December 2022 Program Chair - Eric Hausker
- Dec 6 - "The Work of the Morris Habitat for Humanity" - Blair Schleicher Wilson, CEO, Morris Habitat for Humanity. The presentation will concern current projects and initiatives undertaken by Morris Habitat, including one or two in Summit NJ. [video]
- Dec 13 - "How Mars Will be Colonized" - Dr. Paul Belony, Kean University, Physics Department, will talk about the coming attempts to establish a human colony on the surface of Mars. As an astronomer-physicist, he will explore the means of transportation and living conditions within the constraints of space hazards and the limitations of the human body. As such, the lecture will gravitate around Orbit Maneuvering, Space Engines, air treatment, and food production. [video]
- Dec 20 - "The Ukraine War's Historical Causes" - Dr. Michael Andrec, certified archivist, Ukrainian History and Education Center, will discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which is at least as much about history as about geopolitics. This war doesn’t just have historical causes; it is a war about the historical narrative itself—one that goes back many centuries. This talk will present an introduction to this history, along with an overview of Ukraine’s diverse cultural and linguistic landscape. [video to appear]
- Dec 27 - No meeting. H a p p y H o l i d a y s !
November 2022 Program Chair – Terry Dwyer
- Nov 1 – "A Deserted Village? The Efforts to Save the Feltville Historic District" – As director of Park Planning and Environmental Services for Union County, Dan Bernier has previously shared stories from the rich history of the area surrounding Watchung Reservation’s Deserted Village of Feltville. He returns to describe the race against time to preserve this rich living history: the work that has been completed, current projects, and future challenges. For Dan, this is not an academic exercise since he has been the resident caretaker of this National Register-listed historic site for the last 30 years. [video]
- Nov 8 – "My Road to the Isles" – Robert “Bob” Currie recounts his journey from a farm kid in Scotch Plains, NJ to becoming the Commander of the Name and Arms of Currie—with family roots that trace back to the 13th century in the west of Scotland. Bob has devoted more than 30 years to supporting and promoting Scottish-American culture in the US, from developing the outstanding Tartan Week festival at Ellis Island to producing the Pipes of Christmas concerts held in Summit and New York. After knowing little of his family’s roots, Bob has ascended to the leadership of this ancient family and has formed an international Scottish–arts organization. [video]
- Nov 15 – "We Salute Our Veterans of the World Wars" – Since its establishment in 1919, members of The Military Order of the World Wars have lived by the Military Order’s motto, “It is nobler to serve than to be served.” William “Bill” Rapp, LTC (USA Ret) is the NJ Department Commander at Military Order of the World Wars and actively promotes patriotism, civic responsibility, public service, and leadership in our communities. As we reflect on Veteran’s Day, Bill will highlight some bright spots in honoring the legacy of our veterans—especially in his involvement with youth programs. [video]
- Nov 22 – "The United Nations’ Role in the World’s Hot Spots" – Far away from the political debates in the United Nations General Assembly, the UN is working in some of the most troubled countries through peacekeeping / peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development assistance efforts. Jim Provenzano, general counsel for the UN’s Office for Project Services, has over 35 years of experience working with a number of UN organizations that are making a difference in countries such as Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Yemen. Jim will also explain the Sustainable Development Goals which come under the UN Agenda 2030. [video]
- Nov 29 – "Can the US Get to Net-Zero Emissions?" - The Inflation Reduction Act includes strong new measures to control greenhouse gases. Dr. Karl Hausker, senior fellow in the Climate Program of the World Resources Institute, will describe the history of US climate policy, the origins and provisions of the IRA, and its implementation challenges in the coming decade. Dr. Hausker had led climate policy analysis and modeling projects for USAID, USEPA, RGGI, CARB, and the Western Climate Initiative.Can the US Get to Net-Zero Emissions? The Inflation Reduction Act includes strong new measures to control greenhouse gases. Dr. Karl Hausker, senior fellow in the Climate Program of the World Resources Institute, will describe the history of US climate policy, the origins and provisions of the IRA, and its implementation challenges in the coming decade. Dr. Hausker had led climate policy analysis and modeling projects for USAID, USEPA, RGGI, CARB, and the Western Climate Initiative. [video]
October 2022 Program Chair - George Klacik
- Oct 4 – "Common Eye Problems" – John M. Boozan, M.D., P.C. F.A.C.S., practices medical and surgical ophthalmology with offices in Summit and Roselle. He will talk about common problems he encounters in his practice, including cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, primary angle- closure glaucoma, and retinal detachments. [video]
- Oct 11 – "Ladies Day Luncheon" – No regular meeting. Ladies Day luncheon will be held at the Basking Ridge Country Club. Tickets go on sale Sept. 13.
