History of the Hartford Pond

HISTORY OF THE HARTFORD POND

The First 25 Years

1954-1980

Chartered 1954

The History of the Hartford Pond


Dedicated to

Gordon Crowther,

Barry Snyder,

and their love

of Blue Goose history


AcknowledgementsAcknowledgementsAcknowledgementsAcknowledgements

At the 2009 Grand Nest Convention in Reno, NV, our late Grand Nest Historian Barry Snyder directed the Ponds to preserve their history

in the form of a written record.

The Hartford Pond is grateful to its History Committee, who selflessly dedicated many hours

to collaborate on this project.

Kim Albert, PMLG 2008-09

Jerry Hale, PMLG 1993-94, PMLGG 2004-05

Wendy Hubbard, PMLG 2007-08

Dan Rich, PMLG, 1996-97, 2000

Most of all, we are grateful to the patriarch of the Hartford Pond, Gordon Crowther

(PMLG 1959-60, PMLGG 1975-76).

Thank you Gordon, for saving countless photos, and every single Hartford Pond newsletter

ever printed during your lifetime. You were our mentor, and you knew all along that we would need these materials some day.

This project would not have been possible without your love of Blue Goose,

your foresight to preserve our history, and your dynamic vision for the Hartford Pond.

In every sense of the word, you were also a member of this committee.

- Dan Rich, July 2010-


TABLE OF CONTENTS Most Loyal Ganders of the Hartford Pond Page 8 Wielders of the Hartford Pond Page 9 Keepers of the Hartford Pond Page 9 Newsletter Editors of the Hartford Pond Page 10 Chaplains of the Hartford Pond Page 10 Hartford Pond’s Grand Nest Conventions & MLGGs Page 10 Super Goose Award Winners Page 10 The Hartford Pond in the 1950’s Page 11 Memories from the 50’s Page 22 The Hartford Pond in the 1960’s Page 37 Memories from the 60’s Page 60 The Hartford Pond in the 1970’s Page 67 Memories from the 70’s Page 97


Most Loyal Ganders of the Most Loyal Ganders of the Most Loyal Ganders of the Most Loyal Ganders of the

Hartford PondHartford PondHartford PondHartford Pond

1954-55 C W Chapplear

1955-56 Joseph Sorge 1956-57 Lewis Geis

1957-58 Andrew Carlin

1958-59 William Davis 1959-60 Gordon Crowther

1960-61 C. Wallace Bailey 1961-62 G. S. Tompkins, Jr.

1962-63 Harold Porter 1963-64 John “Jack” Ellen

1964-65 Robert Bordeaux 1965-66 William Coughlin, Jr.

1966-67 Richard Adams 1967-68 Arthur Jacobs

1968-69 Craig Heston 1969-70 John McCoy

1970-71 J. Paul Harris 1971-72 Frederick Peck

. Robert Uricchio

1972-73 Kenneth Lynch 1973-74 Ray Hitchcock

1974-75 Ray Hitchcock 1975-76 Paul Goyette

1976-77 Bradley Barna 1977-78 Robert Gannon

1978-79 John Bartick 1979-80 L. Ray Labbe

1980-81 Ballard May 1981-82 Ronald Pizzano

1982-83 William O’Neill

1983-84 William Dillon

1984-85 Elbert Henderson 1985-86 Daniel Flynn

1986-87 John Fisher

1987-88 John Fisher 1988-89 George Schultz

1989-90 Donald Garrigan 1990-91 Donald Garrigan

1991-92 Robert Harris 1992-93 Ronald Pizzano

1993-94 Gerald Hale 1994-95 Kristine Russo

1995-96 Kim Gleason 1996-97 Daniel Rich

1997-98 Lisa Mullen 1998-99 Robert Partridge

1999-00 Christine Ouellette Daniel Rich

2000-01 Kevin Prast

Robert Partridge 2001-02 Paul Plouffe

2002-03 Leo Bowler 2003-04 Robert Partridge

2004-05 Geoff Graham 2005-06 Lori Kovanda

2006-07 Paula Pelletier 2007-08 Wendy Hubbard

2008-09 Kim Albert 2009-10 Ed Phinney

2010-11 Jim Gustin 2011-12 Jonathan Hale


Wielders of the Hartford PondWielders of the Hartford PondWielders of the Hartford PondWielders of the Hartford Pond

1954 – 1956 H.N. Pierson 1956 - 1958 Gordon Crowther 1959 - 1961 Jack Ellen 1961- 1971 Gordon Crowther 1971 – 1975 Paul Goyette 1975 – 1976 Lew Geis 1976 – 1999 Gordon Crowther 1984-19? Ron Pizzano (Associate Wielder) 1999- Ed Callo

Keepers of the Hartford PondKeepers of the Hartford PondKeepers of the Hartford PondKeepers of the Hartford Pond

1954 - 1956 G.S. Tompkins 1956 - 1957 Carl Plock 1957 -1958 Wally Bailey 1958 - 1959 Bud Schmidt 1959 - 1960 Bob Davis 1960 - 1961 Harold Porter 1961- 1962 Robert Bordeaux 1962 - 1963 John Henry 1963 - 1964 Arthur Jacobs 1964 - 1965 Craig Heston 1965 - 1966 Carl Nelson 1966 – 1967 John McCoy 1967 - 1968 Jim Holtgrieve 1968 – 1970 Bob Uricchio 1970 - 1971 Ray Hitchcock 1971 Paul Goyette 1971- 1972 Lee Sinkwich 1972 – 1975 Bob Gannon 1975 – 1977 Ray Labbe 1977 – 1980 Ron Pizzano 1980 - 2004 John “Jack” Ellen 2004- Bob Partridge (also Assistant Keeper 2002-04)


Newsletter EditorsNewsletter EditorsNewsletter EditorsNewsletter Editors of of of of the the the the Hartford PondHartford PondHartford PondHartford Pond 1956-1957 Maurice E. Guillet - Charter Oak Chatter 1958-1962 Peter Tompkins – Charter Oak Chatter 1962-1990 Gordon Crowther – Charter Oak Chatter 1990-1995 Gordon Crowther – Hartford Ponderings 1995 - Daniel Rich - Hartford Ponderings

Chaplains of the Hartford PondChaplains of the Hartford PondChaplains of the Hartford PondChaplains of the Hartford Pond 1962-1966 Art Jacobs 1966-?? Jack Ellen ??- 1997 Paul Harris 1997-2002 John Cote, Sr. 2002- Laurie Karkos

Super Goose Award WinnersSuper Goose Award WinnersSuper Goose Award WinnersSuper Goose Award Winners 1996 Dan Rich 1997 Ed Callo 1998 Gordon Crowther 1999 Christine Ouellette 2000 Co-winners Lisa Mullen & Bob Partridge 2001 Dan Rich 2002 Co-winners Cathy Finlayson & Ken Wheeler 2003 Dan Rich 2004 Lori Kovanda 2005 Kevin Brady 2006 Dan Rich 2007 Co-winners Kim Albert & Ed Phinney 2008 Ed Phinney

2009 Ed Phinney 2010 Co-winners Debbie Blair & Dan Rich 2011 Ed Callo

Grand Nest Conventions Hosted by the Hartford PondGrand Nest Conventions Hosted by the Hartford PondGrand Nest Conventions Hosted by the Hartford PondGrand Nest Conventions Hosted by the Hartford Pond 1976 MLGG Gordon Crowther, at the Sheraton Hotel, Hartford, CT 2005 MLGG Jerry Hale, at Foxwoods Resort & Casino, Ledyard, CT


The Hartford Pond 1953-54

The Hartford Pond was chartered on July 1, 1954. During his address at the Grand Nest Convention in San Francisco (August 24-26, 1954), MLGG John Henry Martin mentioned the Hartford Pond’s inception in the recap of his year on office. He said that “New Ponds were formed during my reign at Hartford, Memphis, San Diego, and Saskatoon, Canada”.

