March 1957
March 1, 1957
A new month and new challenges. Helen is again feeling very bad. Her sinus are heavily infected and one eye has become inflamed and infected. Teri is better and is once again back in school. Last night at Hicksville our alumni team took it on the chin 115-91. I scored 31 points in a little over 3 quarters. When we came out to drive home a heavy sleet was on the ground and the station wagon was coated with ice. By this morning there was about four inches of snow on the ground and snow flurries continued all day. It turned cold and all thoughts for an early spring vanished in a hurry.
Boy Scout committee meeting tonight and we hashed out the problems of our annual parents night program. The scout program seems to have stabilized itself since moving to the Boys’ Club and we have hopes for continued success and growth. Dr. Vorisek is the real guiding light in the Boy Scout program and certainly deserves all the credit due him.
March 2, 1957
Another busy Saturday . I picked up the necessary material for our snack bar. We feature hot dogs on Saturdays. The jr. staff have done an excellent job in handling these Saturday sales. Mr. Martin called at the club and we had a most interesting chat. He has been gone for 11 weeks on a business trip for Pepsi Cola that took him around the world. He is a wonderful man and a magnificent Boys’ Club worker.
After the club closed at 5 PM Ron, Scott and I fired on the club’s range with the 22 rifle that Ross sent them for Christmas. Gee but they love it. They are very good shots for little boys. The rifle is so heavy that the only way Scott can fire it is in the sitting position. Ron fired kneeling and prone. I hope my life permits me spending a lot of time out of doors with my boys. It will help so much in their total growth and development to be outdoorsmen.
March 3, 1957
Fast Sunday. I maintained a fast but the best the boys could do was to fast out breakfast. The boys are very good about paying their tithing and giving fast offerings. It thrills me to see this. I love my family dearly and feel that I have had special blessings in that my children are very healthy with handsome and beautiful features and sharp keen minds.
We had an enjoyable fast and testimony meeting. There was the usual babies to christen and confirmations to make. Our ward has grown to the point where we have established a dependent branch in the home of Wm K Hinckley at Babylon. This branch offers sacrament services only, but the average attendance is over 30. We have also launched a building fund drive to remodel our chapel.
March 4, 1957
I have a guilty conscience about my day-off. Monday is that day yet the pressure of work and the opportunity to work undisturbed pulls me to the club. I love my work and the people who make up my Board of Directors. The day slipped by fast. A pleasant dinner with the family and back to the club for the evening groups.
Girls Scouts were present. They are using our arts and crafts material and shops. When they get together as a group they are the most “Boy-Crazy” group I have ever seen. I am alarmed at their lack of reserve. Our Sea Scouts were present working on their boat. This did not help matters. Plus these groups we had young adults and community people coming in to use our gymnasium and social games rooms. I’m still concerned about our young people!
March 5, 1957
Out into the duties of the day about 10 AM. Locust Valley is a bubbling little community. Its citizens have time, talent and energy. I believe this community can do anything it puts its mind to. My first appointment was with a young man who came from Glen Cove and asked me to pass him on his scouting physical fitness test.
Next matter was to prepare basketball uniforms, basketballs, score books, etc for the varsity club who have a game in the PBC league at Oyster Bay. (We won 2-0 to clinch the championship when O B forfeited for illegal players) Here at the club the alumni lost a four pointer to Lincoln House in an NCABL game. We had a good crowd watching. Lincoln House is a close rival and we always have good games.
March 6, 1957
Took Helen and the girls to Glen Cove. While they shopped for a couple of hours I worked at my desk and then met Teri Ann at her school bus stop and we drove back to Glen Cove to pick up Helen, Debbie and Linda. Picked up a group of Boys’ Club members coming back to Locust Valley after having attended Ash Wednesday services at their Catholic church. Locust Valley’s only churches are the Reformed Church of Locust Valley and St. Johns of Lattingtown-both protestant churches.
Mrs. Foss was taken ill last evening and is suffering from a very bad case of flu and grippe. With Bill Cullum on vacation it really leaves our hands full. Our jr. varsity won its division championship in the PBC league by defeating Syosset at our club. This club is undefeated except for one non-league game.