- Oct 18 – "Assisting the Economically Disadvantaged" – Monsignor Robert Meyer, acting executive director of The Waterfront Project, will be the speaker. The Waterfront Project is a non-profit organization originating in Hudson County and now also serving Union and Bergen Counties. Monsignor Meyer will describe its programs to help economically disadvantaged people by providing information, advice, and pro bono legal representation to address their civil legal issues and concerns. [video]
- Oct 25 – "Paper Mill Playhouse" – Adrienne Feiger, director of major gifts at the Paper Mill, will discuss its history as a NJ arts institution since 1938. It has received a regional Tony Award and creates and produces groundbreaking new musicals and re-imagined classics. Many productions have gone to Broadway—Newsies, Les Miserables, Honeymoon in Vegas, A Bronx Tale, and Bandstand. It is an award-winning center for musical theater education and artist training, with outreach programs that impact many students. Children with autism and other developmental disabilities experience the magic of theater through autism-friendly performances and specialized programs. [no video]
September 2022 Program Chair – Jim Fagan
- Sept 6 – "Charles Dickens" – Old Guard member Nolan Asch has been a frequent and outstanding speaker at the Old Guard. He will describe how Dickens was immensely popular during his lifetime and remains so up to this very day. Not only was he arguably one of the greatest novelists of all time, he was also a political activist who helped change child labor laws, spearheading both social and judicial reforms. [video]
- Sept 13 – "Clara Barton" – Jerry DeFrancisco, former president of Humanitarian Services for the American Red Cross, will speak about Clara Barton (1821-1912) who founded the American Red Cross. [no video]
- Sept 20 – "Experiences in East Africa" – Father Joseph Healey is a Maryknoll Missionary (Maryknollsociety.org) who has lived over fifty years in East Africa since 1968. He will be talking about his experiences in East Africa..[video]
- Sept 27 – "The Pilgrims and the Mayflower, The Whole Story" – Joel Farkas, a lecturer at the Lifelong Learning Institutes at Rutgers and Fairleigh Dickinson Universities, a National Park Service volunteer docent at Washington’s Headquarters in Morristown, and a returning Old Guard speaker, will cover the history of Christianity from Catholicism to Protestantism, from Henry the Eighth to the Pilgrims and the Mayflower and Thanksgiving. [video]
August 2022 Program Chair – Craig Sweetra
- Aug 2 "Literacy New Jersey" – Barbara Bagger, regional program director for Literacy NJ, will present the mission of this organization that provides ESL (English as a Second Language) and GED (High School Equivalency Diploma) courses to residents through volunteer-trained tutors. [no video]
- Aug 9 "Who Were the Indo-Europeans?" – Dr. Joseph Pentangelo, linguist, folklorist, and adjunct assistant professor at CUNY, will discuss how the Indo-European language family was discovered, what linguistic groups are part of it, and what we know of the Indo-Europeans themselves, the theorized ancestors of many of the peoples of Eurasia today. [video]
- Aug 16 "The Great Swamp from its Formation through Today" – Randi Emmer, vice-president of Friends of Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, will give us a brief history of the Great Swamp from its formation 220 million years ago. She will focus on the 1960s battle to defeat the Port Authority effort to build a jetport there and how the Great Swamp became the first National Wildlife Refuge.[no video]
- Aug 23 "Traveling the Camino de Santiago" – Father Stanley Gomes, director of the Archdiocese of Newark Ministry to Retired Priests, will speak to us about his experiences in 2013 on the Camino, the celebrated Christian pilgrimage route in Europe. He traveled by foot from the French side of the Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in northwestern Spain, a journey of 520 miles. Join us for an extremely interesting story. [video]
- Aug 30 "The Ellis Island Immigrant Experience" – Suzanne Mannion, director of public affairs for The Statue of Liberty–Ellis Island Foundation, will provide us with a look at the immigrant experience. Who were these immigrants? Why did they leave their homes for a new life in a new world? What did they experience upon arrival? [video]
July 2022 Program Chair – David Dietze
- July 5 "New Treatments for Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Drug, Genes and Stem Cells" – Dr. Marco Zarbin will discuss how age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness among persons over 55. Thirty percent of those over 70 have some signs of the condition. Dr. Zarbin is co-director of the Ocular Cell Transplantation Laboratory at Rutgers NJMS, graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Dartmouth, and received MD and PhD degrees from Johns Hopkins. [video]
- July 12 "Art and Healing: How Art Promotes Health" – Melanie Cohn, executive director, Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, and secretary, board of directors of the National Organization for Arts in Health, will discuss how art has been clinically proven to reduce stress, elevate mood, and lower blood pressure. Patients exposed to art during a hospital stay heal quicker and have a better overall experience. Art therapies have been developed to treat people who have Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and for those recovering from strokes. [video]