The Pond’s first meeting was held on September 20, 1954 at the Statler Hotel in Hartford. The Pond officers were Most Loyal Gander C.W. Chappelear, Supervisor of the Flock R.W. Criswell, Custodian of the Goslings Joseph Sorge, Guardian of the Pond R.E. Farrer, Keeper of the Golden Goose Egg G.S. Tompkins, and Wielder of the Goose Quill H.N. Pierson. The Penn Pond Initiation Team, under the direction of PMLGG Joe Knowlan, performed the initiation ceremony for new Hartford Ganders. The evening’s Guest Speaker was Most Loyal Grand Gander Alex B. Young


At the Grand Nest Convention in Kansas City (August 9-11, 1955) the Hartford Pond won the new Membership Cup trophy by adding 96 new members over the previous year – a 74% increase.


1956 marked the Golden Anniversary of Blue Goose. The Grand Nest Historian, Paul E. Rudd, compiled a history of the Order’s first 50 years, and he reported the Hartford Pond’s 1956 membership total at 178 members.

The Pond enjoyed a Summer outing at the Rosewood Restaurant in Simsbury on May 28, 1956. The menu included steak, corn fritters, and clams on the half-shell. Forty-four Ganders attended, and the year’s new officers were installed by Floyd Pickett of the NYC Pond, a DMLGG for the Eastern region.

The Pond’s new officers were:

MLG –Lew Geis SOF – Andy Carlin COG – Bill Davis GOP – Rod Nicholson WGQ – Gordon Crowther KGGE –Carl Plock

The Pond’s delegates to the August 19-22, 1956 Milwaukee Grand Nest Convention were MLG Lew Geis and WGQ Gordon Crowther.



The Hartford Pond’s membership was now at approximately 180 members.

The Pond’s first newsletter (consisting of three single-sided pages) was published in September 1956. The newsletter was unnamed. Its front page was in the form of a birth announcement from “Mr. & Mrs. Hartford Pond” announcing the new arrival of the newsletter. It featured a stork carrying a baby on its cover. A contest to name the publication was announced to the membership, and prospective names were to be sent to Editor Maurice E. Guillet at his Springfield, MA office. Some of the names submitted by Pond members included The Nutmegger, Connecticut Honk, Yankee Pond, Gander Newsletter, Gander Goosip, Pond Reflections, Hartford Honk, Goose Quips, Gander News, and Connecticut Splashes.

The September 24, 1956 meeting drew 62 Ganders, goslings and guests. Twelve Ganders were initiated into the Hartford Pond that evening – Robert Bordeaux (Yorkshire), Fred Brinkmeyer (Home), Hewat Davis (Springfield), Robert Davies (Uniform Printing), John (Jack) Ellen (Yorkshire), Adolph Gingras (Royal Liverpool), James Murphy (New York Underwriters), Walter Schiller (Great American), Reginald Schmidt (Independent Adjuster), Allton E. Spooner (G.A.B.), Millard Thatcher (American Insurance Company), and G.S. Tompkins, Jr. (Boston Insurance).

The Guest Speaker was James Bowman, of the Protective Services division of Macy’s Department Stores. He spoke about the various methods of shoplifting detected by his department.

The Pond had seven committees in place in 1956 – 1) Program (Wally Bailey, Henry Ohliger, Art Jacobs), 2) Membership (John Fennessy, Bob Curtis, Horace Anderson), 3) Publicity (Art Tyrol, Don Dick), 4) Welfare (C.L. Tibbils, Henry Steeneck), 5) Banner (Joe Sorge, C. Chappelear), 6) Dance (Don Parmenter, Bud Schmidt, George Lord, Bob Bordeaux, Bob Taft), and 7) Publication (Editor Maurice Guillet, Bud Schmidt, Pete Tompkins, Roger Connor, Bob Davis, and Gus Herd).

The November 1956 newsletter’s Gander of the Month was “one of our hardest working members – Gordon Crowther”. Born in Somerville, MA on June 15, 1916, he graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 1937 and went to work for the Factory Insurance Association. In 1940, he joined the Texas Pond and after moving to Hartford became one of the early pioneers of the Hartford Pond.

The speaker for the Pond’s Nov 26, 1956 meeting was Bob Carnahan of the Travelers Weather Bureau. His topic was weather forecasting and its impact on the insurance industry.

During the evening, a name was chosen for the Pond’s new newsletter. A late entry- Charter

Oak Chatter was the winning name. Two newsletter advertisers were announced: Air-Kem, Inc. and John Levitt Cleaning Company.


The January 14, 1957 meeting was held at the Bond Hotel in Hartford. Despite the -10° weather, five new Ganders were initiated, Independent Adjuster Charles Scoville, and a quartet from G.A.B. – John Hesterberg, John Cote, Sr., George Libbey, and Donald Cavanaugh.

The February 1957 newsletter’s Gander of the Month was Lew Geis. Born in Brooklyn, Lew was in his 30th year of service with the Commercial Union Group, as a field-man and State Agent covering Long Island and Connecticut.

A February 16, 1957 Semi-Formal Dinner Dance was held at the Indian Hills Country Club in Newington, CT. The $12 per couple cost provided cocktails and a buffet dinner of turkey, ham, roast beef, potato salad, cole slaw, French fries, cold cuts, meatballs, baked beans, baked macaroni, ice cream and coffee. Music was provided (“Guaranteed……no rock and roll”) by Paul Landerman and his Orchestra.

The Pond’s March meeting was held on March 18, 1957 at the Rockledge Country Club in West Hartford, CT. PMLG Joe Sorge reported on the Banner Committee’s progress toward creating the Pond’s first banner. It was expected to be unveiled in April 1957.

The Pond’s April meeting was held on April 29, 1957 at the Bond Hotel in Hartford. Newly initiated Ganders were Adjuster Fred Monsees, Peerless Insurance’s C.H. Walter, and Hooper Holmes’ W.B. Torphy

The Pond’s Golf Outing and new officer installation was held on May 28, 1957 at the Avon Country Club.

The Pond’s new officers were:

MLG –Andy Carlin SOF – Bill Davis COG – Rod Nicholson GOP – Henry Shipmaker WGQ – Gordon Crowther KGGE – Wally Bailey


MLG Carlin and WGQ Crowther attended the Grand Nest Convention in New Orleans (August 26-28, 1957) as the Hartford Pond’s delegates. The New Orleans Convention marked the debut of the Hartford Pond’s official banner.

The June 1957 newsletter spotlighted Andy Carlin. Andy was born in Boston, and spent his teenage years in Washington D. C. Andy attended Columbia University, and after a minor league stint in the Southern Association, found his way to the big leagues with the Washington Senators. A broken leg ended his baseball career, and Andy started a 30-year career in the insurance industry –the first17 years with the Royal-Liverpool Group, and then 13 years with National Union.


The Pond’s 1957 Christmas Party was held on December 9 at the Waverly Inn in Cromwell. The January 1958 issue of Charter Oak Chatter reported that a crowd of “70 Ganders, their wives, sweethearts, and girlfriends” attended. The dinner menu included a choice of roast beef or broiled lobster. Door prizes distributed that evening included a Hoover Dusterette, an electric grill, a toaster oven, a Detecto scale, a coffee maker, and metal TV tray-tables.

Pond membership in January 1958 was 171 Ganders.

The January 1958 newsletter spotlighted Bill Davis. Born in Manchester, CT in 1911, he started his insurance career in the mailroom of London & Lancashire Insurance Company in 1932. He became a Special Agent for the State of CT in 1950. In 1957, he was promoted to a State Agent.

The January 13, 1958 meeting was held at the Bond Hotel in Hartford with 58 in attendance. Pond Keeper Bailey reported the treasury balance to be $213.74. Pond Wielder Crowther reported that the Hartford Ladies Auxilliary was just about ready to form. January 1958 initiates included John Kane (M.E. Hausser), J. Neale McDonald (Adjuster), Craig Gilbert (Phoenix), Kenneth Lynch (Employer’s Fire), Thomas Talbot (London Group), and a quartet from Frank McGinn (Robert Travis, Alvar Akerblom, Edward Minor, and Frank McGinn.

