CIGAR BOX BULLETIN

Volume No. 52, No. 50            April 13, 2005

On a pleasantly brisk sunny morning President BOB CHURCH, wearing a Past President badge, promptly opened the meeting.  MIKE SMITH led us in the pledge to the flag, and with BOB ALDEN at the piano MORRY HALLOWELL led us in singing God Bless America, The Yankee Doodle Boy and (at PETER SCHIEFERDECKER's request) The Quilting Party.  Rec. Sec. BILL DYNAN recapped last week's proceedings and Cor. Sec. MARTIN GRAYSON read a card from Hawaii depicting scantily clad welcoming lovelies as well as two jokes.  MARTY also mentioned a list of the costs and options for the Medicare Drug Card Program that would be posted on the board.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: DOM DIMAIO welcomed the New Canaan RMA contingent including ladies to our meeting.  JACK SWEGER urged us to support Meals-On-Wheels by purchasing Splash Car Wash Gift Cards to be used either at the Cos Cob or Greenwich locations.  Meals-On-Wheels will receive 40% of the sales receipts as part of a cooperative marketing effort during May.  Gift Cards can be purchased by calling JACK at 869-4028.  BOB CHURCH asked for one or more members to volunteer to pick up the refreshments before each meeting and announced the Melody Men's rehearsal at 9 a.m. tomorrow, Thursday.  CORY DUNHAM asked us to support our troops in Iraq by sending them much needed personal items, of which he read a list.  For information as to how and where call CORY at 637-5745.  CARL VAN AKEN announced next week's speaker for the Investment Club.  BOB CHURCH reminded us that the next Greenwich Symphony concert was this Saturday and Sunday, April 16 and 17. RETURNEES: GEORGE CHELWICK from CO via CA and BOB HARMON from Naples, FL, NICK TOURNILLON from New Orleans and Gulf Coast.  Welcome back! 

COMMITTEE REPORTS Visiting CHUCK STANDARD reported on JIM MCPHERSON, BILL O'BRIEN and FRAN DALEY, who is in the hospital with heart trouble.  Program DOM DIMAIO announced that today's speaker would be Clifford McMIllan, whose subject will be the Sydney Opera House.  Next week, April 20, Rev. Robert Hoffman Naylor will speak on "Humor is Good Medicine." Membership: DOUG TAYLOR reported a total of 170 present - 160 Members, 5 Candidates and 5 Guests.  Candidates were ERF PORTER, JOHN CALIMAFDE, JACK BAUSMAN, BILL GERECKE, and GERRY MAYFIELD.  Guests were JIM HOFFMAN, guest of CHUCK STANDARD, JERRY ISAACSON, guest of GRAHAM WHITEHEAD, ED FARELL, guest of HAROLD FROST, AL BOWEN, guest of CLIFF WOODS, and DICK FORD, guest of JOHN PHILLIPS.  Birthdays HARRY LEBIEN 80, HUGH GARNETT 79, LESLIE YOUNG 85, HENRY W. BAKER 74, JOSEPH W. ROE 74, MORRIS L. HALLOWELL 84, FRANK S. SICILIANO 82, and ROBERT S. WYLIE 80.  Inductee ERF PORTER was inducted today, sponsored by HARRY LEIGH and WALTER KIRKMAN.  ERF and his wife, Jane, live in Old Greenwich, having lived in Greenwich 31 years.  ERF graduated from Alfred University in NY and spent 26 years with Union Carbide followed by 16 years at his own company, Supply Planning Associates.  Visits include Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Western and South Pacific countries, and his interests are in music, youth sports, fly fishing, golf and politics.  Welcome ERF!  Special Events See below.  Volunteer JACK SWEGER reported for the week of April 13, 881 hours to outside agencies by 82 men and 98 hours to RMA duties by 38 men.

PLAYTIME: Bridge PETE JACKSON reported there were 9 players last week.  Scores: HAP HEYMAN 2510, DICK CASE 1470, AL HARTIG 460.  PETE also reminded us of the annual bridge lunch at RYC MAY 11.  Bowling DOM DEPASQUALE reported scores of 153 for DANA LOW and 166 for DOM.  Golf BOB JOHNSON said 20 men came out for the first time this season.  Weather was good.  Nearest the pin #7 - MIKE SMITH.  Nearest the pin #15 - DICK BARTHOLOMEW.  Longest drive #17 - REID MCINTYRE.  Low gross: DICK BARTHOLOMEW 87, REID MCINTYRE 87, MIKE SMITH 93, LEON FREEMAN 90.  Tennis MARTIN GRAYSON reported Court 1 DICK BARTHOLOMEW 18 games, Court 2 BILL HOWLAND 16 games, Court 3 LEON FREEMAN 11 games, Court 4 HAVEN KNIGHT 13 games.

TODAY'S PROGRAM: DOM DIMIAO introduced Clifford McMillan, who with numerous slides gave a most interesting talk on the design and construction of the famous Sydney Opera House, noted for its daring new architecture and engineering achievement.  Twenty years in duration, the saga started in 1955 with a design competition for the home for the symphony orchestra.  The competition results were announced in Jan 1957 which depicted a large hall and a smaller hall side-by-side under the cover of a series of arch-like shells overlooking Sydney harbor. The engineering challenge was to make the shapes able to withstand the forces of nature and still retain the architectural design.  Achievable only through the use of complicated computer calculations, the design was based on segments of a sphere having a 246 ft radius, enabling the segments to be cast from one mold, employing steel reinforced concrete with tile lids for the roofs.  The glass walls presented another challenge, as did the acoustics.  The three stages of work were for the concourse, the shells and the interior.  The initial $7 million concept in the form of rough sketches grew to over $100 million by the time the magnificent structure was opened

SAM YORK, Editor

SPECIAL EVENTS 
Open to all members, their ladies, candidates and guests. Note: Tx exchanged via the BB. 

2 June, Thur., Belmont Race Track, Private Buffet in Clubhouse, 27 res avail. $60pp.  Bus leaves St. Catherine's Parking Lot, 10:30AM

30 June, Thur., Mets vs. Phillies at Shea, 15 tx avail. $50pp. Bus leaves St. C, 10:15AM 

10 July, Sun., Boston Symphony at Tanglewood, lunch Cork N'Hearth, Lee, MA. 9 tx avail, $85pp, Bus leaves Old Gr. Civic Ctr. 9AM 

10 Aug., Wed., Goodspeed Opera House The Boy Friend. $90 pp.  lunch La Vita Gustosa.  TX Xchange via Bulletin Board.  Bus leaves St. C 10AM 

10 Dec., Sat., Boston Pops Holiday  Concert., Arena at Harbr Yds, 14 tx avail, $60pp, U-Drive, performance 7:30p.m.

NEXT WEEK

The Reverend Robert Hoffman Naylor - Humor is Good Medicine