CIGAR BOX BULLETIN

Volume 54, No. 18    August 30, 2006

President SAM MARASSO brightened a soggy morning after days of rain by ringing the bell on schedule at 10 o'clock to start our meeting. BOB HARMON led the pledge. JOHN DE CSEPEL, with JIM SANTORA at the piano, conducted our singing of God Bless America, followed by Meet Me in St. Louis and Old Folks at Home. Recording Secretary FRED BROOKS reviewed last week's meeting and then told a story showing how 2 ½ carats can inflate an impressive memorial service. Corresponding Secretary BILL DYNAN rose to label the story old enough to vote and then read a postcard by FRAN AUGER from Lake Louise, Canada, identifying the place as the site of his proposal to LUCY back in the 1940s.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Attention was called to the special, one-time screening of We Came to Remember at the Avon Theater on Sept. 6 at 7:30 p.m. The film is a documentary on the World War II bomber squadron of retired Vice-Admiral Ralph Weymouth. A decorated Naval officer, Weymouth is now 89 and a dedicated pacifist. He will be at the showing to share his views on war and peace. JOHN CRAINE reminded every one of the RMA picnic on Thursday, Sept. 14 at 11 a.m., rain or shine. Open to all, including candidates, spouses, significant others and friends. Free food, beer, games and great prizes. Volunteers are asked to sign up to help with arrangements, games, etc. GRAHAM WHITEHEAD reminded us of the raft-up set for Sept. 7 and also announced a town-wide cleanup on Sept. 30 under auspices of Greenwich Clean and Green. SERGE GABRIEL noted that the celebration of French participation in the American Revolution continues, marking the meetings of George Washington and the Comte de Rochambeau in Connecticut and the march of French forces through the state to Yorktown, VA. in 1781. He distributed pamphlets with detailed information.

COMMITTEE REPORTS: Visiting: CHUCK STANDARD reported improvements for NED GREENTHAL and MIKE AMOROSO and welcomed back JACK GARDNER. Program: JOHN DE CSEPEL said today’s speaker will be author Ollie Akel on the Middle East, and next week we will hear from Stew Leonard on food retailing. Membership: JIM FAHY reported attendance of 146 members, 5 candidates and one guest, George Harnik, of JOHN DE CSEPEL. Happy Birthday was sung to seven members: BOB OGDEN, 72, HOWARD TRUSS, 82, PETE CALLAHAN, 76, LEO FUTIA, 87, MIKE SMITH, 67, RALPH ANDERSON, 91 and SAM MARASSO, 67. Volunteer: WALTER HOWE reported 72 men provided 742 hours to outside agencies and 31 gave 116 hours to RMA duties. Special Events: TOM HEALY said the Belmont Race Track trip, the last scheduled, is on ticket exchange (see below).

RETURNEES: CHUCK STANDARD, Massachusetts, GAHAM WHITEHEAD, cruising to Montauk, Greenport and Stonington, JOHN MENDENHALL, railroad tour of five national parks, FRAN AUGER, Canadian Rockies and Los Angeles, and BOB CAREY, Hilton Head, SC and La Jolla, CA.

INDUCTEE: JACK L. KABCENELL, retired president of Rye Dental Associates, was inducted following nomination and seconding by KURT SCHAFFIR and LAWRENCE REBAK. JACK, who is still a voluntary attending dentist at New York Hospital, studied at NYU, where he also received his prosthodontist training. He and wife VIVIAN live at 35 East Lyon Farm Drive (532-2917). Welcome aboard.

PLAYTIME: Bridge: HAP HEYMAN reported five men played last week. JIM DUNCAN was first at 430 and DICK CASE AND HEYMAN were second and third with minus 70 each. Golf: MIKE SMITH reported play was largely rained out yesterday and no scores were recorded. Tennis: DICK BARTHOLOMEW said the RMA indoor season will start on Sept. 15. With the current 22 full members and one half member, the cost will be $440 for a full and $220 for a half membership. DICK also noted that a luncheon is planned, potentially on Sept. 27, to honor BILL ZBORAY for his many years of leadership in RMA tennis. BILL has moved to a retirement community in Bloomfield, CT.

TODAY’S SPEAKER: JOHN DE CSEPEL introduced Ollie J. Akel, who writes under the name of Oliver James, and has published a book entitled Middle East Realities, Understanding the Conflict. The son of Lebanese immigrants, he studied and worked throughout the Middle East and has broad exposure to the region and understanding of it. His talk raised keen interest and brought many questions from listeners. He said the unresolved conflict between Israel and Palestine remains a threat to world peace and has become a symbol of the great divide between east and west, between the haves and have-nots. He said for 39 years Israel has tried to insure security by armed force, without success. Today, he said, the United States is the only possible broker for peace in the Middle East, but there is widespread distrust of the U.S., especially since the invasion of Iraq. He said a positive side to the invasion was that it taught countries in the region that terrorism will bring retaliation and that corrupt regimes will eventually perish. But he hopes the United States has also learned that bringing down a regime does not free a people and that democracy cannot be installed by force.

JACK BAUSMAN, Editor

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

21 Sept. Thursday, Belmont Race Track. $50 pp. Bus lves St. Catherine’s 10:30 A.M. Sold Out