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December 2,
2008
Today’s
Speaker: Peter Golenbock Sports Author
Peter Golenbock, one of the nation's best-known
sports authors, was born on July 19, 1946 in New York City. He grew up
in Stamford, Connecticut, and in 1963 graduated St. Luke's School in New
Canaan, Connecticut. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1967 and the
New York University School of Law in 1970.
Golenbock began writing about sports at Dartmouth. In addition to
writing for The Daily Dartmouth, he wrote for The New York Times and The
Boston Globe. At Dartmouth he became friends with Robert Ariel "Red"
Rolfe, the former New York Yankees third baseman and college athletic
director. Golenbock would listen for hours while Rolfe regaled him with
tales of his Yankee teammates, including Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, and
Lefty Gomez. Their time together would influence Golenbock's unexpected
career path.
After graduating from law school, Golenbock went into the hotel
business for two years providing housing for college students in New
York City. After working as a lawyer in a personal injury firm for eight
weeks, in July of 1972 Golenbock was hired to work in the legal
department of Prentice-Hall Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
After six weeks of writing about President Nixon's wage and price
controls, during one lunchtime he rashly knocked on the door of Nick
D'Incecco, the head of the Prentice-Hall trade book division. He
discussed writing a book about the Yankees. D”Incecco said yes, and the
rest is literary history.
Golenbock later wrote an award-winning children's book entitled
Teammates, which described an incident during Jackie Robinson's first
season as a Brooklyn Dodger when he was publicly befriended by teammate
Pee Wee Reese, a Southerner who believed Robinson had just as much right
to be playing as anyone. Teammates was selected by Redbook Magazine as
one of the ten-best children's books of 1990. It is still being used in
schools across America today to foster racial relations.
Golenbock then published The Forever Boys, an intimate look at the
lives of former major league ballplayers as they attempted to recapture
former glory in the Senior Professional Baseball League. Golenbock spent
the 1989-90 season with the St. Petersburg Pelicans of the senior
league, rode the buses and was welcomed into the clubhouse and dugout as
he wrote an intimate book about the joys and hardships of playing
baseball on the professional level.
Golenbock lives with
his wife
and son in St. Petersburg.
Last week at Kiwanis:
The Kiwanian of the Day, Steve
Cunningham, introduced Rev. Louis Murphy, Sr., proud member of our club,
and the pastor of the Mount Zion Progressive Missionary Baptist Church.
Rev. Murphy, Sr. presented a holiday sermon for our membership.
Louis presented a Thanksgiving program
strictly from the heart. By his own admission, it has been a “tough”
year for him personally. His wife, Filomena, passed away last winter
after a courageous fight with cancer. Louis made it through his crisis
because of strong faith and principles that he has embraced in his own
life. Fortunately, that same faith and those principles Louis shared
with all people within the sound of his booming voice.
Louis explained that those five those
five scientific principles: Time, Energy, Force, Space and Matter weave
a common thread throughout the Bible and our daily lives. Understanding
the principles is the key to life and the fulfillment and happiness that
goes along with it.
Today’s Thanksgiving program was
dedicated to Skip Carr, our fellow Kiwanian who passed away two months
ago. Louis reminded us how important Skip was to us, to him, and to the
community.
Louis quoted a verse from Solomon, the
son of David, that it is important to give back treasure, time and
talent to those that need it. He compared that to what we do within
Kiwanis to help youth. He further stressed the only thing that matters
should be what we do while we are living.
Louis closed with a story about his
coordination with a local church coalition. It is called “Seven X 7”
and features seven locations in St. Petersburg that have crime issues.
Each location has seven churches that strive to reduce crime in the
respective areas and bring the neighborhoods together.
Thank you, Louis, for a most
inspirational program at the right time.
What’s
Happening:
Young Children Priority One December Events:
On Friday December 12, 2008 Kiwanis volunteers will
wrap and assemble Christmas presents for the Help a Child Christmas
Party scheduled Saturday December 13, 2008. Bring your own tools or
wrapping paper, ribbon, scissors and tape. We will be working in the
First United Methodist Fellowship Hall from 9AM until the last present
is assembled or wrapped. Bobbi Gilgosh has extended a personal
invitation to all to come to the Christmas party and watch the children
open their presents Saturday morning starting at 9AM. A sign up sheet
will be coming around soon so spend a few hours on Friday with us and
spread the joy of the season to some medically challenged foster kids.
Christmas Angel Project:
The Kiwanis Club of St. Pete has committed to buy
Christmas gifts for 100 foster children for the Pinellas County Foster
Parents Assn. Many of these children will not receive any gifts if we
don’t help. Please pick up several Christmas Angels starting Tuesday
November 25, 2008 and your wrapped presents should be returned to
the Orange Blossom on Tuesday, December 16, 2008. Several Elves in the
Club have agreed to provide a personal shopper service for those of who
do not like to shop but still want to help. If you pick out a child’s
name and finance the trip we will purchase and wrap your gift. The
personal shopper service offer expires on December 9, 2008, so pick up
your names early.
Ding Dong……
Do you feel you have an incessant
ringing in your head during Christmas shopping trips? Now is your chance
to ring your own bell and volunteer for the Salvation Army Kettle Drive
at the Publix in Northeast Shopping Center, 4th Street and 38th
Avenue North on Thursday, December 18th. JC Russell is in
charge of volunteers so please help him and sign up for this worthwhile
cause. Also, donations can be made directly to JC or Steve Cunningham.
The
Sunshine City Kiwanis Christmas Tree Lot:
The Sunshine City Kiwanis Christmas
tree lot is now open on 38th Avenue and 78th Street North in
St. Petersburg. Help your fellow club out by buying a fresh tree. Lots
of sizes and species are available.
Northside
Christian High School:
Northside Christian High School’s
basketball team is dedicating their basketball season in memory of Skip
Carr.
Membership
Directory:
The New Membership Directory is
available. Pick one up at the Front counter.
Today’s Quiz
1.
When asked about his offensive line’s execution, he said, “I am
all for it.” Who said that?
2.
Which airport handles the most traffic in Europe?
3.
What is the capital of Montana?
4.
Which actor played the skipper in McHale’s Navy?
Last Week’s Quiz
-
Canadian
Thanksgiving is on the second Monday in October.
- The turkey was first domesticated in Mexico and Central
America.
- The state that produces the most turkeys annually is
Minnesota.
- The Wampanoag tribe was the Native American tribe that
celebrated the first Thanksgiving with the colonists.
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