The March 13, 1958 meeting featured an address by Bob Morrison of Morrison, Mahoney, and Pearlman on “The Atomic Age Comes Closer”.

The April 1958 newsletter’s Gander of the Month was Wally Bailey. Born in Cromwell, CT, Wally has served the insurance industry since 1921. He has been with the Phoenix Insurance Company since 1952 and presently serves as a State Agent for Western Massachusetts and Connecticut.

The Pond’s April 12 Dinner Dance was held at the Rockledge Country Club in West Hartford. Due to some unexpected expenses, and a number of no-shows, the event resulted in a deficit of about $50.00. Musical entertainment was provided by Lew Gagnon’s Orchestra.

The Pond’s April 28th meeting drew 40 Ganders and guests, and was held at the Matarese Circle in Newington, CT. The Guest Speaker was AIRKEM Smoke Odor Services’ Nelson Booth “who gave us an interesting account of some of his ‘smelly’ losses.”

The May 1958 newsletter’s Gander of the Month was Rod Nicholson. Born in Boston, Rod graduated from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine and served in the Air Force for two years. He started his insurance career in 1952 and currently serves as a Special Agent for Aetna Casualty & Surety’s Fire Division.

On May 28th, The Pond held its Golf Outing and Annual Meeting at the Avon Country Club. There were 29 golfers and a total of 53 Ganders and guests for dinner. Special Guest Bob Stumpf (Grand Guardian of the Grand Nest) installed the slate of officers for the upcoming 1958-59 year.


The Pond’s new officers 1958-59 were:

MLG –Bill Davis SOF – Rod Nicholson COG – Wally Bailey GOP – Pete Tompkins WGQ – Gordon Crowther KGGE – Bud Schmidt


As of July 1, 1958, the Hartford Pond had 172 members.

The August 1958 newsletter’s Gander of the Month was Reginald “Bud” L. Schmidt. Born in Pittsburgh, PA in 1924, Bud served in the Pacific with the 5th Fleet Amphibious Force in World War II, and was involved in 8 invasion campaigns. Returning ti the States, he advanced his education to become a naval officer, and studied at Princeton University, Trinity College, and Yale University. After his discharge, Bud returned to Trinity for additional classes and he took a part-time job with the Aetna Insurance Company. He moved into the loss adjustment field, and became a staff adjuster and catastrophe adjuster. He became an independent adjuster in 1954.

MLG Davis and WGQ Crowther attended the Grand Nest Convention in Banff as the Hartford Pond’s delegates. During the Eastern Region’s breakout meeting, the Hartford Pond volunteered to perform the Model Initiation at the 1961 Grand Nest Convention in New York City. The Pond newsletter Charter Oak Chatter received an Honorable Mention for the Grand Nest’s Publication Award.

The Pond’s first meeting of the year was held at the Matarese Circle Restaurant in Newington on September 29, 1958. There were 52 Ganders and guests in attendance. Ten membership applications were submitted and approved. The guest speaker was Joe Cassano, a sportswriter for the Hartford Times. The meeting ended with the showing of a movie on sports highlights of 1957.

The October 1958 newsletter’s Gander of the Month was Robert Donald “Bob” Davis. Born in Hartford, Bob went to high school in Windsor, CT and started his career with Connecticut Mutual Insurance before moving on to Uarco, Inc. Bob is now with Uniform Printing and Supply, and has been very active in the Pond’s Publication Committee, and does a lion’s ahre of the layout work on the newsletter.

The November 10, 1958 meeting was held at Reilly’s in Hamden with a turnout of 32 Ganders and guests. SOF Nicholson had resigned from the Pond’s Executive Board, and the Pond vote for Gordon Crowther to fill the remainder of Nicholson’s SOF term, in addition to serving as the Pond’s Wielder. Ganders initiated that evening were Robert Perry (Citizen’s Casualty), Tom Parker (Morley, Watson & Baldwin), Joseph Kudes (Goodwill & Burr), William Gorman (Reliance), John Lonergan (Boston), John Mooney (Fred Monsees, Inc.), Clifton Austin (Aetna), and Harry Brier (Phoenix).


The December 1958 newsletter’s Gander of the Month was John H. “Jack” Ellen. Born in London, England, Jack started his insurance career in NYC as an endorsement clerk with Yorkshire Insurance in 1937. He eventually became manager of the Facultative Reinsurance Department and became Yorkshire’s local Branch Manager in 1956.

The Pond’s Christmas Party was held on December 12, 1958 at the Waverly Inn in Cheshire. The cost was $6 per person for a dinner choice of roast beef, sautéed or broiled lobster, or chicken. There were 45 couples in attendance. Special Guest Frank Wagner of the Insurance Department “entertained with some amusing stories.” The evening was planned by the Pond’s Entertainment Committee, chaired by John “Jack” Ellen. Seven major door prizes were awarded – a blanket, a tray set, an electric toaster, a towel set, a travel clock, a lazy susan, and a set of glasses.

The first meeting of 1959 was held on January 12th at the Bond Hotel with 39 Ganders and guests. The Pond welcomed several special guests. On hand were two of the Pond’s original 1954 Officers –PMLG Sorge and Past Wielder H. N. Pierson. Also on hand was MLG Clune of the Empire State Pond. The Guest Speaker was Arnold McClure of the Hartford Chamber of Commerce. He showed a film about housing challenges in Hartford and spoke about redevelopment plans.

The February 1959 newsletter’s Gander of the Month was Joseph Sorge – “the father of the banner.” Born on Long Island in 1905, he started his insurance career at the age of 13 as a “junior underwriter” at the Queen Insurance Company in New York City. In his mid-20’s he became a State Agent with the Loyalty Group for Florida and South Georgia. In 1930 he transferred to New Jersey and after stints with Virginia Fire & Marine, and Caledonia Insurance, moved to Hartford in 1952. In 1957, Caledonia Insurance became Peerless Insurance, and Joe is now with Peerless serving as national manager of their fire and inland-marine departments.

During the business meeting, the Pond’s bank balance was reported at $142.02. The Pond advised the membership that the NYC Pond’s Convention Committee was expecting a $350 donation from Hartford for their upcoming 1961 Convention. Door prizes for the evening included an indoor/outdoor thermometer and a free lubrication at an automobile service provider.

In an effort to try and boost attendance, the March 9th meeting at the Bond Hotel was held on a “dinner cost” basis instead of a “package dinner and drinks” basis. Charter Oak Chatter reported that “it was with considerable surprise and disappointment to all that only 31 members and guests made their appearance”. The Guest Speaker was A.J. Lotana speaking as a volunteer worker on behalf of the Red Cross. Two new members were initiated that evening – John F. Henry and Raymond Eldred. Door prizes included a bottle of Scotch and a Blue Goose calendar.

The April 1959 newsletter’s Gander of the Month was George Lord. Born in Ballston Spa, NY in 1922 he attended Union College and CCNY before serving in the Air Force as a flying instructor and Second Lieutenant during World War II. He entered the insurance industry in 1946 with the Insurance Company of North America. He became a Special Agent with American Home Insurance, and then moved to Peerless Insurance where he is responsible for fire production in CT and RI. He helped organize the Pond’s first Ritual Team in preparation for the 1961 NYC Grand Nest Convention.


Thirty-three couples attended the Pond’s Dinner Dance on April 11, 1959 at the Manchester Country Club. Music was provided by the Ray Heines Orchestra.

