THE SENIOR MEN'S CLUB OF NEW CANAAN
Minutes of the Regular Meeting of 28 August 2001
President Lee Hindenach opened the business meeting with 159 members present.
Current membership is 499, with 25 on the waiting list. New members John Peeling
and Leo Antonello were introduced and welcomed.
Announcements: Dick Depatie reported that Dayton Ogden is at home after hip replacement
surgery. Joe Sweet presented the highlights of the New Canaan Bicentennial to be held on
Sept. 28-30. For lobster lovers the Lobsterfest will be located at the NC Historical Society.
Activities: Bridge classes were held with great interest of the participants. Racquetball
had a record shattering five players, and tennis is business as usual until the nets come
down. If bowlers can be found we will bowl today. The September 4F’s luncheon will be
hosted at the Red Barn. Trailblazers will hike to Macedonia State Park on Oct. 15th, and
its on to Sleeping Giant on Nov. 14th.
Couth: Mystic Seaport outing and clambake is planned for Oct. 3rd. On Nov. 14th. it’s off
to Broadway to see "42nd. Street" followed by dinner at "21 Club".
Price is $145. December 13th.
will be the annual extravaganza at Radio City with lunch at City Island. Price is $100.
The Washington trip is still on for Oct 23-25. Departure is at 0730 hours from St. Marks.
Resident Humorist: Film producers Berg and Robinson presented their awarding winning
personal interpretation of "This is your life", Chet Hansen.
SPEAKER: Vice President Ron Seger, introduced C. Craig Wright, one of our most experienced
world travelers. Dressed in his crimson trimmed jacket, red belt and sheshea hat, Craig
gave us a very interesting presentation of his recent trip to South Africa which he titled,
"To Timbuktu and Back". Craig started his presentation with some prose and went on to
describe the sizable Mali women and their colorful off the shoulder dresses. He spoke
of the mosques of West Africa made of sun dried mud and mud bricks. Entry to a mosque
is permitted only to Muslims, however non Muslims can peek in. Craig described the art
of mud cloth making and of the unknown chemical processes that occur in dying the cloth
which produce attractive patterns. In ancient times salt was mined in the Sahara desert,
brought by horse caravan over 400 miles to Timbuktu, where it was bartered for gold on a
pound for pound basis. He also described the role of sexually active chameleons and
their contribution to fertile soil. Craig mentioned that the most revered and feared
people are the blacksmiths, followed by leather workers and finally hunters. The only
cash crop is sun dried onion balls. Fetishes are represented in death ceremonies accompanied
by dancers, and musicians with percussion instruments, who wear wood masks previously soaked
in water to kill termites living in the wood. The masks are a means of making contact
with long departed ancestors.
Stan Stanziale, Asst. Secretary