THE SENIOR MEN'S CLUB OF NEW CANAAN
Minutes of the Regular Meeting of May 14, 2010
President Nick Zaccagnino opened the meeting with 166 of 465 members present.
NEW MEMBER(S): Gerry Transue introduced new members, George Brakeley and Ed Mason.
GUEST(S): included Nick Spoffort, Bob Crane, and Jonathan Levine.
MINUTES: Harry Hitch read the minutes of April 30, 2010.
MEMBERSHIP ASSISTANCE: Chairman, Bob Moylan announced that Jake Powell was released from Waveny and Bill Pierson has passed away.
ANNOUNCEMENTS were made: Forty three members participated in the reading to South School children, grades K - 4. The AARP Safe Driving course will be on 5/25 and 5/27 at Lapham; five openings. Annual Swing to Spring party will be Monday, 5/ 24 at Waveny, 6-8:00 PM. $5pp. Nick showed a few Pickles cartoons and Stuff-From-You photos.
The status and plans were reported for various activities and couth trips:
ACTIVITIES: Bridge - As usual; sign up. 4-F Luncheon - Next week (5/21) will be a third-Friday luncheon at Nino's on route 123 in South Salem. Amateur Chefs - Thursday, 5/20 at Lapham, mussels and pasta; 6/17 - TBD; 7/15, annual lobster fest. Cyclists - Next Wednesday. Golf - 5/24 Sterling Farms; 6/14 Ridgefield Golf Club, 6/30 Whitney Farms. Paddle - As usual. Photography - To be scheduled. Tennis - Probably start Monday. Permit required ($50 Senior rate). Racquetball - (4-3-?). Trailblazers - Had great time on the Central Park walk.
COUTH: Thursday (5/20) New York Botanical Gardens; 13 openings; $80pp with lunch and wine. 6/17, Belmont Park, $70/pp includes bus and lunch, leaves 10:30, post time 1PM, seven races, sign-up.
HUMORIST: Jack Messert explained how a hospital patient had to use the ladies room because the men's room was not available. Much to his detriment, he pushed one button too many.
SPEAKER: Vice President, John McKay introduced Pete Runnette, president of the Pan Am Historical Foundation, which was established to preserve and promote the legacy of Pan American World Airways.
Mr. Runnette's slide show presentation illustrated the people, places, aircraft, and key events of the 65-year history of Pan Am, until they went out of business in 1992. He described the early years, when Juan Trippe associated with Charles Lindbergh, Igor Sikorsky, Eddie Rickenbacker, Jimmy Dolittle, and other aircraft pioneers. The "flying boats" became known as the line of Flying Clipper Ships. Pan American moved steadily to shrink the distance between the United States and the rest of the world with ever-larger aircraft, more seats, and lower fares. Their first transatlantic land-plane flight in 1945 was most extraordinary as was their first jet flight to Paris in 1958.
The Q&A session addressed the cause of Pan Am's downfall and the current status of the old Clipper Flying boats.
Of great interest to the membership was when Mr. Runnette described the DC-3 that lost a right wing, which was replaced by the smaller wing of a DC-2. The aircraft became known as a DC-2 1/2.
A copy of his presentation is here.
Roger Langevin, Assistant Secretary