The Pond’s April 27 meeting was held on a very rainy night at the Matarese Circle in Newington. A crowd of 31 “stalwart Blue Goosers” attended. After the Wielder’s report, additional reports were given by representatives of the Entertainment, Publicity Membership, Publication, and Ways and Means Committees. The Chairman of the Ladies Auxilliary Committee had nothing to report, and the Welfare and Ritual committees were not represented. A suggestion was made that the Hartford Pond should try to develop a closer relationship with the Insurance Men’s Field Club. There was also a discussion about Blue Goose‘s membership criteria that limited membership to “Fire Insurance men as defined in the eligibility rule of it’s constitution.” The issue was whether or not membership criteria should be expanded to also include “men in the casualty business.” The topic was summarized in Charter Oak Chatter as follows: “There has never been any perceptible desire on the part of casualty men to be admitted to membership. Had they wanted to, they could long ago have formed a similar organization of their own….Our membership, through elected delegates, has always shown it’s wisdom by declining to take a chance on surrendering its tranquility and identity by admitting casualty men. The Grand Nest and many Ponds are incorporated as organizations of Fire Insurance men”

The Pond’s Golf Outing was held at the Avon Country Club on May 26, with “some 20 odd members participating in the golf matches and a total of 45 Ganders and guests (for) dinner.” Grand Custodian Bob Stumpf (as he had done the previous year) installed the Pond’s new slate of officers for the upcoming year.

The Pond’s new officers for 1959-60 were: MLG – Gordon Crowther SOF – Wally Bailey COG – Pete Tompkins GOP – Bud Schmidt WGQ – Jack Ellen KGGE – Bob Davis

Gordon Crowther, as MLG, was nominated to be a Convention delegate for the upcoming 1959 Los Angeles Grand Nest, but inasmuch as the Pond was only sending one delegate, he withdrew his name in favor of someone that had not previously been to a Convention. Wally Bailey was then selected to be Hartford’s delegate, with Gordon as the alternate.


Hartford’s lone delegate to the 1959 Los Angeles Convention turned out to be neither SOF Bailey nor MLG Crowther. Both of them became ill the week before the convention, and MLG Crowther asked PMLG Joseph Sorge if he could attend as Hartford’s delegate. Sorge later wrote “I was able to arrange my affairs and arrive at Los Angeles early Monday morning August 3, 1959 after a rather hectic all night air trip.”

The October 1959 newsletter’s Gander of the Month was Frederick L. A. Brinkmeyer. Born in St. Louis, MO in 1909, Fred graduated from the City College of Law and Finance in St. Louis.


In 1929, he started his insurance career as a travelling auditor for the Southern Surety Company, travelling in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. In 1932, the company moved to New York but was soon liquidated by the Insurance Department. Fred decided to hitch-hike from St. Louis to New York, and resumed his insurance career with the Standard Accident Insurance Company’s accounting department. He went to New York Law School at night, and accepted a position with the Massachusetts Bonding Company in 1935. Fred served his country with the National Guard and the US Coast Guard and served in the Pacific during World War II. After the war, Fred worked for the Home Indemnity Company and transferred from St Louis to Connecticut in 1955.

A Pond roster was distributed to the membership at the close of 1959. Ganders were asked to examine the roster, and report any errors, misspellings, improper employment information, or incorrect mailing addresses to Wielder Jack Ellen.

In 1959-60, the Pond had eight committees:

Publications: Chairman, Pete Thompkins; Advertising Manager, Robert Davis; and

News Hawks, Fred Brinkmeyer and Andrew Carlin

Entertainment: Harold Porter

Ways & Means: Neale McDonald

Welfare: Robert Bordeaux

Ritual: George Lord

Publicity: Horace Andersen

Membership: Fred Brinkmeyer

Ladies Auxiliary: Ed Whitmore

The Pond’s September 28, 1959 meeting was held at the Matarese Circle in Newington with a

total of 36 Ganders in attendance. The Keeper reported a balance of $327.08 in the treasury. The

Membership Committee reported that there were 146 active members, with four new

applications approved. Gander Chappelear was presented with his 25 year pin and life

membership certificate. Wielder Ellen was not at the meeting (Charter Oak Chatter reported

“he was still invalided at home”) and SOF Wally Bailey acted as Wielder Pro Tem. One new

Gosling (Burr) took his first “swim” and was initiated following the meeting.

The second meeting of the year was held on November 9th at Reilly’s Restaurant in Hamden , CT

with a total 31 members and guests present. Two membership applications were received and

approved –one of the applicants, Kenneth G. Critten was present at the meeting. Gander Horace

Andersen of the Publicity Committee reported that he has forwarded a copy of the “Charter

Oak Chatter” to several insurance publications such as the Standard, Eastern Underwriter,

and National Underwriter. Edward Whitmore was appointed Chairman of the Ladies Auxiliary

Committee. The guest speaker was Mr. James Galligan, supervisor of fisheries for the State of

Connecticut.


The December 1959 newsletter’s Gander of the Month was Harold Porter. Born in Hartford in

1928, and after high school served for three years in the U. S. Navy. After the war, Harold

studied at the University of CT, started his insurance career in 1948 with the Phoenix Insurance

Company, and received his B. A. degree in 1952. He served as a Special Agent for Phoenix in

Wilkes Barre, Syracuse, and now, New Haven.

December’s Christmas Dinner was held on December 11, 1959 at Gallo’s Restaurant in

Newington, CT at a charge of $12 per couple. There were 26 couples in attendance for a

wonderful evening that included a cocktail party, dinner and dancing to the music of Joseph

Bianchi and his Orchestra. One door prize, a chafing dish, was won by Mrs. Craig Gilbert.

MLG Gordon Crowther was appointed Deputy Most Loyal Grand Gander at Large for the

Eastern District.

The Gander of the month for February 1960 was the Custodian of the Goslings & Charter Oak

Chatter Editor Grenville Stainsby “Pete” Tompkins, Jr. Harold Porter wrote a nice article

outlining Pete’s life story starting with his birth on February 16, 1938. Details went on to outline

his enlistment with the United States Army in 1946. Pete was active in the industry spending

time at the University of CT College of Insurance, Property Insurance Forum, and the CT Fire

Insurance Field Club. He took his first swim with the Minnesota Pond back in February 1953

and also served in the Dakota Pond. His insurance career started back in 1948 at the Phoenix of

Hartford and was with the Boston Insurance Group in 1960.

The first meeting of 1960 drew 37 Ganders and guests to the Bond Hotel in Hartford on February

1, 1960. MLG Gordon Crowther called the meeting to order, and three Ganders (William R.

Kerns, Kenneth G. Critton, and Frank A. Pearson) were initiated. Members that were not

wearing their Blue Goose pins were fined 10¢ and it was announced that a similar offense at the

next meeting would merit a 25¢ fine. The evening’s Guest Speaker was Ron Hattin of Kaman

Aircraft who spoke about helicopters.

The Pond’s March 14, 1960 meeting drew a total of 25 Ganders and guests to the Matarese

Circle Restaurant in Newington. Keeper Davis reported on the Pond’s finances; there was

$262.06 in the regular treasury and $56.15 in the welfare fund. Additional Committee reports

were made by Hal Porter (Entertainment) and Pete Tompkins (Publication). Joseph Sorge was

appointed to be the Pond’s Historian. The guest speaker was James E. Bent of the Hartford

Federal Savings & Loan Association who spoke on the financial climate of the day and the

national debt.

Charter Oak Chatter’s Gander of the month for April 1960 was the new Most Loyal Grand

Gander E. G. “Gene” Saulcy of the Michigan Pond. He was installed as MLGG at the Statler

Hotel during the Los Angeles Convention on August 2-6, 1959. He was born in Indianapolis in

1900 and started his insurance career with the Indianapolis Inspection Bureau, and in 1923

accepted a position with the Great American Insurance Company. Gene was still with Great


American in 1960 –having traveled through Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee, before spending

the past 32 years in Michigan.

On April 2, 1960, the Pond held it’s Spring Dinner Dance at the Waverly Inn in Cheshire, CT.

“A total of 65 Ganders, their wives or sweethearts and guests attended this gala event.”

Honored guests included Grand Supervisor of the Flock Robert F. Stumpf, Hartford PMLG Joe

Sorge, and George Smith, PMLG of the Penn Pond. The dinner choices were Lobster Saute or

Prime Ribs of Beef. The cost was $6 per person, and music was provided by Joe Bianchi and

his Quartet.

