THE SENIOR MEN'S CLUB OF NEW CANAAN
Minutes of the Regular Meeting of May 17, 2002
President Bob Witt opened the meeting with 148 members present. Membership is 500 with 31 On the waiting list.
Announcements: President Witt's first order of business was to thank outgoing VPs Ron Seger and Bert Liebelt for the outstanding job they did in getting the speakers over the past year. Not only did they get good speakers, but also they had a 100% show-up performance. Way to go Ron and Bert. Ken DeGroot introduced new members Dick Crowley and Bob Halverstadt. Dick DePatie announced that Bob Moylan was back, and Bill Kapp was resting at home after chest surgery. Jim D' Acosta thanked all those Senior Men who helped make the "whale boat" project at Saxe a success. Walt Hoffman gave an update on the YMCA elevator fund to which we have now donated $15,300 toward the $42,000 needed. Bob Witt announced that the New Canaan library needs volunteers to help with their book sales, and the Norwalk Symphony Orchestra needs a good marketing man to help with its total program.
Activities: Paddle will finally see you next year. Tennis will really start once the waters subside. Bowling had the Zimmerman tournament with Wally Robb taking all the honors. Trailblazers next hike this Wednesday at Macedonia State Park, racquetball had five this morning, golf next outing will be June 4 at Redding Country Club, 4Fs next luncheon will be at the 3 Bears. Bridge starts a new era under new Czar Eric Musa replacing old Czar Walt
Hoffman. Walt, we all thank you for the great job you have done running the bridge program, you will be a very tough chairman to replace.
Couth: June 19 is the Goodspeed Opera House, July 27 the Connecticut Jazz festival, August 15 Long Island and the Port Jefferson ferry, September 19 Belmont, October 9 Oklahoma, November 9 West Point, and December is the NBC studios and GE building.
Jester: Assistant humorist Bob Dalury told about a 93-year-old man who admired his body in front the mirror under he got down to some vital parts.
Speaker: Vice President Jack Murray introduced Tom Moorhead, deputy under secretary of labor. Mr. Moorhead is a longtime New Canaan resident and former chairman of the town council. His speech covered his everyday job activities, and the function of the department he works for. There are four main tasks he is responsible for: helping support the president's trade agenda, being involved in actual trade negotiations, creating programs for countries helping us fight terrorism, and promoting technical assistance in developing countries. His department covers many areas such as mine safety in the Ukraine, job opportunities for women in Afghanistan, and insurance and unemployment practices in many third world nations. He is deeply involved with Vietnam, which is fast becoming a modern economy nation. He is concerned with child labor and its abuses, which are rampant in Asia, especially in India and Pakistan, the latter having an illiteracy rate of 37% and no compulsory education laws. Mr. Moorhead did put some humor into his speech, touching on the advantages of working for the government where you get thirteen days paid vacation, where you buy your own business cards and your own water for your water cooler. What a way to run a country.
Eric Musa, Secretary