March 7, 1957
Called the county probation officer regard a local problem where a husband-wife split is really ruining a young boy. I’ll have to call the father and see if he won’t extend more understanding and cooperation. He lets the 13 year old boy drive his car plus letting the boy keep very late hours. He put the step mother in the hospital with a most severe beating. Broken nose etc. Ran two boys through their scouting physical fitness tests.
Had a nice spaghetti and meat ball dinner.(Helen is an excellent cook) Brother Dale Macdonald was with us. Following dinner we gave the Ward teaching lesson and then went on to make a 100% visitation of the rest of our families. I enjoy ward teaching and the thrill that comes from speaking about the Gospel to interested people. Some families are split families-makes it more interesting!
March 8, 1957
Each day offers new challenges. The first visitor of the day was a father who wants to send his 8 year old boy away to Camp Mohican for two weeks this summer. His boy has a glass eye. I assured him that the boy could go and be perfectly happy. I suggested that the boy learn to cleanse and bath his own eye before going to camp.
The big feature of the day is our Boy Scout charter presentation program couple with parents night. About 150 people were present. After a nice program in the gym we adjourned to the kitchen area for cake and coffee. Mrs. Vorisek knowing of my LDS beliefs saw to it that there was plenty of hot chocolate on hand. Our older boys did an excellent job of cleaning up and washing dishes. Mrs. Foss (club secretary) is still quite ill. Dr. Vorisek had her come to his office for a checkup and a shot.
March 9, 1957
Back at the same old stand doing business. 9 AM comes early when its 11:30 PM before you get closed the night before. Our Biddy basketball league has begun its play-offs. Ron is a promising star on one of the teams and really does a most commendable job of playing. They lost a heart breaker in their first play-off game.
Our Executive Committee of our Board of Directors met at the club this afternoon. We hashed over the agenda for tomorrow’s Board of Directors meeting and spent a good bit of time going over our financial picture. We are a bit short of estimated income. We are fairly well within our proposed budget on the expense side. We work on deficient spending so there is nothing alarming about our financial position. We face this problem every year. Fortunately our board works hard to bring in the income.
March 10, 1957
The wonderful relaxation of a Sunday. A nice drive to Uniondale Ward, 15 miles away and a plunge into a ward conference Sunday. Lots of stake leaders were present. I conducted Prayer meeting, Senior Sunday School and taught my regular class, gospel doctrine. Sunday School Superintendent’s meeting-Priesthood meeting and home. Helen is a substitute teacher, a teacher training student and a member of the Genealogy class. The children help after services by putting chairs away, erasing blackboards, closing windows, turning out lights etc.
We held a Board of Director’s meeting in our new library. Mrs. Limbert reported on the library and we entered into a lengthy but very good board meeting. Committees were formed-steps taken to initiate playfield areas etc. Missed sacrament meeting because of the meeting of the Board.
March 11, 1957
Mrs. F. T. Church of Locust Valley gave the Boys’ Club some game trophies her late husband had shot in Africa. They included 5 heads, all members of the Antelope family, the head of a lioness, a wart hog and a water buffalo skull. They are out of vogue as far as office and club decorations to-this day and age. However boys are still fascinated by them so today I had a carpenter-handy man-come in and hang them. They will be of great interest to our members.
I left the Boys’ Club station wagon at Paddison Motors in Glen Cove to be repaired. (Bad radiator). Our varsity basketball team finished as 2nd precinct champs without losing a game. This is the Nassau County PBC league.
March 12, 1957
There are many of the estates and families of old American names still to be found in this area of Long Island. Some of them are to be found on the Board of Directors of the Grenville Baker Boys’ club. I find them for the most part to be wonderful people. I don’t think that I have ever met a finer man than Sherman Pratt, my board president. I know that I am overly fond of him like unto a father. Had my father lived he would have been the same age. We have a lot of likes and dislikes in common. We are fond of fishing, woods, etc and I am very appreciative of his taking me to Canada to his camp as he does. Our alumni team broke into the win column by crushing Reeves Investment team by some 30 points.