The Pond’s Annual Meeting was held on May 9, 1960 at the Bond Hotel in Hartford. There

were 18 members and guests present. Keeper Davis reported that there was $255.00 in the

regular treasury and $56.15 in the welfare fund. Because of the lack of attendance at this

meeting, the Pond had a $40 obligation to the Bond because we did not meet out minimum

guarantee.

PMLG Lew Geis delivered the report of the Nominating Committee. The Convention delegates

for the Detroit Grand Nest Convention were Wally Bailey and Jack Ellen, with Pete Tompkins

and Hal Porter as alternates. The officers for 1960-61 would be installed at the May 23rd Annual

Outing, but the slate was announced at tonight’s meeting.

The Pond’s new officers for 1960-61 were:

MLG – Wally Bailey

SOF - Pete Tompkins

COG - Bud Schmidt

GOP - Bob Davis

WGQ- Jack Ellen

KGGE – Hal Porter

The Pond’s Annual Meeting took the form as a clambake on May 23, 1960 at Rosemont-

Pagani’s Grove in Bolton.

HARTFORD POND CHARTER CANCELLED BY GRAND NEST – that was the headline of

the June 1, 1960 issue of Charter Oak Chatter. It was Editor Pete Tompkins subtle way of

decrying the falling rates of participation and seeming lack of interest displayed by so many of

the Pond’s 150 members.

Tompkins went on to write “The officers of the Pond are most concerned with the future

prospects of our Pond because of the lack of interest and very poor attendance which has put a

heavy burden on the treasury. Unless the situation improves, our Pond could be forced right

into the drain. Remember, we have the only Pond in the 6 New England states and we should

be proud of this fact being from the Insurance Capital of the world.”


September 20, 1954 -Official Program for the Hartford Pond’s First Meeting.

Hotel Statler – Hartford, CT - Special Guest was Most Loyal Grand Gander Alex B. Young


The first Hartford Pond Newsletter, published in September 1956.

The unnamed publication consisted of three single sided pages. The editor was Maurice E.

Guillet, who served on the Pond’s Publication Committee with R. W. Connor, A. J. Herd, Bud

Schmidt, Pete Tompkins, and Bob Davis.

Tompkins would shortly succeed Guillet as editor.


“At long last, Joe Sorge’s big dream has come true –our banner is a reality and this sketch

by Pete Tompkins will give you some idea of what it looks like. Our banner will be

prominently displayed at the Grand Nest Convention in New Orleans Aug 26, 27 and 28.

We are slowly but surely coming into our own and from now on, there’ll be no holding the

Hartford Pond.” --- Charter Oak Chatter July, 1957


First Appearance of Charter Oak Chatter Masthead April 1957


C. Wallace (Wally) Bailey

Hartford Pond Keeper in 1957

Pond’s 7th MLG 1960-61

Bob Davis

Hartford Pond’s Keeper

1959

Joseph Sorge – the Pond’s 2nd

MLG, serving in 1955-56

“The father of the Hartford

Pond’s banner”

Harold Porter

The Pond’s 9th MLG,

serving in 1962-63


April 12, 1958

Rockledge Country Club


Annual Meeting –May 28, 1958 – Avon Country Club.

(L to R) Grand Guardian of the Nest Bob Stumpf (Garden State Pond) installing new officers for 1958-59.

Gordon Crowther-Wielder, Bud Schmidt-Keeper, Pete Tompkins –Guardian, Bill Davis-MLG, Rod

Nicholson, Supervisor, Wally Bailey –Custodian.

Seated at bottom left is C.W. Chappelear, PMLG . In 1954, he became the first MLG of the newly

chartered Hartford Pond.


Pond Christmas Greeting.

From Charter Oak Chatter December 8, 1958


May 28, 1958, Pond Golf Outing and Annual Meeting at the Avon Country Club


Pond Christmas Party - Dec 12, 1958 - Waverly Inn Cheshire


April 11, 1959 -- Annual Dinner Dance -- Manchester Country Club


Pond Golf Outing - Avon Country Club - May 26, 1959

Pond Meeting - Reilly’s Restaurant in Hamden - November 1958


Pond Christmas Party

December 11, 1959

Gallo’s Restaurant in Newington



The Pond’s February 20, 1961 meeting was held at the Matarese Circle Restaurant in Newington

with 24 present. Wielder Jack Ellen announced the approval of a membership application from

James M. Meunier, a resident engineer for Commercial Union – North British Group. KGGE

Porter reported a $24 profit on the Pond’s recent dinner-dance, and this increased the Pond’s

treasury to $280.00. Wielder Ellen reported there were 53 Ganders that were still delinquent on

their dues payment, and reminded them that their memberships would be suspended on June 30th

if they were still in arrears.

The Gander of the month for March 1961 was the newest Most Loyal Grand Gander, Robert F. Stumpf of the Garden State Pond. Robert was one of the organizers of the Garden State Pond (of which he was a charter member), and was the Pond’s second MLG. He was elected to the Grand Nest in 1955 and became the MLGG at the Detroit Convention in August 1960. Bob was in his 19th year with the General Adjustment Bureau, and was serving as their Regional Manager for Northern New Jersey at the time.

The Pond’s April 17, 1961 meeting drew 20 Ganders and guests. The evening’s guest speaker

was Colonel Warren J. Kennedy who described his experiences of being in charge of POWs

during World War II.

The Nominating Committee reported that the Convention delegates for the New York City

Grand Nest Convention were Pete Tompkins and Jack Ellen. PMLG Carlin presented outgoing

PMLG Bailey with a PMLG pin. The evening culminated with PMLG Lew Geis’ installation of

the Pond’s new slate of officers for the upcoming year.


MLG – Pete Tompkins

SOF – Bud Schmidt

COG – Harold Porter

GOP –Jack Ellen

WGQ- Gordon Crowther

KGGE – Bob Bordeaux

In his Annual Pond report for the upcoming Grand Nest Convention, Jack Ellen summarized the

Harford Pond’s 1960-61 year as follows: “Four regular meetings, a Winter Dinner-Dance, and

our Spring Outing comprised our general activity for the year. Once more our attendance and

membership declined, causing much concern about this continuing problem.”



On June 14, 1961, the Pond held it’s annual Golf Outing at the Manchester Country Club. The

announcements for the outing were “sent out very late and therefore the attendance was held

down to 13.”

Newsletter Editor /MLG Tompkins reported that the scheduled June 1961 issue of Charter Oak

Chatter was not published “due to a lack of news items”.

The NYC Convention was held at the Statler Hilton Hotel. On Monday night August 7, 1961, the

Convention held Eastern Ponds Night at the hotel’s Skytop Room. The Hartford Pond donated

$300 toward funding this activity. Hartford attendees included MLG Tompkins, Jack (delegate)

and Irene Ellen, Gordon and Ivye Crowther, and Joe and Lois Sorge. The Convention’s

Memorial Service remembered Hartford’s William O. Minter and PMLGG (1954-55) Alex

Young – a dual member of the Heart of America and Hartford Ponds. While in New York, MLG

Tompkins went to a Yankee game, and saw Bobby Richardson and Yogi Berra hit home runs, as

Whitey Ford won his 20th game of the season.

