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JANUARY PROGRAMS
Jan 7 Steve Zuckerman, Root Center for Advanced
Recovery
"The Opioid Crisis
"
Introduced by: Ron Van Winkle
STORYTELLER: Bob Hoffman
Jan 14 TBA
STORYTELLER: Del Shilkret
Jan 21 Dr. David Greenfield, The Healing Center
"Internet Addiction"
Introduced by: Jim Schepker
STORYTELLER: Dave Simpson
Jan 28 Major JR Fritsch, The Salvation Army
"The Works of the Salvation Army"
Introduced by: Ed Turbert
STORYTELLER: George Stephan
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
Tom Goodrum, President
January is the first month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and the first of seven months to have a length of 31 days. It is on average, the coldest month of the year. January is named after Janus, the god of beginnings and transitions in Roman mythology. Happy New Year!
As of the first of January 2020, we will have completed 45 % (16 of 36) of the meetings for the Old Guard year 2019-2020. Personally, I have loved each and every Old Guard meeting. Our Vice-President, Ron Van Winkle has scheduled some excellent and interesting featured speakers for January. We continue to have new members and guests.
Come for the fellowship and meeting experience and bring a guest or two.
We know some of the activities that are available for January: bowling continues, UConn hockey tickets are available and the January Foodshare sorting event is scheduled for Monday, January 20
th
. Thanks to Don Kauke's for his publicity work and keeping the website vibrant and relevant. The continuing services that the Old Guard provides for the community through Meals on Wheels, UConn Health Center, Seniors Job Bank, West Hartford Food Bank and Foodshare are a tribute to all of our Old Guard volunteers.
STORYTELLERS Bernie Weiss/Jim Doran
The new year finds some old favorites in our Storyteller spotlight. We'll hear from Bob Hoffman on January 7, Del Shilkret on the 14th, Dave Simpson on the 21st, and George Stephan on the 28th. Unsurprisingly, many of our members have stories to tell, so there's just one date still available if you'd like to share a tale. To snag it, please contact Jim Doran (860-521-0314,
[email protected]
) or Bernie Weiss (860-521-3902,
[email protected]
).
HOSPITALITY Ray Goulet, Chairman
To any members who do not have transportation and wish to attend the weekly meetings please call 860-521-9567 and arrangements will be made with a fellow member in your area to provide you with transportation.
BOWLING
Gene Knorr, Chairman
Old Guard Bowling takes place at Callahan's Bowl O Rama, 2143 Berlin Turnpike, Newington CT 06111 on Thursdays at 9:00 am. The cost is $8.00 plus 0.25 for automatic scoring; they provide free shoes and coffee. The bowling season will run from October 17, 2019 to the first part of April 2020 (date TBD). New bowlers are always welcome.
FOODSHARE VOLUNTEER EVENTS Don Himes & Bill Higgins
FOODSHARE
Turkey +30 Drive
The Old Guard supported the Annual Foodshare Turkey +30 holiday drive at the Stop and Shop of West Hartford on Newington Road. This was the first time the Old Guard supported the drive and it was a huge success with our volunteers collecting 140 turkeys, over 300 pounds of non-perishable groceries and over $1500 in monetary donations for the two day event on November 23 and 24. Foodshare expressed their gratitude for our effort. The entire Foodshare effort exceeded their goals and was able to feed over 15,000 families for the Thanksgiving holiday. Thanks to all of our Old Guard volunteers for a job well done.
Food Sorting Events
Our next food sorting activity is scheduled for Friday December 20 at the Foodshare facility in Bloomfield from 8:30 -11:30. There are 4 open slots remaining for this day. If your interested in volunteering please sign up through the Foodshare link on the Old Guard website. Please let us know if you need any help in signing up. The first food sorting event in the New Year will be Monday January 20. Looking forward to continuing our Old Guard support of Foodshare.
SALVATION ARMY BELL RINGERS 2019
Many thanks to the Old Guard volunteer Bell Ringers who clanged and rang at LaSalle Road Post Office this year! And praise and gratitude to all the Old Guard donors who fed the pot at our meetings with check, coins and folding money too!
Four or five miles from where we meet are communities of immigrants, the lost and broken, and the victims of bad fate. Salvation Army is present there and lends assistance to those in need. And Old Guard helps Salvation Army and those good people because YOU help.
We had a high participation rate. We expanded Bell Ringers from two days to three and it went well. And many members made donations at the Kettle at our meetings.
My thanks again go to everyone who supported this vital service project. A happy healthy prosperous New Year to all!
Yours for a Great Holiday Season, Ed Turbert
UCONN HEALTH VOLUNTEERS Bob Henricks, Chairman
We need more volunteers to help out at UConn Health Center with incoming patients. As usual, Old Guard members are volunteering at UCHC in the Musculoskeletal (MSI) during mornings and afternoons on Mon., Wed., Thurs., or on Fri. am. We help patients by answering different questions about departments, directions and transportation, aiding with and moving wheelchairs and sometimes doing the unexpected. If you are interested, currently there are 3 guys filling out the info forms to join, please contact Bob Henricks to see the present schedule for volunteers and what half days, are available for 1 or 2 O.G.'s. To get more info please call me at (860) 716-8509 or find me at the Tuesday meeting.
