Greenkeepers Club of New England

NEWSLETTER
The Annual Meeting was held at Steuben's on J a n u a r y 7, 1946. Following the meeting
the members present enjoyed a fine dinner and a very good floor show. Vice-President George
Rommell presided a t t h e meeting in the absence of our new prexy Homer Darling. Paul Wanberg, our retiring president, was unable to a t t e n d because of illness.
The following slate of officers was elected:
Homer C. Darling
President
George Rommell, Jr.
1st. Vice-President
Phillip I. Cassidy
2nd. Vice-President
Harold Mosher
3rd. Vice-President
N. J. Sperandio
Secretary
John L. Counsell
Treasurer
Ralph Thomas
Trustee (3 years)

Entertainment Committee
Chairman
Samuel S. Mitchell
Golf Committee
Chairman
Arthur Anderson
Auditing Committee
Robert Mitchell
Stephen Hannon

The President's Message
This is a n unusual procedure for a new president of the club to make a debut speech 1500
miles away. I t may even be considered a n insult coming from the balmy sunny south. I apologize for the necessity of doing it this way and for my absence during the winter months. My
only Alibi is t h a t the doctor has suggested it. However, I have complete confidence in the vicepresidents you have elected and know t h a t they will carry on successfully. In fact, I have always t h o u g h t t h a t it would be a good idea to give the vice prexies more work and responsibility
to fit t h e m for what is ahead.
May I say sincerely t h a t I consider it a distinct honor to be a president of the Greenkeepers Club of New England. Why? Because this club stands on a firm, solid, a n d sound
foundation. Organized by a group of sincere a n d farsighted men twenty-two years ago it has
already withstood the test of time. It has carried on successfully, ambitiously, and with dignity through the war when many similar clubs were forced to suspend operations. This club
is financially sound, rich i n traditions and posessed with a n excellent reputation which extends even beyond the greenkeeping field of endeavor.
These things could not have been attained had it not been for the character and quality
of the individual members of the club. Where could you find a finer group of associates to
work a n d play with? Where could you find a more congenial, helpful and cooperative body of
men in any organization? I have thought it over and I have considered other clubs I have had
some experience with.
These are the reasons why it is a n honor to serve as a president of such an organization.
(I may not think so later when I become involved in the details.) It is because of the foregoing
facts t h a t the position carries with it definite responsibilities and obligations in upholding and
carrying on the high standards already established by my predecessors. Likewise these are
some of the reasons why each individual within the club should consider it an honor and privilege t o be members of t h e Greenkeepers Club of New England.
Now what about the future?

Where do we go from here?

The war is over. Conditions are now returning to normal. It is high time our club was
doing everything possible to get back to a pre-war, ambitious and forward looking schedule.
There is no better time to start t h a n right now. So here are some objectives to shoot at.
1. Each member resolve t h a t he will personally help to make the club better, more interesting, and worth while. P u t something in and you are more likely to get something out.
If you are given a job, do it t h e best way you know how. Don't lay down if it isn't just what you
would like. If you are appointed a chairman of a committee arrange a meeting of the entire
committee as soon as possible, organize a n d decide on a plan of action. See t h a t each member
of the committee is made to feel a part of the whole. If you don't know what you are supposed
to do, find out.

2. The Directors should meet at first opportunity a n d get things started i n the
right direction. Work out some interesting a n d educational ideas for the year. Pass t h e m on
to t h e club and the entertainment a n d t o u r n a m e n t committees and encourage a n early development a n a action on same. The sooner this is done the quicker t h e attendance may increase.
3. Back up the State College in putting on a short conference in March now being talked about a n d ready to go if given a boost. No exhibition is possible this year because the cage
cannot be h a d but this shouldn't prevent a n interesting program of talks, a n d round table discussions. We need it now more t h a t ever to b r u s h away the cobwebs developed during war
days.
4. Increase the membership of the club with well qualified reputable greenkeepers. I
have always thought t h a t a well chosen membership committee could do a great deal in this direction. Such a committee could make up a select list of all good prospects for t h e club a n d
t h e n see t h a t somebody goes to work on them.
5. Advertising. Publicity. At the m o m e n t I believe we are a little weak on this subject.
Consideration should be given to ways a n d m e a n s of elaborating on the Newsletter. Even if we
c a n ' t attain this year what we used to publish a t least we should be moving in t h a t direction.
More t h a n t h a t we should make greater effort to get news items in the daily papers not only
in Boston but in other cities where our greenkeeper members may have contacts. The Publicity
committee should see to it t h a t a member of our club has a contact in every city near Boston
where a paper is published. It seems to me t h a t t h e more t h e greenkeepers are kept before the
public the more it should help t h e individual member a t his own golf club. Let's not be on t h e
list of forgotten men t h a t we have sometimes boasted of. That's our fault if we have been in
t h a t group.
6.

Help and cooperate

(Keep shovelling)

A Happy Year to you all a n d may it be one of t h e most interesting and remunerative
you have ever had.
Sincerely,
Homer C. Darling
The Greenkeepers Club of New England will cooperate with Professor Lawrence S. Dickinson at t h e recreational conference a n d exhibition scheduled to be held in March at -the Massachusetts State College.
We regret to report t h e loss of one of our most popular members, William W. Partridge,
greenkeeper at the Blue Hill Country Club, who passed away in December, 1945. Bill was a
veteran greenkeeper, a friend to everyone a n d a credit to the profession.
Tony Sperandio is back in circulation a f t e r cruising around t h e Pacific.
resting at present but he intends to start looking in the near f u t u r e y ^ h C

Tony is just

The next meeting will be held at t h e Hotel Statler February 4,1946 at 7:00 P.M. F r a n k
Wilson will be the speaker. F r a n k will talk about experiments with fertilizers and some of his
experiences during t h e past three years.
i
Jack Counsell