Come for the Programs . . .
* During the pandemic shutdown, meetings moved online with Zoom. As we move back to in-person meetings, we will continue to offer "hybrid" access by Zoom. Please request a link by sending email to [email protected]
Meetings start at 9:30 AM with coffee and socializing. At 10:00 we sit down, sing a song or two, and hear a few jokes & announcements. The day's invited speaker starts at around 10:30. Visitors are asked to arrive by 10:00 AM.
Note: For the present, in-person attendance requires two Covid vaccinations plus a booster, and face masks must be worn. Please read our full policy on Covid protocols here: www.covid-protocols.pdf
Programs consist of stimulating talks by people such as past governors, mayors, politicians, physicians, Nobel Prize winners, judges, professors, historians, scientists, authors, economists, journalists, financial advisors, medical specialists, conservationists, etc. The subsequent Q&A is lively. Put on your business casual attire or jacket & tie (or something more casual from May to September) and attend a meeting with us. All visitors are welcome. Admission is free.
Stay for the Friends*
After the meetings, many members join together to have lunch at various local restaurants.
In addition to the weekly meetings, there are activity groups for golf, bridge, hiking, trips, computer help, tennis and more.
* Or, as one member put it recently, "Come for the Jokes, Stay for the Talks", since we start each meeting by singing a few songs and enjoying a few jokes :-)
Policy on Weather Cancellations
During very bad weather or when the NPPC is unavailable to us, our meetings simply move online with Zoom. We will post a notice at this website and send an email to members.
For more information, contact:
On Retiring – A Stimulating Road Ahead
Where will you find a sense of purpose and satisfaction? How will you find mental stimulus and a sense of community? Click on this PDF file to consider an answer to these questions.
Donations to Old Guard are welcome and greatly appreciated (although they are not tax deductible).
June Program Chair - Jim Shanley
- Jun 7 "How the Irish Saved Civilization" – Dr. Dermot Quinn is professor of history at Seton Hall University. He has a degree from Trinity College Dublin and a PhD from the University of Oxford. He will talk about Irish monks in Europe in the Middle Ages and how they kept Christianity alive when it was on the verge of extinction. [video]
- Jun 14 "A History of the Inventors of the Stanley Steam Cars" – Chatham residents Sarah Stanley and her husband Don Davidson are avid collectors of antique automobiles. Don has restored several cars, including an 1899 Locomobile Steam Carriage, which will be presented via video and it may even be brought to our meeting if we go live. Sarah will discuss the early history of Francis and Freelan Stanley (twins), her ancestors. She will discuss how the development of the Stanley Dry Plate funded the twins’ future. She will also discuss the Stanley connection to Chatham, New Jersey, which began in the 1860s. [video]
- Jun 21 "Life in the Ukraine Shortly After the demise of the Soviet Union" – Our speaker is Albie Ashbrook who currently lives in Chatham and is the librarian at the Long Hill Township Library. From 1995 to 2000 she was contracted to USAID/State Department at the US Embassy in Kyiv. While stationed in Kyiv she traveled throughout the country working on agricultural privatization projects. After leaving Ukraine, she was stationed in Bucharest, Romania and Hong Kong. [in-person & on Zoom]
- Jun 28 "Life as a US Navy Helicopter Pilot" – US Representative Mikie Sherrill is a graduate of the US Naval Academy. She spent 10 years on active duty during which time she obtained her master’s degree at the London School of Economics. After leaving the Navy, she earned a law degree from Georgetown University Law School. She worked as a US attorney. She was elected to Congress in 2016 and represents New Jersey’s 11th district. She is married with four children and lives in Montclair. [in-person & on Zoom]
July Birthday emcee - Phil Apruzzese
For speaker photos, visit us on facebook
For an archive of videos of past meetings,