March 13, 1957
Several of the staff members of the Kips Bay Boys’ Club of New York City drove out to look at our club. Charles MacNiven, Ex. Dir. and Russell Inserra, Assn’t Dir. were among the group. I feel good at such things because it demonstrates that the planning we put into this building was well worth the effort. Many leading Boys’ Club people have come to see our building and all have been impressed. Today’s market values would reflect the cost of our building, with equipment at $300,000.
Our junior varsity basketball team won its division title and this evening defeated Hicksville to advance to the Precinct finals. We have had a good basketball season. The first in our new gymnasium.
March 14, 1957
Through the Nassau County Volunteer Bureau’s Service we have had a young married businessman from Westbury referred to us. He is a University of Michigan graduate and will, I feel certain be of good help to us. I am working with a group of 14-15-16 year olds who have formed a group club. Their current fad interest is automobiles. We have worked out a constitution and have named our club the “Golden Rods”. A typical group looking for kicks and turning to Hot Rods to get them. They are a tough group-one that will go bad in a hurry. I hope and pray that I can be of a good influence on them and consequently guide them over the next few years. If only their parents could reach them. Somehow they have lost all contact with their home, their church and most of their school. They are in a world with themselves and their Boys’ Club.
March 15, 1957
Mr. M. W. Martin is a Vice-President and Secretary and Board Member of the Pepsi-Cola Company. He is the co-founder (with Mrs. Edith Wycoff) of the Grenville Baker Boys’ Club and a more wonderful person cannot be found. He is a self made man and has not amassed a personal fortune that permits him being a large financial contributor. However, he most generously gives several hundreds of dollars each year. More important than this is his genuine interest in the Boys’ Club work and his ability to recruit and interest other people in the work.
He is a Southerner by birth and education. An outspoken man who is as sharp and mentally alert a person as anyone I have ever known. He has a most charming and gracious wife who is an untiring worker and one of the strongest pillars the Boys’ Club has. A slow day at the club-one that comes along just to give the staff a breather.
March 16, 1957
We are in the time of the season when our program becomes a crazy whirl of championships and play-offs. Our annual Banquet of Champions will soon be held. This fetes each of our champions-individual and team and gives us a nice group of volunteers and Board members to see our accomplishments.
Biddy Basketball play-offs are in great interest because Ronald is playing. He has the ability of a 12 year old but keeps his 10 years of age’s emotional stability about him. It has to be watched closely.
Dr. Kasper-a psychologist- and my secretary’s sister came out from Forest Hills to help us test one of our boys. He has an I.Q. of 84.85, a speech impediment and a crazy mixed up feeling about life and the world. Poor work habits, a slovenly appearance and an overbearing personality makes it difficult to work with him.
March 17, 1957
A cool windy St. Paddy’s day but pleasant enough for all the Irish in New York to hold their big annual parade and drink gallons of Irish Whiskey. We Hinckley’s are in a pleasant rut up and away to Sunday School, a nice lunch when we return, a quiet afternoon at home and back to sacrament service in the evening. We stop at a delicatessen on the way home for soda, potato chips cheese, smoked oysters, etc and have a wonderful family picnic when we return home in the evening. A leisure evening of reading, some little conversation and we are all tucked in bed.
March 18, 1957
Started the day early at my office. The morning was pretty well taken up by a nominating committee meeting of the local Red Cross chapter-with which I am affiliated. We are stepping up the tempo of our programming The first week in April is National Boys’ Club week- a week that will see us at fever pitch with special events. A few cards from Cullum indicates that he is having a wonderful time on his Florida vacation.
Weather is cold for this time of the year. A lot of spring rains is giving the ground a good soaking. Our alumni basketball club is having its worst season since the club was organized. I am having a fair personal season for a 33 year old man who can only give it two nights a week. My weight is down to 240 lbs-256 a year ago! If I were ever to get down to the skin and bones of 200 lbs as I did at Ricks I would burn this league up.
March 19, 1957
A steady rain storm with water falling steadily and continuously. I drove into the Brooklyn army depot to pick up a load of surplus material for the Boys’ club. Among items picked up were, 3 dozen blankets 2 dozen shelter halves, 11 rolls of roofing paper, 3 gasoline cans and some index cards. Since Boys’ Club of America received a national charter we were made eligible for surplus materials. This is a big lift to our programs because of the limited amounts of money we have each year for budget.