In the September 1961 issue of Charter Oak Chatter, MLG/Editor Tompkins wrote a long

article to “endeavor to attempt to put our dying Pond back on the map again.” He listed 22

proposals to do so: 1) Continue the monthly Executive Board meetings at the Seafood

Restaurant, 2) increase dues from $8 to $10 to bring the Pond in line with other Ponds, 3) hold 3

dinner and 2 luncheon meetings during the year, 4) hold a pre-Christmas Dinner Dance in

association with the CT Fire Insurance Field Club, 5) hold a family annual outing on a Saturday,

6) secure top notch speakers (even if they need to be paid), 7) consider holding some meetings in

a central location between Hartford and New Haven, 8) publish the Pond newsletter quarterly

and add two co-chairmen – one each from the Hartford and New Haven areas, 9) start a Hartford

Pond Ladies Auxiliary, 10) open Pond membership “to all mutual fieldmen and others who are

not members of our club who are eligible to join. I intend to bring new blood into the Hartford

Pond….with active solicitation for new members”, 11) control costs by charging Pond lunches

and dinners on a “meal only” basis, with drinks on a cash basis, 12) Solicit publicity by being

more active in trade periodicals and newspapers, 13) consider appointing a Pond chaplain for

pre-meeting invocations, and consider reciting the Pledge of Allegiance after the invocation, 14)

recommend that the Hartford Pond support a constitutional amendment to permit casualty men to

join Blue Goose (this was defeated at the 1960 Grand Nest Convention), 15) Schedule Pond

meetings either two weeks before or after, so as not to compete, 16) reinstitute the Telephone

Committee to get more members out to meetings, 17) get meeting announcements in the hands of

members no less than one week prior to the event – outing or dance notices should be out two

weeks prior, 18) invite the incoming MLGG to a Pond event, 19) start and end meetings

promptly at a pre-determined time, and keep Pond business reports brief, 20) keep meeting costs

at a minimum because “most insurance companies today do not allow Blue Goose as an

allowable item to be charged off on expense accounts”, 21) make an effort to initiate all goslings


in the fall –too many goslings were never formally initiated, and 22) consider changing the name

of the Hartford Pond to the Connecticut Pond.

The Gander of the month for September 1961 was Robert Arthur “Bob” Bordeaux. Born in

Somers, CT in 1926, Bob graduated from Sykes Memorial in Rockville, and attended the

University of CT. Bob’s first job took him to Cleveland, where he learned real estate, appraisals,

and engineering working for the J. M. Cleminshaw Company. He returned to CT in 1953 and

accepted a position with the Yorkshire Insurance Company as a Special Agent trainee, and then

Special Agent, covering Vermont, Western MA, and CT. After Yorkshire merged with the

America Fore-Loyalty Group, Bob became a staff adjuster specializing in fire and inland marine

claims.

The Pond’s first meeting of the 1961-62 season drew 23 Ganders and 5 guests to the Matarese

Circle Restaurant in Newington on October 16, 1961. MLG Pete Tompkins introduced the three

PMLGs in attendance; Wally Bailey, Andy Carlin, and Gordon Crowther. The Guest Speaker

was Francis T. Ahearn –the Director of CT’s Insurance Information Office. MLG Tompkins

reported that the Honorable Order’s Constitution had broadened membership criteria so as to

include those in the casualty and fire fields. He also read a thank you letter from PMLGG Bob

Stumpf acknowledging the Hartford Pond’s $300 contribution to the Grand Nest Convention in

New York City.

Most Loyal Grand Gander William G. Stephens appointed PMLG Gordon Crowther to be a

Deputy Most Loyal Grand Gander for Northern New York and New England.

The Gander of the month for December 1961 was John Newton “Jack” Kane. Born in Hartford in 1924, He studied engineering at the University of CT and started his career as a process engineer with Colt’s Manufacturing. He entered the insurance claims field with Woodhouse & Cornwall (later Cornwall & Kennedy), and then moved over to the Glens Falls Insurance Company and then the M. E. Hausser Insurance Group.

On January 15, 1962, the Pond held a Dinner Meeting at the Matarese Circle Restaurant in

Newington. The Guest speaker A.B. McGinley Hartford Times Sports Editor

Two days later, on January 17, 1962 the Pond’s first Ladies Auxiliary luncheon meeting was

held at the Sea Food Restaurant in Hartford. Door prizes were awarded and the attendees

received a tour of the new WTIC Broadcast House in Constitution Plaza.

Effective February 1, 1962, MLG and Charter Oak Chatter Editor Pete Tompkins announced

his resignation from the Hartford Pond because his employer, Boston Insurance Group, had

transferred him to San Francisco.

On March 19, 1962, the Pond held a luncheon meeting at the Matarese Circle Restaurant in

Newington.


The Pond’s Annual Outing was held on June 19th at the Indian Hill Country Club. Delegates for

the August Grand Nest Convention in Atlanta will be either Lew Geis or Andy Carlin, and

Gordon Crowther. The evening culminated with PMLG Joe Sorge’s installation of the Pond’s

new slate of officers for the upcoming year.


MLG – Hal Porter

SOF – Jack Ellen

COG – Bob Bordeaux

GOP –John Lonergan


KGGE – John Henry


The Pond announced formation of nine committees – Program (Bill Coughlin), Membership

(Paul Harris), Ritual (Jack Kane), Ladies Auxiliary (Craig Carter), Welfare (Art Tyrol), Public

Relations (Don Davis), Advertising & Fundraising (Charlie Scoville), Records & Recognition

(Joe Sorge), and Publications (Andy Carlin). Art Jacobs was named as Pond Chaplain and Lew

Geis was named Liaison Officer between the Executive Committee and Grand Nest.

In an effort to improve attendance, the Executive Board decided in July to schedule the year’s

meetings on a “regular date” and the third Monday of the month was selected.

The Pond held a dinner meeting on September 17, 1962 at the Matarese Circle Restaurant.


Editor Tompkins’ resignation adversely affected production of the Pond’s newsletter Charter

Oak Chatter. He announced his resignation in the Feb 21, 1961 issue. The next newsletter issue

wasn’t released until August 10, 1962, and the subsequent issue wasn’t released until November

1, 1964. Accordingly, there is little information available on Pond history between February

1961 and August 1962. There is also a 27-month information gap between the August 1962 and

November 1964 issues.


As the 1964-65 year commenced, the Pond’s officers were:

MLG – Bob Bordeaux

SOF – John Henry

COG – Bill Coughlin

GOP – Richard Adams



KGGE – Art Jacobs

Hartford’s representatives for the August 1964 Grand Nest Convention in Portland, Oregon were

Gordon and Ivye Crowther, Art Tyrol, and Art Jacobs. Tyrol and Jacobs drove together to

Portland and back.

The Pond’s September 1964 meeting marked the first presentation of the Pond’s Scholarship

Award. Awarded to a student in the University of CT’s Fire Insurance program, the inaugural

winner was Paul Fraleigh who received $25.

The Pond’s October 20, 1964 meeting featured Trooper Haberstrom of the CT State Police who

addressed the group on highway safety.

Charter Oak Chatter resumed publication in November 1964, with Gordon Crowther assuming

the duties of Editor. The December 1964 issue featured a guest column by Charles Gregg of the

Rating Office in Bridgeport

The Pond’s November 19, 1964 meeting, celebrating the Pond’s tenth anniversary, featured a

reunion of four of the Pond’s original officers –C. W. Chappelear, Joe Sorge, G. S. Tompkins,

Sr., and H. N. Pierson. They entertained the group with stories about the formation of the

Hartford Pond. Joe Sorge brought along the Pond charter for all to see.

Five Pond members (Art Jacobs, Art Tyrol, Bill Coughlin, Bob Bordeaux, and Dick Adams)

spoke at a meeting of the Hartford Insurance Women’s Association. The meeting was held at

Emil’s Restaurant in Hartford. Speaker Bordeaux educated the group about the traditions and

origins of Blue Goose, and said “It is one of the few organizations where men from all walks of

property and casualty insurance can meet: stock and mutual fieldmen, underwriters, adjusters,

rating bureau men, and personnel of similar service organizations. Without revealing the

secrets of the Sacred Ritual of the Order, the guiding principle of Blue Goose is the precept of

Fair Play. The insurance industry has always been a highly competitive field; we like to feel that

Blue Goose has been one of the elements that has made it an honorable business. When one gets

to know his fellow men through the comradeship and fellowship of the Blue Goose, he is not apt

to act underhandedly in any business relations they may have.”

The Pond’s Christmas Party drew 28 ganders, wives, and guests to Matarese’s in Newington on

December 11, 1964. The group enjoyed a cocktail hour, and then proceeded to a closed off

section in the dining room for a sit-down dinner of roast beef or lobster. The evening ended with

dancing to the live music of “Flo and her Escorts.”