SENIORS JOB BANK Hank Boulton, Chairman
The Seniors Job Bank is very appreciative of the Old Guard volunteers that have been very helpful with the startup and who continue to be part of day-to-day operation. Volunteers are the people who get the job done. There are additional opportunities for Old Guard members to become involved and to contribute. Openings are available for data entry, answering phones, returning calls and preparing reports. A normal commitment is 2 hours once a week. If you want to become involved or wish to have more information, give me a call @ 860-830-2386 or email me at [email protected]
WEST HARTFORD FOOD BANK
Lou Aiello, Chairman
The second Tuesday for January's meeting we will be collecting money and/or food for the West Hartford Food Bank, Foodshare and/or Loaves & Fishes. January is the month for the beginning of our New Year. This year there is more need than ever for contributions than past years. We have to preserve, protect, and help our community with the changes going on in our world, and have Old Guard out in front as a top contributor to support our community. The need is greater than ever.
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT. Our goal this year, is to help as much as we are able for with our contributions, we are helping others in their time of need(s)! As of December 10th we received contributions of 60 food items and $77,000 in food value which includes Gloria McAdams's MATCH YOUR GIFT.
A contribution of $30.00 would feed one person for 30 days with the organization cost. We could donate money to West Hartford Food Bank and/or Foodshare: Greater Hartford & Tolland County; also Loaves & Fishes.
1.
For collecting non-perishable food will be for the West Hartford Food Pantry.
2.
2. To contribute by check for West Hartford: Paid to the order of -Town That Cares-West Hartford Food Pantry, and for Foodshare: Paid to the order of Foodshare. Will except donations for Loaves & Fishes
3. To contribute by charge card: West Hartford FoodBank
www.westhartford.org/townthatcaresclick
on Donate Now. Foodshare (860)286-9999 or
www.foodshsre.org
. And for Loaves & Fishes (860)524-1730 Alice Hild 646 Prospect Ave., Hartford, Ct. 06105. Let me know if you contribute by charge, so I can add contribution to our total. All money is tax deductible. Any questions call me (860) 970-6502. Thank you for your help, appreciate, Lou
CORRESPONDENCE VIA EMAIL
We currently now have most members receiving their monthly newsletter via email. If you are not currently receiving your newsletter via email and would like to receive yours that way please contact Sharon in the Y office and she will make the change for you. All new incoming members will receive the newsletter by email only. The newsletter can always be found on the Old Guard website at www.ctoldguard,org We always have paper copies available at meeting as well. You can email her at [email protected].
PLEASE NOTE
: IF YOU CURRENTLY RECEIVE YOUR NEWSLETTER VIA EMAIL IF YOU EVER RECEIVE ANY EMAILS FROM THE YMCA PLEASE DO NOT UNSUBSCRIBE AS YOU WILL BE BLOCKED FROM RECEIVING THE NEWSLETTER BY THE EMAIL DELIVERY SERVICE PROVIDER.
INCLEMENT WEATHER MEETING CANCELLATION REMINDER
: If the West Hartford Public Schools are closed or have a delayed opening due to inclement weather there will be NO meeting held. Please check your local news, the WHPS website or you may visit the Old Guard website and there are links provided to these pages.
SPECIAL EVENTS TRIPS & EVENTS Paul Dean, Chairman
UCONN Men's Basketball Game, Sunday Noon. January 26, 2020 at the XL Center
The team is playing well, and Coach Hurley has built a team that will make us proud.
We are planning to attend this game. We have a 60% chance of getting great seats in section 106. If we don't get those seats, we will be seated in the first three rows of section 206. Both sections have a good mid court view but are priced differently. Our flyer will be released once we find out the availability of the preferred seats.
UCONN HOCKEY TICKETS XL Center
Our seats are in section 106, a perfect place to watch a game at a reasonable price.
Games scheduled for January are Friday, 1/3/20 at 7:05 pm against Northeastern and Tuesday 1/7/20against Merrimack at 7:05 pm.
BASEBALL HALL OF FAME TRIP April 22, 2020
Voted as one of the best Old Guard trips, the Baseball Hall of Fame trip is back by public demand. This trip features walks and lunch in picturesque village of Cooperstown and a tour of this fantastic museum
Special addition to this trip
Bernie Weiss has scheduled a special, Old Guard only, presentation of artifacts and stories about Yankee and Red Sox heroes. We are now beginning to receive reservations for this trip
Yard Goats Baseball Game 10 AM Wednesday April 29, 2020
This game is a no brainer. You can sit in the same seat you had last year at the same $8 ticket and reserve a parking space at Laz's parking lot for $15 a car! Sign up soon we have 59 seats remaining
Promote the Old Guard
Buy a hat for $15 and a bumper sticker for $3 and show everybody that you are a proud member of the Old Guard head to tail.
MEMBERSHIP
Jim Schepker, Chairman
While we regrettably admitted no new Members in very recent weeks, we did host nearly a dozen guest visitors. We also have 5 pending applications from candidate Members who simply have not yet had an opportunity to join us to stand for their new Member votes.
So, for all of your recruitment efforts, thanks to so many of you.
I continue to view Old Guard Membership as a privilege. Our enlightening weekly speakers and witty storytellers...convivial after-meeting lunches... bonding opportunities to do community service through a myriad of welcoming channels... educational cultural trips and sports outings...these diverse assets are simply unmatched, I believe, by any other organization.
At 14 new Members so far this season, we have a long march to reach our 40-new-Member goal for this season. But I am confident that you will help us meet that sustaining goal.
Aiding your efforts is this monthly newsletter, a great item to share with prospects. Our website,
www.ctoldguard.org
, is another helpful channel. And I can also share copies of a small color brochure, a brief 1-page overview, and other items to help your recruitment efforts. I'm also always available at
[email protected]
or 860-810-0091.
Thanks - and cheers!
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