The Old Guard

Hospitality Committee

Ray Goulet, Chairman

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Maintains name tag file for members

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Invites guests to register

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Organizes transportation for members as necessary

 Conversation and coffee before meetings

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Informal luncheons at local restaurants after meetings 

The Beefeaters

George McGauley, Chair

Lead the group in song - 

(everyone knows the tunes, the words are in the books)

Introduction of new members

Jim Schepker, Membership

"Research shows that the two best ways to build a 'brain reserve' ... are remaining intellectually active your entire lives and interacting with others - remaining social." 

Ruth Mitman, Ph.D.

TUESDAY MORNING

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-Jonathan Stolzenberg

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                Old, for sure.  Guard what?  

I never went to church, hardly ever wore a sport

jacket, yet now, most Tuesday mornings, I do both ­-

drive to Westminster Presbyterian, pick up my nametag

and enter the big room filled with

 100+ friendly faces I know and don’t, who greet me,

or don’t: hello, good to meet you, howzit goin’?

Assembled, it’s call and response, Good Morning, Old Guard!,

then I’m back in school, hand over heart saying the pledge.

We sing an old Standard  (I like it now - don’t  giggle anymore),

One of us shares in a ritual called storytelling.

Then, can you believe it: another song!

We hear announcements of group outings, volunteer work

done and planned, “fantastic” funds collected for the food pantry -

welcome guests, vote in new members, then hear an enlightening speaker.  One hour and five minutes and it’s over for another week,

Some decamp to local joints for lunch. 

There’s a sense of having done something.

We are Old, for sure.  What do we guard?

Traditions of FELLOWSHIP, SERVICE and CIVILITY.

We do it with aplomb, amiably holding the line for the Cause.

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Delivered by Jonathan Stolzenberg, November 5, 2019