- July 19 "Summit Park Line, from the Forgotten Victory to the Remembered Landscape" – Dr. Robert Rubino is a former Summit councilman and council president, a local physician, and active in the community through various organizations, including president of the Board of Health, the Colonial Crossroads Red Cross Chapter, Summit Park Line, and University Hospital in Newark. He will share his vision to bring a linear pedestrian park to his hometown on an abandoned rail line – like the High Line in NYC. The route, along the abandoned Rahway Valley Railroad, runs from the edge of the downtown area into Briant Park, an area of significance since the colonial era. [video]
- July 26 "Summit Area YMCA – A History of Service and Leadership" – Paul Kieltyka, president and CEO, will provide an historical context of how the Summit Y, since its founding in 1886, has evolved from serving only “young men in need of values” to becoming one of the largest human services organizations in the Summit area, including its new branch in Berkeley Heights. We will look at how both national and local events of consequence have defined the Y’s mission and purpose through its flexible approach to dealing with the pandemic of the past two years. [video]
June 2022 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" – 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. [no video]
- Jun 28 "From Navy Helicopter Pilot to Member of Congress" – 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. [video]
May 2022 Program Chair – Art Williams
- May 3 "Our Plans for the Future" – Lamont Repollet, president, Kean University, will speak of the past and the future of Kean University. Kean began in Newark in 1855 as the Newark Normal School to educate teachers, became New Jersey State Teachers College in 1937, and relocated in 1958 to Union Township, site of the Kean family's ancestral home at Liberty Hall. Kean is now the third largest institution of higher education in New Jersey and the only public college or university in the US with a foreign campus (in Wenzhou, China). [video]
- May 10 "Our Health Care Mission" – Clelia Biamonti, president, Overlook Foundation, joined the Overlook Foundation as executive director in 2017 and has a PhD degree in biochemistry. She returns to Old Guard to give us an update on Overlook Hospital’s response to Covid, getting through it, and now moving on to pursue excellence as a full service, cutting-edge hospital in a small suburban town. [no video]
- May 17 "The EV Revolution is Upon Us" – Shani Jarvis of AAA will present facts and ideas. Your next car may well be an electric vehicle (EV). Have you thought about which one appeals to you, or even the criteria for deciding? How would you charge it? What about batteries? How do you figure electricity costs? What about this strange disease called, “range anxiety,” the fear of your battery going dead in a strange neighborhood? (Strange because supposedly only people who don’t have EVs have this disease.) [video]
- May 24 "Honeybees and Beekeeping" – Old Guard member Walt Meissner will tell us about this interesting subject—which we should all pay more attention to! Many people are allergic to bee stings. Bees pollinate our flowers, and more importantly, our plant-based food, without which those crops would be lost. Bees are endangered. Are we doing enough to protect them? [video]
- May 31 "The End of An / Our Empire?" – Our speaker, Old Guard member Art Williams, will talk about financier Ray Dalio and Ray's new book on the rise and fall of empires. In the 17th century the Dutch were the dominant country in trade and military power, and the guilder the center of finance. Then Great Britain took its place, with the British pound the reserve currency. Now the US and the US dollar hold the honors. But can we keep them? Are we slipping off the throne? How soon could this happen? Are there telltale signs? And what do we do about it? Ray is one of the wealthiest and most successful investors in the world, and Art himself is a very experienced and knowledgeable private investor [video]
April 2022 Program Chair -- Vic Rosenberg
- Apr. 5 "Tanzania" – Kennedy Godfrey Gastorn, Tanzania’s ambassador to the United Nations, will speak to the Old Guard about the African nation of Tanzania, including its people, culture, and challenges, and his role as ambassador. [video]
- Apr. 12 "You Want to Build Your Own Airplane – You Must Be Crazy" – John Loofbourrow, private pilot, will narrate how he built a Taylor Coot Amphibian airplane from a set of plans over a three-year period, with assistance from George Saxton during most of the project. Slides will show the process of construction and the first flight. John is a retired investment banker who, at age 84, is still flying today. This is the second airplane he has constructed. [no video]
- Apr. 19 "Photo Potpourri (with Commentary)" – Vic Rosenberg, Summit Old Guard member, will present a Photo Potpourri of random images (with commentary) taken over fifty years. Vic has shown his work at juried shows, and his Martha’s Vineyard exhibit earned him a First Prize Blue Ribbon at the Colorscape Art Festival in Norwich, New York several years ago. There will be travel pictures from Africa, the Galapagos Islands, and other venues. Vic is a generalist in terms of his subjects, which include people, places, and things. He is a semi-retired business consultant and has been a photo hobbyist since he purchased his first 35mm camera in Japan in 1975. [video]