On January 19, 1965, 19 Ganders and 4 guests attended a Pond meeting at the Shoreham Motor

Hotel in Hartford. The guest speaker was City Manager Eli Freedman, who spoke about future

plans for the city of Hartford. In Pond news, Keeper Jacobs reported that the Pond had just made

a $100 contribution to the Chesapeake Pond for their 1966 Grand Nest Convention, so there was


now a $122 balance in the treasury. MLG Bordeaux reported on plans to spin off a New Haven

Puddle; “there are 12 prospective members in and around New Haven, and plans are being

formulated for a luncheon get-together very soon.” The meeting ended with a drawing for the

“Bottle of the Month” won by Gander Uchneat.

A “very small but select” group met at Carbone’s Restaurant on February 8, 1965. The evening

was billed as “strictly entertainment” and no business was conducted. After dinner, the group

proceeded to Charles Steak House for refreshments.

Seventeen Ganders attended the Pond’s Annual Meeting on May 18, 1965 at Matarese’s in

Newington. Two Ganders were initiated: Jack McCoy (Andover Companies) and James

Holtgrieve (Transamerica Group).

PMLG Jack Ellen delivered the report of the Nominating Committee. The Convention delegate

for the St. Louis Grand Nest Convention was Bill Coughlin. The alternate was Gordon Crowther.

The evening culminated with the installation of the Pond’s new slate of officers for the upcoming

year.


MLG – William Coughlin, Jr.

SOF – Richard “Dick” Adams

COG – Arthur Jacobs

GOP – Thomas O’Neill


KGGE –Craig Heston

During the summer, the Pond was saddened to learn of the Last Long Flight of C. W. “Chappy”

Chappelear – who in 1954 became the very first MLG of the Hartford Pond. He was one of the

pioneers of the Hartford Pond and “took an active part in Pond activities during the early

formative days of the Pond’. Chappy retired from the London and Lancashire Insurance

Company in 1957, and had recently attended the Hartford Pond’s tenth anniversary meeting in

November 1964.

The Pond held a baseball outing to Shea Stadium in New York on June 11, 1965. John Phelan,

Bill Coughlin, Dick Adams, Art Tyrol, Jack Ellen and Tommy Ellen attended. Jack Ellen’s car

was stuck in traffic on the Whitestone Bridge, and made his way to his seats in the sixth inning.

Coughlin, Adams, and Phelan stayed overnight at the International Hotel near Kennedy Airport.

Craig Heston and Paul Harris had hoped to attend the game, but last minute business obligations

forced them to change their plans.

Plans to launch the New Haven Puddle were progressing. Under the guidance of PMLG Lew

Geis, an organizational meeting was held on June 14, and a follow-up meeting was scheduled for

July 12. It was hoped that the Puddle would be launched in September.


The July 1965 issue of Charter Oak Chatter contained a message from new MLG Bill Coughlin

on the state of the Pond. “1965-66 will be a year of decision for all members of the Hartford

Pond, a decision to go forward with and improve our Pond or a decision to sit back and allow

the Pond to stagnate. Those who keep in touch with Blue Goose activities know that attendance

at our monthly meetings has been rather sparse, for numerous reasons, including competition

with other organizations for the individual’s attention, tightening of company expense

allowances, family situations, etc “.

MLG Coughlin set six goals for the upcoming year: 1) Hold “Loyalty Day” for the September

meeting –invite all of the “old members and friends of the Hartford Pond” and expect each

member to attend with a friend or prospective member, 2) share the message of Blue Goose to

prospective members through our meetings and publications. 3) Form spin-off Puddles in local

areas, 4) conduct an aggressive membership campaign with an active Membership Committee, 5)

increase participation in committee assignments, and 6) Create an active Ladies Auxiliary.


Hartford Ganders Art Jacobs, Art Tyrol, and Gordon Crowther attended the Grand Nest

Convention in St. Louis from August 8-13, 1965.

The Pond’s Sept 20, 1965 Loyalty Day meeting saw three new Ganders initiated- Charles J.

Fisher (Charles J. Fisher Company), Richard Abele (Utica Mutual), and Robert Dallesander

(Penn Lumberman’s Mutual). Hartford’s three representatives to the St. Louis Convention filled

in the group - Jacobs reported on the Convention’s educational features, Tyrol reported on the

fellowship activities, Model Initiation and Memorial Service, and delegate Crowther reported on

the business aspect of the convention.

The Pond’s Oct 14, 1965 New Haven Puddle kickoff was held in the form of a luncheon at the

Yankee Silversmith in Wallingford. “Under the guidance of Loyal Gander Geis, a group of

former and present Blue Goosers in the New Haven area have banded together and intend to

meet periodically in and around New Haven inasmuch as they find it difficult to attend many of

the Pond activities in Hartford.”

The Pond’s October 26, 1965 meeting took the form of a luncheon at the Shoreham Motor Hotel

in Hartford. Guest Speaker Ed May spoke about the CT Constitutional Convention

There is no information on Pond activities in November and December 1965. There is very

limited information available for the January and February 1966 meetings. We know that the

guest speakers for the January 1966 meeting were “Leavitt, Moran and Fisher regarding loss

adjustments involving cleaning problems.”

The February 1966 meeting drew “more than 20 members”. Three new Ganders were initiated:

E. S. Cowles of E. S. Cowles and Sons, Joseph Fogarty of Greater N. Y. Mutual, and Daniel


McCarthy of National Insurance. The Guest Speaker was Gerry Wholey of the State Insurance

Department.

On March 14, 1966, the Hartford Pond was involved in “a real milestone in Blue Goosedom

insofar as New England is concerned”. This was the first meeting of Ganders interested in

forming a Blue Goose presence in the Boston area. “On that date, a sizable number of insurance

men interested in the formation of a Puddle in the Boston area gathered at Patten’s Restaurant

for dinner and discussion.” Led by Hartford MLG Bill Coughlin, and six other Hartford

Ganders (Dick Adams, Art Jacobs, Bob Morrison, Andy Carlin, Jim Strong and Art Tyrol), there

was a grand total of 28 in attendance.” A considerable number of application blanks were

distributed, and as soon as these are filled out, returned to us, and voted on at a regular meeting

of the Pond, arrangements will be made for formal initiation ceremonies in Boston, at which

time the Boston Puddle will come into being.”

This year’s winner of the $25 Pond Scholarship award was William H. Shay.

In March, Lew Geis reported that “limited attendance at the regularly scheduled meetings of the

New Haven Puddle has shown the need for a more desirable day for these get-togethers. With

this thought in mind, a questionnaire has been sent out to Puddle members requesting their views

as to meeting dates, programs, etc.”

The Pond held a March 17, 1966 Luncheon Meeting at the Shoreham Motor Hotel.

Representatives of the State Insurance Department were the Pond’s guests, and the discussion

centered on agent licensing and premium payment defaults.

The March 1966 issue of Charter Oak Chatter marked the return of advertisements for the first

time since the December 1961 issue. The March 1966 issue included four business card-sized

ads by Matarese’s Restaurant, Jones-Mulvihill Company, O’Neill & Schultze Adjusters, and

Southern New England Adjustment Bureau (Bliss & Cole).

The Pond held an April 19, 1966 Dinner Meeting at the Clam Box Restaurant. Five new

members were initiated: Charles Gregg (Middlesex Mutual), Donald Hoffman (Lumbermens of

Mansfield), James Murphy, Jr. (American Policyholders Insurance Company), Stuart Kessler

(Greater New York Mutual, and Francis J. Donelan (Phoenix of London Group).

The Mary 1966 issue of Charter Oak Chatter ran a message from retiring MLG William

Coughlin where he revisited the six goals he set for his year in office. He “was happy to report

that all except one was successfully pursued and completed through the active support and help

of Pond officers, Committee Chairmen, and members.” The accomplishments of the year

included the formation of Puddles in New Haven and Boston (“the formation of the Boston

Puddle represents the high point of achievement for the year’s activities”), an aggressive

membership committee that added 25 new members to the Pond, and a successful Loyalty Day

meeting. The only shortcoming was the failure to create an active Ladies Auxiliary.


