Kiwanis Club of Sand Lake, NY

P. O. Box 535, West Sand Lake, NY 12196

www.SandLakeKiwanis.org

Meets 6:30 PM Mondays at The Lakeview Inn Restaurant

President Gary Meislin Secretary Patricia A. Lane

President-Elect Skip Patton Treasurer Robert S. Pasquarelli

Webmaster David E. Booker Immediate Past Pres Gerald Tysiak

Sandpiper Editor Margaret Weiss Photographer James Rogers

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

John C. Brownrigg, James M. Colabelli, Eve M. Ward

Joseph M. Behson, Raymond C. Turner, , William M. Whipple

Barbara Fioravanti, Robert R. Loveridge & Ron Wagner

MEETING OF MARCH 15, 2010

PRESIDENT Gary Meislin presiding

GREETINGS & INVOCATION by Bob Pasquarelli

LEGACY NIGHT

GUESTS: The Besch Family, Louise, Clipper & Wendy, and Tom & Joan

Key Club Lt Gov Emily Gicewicz, Sally Perry, Betty Jean Whipple, Joan Pasquarelli, Joan Gross, and Rose Dorr

WELCOME BACK: Legacy Members Clayton Besch, Doug Baldrey, Bruce Perry, Angelo Patti, Bob Carpenter, and Frank Breselor

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Reminder to those who signed up to unload the truck at Doors of Hope tomorrow: Ray Turner, Dick Johnsen, Bob Carpenter, Bryce Ginther, John Mulligan and Nancy Davis.
A donation of $1000 was received from Stewart’s Ice Cream…..many thanks!

PROGRAM

Legacy Group Chair Bob Carpenter introduced the Honoree/Roastee for tonight, Clayton Besch, and his family group. In addition to those in attendance, Clayton and Louise have two other sons, Eric and his wife living in Maryland, and Fred in Truckee, CA. Clayton has been a member of this club since February 1972, and several of his friends had some memories to share.

Bruce Perry recalled playing many matches on the old Kiwanis tennis courts with Fritz Wezenaar and Frank Breselor and Clayton, who wore a bandanna with a rising sun emblazoned on it. On one occasion Clayt’s temper got the best of him during a line call dispute, and he launched his racket, which hit Fritz! He later gave him a can of tennis balls.

Frank Breselor didn’t remember it that way at all, but then consider our age! Three things were important in Clayton’s life, family, friends, and sports, not necessarily in that order! Clayton really liked to win, and earned the name “Dr. Dinkenstein”. He also liked to disrupt my family life. On one occasion 8 or 10 of us were going to travel in a motor home to West Point to the Army-Navy football game, and we all went to Besch’s to meet and make a lunch of fried chicken. Only then did we learn that we had to KILL the chickens first! My kids had nightmares after watching the chickens’ heads chopped off and the bloody carcasses running around the barnyard! The ride down was memorable too, and rocky. Clayton somehow got us into the OFFICERS’ parking lot, and then loudly played Anchors Aweigh from the motor home!

Bob Carpenter recalled a Winter Carnival in the ‘70s when a warm spell melted the snow and ice on Crooked Lake, cancelling all the planned rides and races. “Eggman” Besch, (so named by Paul Weiss because of the eggs he sold at meetings!), reminded everyone of the glass enclosed swimming pool he had convinced Al Coons to build, (Clayton was in the pool business!), and somehow organized pool activities and races in time to replace the lost snow events! Bob also remembered that Clayton teased him about being overweight. Bob had recklessly bet someone $200 he could lose a certain number of pounds, and Clayton offered him the use of the fitness gym at the Fort Orange Club where he was a member. But first I had to help him plant 500 small pine trees—and that took all afternoon—and THEN we went to the gym! Between my aching back and sweating in the gym, I lost weight, but not enough, and still had to pay the debt!

Ken James remembered that when he joined the club, it was Clayton who explained to him “the Sand Lake Kiwanis way of doing things!”

Angelo Patti: Clayton was always a leader, although he never agreed to be President. He’s the only guy I know who had not one, but TWO sons graduate from West Point! He supported me in politics, and has been a true and loyal friend.

Woodie Hacker: I remember the year after that warm Winter Carnival, when we did have snow, Clayton wanted to do something different, so he brought his horse to Crooked Lake, and started ski jouring—pulling kids on skis behind the horse so they could jump over snow covered hay bales! And I remember you collecting leftover bones and rolls in a bag to feed to all your animals!

Doug Baldrey: What a bunch of old people remembering over 40 years ago! Clayton was a pool designer and installer for a living, but he was also a gentleman farmer. He had horses, sheep, pigs, chickens, cats, dogs, and he somehow managed to let Louise to do all the work! They had a beautiful compound in Canada on the Rideau River, where Weiss, VanPraag, Young and I would go up with Clayt to “close up the place” in the fall, and he introduced us to the delicacy of cheese curds! We had such a good time that we finally had to let our wives come along, and Louise gave Peg a book to read on the trip up—The Joy of Sex! I fell on a rock near the shore after good food and lots of drink, and cut my wrist. Louise’s remedy was honey, but a week later my doctor decided that stitches and antibiotics were preferable. Great times with great people!

Joe Behson: I’ve only known Clayton for 20 years, but everywhere I’ve gone, it seems the pool was built by Besch! Even up at Mt. Snow, 55 years ago! Joe then presented Clayton with an engraved plaque stating he was a “Legacy Member of Distinction”. Bob Carpenter closed the program saying how much our long term members have contributed to the history of the club, and encouraged them to come to meetings, even once a month, because they still have much to give.

HAPPY DOLLARS

$ Bob Loveridge: I’m not yet a Legacy Member, but my thanks to Clayton for all he’s done!

$ Peg: Glad Doug stopped when he did! The dollar is for my wonderful granddaughter in Raleigh, NC, whose high school soccer team was ranked #1 in the nation by ESPN, and in a game against their toughest contender, she scored the winning goal, a header, and they won 2-1. And if that wasn’t enough, the same day she received news of an offer from Northwestern State in Louisiana for a full ride—all expenses paid!

$ Bob Carpenter: My thanks to Joan who put tonight’s program together. All 10 Legacy members here tonight, stand up--------and please come to more meetings!

$ Frank Breselor: I finally got to tell Carpenter to shut up!

$ Joe Behson: For the Legacy Group, so important to share stories, and tell our history! Also, the Dissipated 8’s 7th concert will be Fri April 16—free—please put up these posters!

$ Barb: Congratulations to Lt Gov-Elect Emily, an AP Key Club freshman!

$ John Brownrigg: Attended the new East Greenbush Club meeting, where I am also a member, and our former SLK Bryce Cutler is the new president. They have 31 members and we need to support this club. They meet the 2nd & 4th Wed at the Y, non-dinner.

$ Pat Lane: Great program, a wonderful ending to a nasty, rotten, rainy, windy day!

$ Kevin Sarsfield: First time in 5 years that Clayton has not wanted us to end early!

$ Pres Gary: Took my cat to the vet—most expensive cat in the world—cost over $1000! “It was never like this when Dudley was president!” “We Want Woodie!”