- Apr. 26 "Heart Attacks – Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow" – Dr. Robert Slama, cardiologist at Summit Health since 1980, will discuss dramatic improvements in treating and preventing heart attacks over the past 40 years. He is on the cardiology staff at Morristown Medical Center and Overlook Medical Center, where he is also a member of the Bio-Ethics Committee. He has been a member of the City of Summit Board of Health for the past nine years. [video]
March 2022 Program Chair -- Steve Heft
- Mar 1 "How a New Jersey Mom Turned a Common Children's Car Seat Problem into a Thriving Business" – Lauren Siclare, an entrepreneur who has been featured in stories on PIX11 news, Good Morning America, and in the Star Ledger, will describe how she left her corporate job at Google to pioneer a first-to-market mobile service (BuckleBath), which has since expanded to franchises. [no video]
- Mar 8 "The Mouse That Roared III" – Bob Martin, retired CTO of Bell Labs, returns to the Old Guard for a third presentation to share a timely update on COVID-19, including recent developments involving Omicron, . [video]
- Mar 15 "Murder in the ICU" – Steve Marcus, forensic toxicologist and founding director of the New Jersey Poison Center, discusses how an unusual cluster of overdoses reported at one New Jersey hospital led to an investigation revealing the responsibility of a nurse for a number of deaths over a 15-year period in multiple hospitals. [video]
- Mar 22 "Yankee Batboy: The Luckiest Kid in New York" – John Siclare, a retired businessman who has turned to writing, is the co-author of the recent book by this title. He will tell how he came to know the teen from Little Italy who became a Yankee batboy in the early 1960s, and will share insights into the process of writing, editing, and publishing the book. [video]
- Mar 29 "Philadelphia Boys Choir & Chorale" – Jeffrey Smith, artistic director of the renowned Philadelphia Boys Choir & Chorale, will be sharing information on the group’s history, annual concert tours, local performances, and general operations, including recruitment of new singers. Clips from past performances will be included. [video]
February 2022 Program Chair -- Roger Burns
- Feb 1 "Autism from a Mom's Perspective" Cindy Gelormini of New Providence will discuss how her life revolved around the care of a special needs child. She has actively advocated for help for autism families with a series of podcasts, a YouTube channel, and children's books designed to help young families understand autism. [video]
- Feb 8 "Advances and Missteps in the Use of Forensic Evidence in the Criminal Justice System" – Virginia Long, retired NJ Supreme Court justice, will tell us about her decade in that capacity. She participated in landmark opinions, including imposition of the death penalty, age discrimination, workers compensation, and long tail environmental exposure cases. [no video]
- Feb 15 "Preserving and Protecting Barnegat Bay" – Graceanne Taylor, marine scientist and education and outreach coordinator of the nonprofit organization Save Barnegat Bay, will discuss initiatives and public programs to protect and preserve Barnegat Bay and its watershed. [video]
- Feb 22 "A Tour of the County Prosecutor's Office" – William A. Daniel, the Union County prosecutor, will describe the functions of over 250 assistant prosecutors, investigators, forensic scientists, and other team members, in carrying out the mission of the office. [no video]
January 2022 Program Chair – Arch Knisely
- Jan 4 "Calling a Crisis Line for Emotional Support" – Mary Claire Givelber, executive director of Caring Contact, will discuss the increased need for crisis support. Caring Contact has been the primary responder to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for residents of Essex, Middlesex, Morris, Somerset, and Union counties since 2005. [video]
- Jan 11 "Street Photography -- Unfiltered" – New York based street photographer Phil Penman has documented the rapid flux of New York City's streets for over 25 years. His photos have appeared in Vanity Fair and GQ and have been lauded in the Wall Street Journal. He will tell us about capturing spontaneous moments that become iconic and about the unexpected rewards from his photos, illustrated with many of his moving photos. [no video]
- Jan 18 "Harnessing Innovation for the Discovery of New Therapeutics in Pharma and Biotech" – Nancy Thornberry and Ann Weber, are former research executives at Merck and currently founding CEO and SVP, Preclinical Development, respectively, at Kallyope, a New York-based biotechnology startup. They will discuss progress and challenges in the pharma/biotech industry and how technology is enabling the discovery and development of a new generation of medicines. [no video]
- Jan 25 "Hawks Versus Doves: US Macroeconomic Perspectives for 2022" – Roberto Chang, Distinguished Professor of Economics at Rutgers University, will discuss the macroeconomic outlook for the next year, including inflation, the fiscal situation, employment, and incomes, and will explore implications for monetary and fiscal policies. [video]
