THE SENIOR MEN'S CLUB OF NEW CANAAN
Minutes of the Regular Meeting of April 18, 2008
President Dick DePatie opened the meeting with 127 members in attendance. Membership is 470 with no one waiting. Health Minister Bob Moylan announced that Huck Stoddard has a new knee, Bill Reid, Bill Kapp, and Jack Brophy are all Waveny residents, and Leo Antonello died. The Annual Meeting will be held May 2 at The Country Club of New Canaan, $40.00 will get you seated. There will be a committee head meeting next Friday, April 25 at 9:00 a.m.
Activities: Bridge and paddle continue, Chefs next meeting will be 5/15, golf tees off at Smith Richardson on 4/28, and Sterling Farms on 5/12. Racquetball had 2-2-0 this week, trailblazers next hike is 5/7 in Prospect Park, and 4Fs have lunch next week at the Red Barn. 5/20 is the "Swing into Spring" party at Waveny.
Couth: May 13 is a trip to the New Britain Museum of American Art followed by lunch.
Humorist: George Perkins told a story about two mischievous eight and ten-year-old brothers who got into big trouble when thinking that they were involved in the disappearance of God.
Speaker: Vice President Roger Rothballer introduced Ben Hren, the new executive director of the New Canaan Nature Center. The center sits on 40 acres of land donated by Susan Dwight Bliss, and is now a town park. This year it celebrates its fiftieth anniversary. The Nature Center has staff of 36 full timers and runs on a budget of 2.0-2.25 million dollars. Mr. Hren started off by discussing the community, what we all thought was important in making New Canaan what it is. He went into the roles that people play and their relationship to the community in which they live. As far as being helpful, many citizens talk big, but do nothing in their actions to help the environment in which they live. Mr. Hren spoke of the fall off in attendance at our National Parks and community nature centers which has been 60% over the past 20 years. Finally, he spoke about The New Canaan Nature Center and its programs. There is a beginners nature program where the children spend an hour outside every day. There are the Environmental Education Program, and the Horticulture program, both launched in 1960. All in all, the New Canaan Nature Center is an integral part of our community and our lives. When Mr. Hren's speech was over, he invited us all down to visit it a staff assisted tour.
Eric Musa. Asst. Secretary