THE SENIOR MEN'S CLUB OF NEW CANAAN
Minutes of the Regular meeting of June 8, 2001
President Lee Hindenach opened the business meeting with 117 members present.
Membership is 500 and 20 are on the wait list.
Announcements: Mr. Hindenach introduced Rod Geist who gave an update on the
YMCA expansion and modernization campaign. The main point is that the start
of the construction is now delayed from the end of October to sometime next spring.
To date the campaign has raised 4.0 million towards a goal of 6.0 million.
Don Freud then gave his last "health of the membership" announcement, he and
wife Justine will set up a new camp in Atlanta, Ga. Dick DePatie takes over
"Membership Assistance." After bidding Don a fond farewell, Bill Kirby reminded
us of the Ice Cream Social this Sunday at the Historical Society from 1-4. He
also told us about available wood at the Lutheran Church. Cole Fisher showed
notes from Saxe students addressed to SMCNC members thanking them for their time
and help on "History Day." Lee Hindenach announced a Board of Directors meeting
next Friday at 8:45. Clark Robinson finished the announcements with a brief
discussion about the "Flying Cross" medal.
Activities: Tennis, bridge, racquetball continue, bowling sort of continues,
trailblazers next hike this Wednesday to Devil's Den, 4Fs luncheon this month
will be at the Stamford Yacht Club, and next golf outing is June 19 at the Redding
Country Club. Arrive by 11:00 AM with $65 in hand.
Couth: The October trip to DC is full, checks are being deposited this week.
Bouncers will be announced at the next meeting. 6/20 Goodspeed; 7/15 tentative
date for the Bluefish game, $25 includes gourmet lunch; 7/28 the Jazz Festival;
August TBA, possibly Tanglewood or Caramoor; and 9/12 Belmont Park.
Jester: Assistant Jester Joe Sweet gave a brief synopsis on the things men really
mean when talking to their spouses, and then told a story about a dead beat husband
who unwittingly agreed to suffer a black eye.
Speaker: Ron Seger introduced Lynn Patterson, Executive Director of Pro Mujer, an
organization helping poor, unskilled women in Bolivia, Nicaragua, and Peru. The
basic concept of Pro Mujer is to teach women skills, and then through communal
banks which have been set up, lend them small sums of money ($35-50) with which
they can start small businesses. Since its inception in 1990, Pro Mujer has helped
43,000 women with loans of approximately 40 million dollars. The organization is
non-profit but run like a business in order to be self sustaining. The women who
are helped range in age from 16 to 76, and are taught the simple concepts of cost,
income, and profit. The concept of "savings" is also taught. Pro Mujer also
provides health training and on site health care. Women are very good subjects
for this program since they are usually non-drinkers, and very family oriented,
sometimes going to heroic lengths to keep their business going under extremely
trying conditions. The desertion rate is about 25%, and the repayment of loan
rate is an astounding 98%. The next proposed project for Pro Mujer is in the
state of Hidalgo in Mexico. This is scheduled for early fall, 2001.
Eric Musa, Secretary