All of these materials are free to our club. The roofing paper, new rolls had a value of $440. We will use it to cover our gymnasium floor when we have such community activities as an art show, a Halloween party, a blood bank program etc. Heavy rain kept attendance down at the club.
March 20, 1957
Had a Long Island Recreation Association meeting down on my calendar for this morning but failed to make it. My desk and that devil’s instrument the telephone caught me first. Our junior varsity basketball team traveled to Bethpage where they won the Nassau County PBC championship for the 2nd precinct. they worked and looked like a group of little professionals. They had an easy job winning by some 20 odd points.
The club’s citizen’s committee on front grounds consists of two very hard working ladies who have laid out a complete working plan of plantings and material needed to landscape and enhance our front lawns. My big problem is to get a Board member to take over the chairmanship of handling this committee so that the ladies work will not have been in vain. My Board gives money as a whole but are reluctant to taking on work assignments. It’s a tough administrative nut to crack.
March 21, 1957
A big busy day at the club. One in which we lost ground to club members because we lacked staff numbers to handle all of our programs. Lincoln House, a Negro settlement house in Glen Cove was to put on a boxing exhibition-they cancelled out at the last minute. One of their boys was in a New York show and the team accompanied him. My automobile club Golden Rods were left to fend for themselves and so wound up in trouble.
I had our varsity basketball team at Uniondale. They played a magnificent game to come from behind and defeat Hempstead for semi final honors in the county PBC championships. We have 7 men on this ball club who have remained unbeaten all year to qualify for the finals next week. These boys are the first crop of midgets who joined the club back in 1950 when we first opened. A finer group will never be. These basketball teams will give me ulcers before this season is over.
March 22, 1957
Bill Cullum walked in the office-back a day early from vacation! But what a sorry looker. He was involved in an automobile accident, two cars were racing and forced them off the road into a palm tree. This was a week ago and he still looks terrible. He said the Drs. in Florida said there was nothing wrong with him except bruises and lacerations. He spent a horrible 3 days driving home-can’t eat and can barely see because of the swelling. He went directly to Dr. Vorisek, the club’s physician and was sent to the Glen Cove Hospital for X-rays. Later in the afternoon Bob Vorisek called to say that X-rays indicated both cheek bones were broken as well as the upper jaw bone. Bill left immediately for home and was admitted to the hospital. He will be operated on in the morning.
It came as a great shock to everyone. Bill doesn’t drink and is a most capable driver. The horrible part about it is that he and his friend were left laying unconscious by the two who ran them off the road. Police found them and took them to a hospital but no trace was ever found of the crazy people who ran them off the road.
March 23, 1957
Our “Biddy” basketball playoffs are drawing a lot of local spectators. Ronald, my 10 year old son is a star player. He has the physical coordination of a 12 yr old, but he is short on the subject of maturity. He centers too much on the point of winning. His mother and his cub scout den mother and his father were embarrassed by his tears and temperament on the court. We must help him practice his emotional self-control.
Our Biddy all-stars played an afternoon game against a Biddy team from the MT. Vernon Boys’ Club. We lost by four points but had a nice affair. After the game our boys were hosts to the Mt. Vernon team. We served the hot dogs and soda and visited with them in an attempt to bring about a good relationship.
March 24, 1957
It seems as if I leave all of my earthly cares behind me when I walk into church-perhaps that is why I enjoy going. I wish my schedule permitted more church activity on my part. Helen teaches a home primary course. When Ron reaches MIA age we will have to arrange our schedule so we can take him to regular MIA meetings and activities. (Note to my children, home primary was five of us sitting in the car on Sunday morning while Dad was in Priesthood meeting)
After church services I met at the Boys’ Club with some of my Board and a couple of local business men about re-grading our athletic field. Mr. Frank Marmoral is contributing $12,000 of free grading. We will pay only for his operators who run his machinery. We hope to have a work bee and get mothers to cook and serve food and get fathers and boys to rake our field and seed it when the grading is done. This will save us about $2000 in labor.
March 25, 1957
My 1954 Pontiac Station wagon is feeling its miles. It has over 53,000 on it and is in need of tires and considerable work. I am trying to get a new wagon as a contribution. With our long haul to Canada to Pratt’s camps we need a good wagon.
