STAG LUNCHEON at Tavistock Country
Club
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12 Noon
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Thursday
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Oct 16
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THOUGHTS FROM A 90+ YEAR OLD
ATHLETE………………Champ Goldy
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1:30 PM
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Thursday
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Oct 23
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TBA
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1:30 PM
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Thursday
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Oct 30
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TBA
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1:30 PM
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NOTE: We have an insatiable appetite for presenters. We
rely on the vast experience of our members to satisfy this need by suggesting
speakers. So, be on the alert and notify Bill Brown (429-4368) if you have any
suggestions for speakers.
An Enlightening Project
With all of
the discussion over the role of the Constitution in today’s society, I decided
to educate myself a little more on the history of the Constitution. I enrolled and completed a very interesting
online course at Hillsdale College entitled “Constitution 101: The Meaning
& History of the Constitution”. The course is free and consists of ten
sessions which you can take at your leisure. Each session consists of a lecture
lasting 45 min to an hour by one of the professors, a list of readings referred
to in the lecture along with a quiz for each session. In addition there are
Q&A sessions and discussion boards for each lecture if you care to
participate in those. After completing
all 10 sessions, there is a final exam.
Most people
in our age group learned about the founding fathers and the Constitution but
most likely did not have a comprehensive course. I found the course to be
extremely interesting and very rewarding. It goes into the rationale and
arguments of the founders in selecting the specific form and structure of the
government that was enacted. I was amazed at the level of thought that went
into the work of the founders. They studied the form of prior governments
throughout history in an attempt to determine what worked and what didn’t work
and why. All in all it was time well spent and I highly recommend the course.
You can
register for the course at https://online.hillsdale.edu/.
– –
Bernie Schaming
September Birthdays
3
Thomas Gavin, Sr.
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6 Thomas
B. Mervine, Jr.
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16 Donald T. Windus
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4 Deforest Brees
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8 John
R. Sentman
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23 Lloyd D. Gardner
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6 Al
Kadar
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9 Stewart
Repsher
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25 William L. McMichael III
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Activities
Bowling
Do you like to Bowl? Don’t know
how? Come out to Laurel Lanes, Rt. 73, Maple Shade, on Friday mornings at 9:00
A.M., and have a good time. We’ll help
you learn the game with Pro Bowler, Bill Brown. It’s only $6.55 for three
games, shoes, ball, Danish and coffee. A regular game would cost you $2.95. Our
price, and all it includes, is a bargain. Scoring for the 2014/2015 season will begin on
September 12th.
– – Dick Gimigliano and Walt Baker
Bridge
We
play at the Clubhouse every Monday. If you are interested in Duplicate Bridge
please join us. We start at 1:00pm sharp so please arrive by 12:45. Scoring for the 2014/2015 season will begin
on September 8th.
– – Bernie Schaming
Pinochle
Pinochle is played every Wednesday at 12:30 PM at the
Clubhouse. Play begins at 12:30 PM;
please arrive by 12:15 PM.
You are invited to join us. Scoring for the 2014/2015 season will begin
on September 10th.
– – Tom Mervine
PLEASE NOTE: Thanks to Al Schmidt, the 65 Club has a new
website at http://www.haddon65club.blogspot.com/
.
Bill
Hitchens Editors Frank Gaudiano
Composing Editor Bernie Schaming
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