February 1958
Feb 1, 1958
Had a morning appointment with a Mr. Z….-father of an 18 year old member. The young man is a dull learner (89 IQ) and can’t get or hold jobs. He has a speech defect to compound matters. He has been stealing and selling all the items of value that the family has-toasters, luggage-silver, etc. checks have also been forged on the father’s name and account. We have tried to help him through a clinic but he is to irresponsive. My recommendation is to press charges and have the state confine him and see that he takes the psychiatric help he needs.
Mimeographed the club’s newspaper for February. Had a group of boys helping me assemble it in the library. I drove to the Uniondale chapel and picked up Br. George Easter Sr. and Jr. and drove into New York to the Manhattan chapel where we attended the quarterly meeting of the Stake Priesthood.
Feb 2, 1958
Debbie and Teri have colds. Helen stayed home with the girls and the boys and I went to church. Ward teachers report meeting found myself and Brother Macdonald reporting all five of our families visited. We very seldom miss a family. I drive about 60 miles to cover all five families. Priesthood business meeting took up the ordinance of blessing oil to be used for the sick and the anointing and blessing of the sick themselves.
Two of my non-active ward teaching families were at Sunday School. A very pleasant surprise. The boys and I enjoyed Fast and Prayer meeting. Nearly all those who bore testimonies were converts. Their testimonies are rich and warm and wonderful. I worked all afternoon on Aaronic Priesthood records. Finished just prior to going back to evening services. Scout service charter night. We saw a lovely film about the Mormon temples and specifically the temple in Los Angeles.
Feb 3, 1958
I stayed with the girls in the fore noon while Helen walked to the village to do some shopping. Debbie is very cross and irritable with her cold. Weather has turned very cold. Sheets Helen hung on the line froze in short time. I put new license plates on the Ford station wagon and drove to the Leader office to identify some pictures the paper is using in reporting on our Book and Author dinner. Went through some paper work at my office and made the necessary arrangements to move two basketball teams 15 and 20 miles away tonight.
Took Ronald to Glen Cove and bought him a new pair of shoes-a pair of white bucks- was he thrilled. White bucks are a current fad in his school. Dropped him off at Dr. Vorisek’s for his Boy Scout patrol meeting. Had a nice turkey a-la-king dinner and had a few minutes to enjoy the fire in the fireplace with the children before going back to the club. Varsity beat Farmingdale-Jr. Varsity lost to Plainview.
Feb 4, 1958
Went to the office early. Have a lot of work left to do in putting out the February issue of the club’s newspaper. Addressed about 500 papers with addressograph machine. While I folded and stapled addressed papers, Mrs. Foss and a volunteer worker (Mrs. Shea) hand addressed the balance of papers. Finally had them in the post office by 2:00 PM. Ritz crackers, creamed cheese, jelly, peanut butter, pickled herring and glass of milk was lunch.
Staff meeting brought a lot out for discussion. Camp reunion was gone over carefully. We could easily have a crowd of 200 at this affair. Big delicious steak dinner at home. Took advantage of 89 cents a lb. sale. Bill Cullum and I went out to Massapequa for an alumni game. A fiasco. Only one official and he worked a strange game. Threw Bill out and early called 5 fouls on our star. We finished with 5 players and lost 84-61.
Feb 5, 1958
Helen’s 35th birthday. Girls gave her a blouse and a flannel nightgown. Boys gave her a cute card (hinting at her extra 10 lbs.) and a pair of hose. I gave her a box of candy and my love. Helen attended her weekly sewing lesson at the Glen Cove Singer Sewing Machine center. A part of her Christmas gift from me-sewing machine. The Voriseks invited us to dinner. It was one of the most lovely evenings I have ever spent. Helen was the guest of honor. Mr. Alpy gave her a box of candy. Mr. and Mrs. James Wood (she is in Girl Scouts with Helen) gave her two lovely pairs of hose. Gert and Bob gave her a beautiful, passionate, sexy, feminine night gown. Gert fixed her first Sauerbraten and what a wonderful meal it was. Potato dumplings, red cabbage and lots of good gravy. Big Ice-Cream cake topped the affair. What a lovely party for a lovely person.