Contacted one of the club’s member’s father who is a town highway foreman and made arrangements to have his crew help me move an ice box that had been given to us by Mr. Nichols of Glen Head. It is a combination refrigerator-deep freeze. It is stainless steel and has a new market value of $1800. the compressor is in excellent condition. We moved it from a large estate home located on 80 acres. All beautifully kept with spacious lawns and beautiful gardens. It is a most welcome gift to the club. Mr. Alpy cleaned it up and has it shining like a new one.
March 26, 1957
Dr. Newhaus who is associated with the Nassau County Chapter for retarded children dropped in to look at our club facilities and inquire if we might let them operate a summer day-camp out of the Boys’ Club building. We had an informal staff meeting at which we made our staff assignments to cover our Boys’ Club Week program. With Bill out for a while with his broken jaw we have had to make some adjustments. Our volunteer baseball coaches met at the club to prepare for the 2nd season of our Little Major League program.
We were host to the special NCABL basketball play-offs. Our gym was packed. Our varsity team traveled to Elmont where they defeated the Franklin Square team for the county championship in the senior division of the Nassau County Police Boys’ Club basketball play-offs. Our gang was real happy they are also undefeated having a 18-0 record for the season.
March 27, 1957
Weather is fair, too good for this time of the year. Our last minute plans for the National Boys’ Club week are all in the hopper and we are just building up to lighting the fuse. I am a merit badge counselor for the Boy Scouts of America in swimming, canoeing, public speaking, personal fitness, life saving and fishing. As happened today I usually have at least one appointment a week on my office calendar to pass a boy on his merit badge work.
Our new library program suffers considerably from fair weather and baseball fever. All the boys are packing baseball gloves, making pick-up games, trading baseball flip-cards and dreaming that our athletic field is a major league stadium.
March 28, 1957
I drove to Mineola to attend a Board meeting of the Federated Girl Scout Council of Nassau County of which I am a member. Our current problem is staffing our camp at Blue Bay on the tip of Long Island. Also, deciding on how much camp development we can do this year and what form it will take. We are working out a project where the Sea Bees will put in a free days work if we furnish materials.
Upon returning to my office I interviewed a mother whose husband left her to provide for her two boys. She needs an operation and wants the club to help her finance her boys way to camp this summer. I think we will be able to help her. Had a good meeting tonight with my group club “Golden Rods”. I feel we are making progress. It certainly is a give and take situation. These boys can cause a lot of trouble.
March 29, 1957
Picked Bill Kinnear up early and drove into NYC to the Jefferson Park Boys’ Club building. We met Bob Rosado of our staff there…the occasion was the Metropolitan Boys’ Club workers association’s training institute. It was a very fine affair. We had buzz sessions and kicked three major topics around. My staff re-acted well and I feel have gained a little professional growth for having attended.
The evening was spent at the Locust Valley public school where the annual mother-daughter dinner was held. Food was very good and the program presented in the auditorium by the Girl Scouts was light and refreshing. I enjoy my Girl Scout work in the community.
March 30, 1957
Ron’s team lost the Biddy Basketball play-offs by dropping the championship game. Today is our first scheduled tryout for the baseball season and the field is swarming with young hopefuls. Everything went well-due to Mr. Kinnear’s well laid plans. Our volunteer coaches seem most dependable and were present to perform the jobs. Sun was out all day but a cold wind has been blowing. Without a good jacket it was no day to be outside.
Had a neighbor come in and set with the girls and Helen and I took the boys to a movie at Oyster Bay. The boys enjoyed the movie and I enjoyed being out with them. We saw “Gun Brothers” and “Screaming Eagles” Now that the boys are older I will have to spend more time with them.
March 31, 1957
An average Sunday-we were at all our meetings as we should be. I spent the afternoon preparing notes for a speech I was to make in Sacrament Service at night. As tomorrow launches National Boys’ Club week I used that as a basis and drew from the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants to show the responsibility we as parents have in providing and teaching our children the proper things in life. Helen says I was long-winded and used Hell-Fire and Damnation tactics. But at least several people stopped me to comment that they enjoyed my remarks.