24 North Shore Towers Courier n November 2016 Men’s Club BY PAUL NETTLER Can you imagine using the words philosophizing and boxing in the same phrase, or using boxing as a metaphor for life? Well, after listening to our speaker, Dennis Rappaport, October 20, you can. Interestingly, Dennis pointed out that there have been an innumerable number of movies with boxing as their theme. Why? Because they have big box office appeal. Why? Because they mirror real life in many respects. The highs, the lows. The triumphs, the tragedies. One only has to listen to Dennis read the condolence letter, which he wrote to Muhammad Ali’s widow, to appreciate that fact. The letter was most heartfelt. This was the second time Dennis spoke to the club, and his presentation this time was preceded by a short video of his previous visit. Dennis has certainly had a life well lived. He’s hobnobbed, not only with the boxing world elite, but also those in the entertainment world. He’s met with such luminaries as Frank Sinatra, Sylvester Stallone, Bob Hope, Howard Cosell, (of whom he does an excellent imitation), and even “The Donald.” He’s an excellent raconteur, speaks without notes and has appeared on talk shows many times. Last April, he was inducted into The New York State Boxing Hall of Fame, and he brought along the belt he was awarded. He also passed around several photos of him and famous personalities. As he likes to say, “Not bad for a Brooklyn boy from the corner of Utica and Church.” Move over Barbra Streisand! Our speaker at our November 10 meeting will be Milton Elis, who has titled his presentation “The Nine Lives of Theodore Roosevelt.” Our 26th President dodged death and disease from his youth and throughout his adult life. Hear how this man, who won both the Nobel Peace Prize and the Medal of Honor, kept bouncing back from adversity. Our speaker, Milton Elis, is a twentyyear volunteer at Roosevelt’s Home, Sagamore Hill, where he not only gives tours, but also works with the curator and her staff in caring for the artifacts. He has been the editor of the volunteer newsletter, “The Rough Writer,” for the past fourteen years. He’ll tell us the stories behind the origins of the “Teddy” Bear, Maxwell House Coffee’s slogan and the Rough Riders, who didn’t ride, but walked. Coincidentally, the club is planning a trip to Sagamore Hill in the near future. Yes, North Shore Towers has talent, as evidenced by the show which was put on for us under the direction of our own Bud Bank, who turned out to be a bit of a comedian in his own right. There was lots of toe-tapping and humming-along by the more than eighty or so folks in attendance. Joan Lawrence sang and Gary Zemser’s rendition of “Mr. Cellophane” was perfect for his gravelly voice. The keyboard accompaniments were provided by Marty Silver. The final performance was by The Lucky Tones Trio, a professional group who played and sang some familiar “Golden Oldies.” A good time was had by all. And a good time was had at a luncheon at the Jolly Fisherman in Roslyn on October 6th, attended by twenty members. The food and the conversation sparkled, and the decision was made to do it again sometime in the near future. Once again, we thank Bud Bank for making the arrangements. While on the subject of eating, I must report on the great time we all had at our annual end-of-fiscal-year brunch at The Towers on the Green. Ninety members and guests attended. Why not? It was free for all paid-up members. You can’t beat that price. The food was plentiful, and we were even served by Buffy herself. Toby Horowitz took the mike and thanked all the board members who worked diligently throughout the past year, with a special thanks to those who arranged the brunch, and to Buffy also. And while on the subject of thank you let’s not forget to give a great big “thank you” to Toby, whose efforts and leadership on behalf of the Men’s Club since Al Fuchs died have been exemplary. As its new policy, the Current Events Group started off its meeting on October 10, with a bit of “Good News.” The good news was a picture of Michelle Obama hugging ex-President George W. Bush at the opening of the Smithsonian Museum of African- American History. Naturally, the Presidential Campaign was discussed, and members found the candidates’ performance at the previous debate uninspiring at best. A straw poll was conducted and the results were Clinton 9 and Trump 4. It will be interesting to see what those numbers are after the next debate. There was also an interesting discussion about immigration and open borders. The group was divided between those concerned about terrorism and those who would leave open “The Golden Door.” Gary Darche led the discussion. The next meeting will be held on Monday, November 14, at 10:30 a.m.in the Coleridge Lounge. If you have any questions, you can contact Gary at 718-225-3060. At the meeting of the Book Group on Monday, October 31, we discussed “Team Rivals: The Political Genius 0f Abraham Lincoln” by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Lincoln is at his best in selecting Seward, Chase and Bates, his rivals for the Republican nomination, as part of his Cabinet. As the president is dealing with the Civil War, he is also trying to keep peace with his Cabinet. The meeting on November 28, the last Book Group meeting of 2016, will have a different format. It will be an open forum to review both fiction and non-fiction books that the members would like to read. The ideas of different authors will be discussed. All Men’s Club members are welcome. The discussion will be led by Ralph Edwards. If you would like additional information, contact Ralph at 347-235-0472. Other events, which are in the planning stage, include a trip to MOMA on November 21, a trip to Arthur Avenue in The Bronx for an Italian lunch on November 30, and a dinner at the Crabtree Restaurant on November 15. A Golf outing is being planned, as well as a reprise of our “Old Men Telling Jokes” night. You can use the old ones. No one will remember. Bingo will be held on Sunday, November 27, at 7:30 p.m. in the large card room near the theater. Everyone is invited. It’s important to note that due to the popularity of our 9 a.m. breakfast get-togethers, we have expanded it to five days a week. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays will be at Buffy’s. Tuesdays and Thursdays will be at the VIP Room. Now we can compare the oatmeal. We are always looking for new members, so if you would like to join, call Joe DiGiovanni at 516-965- 9225. He’ll answer your questions and sign you up. If you would like more information about our events or care to make some suggestions, please call Jerry Siegel at 349-235-4513. The Nominating Committee reported that there were no other nominations for the Men’s Club Board, so the officers for the next two-year term, starting November 1, will be as follows: President: Arnold Rabinowitz; First Vice-President: Paul Nettler; Second Vice-President: Joe DiGiovanni; Treasurer: Jack Sevita; Secretary: Arthur Rose; Event Chairman: Jerry Siegel; and Communications: Toby Horowitz. Speaker Dennis Rappaport and his New York State Boxing Hall-of-Fame belt
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