Feb 6, 1958
Had a 9:30 appointment with a CPA for the purpose of making the 1st audit of the Boys’ Clubs books. We have an accountant who keeps detailed records of receipts and disbursements. Attended Rotary luncheon held at Marshall’s tavern. Speaker was a captain from Roslyn Air Base. Subject was air defense.
Mrs. Rowson of my Board of Directors spent an hour with me in planning a follow up letter to our annual letter of appeal. Too few of the local people form the basis of financial support. We are attempting to increase the number of givers so as to decrease the amount of our present givers. Ben S… of our staff hit a snag in his personal fight to rehabilitate himself as an alcoholic anonymous. He tanked up following a misunderstanding with his girlfriend. He fought back and went home on his own desire without going on a 4-5 day drunk as his past record indicates his normal habit was.
Our alumni team finally hit on all four cylinders and we produced a hard fought, well earned victory (our second all season) over the Massapequa 4M club in the NCABL. Final score 75-68
Feb 7, 1958
Called for Mr. and Mrs. Z… at 8:30 AM. Drove to the District Attorney’s office in the court house at Mineola. Seeking advice and legal council on how to handle their 18 year old son who with an IQ of about 85, a speech impediment and a preference to steal and sell things from his home rather than work, poses a problem. Mother rebels at institutionalizing him. Consequently she must accept the moral responsibilities of his actions. I talked to the son upon our return. He was nervous and upset that his folks had been to the DA office. He wants to flee the area and to Virginia. Took him to Dr. Vorisek’s for a physical. His personal hygiene is terrible. (Medical report followed in diary but omitted here), I’m forcing his hand by finding a job. He is to report to work Monday at (a local company). Consequently, he is begging his parents to let him go south.
Feb 8, 1958
Breakfast with Helen. To the post office for mail and down to (local company) and went over the Z…case with the plant superintendent-an old friend of mine. Our Biddy basketball league is fun to watch. My son Ronald is a star player on one of the teams, however he needs to do a lot of work on his emotional stability. He has shown improvement but still has a long way to go. His team-beaten only once-rallied to win 33-30.
Had a nice family lunch together. I put some things together Mr. Martin needed to make a financial appeal to the George F. Baker trust for help in raising annual operating funds and took them to his home. Our varsity won a game from St. Rocco’s CYO team in basketball at our gymnasium. Lovely dinner at home. Delicious smoked ham as the main dish. Nice fire in the fireplace to fight hard wind and an outside temperature of about 10-15 degrees. Shined 6 pair of shoes to prepare for Sunday School.
Feb 9, 1958
Ward conference. Our priesthood meeting was very good. Bro. G. Stanley McCallister of the stake presidency gave a fine sermon in priesthood meeting. Big Sunday school but the Sunday school superintendent was well prepared and everything went well. Mel Hutchins a Mormon boy who is a member of the New York Knickerbockers professional basketball team attends our ward when the playing schedule permits. His sister Colleen was Miss America a few years ago.
Boys wore their scout uniforms to Sunday School. This is the beginning of national Boy Scout week. Had a short Aaronic priesthood committee and leadership meeting. I was given a pat on the back for developing a system of individual Aaronic priesthood folders with special forms and techniques for keeping accumulative records on individual priesthood holders.
Said “no thanks” to an invitation from Bob Vorisek that Ron and I go to Madison Square Garden to see a hockey game and returned to sacrament meeting.
Feb 10, 1958
Worked at preparing the monthly bills for the accountant. Also checked petty cash vouchers. This is a monthly job that takes four hours to do and is one that I very much dislike doing. Finally finished and dropped them off at Ralph LaBella’s. Mr. Shaknis of our Board and our architect dropped in to see me about several building maintenance factors. We are trying to iron out the problem of roller skating.
