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Some Rotary Memories
May 1, 2019
I served as the Junior Rotarian in November of 1956 when the meetings were held in the Georgian Room which was on the second floor of the original Paradise Restaurant which was on Main Street where the Gift Garden is now located.
At one meeting there were reports about their upcoming Rotary Auction (more about that later) and the late Gene Clark, local attorney and judge, got up to report on his responsibility which was large gifts. He started his report by saying: “Maurice Douglas (treasurer at Fairdale Farms) has an old organ he doesn’t want”. There were a few titterings and giggles and Gene then tried to extricate himself from the verbal box he was in, so he said: “Well it’s not very big but it still works well” and the giggles turned to outright laughter. Still trying, he said “He doesn’t use it much anymore, but Mrs. Douglas still has time to play with it”. And he tried a few more similar remarks and by then the whole club (75 men in those days) was roaring with laughter and Gene, this most mild mannered of men said “Oh hell, someone go out to his house and pick it up” and sat down.
That was when I decided I wanted to be a Rotarian because these guys were fun.
Speaking of the Rotary Auction, this was the club’s main fundraiser for many years and was very successful. The auctions were held at the Bennington Armory on the first Saturday in December and local auctioneer. Ron Siefert donated his services.
At one auction in the mid 60’s, George Hadwen, longtime Rotarian and owner of the Pennysaver, had just recently bought the Hotel Putnam. He decided not to use the third floor because it was in pretty bad condition (even then), but all the rooms were filled with furniture. So he offered a large quantity of beds, dressers and night stands to the Rotary Auction. However they didn’t go down the stairs very easily so it was decided to lower the furniture by rope from the windows down to the parking lot right across from the armory.
However George had to go out of town on business so he couldn’t attend the auction. When he got home that night his wife Marie, who had gone to the auction, gleefully shared with her husband the goodies she had bought that day. “George you’ll never guess what I bought at the auction; some matching beds, dressers and night stands and we can use them in our camp in Woodford”. You guessed it, George’s wife Marie had bought some of the items the Rotarians had so laboriously lowered from the third floor of the Hotel.
And now the Hotel Putnam is entering a new phase of its life.
Author: Ted Bird
Sally Sugarman (Club Member & Windmill Editor)
Some Rotary Memories
May 1, 2019I served as the Junior Rotarian in November of 1956 when the meetings were held in the Georgian Room which was on the second floor of the original Paradise Restaurant which was on Main Street where the Gift Garden is now located.
At one meeting there were reports about their upcoming Rotary Auction (more about that later) and the late Gene Clark, local attorney and judge, got up to report on his responsibility which was large gifts. He started his report by saying: “Maurice Douglas (treasurer at Fairdale Farms) has an old organ he doesn’t want”. There were a few titterings and giggles and Gene then tried to extricate himself from the verbal box he was in, so he said: “Well it’s not very big but it still works well” and the giggles turned to outright laughter. Still trying, he said “He doesn’t use it much anymore, but Mrs. Douglas still has time to play with it”. And he tried a few more similar remarks and by then the whole club (75 men in those days) was roaring with laughter and Gene, this most mild mannered of men said “Oh hell, someone go out to his house and pick it up” and sat down.
That was when I decided I wanted to be a Rotarian because these guys were fun.
Speaking of the Rotary Auction, this was the club’s main fundraiser for many years and was very successful. The auctions were held at the Bennington Armory on the first Saturday in December and local auctioneer. Ron Siefert donated his services.
At one auction in the mid 60’s, George Hadwen, longtime Rotarian and owner of the Pennysaver, had just recently bought the Hotel Putnam. He decided not to use the third floor because it was in pretty bad condition (even then), but all the rooms were filled with furniture. So he offered a large quantity of beds, dressers and night stands to the Rotary Auction. However they didn’t go down the stairs very easily so it was decided to lower the furniture by rope from the windows down to the parking lot right across from the armory.
However George had to go out of town on business so he couldn’t attend the auction. When he got home that night his wife Marie, who had gone to the auction, gleefully shared with her husband the goodies she had bought that day. “George you’ll never guess what I bought at the auction; some matching beds, dressers and night stands and we can use them in our camp in Woodford”. You guessed it, George’s wife Marie had bought some of the items the Rotarians had so laboriously lowered from the third floor of the Hotel.
And now the Hotel Putnam is entering a new phase of its life.
Author: Ted Bird
Sally Sugarman (Club Member & Windmill Editor)