Nearly floored me when the local paper called and informed me that they had a news release from the Don McNeil-Breakfast Club Show-dated Friday, February 7, 1958 stating that Wm R. Hinckley and the Grenville Baker Boys’ Club had been declared the national winners in the Scott-Atwater sponsored water safety program. We are to receive a 12 foot aluminum boat and a 7 ½ H.P. Scott-Atwater motor. Took a station wagon full of JV basketball players to Plainview. They won and played a great game in winning.
Feb 11, 1957
Spent the day at the club. Always a million things to do. Mrs. Foss and two volunteer workers spent several hours getting material out. Garden club met in the library which caused a mild confusion because I had forgot they were coming. Held a staff meeting at which time I announced the fact that it appeared that Ben S… would not be with us anymore as he had been hospitalized for his alcoholic problem. Shame- he was shaping up strong. Kids liked him too. After a nice spaghetti dinner with the family I showered and shaved and called for Henry Roslund and drove to Manhasset to attend a Long Island Midget Football meeting. I became assistant treasurer of the North Shore Division. Home and in bed by midnight.
Feb 12, 1958
Up at 5:30 AM. Quick breakfast and called for Bob Gunther at 6 AM. I drove East on Long Island 100 miles to the Nassau County Council Girl Scout camp at 3 mile harbor, just beyond East Hampton. We were there by 8:30 AM and had made our survey of beach and water facilities to determine the feasibility of starting a sailing program by 9:30 AM. Shortly there after we were on our way home and after one stop for gas we arrived in Locust Valley about 12 noon.
Spent the afternoon at the club running the gym program. Bill Cullum was at the athletic goods show in Garden City Hotel. Had a good group. Gave the JV some shooting drills. 4 on 4 basketball at the other end. Dr. Vorisek had a good group out for wrestling from 3:30 until 5:30 PM. The evening went with the career club taking the form of some personal interviews and by my officiating the varsity teams PBC league game with Hicksville which our boys won by some 30 points.
Feb 13, 1958
Drove to the Nassau county Court House and left papers of State Incorporate with a clerk at the Supreme court. These papers setting up a corporation known as the Associated Boys’ Clubs of Nassau County Inc., have to be signed by the Supreme Court judge. Returned to the office for a couple of hours work before going to the Rotary luncheon. Winning the Don McNeill national boat award has brought Madison Ave. public relations and advertising people down into the circles of our Boys’ Club orbit.
Rotary luncheon was a stinker. Lippert and Ted Britton were most unfair in their unprovoked attack of criticism on a Rotary project aimed at helping the Boys’ Club. I’ve never been so hurt in my 8 years at Locust Valley. Had a wonderful and most encouraging mothers club meeting. Looks as though we will soon be organized.
Feb 14, 1958
Still felt bad about the Rotary incident of yesterday. Went about business as usual with a prayer in my heart that things will work out OK and that people will fully understand and that no hard feelings will result. I was working at my desk when Ted Britton called and asked to come up to see me. Others of the club had called offering general apologies. Ted caught me completely by surprise. He went right to the heart of the subject and said, “I have an intense dislike for you!” “I don’t know when it started or why I have developed it.” “I think it is all behind me now and would like you to forget it!” I extended my hand-offered my own apology in that I must have in some way contributed to this dislike of me. We chatted for about 20 minutes and Ted left after shaking hands.
Teri Ann and Debs were thrilled with some Valentine candy we gave them. I filed our income tax return. (Tithing is a major factor on our side- blessing of money returned- Base income of $7850 with tithing means a tax return to us of $200.) worked on camp material to have ready for camp reunion the 28th of this month. Ron went to his first house party. All dressed up in white bucks, suit and tie. Real dancing house party. When I called to pick him up he was dancing a real rock-n-roll.
Feb 15, 1958
Muscles of my back-chest and legs feel tight and sore. Its been years since I’ve had a cold or the flu so perhaps the time cycle has completed its rotation. Enjoyed a leisure morning with Helen and the children-showered-shaved-dressed-dropped books off at Mr. Carter’s (club treasurer) and was 20 minutes late getting to an appointment in Garden city-(Newday). Toured the newspaper plant with Ed Igoe-circulation and Leon Kasper of my staff. My first tour of a big daily paper-I was amazed!
Had lunch at Felice’s-good food lousy service. Returned to the club feeling worse (physically) all the time. Board meeting found me with Laryngitis. Good meeting-perhaps my limited speech helped. Home to aspirins and a quick rest, then we took the Voriseks out to dinner. Started snowing. Bob and Gert birthday tomorrow. Surprised them all with a delightful Chinese restaurant and special dinner. Early home and to bed. Lots of chills and fevers.
Feb 16, 1958
Most miserable night. Aches and pains-chills and fever. Woke weak but with a crisis behind me. Snow still falling and drifting. 10 to 20 inches spread over Long Island. I stayed fagged out on the couch nearly all day. Hustled up enough energy to keep a nice fire going all day in the fireplace. Debbie really enjoyed having her Daddy home all day. She just cuddled her two years of smooth softness into a delightful ball and stayed on my lap all day.
Sickness kept me away from church. Bishop called to say Sacrament Service would be held right after Sunday School and to call all people on my ward teaching list to notify them. Snow kept falling until about 4:30. Wind kept blowing-some drifts are 6 feet high. Kids stuck their noses out a couple of times but not for long, too cold. Went through some 35 mm color slides. Have recently started a new indexing program of my slides. We all hit the hay early. Everyone was tired from illness or being cooped up all day.
Feb 17, 1958
Boy what a storm! Worst I have ever seen in New York. I spent the morning digging out my driveway. Boys helped with ours and did a good job on the neighbors. Boys are good-neighbors are old and widowed. My Pontiac froze solid. Got to the garage after a push to get her started and lost all my radiator contents. Finally broke it lose. Two gallons of Prestone (90 below zero) and I’m back in business.
Took Helen and Debs grocery shopping, tune of $49.75. while we were gone Mr. James Baron our neighbor passed away. He has had a bad time with cancer of the prostate gland. After six terrible months he finally passed away. Archie and I took the hospital bed back to Mrs. Scott of the philanthropic committee. Nice chat with Bob Gunther about my personal position in the community. Took Helen and the boys to see “The Ten Commandments”. I baby sat with the girls.
Feb 18, 1958
Still have a sore throat and a painful chest cold. Storm still has people buried around here-I can’t see it-I get around without chains or snow tires. Hurried to the club. Had to set up chairs and accommodations for a Red Cross campaign workers meeting. Hurry-hurry-hurry- all sweaty and chilling again-but finally made it. Put a basket full of laundry through the club’s dryer for Helen. Caught a bit of lunch at home. Debbie has a slight cold. Helen is a bit upset thinking she might be pregnant.
Ben … is back on our staff. This is his last chance with our organization. Alcoholism is a tuff problem. Drove Mrs. Baron’s sister-in-law to Glen cove and back. Helen went to Mr. Baron’s wake with Archie and Florence. Lincoln House trounced us 100-71 in an NCABL game. Looks like my last season-getting to be an old man. To bed early without a voice-laryngitis has me but good.
Feb 19, 1958
Up at 7 AM shaved-dressed- a nice breakfast with the family and off to New York with Bill Kinnear and Bill Cullum. Destination, Madison Square Boys’ Club, 301 East 29th street. Took two hours to drive in, terrible traffic jam around the Queens tunnel. Met Ben … at the institute. Arthur Huck key noted the affair. I chaired the workshop session on leadership.
4 PM before we were back at the club. Reality of boys pulls you back from the world of philosophy. Letter from Tom Craighead, Southwester Region, asking me if I would be interested in a Boys’ Club job at Denver. I say yes to see what all the details are. Attended a good scout committee meeting at Bob Vorisek’s home. Charter review night. Bub Schmidt is new chairman.
Feb 20, 1958
Throat still very bad. Spent the morning at my desk. Caught rotary meeting. Speaker was on the subject of mutual investments. Arranged to handle the Rotary program at the Boys’ club on April 10-during national boys’ club week. Drove the Rev. Howard Lowell, St. Johns of Lattingtown, home from Rotary. He is an interesting man-one I would like to chat with a great deal more than I do.
Stayed on at the office until 6 PM then met Lothair Rowley from the 6:12 train and took him home for dinner. Helen had a lovely sausage and spaghetti dinner. Lothair is my new ward teaching partner. He is an inactive elder. Married outside the church. He seemed to take an active interest as we made our ward teaching rounds. All of our families were home and Lothair found a common interest point with each family. Arrived home about 11:30 PM, straight to bed to fight the throat and cold symptoms.
Feb 21, 1958
Cut and ran stencils to prepare material for annual camp reunion one week from tonight. We have 3 bulletin boards dressed to proclaim the event. With a break we could have 300 boys and parents present. Library program is picking up. Have been real worried but it looks like it will come. Our coed club should change its format or it will become a “click” affair.
Still feel lousy. Left “Bird” to close up and went home early. We moved an old style player piano to the Boys’ Club from the Karlin residence in Midway Park. Charles Savinetti drove a preferred pick up to haul it for us. Drug it through snow but we made it. If we can get it working it will be a boon to us. We usually have to move a piano for every dance.
Feb 22, 1958
Big day. Over 200 kids hit the club when we opened the doors. Ron’s team romped over the 2nd place club and clinched the league championship in biddy basketball. He plays a good steady floor game, rebounds pretty well and shoots better than average. He runs about 15 points a game. His team scores 40 or more points a game. Last Thursday night Ron and an all star team of biddy’s beat Levittown 45-40. Sweet revenge. Levittown beat us 35-0 in football. They were unbeaten in basketball until we dropped them.
Boy Scout benefit movie brought in a good crowd. Shop was busy and gym took a heavy load all day. Two Mormon missionaries dropped in. We were pleased to show them around. They were amazed at our club and it activities. Cub Scout dinner at the Locust Valley School. I enjoyed taking Scott. We had a good turkey dinner. Nice program. Closed up the Boys’ Club and went to bed early.
Feb 23, 1958
We were a few minutes late in our rising and preparation for Sunday School. Boys can wash and dress themselves. Ron is quick and always the first one ready. Scott is as slow as molasses and always reduces his mother to tears and his father to angry words and a belt before getting dressed. (On Saturdays he is up and dressed by 7 AM.) The girls are helped by Helen and I. while Helen finishes dressing (a little make-up being a part of every women’s dress) I feed the children their breakfast. We are off by 8:30 AM and make one stop for Sunday Papers. Bishop Guest asked for copies of the priesthood forms I developed and said that he was sending one copy to the stake and another to the Presiding Bishop’s office in Salt Lake City. I was very flattered. Screened 35mm slides all afternoon. Enjoyed evening services by Stake missionaries.
Feb 24, 1958
This starts a week of school vacation for the Locust Valley Public School children. We will open the Boys’ Club at 1 PM to take some pressure off the parents. It is a shame that they should feel pressured because their children are home. I picked up the morning mail and spent the morning at the club cutting stencils for the March issue of the Boys’ Club paper. My boys brought me a couple of sandwiches to the club. I often get wrapped up in my work and forget to stop for lunch. The boys called Butch Soper and the three of them played in the gymnasium. I spent an hour with them teaching some basketball fundamentals and roller skating with them- we had an enjoyable time. Had a five o’clock dinner and went back to the club. Helen is baby sitting with the Anderson’s baby while they see “The Ten Commandments”. I sent the Jr. Varsity on its way to Plainview for a scheduled PBC league game and went back to my stencil work. Played basketball with the adult group long enough to break my glasses.
Feb 25,1958
First stop was in Glen Cove at Dr. Sedgwick’s office where I left my glasses for repair. 2nd stop was at Lempe’s Rod and Gun shop where I bought some ammunition for the club range. Spent a pleasant half hour talking hunting and Idaho with him. Went on to the club and dug into a huge pile of morning mail. A volunteer secretary came in and helped with the club paper.
Spent the early part of the afternoon interviewing a new member and working with Mrs. Barbara Jewell, Mother’s Club chairwoman. Had a serious bit of trouble when our physical director, Mr. Cullum suspended a boy M.. S… from the gym. S…. accused another boy of being the cause of his problems (unjustly so) and beat and kicked him around the head when he caught the boy outside. We sent the boy to the hospital. NCABL_Floral Park 115-Boys’ Club 82. I got 10 in the last quarter!
Feb 26, 1958
The pressure of putting the paper out forced me into the office at 8:30 AM. Mrs. Foss came in to spend the day and we cut stencils and worked the “Gestetner” (duplicating machine) overtime. This issue is the largest paper we have ever put out. 8 double pages. Information on day camp-camp, Mohican and Pratt’s camp. Stories on Boys’ Club winning the 7 ½ HP Scott-Atwater outboard motor and 12 ½ foot aluminum Lone Star boar for having best water safety motor boat program in the United States. It also tells of Amy Vanderbilts’s Etiquette column, a syndicated feature that gave our Boys’ Club national attention by featuring our Hotel Etiquette course.
I found myself finished at 5:30 PM and without a single appointment on my calendar for the evening. Ask the boys if they would like to go out with me for the evening. Scott didn’t because he isn’t feeling well. Ron and I drove to Mitchel Air Force base and watched a couple of the CONAC (Continental Air Command) tournament basketball games. We brought a large pizza pie home and Scott helped us eat it.
Feb 27, 1958
I have been letting the kids roller skate in the gym during the mornings. Children learn fast. I had to push Ron and Scott on them a couple of days ago-now they pester the daylights out of me to hurry over and open the club so they can skate. Enjoyed Rotary Luncheon. Frank Braynard, shipping columnist for one of the large New York Dailies, spoke on great American Ships and their relation to American History. He illustrated his talk with pictures he had drawn.
We have had three days of rain. Our snow of a couple of weeks ago is just about gone. Mr. Pratt dropped in and we had a wonderful chat for about an hour. I truly love and admire this man. Never have I felt so close to an adult in my life. Perhaps it is because he is the age of my own father would have been and we have done things together as a father and son might do—at any rate I would be most sad should I have to change positions and disrupt our relationship.
Feb 28, 1958
Mrs. Shea (volunteer worker) came in and I recruited a group of Jr. Staff to give her a hand and we stapled-addressed and mailed our 550 newspapers out to our mailing list. Made the deadline by 15 minutes (closing time at the post office). Helen and Debs and I did our big two week grocery shopping spree. We are trying a new butcher. A local Italian shop in place of the chain store meat dept.
The chicken we had for dinner tonight was the best we have eaten in years. Very fresh and tasty. Helen fried it to a perfection. Everyone is working towards our camp reunion program tonight. Groups of boys are rehearsing for their skits-others are setting up chairs, screens, projectors etc. at last the starting time arrived and about 200 descended on us. INS News Service covered the presentation of the national boating award. Lt. Commander Robert Gunther of the Brooklyn Power Sqdn. Represent the Don McNeill program. We sang songs-presented skits-showed film and slides about camp and had Tom Foley, EX. Dir Boys’ Clubs of Bethlehem, Pa as a special guest. Best camp reunion yet.