At last year’s St. Louis Convention, the Grand Nest announced the creation of the “Gander of

The Year” Award for service to the insurance industry and “noteworthy observance of our

precepts – character, charity, and fellowship”. Individual Ponds were to nominate their

candidate, and the individual Pond winners would compete for the Gander of the Year Award.

The Hartford Pond’s Nominee for 1965-66 was Arthur Tyrol. “Although not a Pond Officer, Art

has served at one time or another as Chairman of practically every committee, and has

performed a particularly notable job this year with the handling of our ritual ceremonies. He

has attended the last several Grand Nest Conventions (at his own expense), has been active in

every Pond activity, and has been a true Blue-Gooser in every respect”.

On May 5, 1966 all six Hartford Pond officers journeyed to Boston for another organizational

meeting of the Boston Puddle, held at the Golden Dome There was a total of 25 at the meeting,

including 13 prospective members who were initiated and joined the Boston Puddle of the

Hartford Pond: Anthony Esposito, Morton Shuman, John W. Lewis, Jr., J. Lester Hourigan, Paul

Cameron, C. Joseph Licata, Irving P. Knowles, Ralph Carlo, Walter J. Connelly, John J.

McGuire, John F. Butterworth, Olin Condon, and Charleston S. Palmer. Four additional

memberships were voted on and accepted, but these four were not in attendance to be initiated:

Paul Scanlon, Francis Puopolo, John Roath, C. Richard Dacey, and Robert Myers. Boston

Puddle Officers were elected –Andy Carlin as Loyal Gander, Jim Strong as Puddle Supervisor,

Ted Caulkins as Puddle Guardian, and Walter Connelly as Puddle Wielder..

The Pond held it’s Annual Meeting on May 23, 1966 at the Clam Box Restaurant for 19

members and 2 guests. A Membership application for Louis Zwick of Underwriters’ Reports,

Inc. was accepted, but Mr. Zwick was not on hand to be initiated.

The Pond ended the year with 87 members. The Convention delegates for the Baltimore Grand

Nest Convention were incoming MLG Richard “Dick” Adams and Wielder Gordon Crowther.

The evening culminated with PMLG Lew Geis’ installation of the Pond’s new slate of officers

for the upcoming year.


MLG – Richard “Dick” Adams

SOF – Arthur Jacobs

COG – Thomas O’Neill, Jr.

GOP – W. Craig Heston


KGGE – Carl Nelson

After the officer installations, PMLG Bob Bordeaux presented retiring MLG Bill Coughlin with

his PMLG pin.



The Pond entered the 1966-67 year with 87 members, a +24 increase from 1965-66.

The Pond’s June 25, 1966 Summer Outing was held at Ted Hilton’s Resort in Moodus, CT at a

cost of $7.50 per person. Ganders started the day with a “do-it-yourself” sandwich lunch

followed by free reign of activities including swimming, boating, canoeing, water-cycling, ping-

pong, horseshoes, volleyball or basketball. Horseback riding or golf were available at a slight

premium. Dinner was an unlimited BBQ followed by dancing and entertainment.

MLG Adams sent a message to the Pond in the July 1966 issue of Charter Oak Chatter. He

announced six initiatives he hoped to accomplish during his year in office: 1) forming a ladies

auxiliary, 2) support the New Haven Puddle and build it’s membership, 3) have each member

spread the word of Blue Goose by acting as Good Will ambassadors, 4) solicit ideas and

opinions “as the membership sees fit” about meeting content, 5) build Pond membership to at

least 100 members, and 6) have at least one meeting with both Puddles (New Haven and

Boston).

At the August 21, 1966 Grand Nest Convention in Baltimore, Hartford delegates Dick Adams

and Gordon Crowther accepted the Membership Cup Award from the Grand Nest. Hartford was

also honored by a request to form the Grand Nest Membership Committee for the coming year.

Hartford Ganders named for the committee were Gordon Crowther (Chairman), Bill Coughlin,

Jack Ellen, Dick Adams and Art Tyrol.

It was Dick Adams’ first convention and he remarked “I must admit that the Convention was all

they said it would be and then some. All of the delegates and guests wore name tags. I don’t care

if it was 7 A.M. for breakfast or 3 A.M. coming in, people would walk up and introduce

themselves as they knew you were Blue Goose. I was in the hotel less than 15 minutes and would

dare say that I had met people from Alabama, Texas, Illinois, New Jersey, besides the local folks,

and believe me, they really made you feel welcome.”

Twenty-one ganders and one guest met at the Clam Box Restaurant in Wethersfield on

September 19, 1966 for the Pond’s first meeting of the season. Louis Zwick of Underwriters’

Reports, Inc. was initiated as a new member, and membership applications from Robert Maguire

(Employers Group of Woburn, MA) and Gerald Couture (Alliance Adjustment Bureau of

Boston, MA) were approved. Gander George Reif, a former member of the Nebraska and Iowa

Ponds was reinstated as a member of the Hartford Pond and Boston Puddle.

The Pond announced the following Committees for the year: Program (Art Jacobs and Paul

Harris), Ritual (Art Tyrol and Gordon Brown), Publication (Bill Coughlin and Gordon

Crowther), Welfare (Tom O’Neill), Publicity (Stu Kessler), Puddle Liasion (Lew Geis and

Walter Connelly), Nominating (Bob Bordeaux, Jack Ellen, and Lew Geis), Historians (Craig

Heston and Joe Sorge), and Chaplain (Jack Ellen).


Sixteen Ganders and one guest attended the Pond’s Oct 17, 1966 luncheon meeting at the

Shoreham Motor Hotel. PMLG Jack Ellen led the group in saying grace, and a moment of

silence was observed for Gander Leo Bronson. The guest speaker was Mickey Caruso, a

linebacker with the Hartford Charter Oaks of the Continental Football League.

On November 9, 1966 the Boston Puddle of the Hartford Pond held a dinner meeting at Patten’s

Restaurant in Boston. Seventeen were in attendance, including MLG Dick Adams, PMLG Bill

Coughlin, Wielder Gordon Crowther and Gander Art Jacobs. Four new members were initiated

into the Boston Puddle – Francis Puopolo (National Union Fire Insurance), John Sawyer (U.S.

Fidelity Guaranty), Robert Maguire (The Employers Group), and Philip J. Burnham (Norman V.

Crane & Company). “These new members increased the roster of the Boston Puddle to 23.”

The Pond held a Ladies Night on November 22, 1966 at the Matarese Restaurant in Newington.

Eleven wives accompanied their husbands to the meeting, where they had a chance to “chit-chat

and get to know each other a little better.” This was seen as a good step toward creating a Ladies

Auxiliary. The evening’s guest speaker was Mr. Boardman from the American Automobile

Association. He gave a presentation on auto safety, showed a film on Miami (location of next

year’s Grand Nest Convention), and talked about the benefits of belonging to the AAA.

The November issue of Charter Oak Chatter profiled MLG Dick Adams. Born in Hartford on

October 5, 1936, he was educated in the Hartford school system and graduated from the

University of Connecticut’s School of Insurance. He served with the 118th Fighter Interception

Squadron and was a member of the CT Air National Guard. Dick worked as a claims adjuster for

the New England Adjustment Bureau.

On December 10, 1966, the Pond held its Christmas Party at the Clam Box Restaurant in

Wethersfield, CT. There were 28 in attendance and they feasted on a dinner of roast beef,

shrimp, and Alaskan King crab. Music was provided by the “Penthouse Four” who “still

remembered the good old danceable music.”

The Pond held a dinner meeting on January 16, 1967 at the Clam Box Restaurant in

Wethersfield. The guest speaker was Robert Pryor of the Royal Liverpool Group and his topic

was “the relatively new General Liability policy.” A membership application from Francis

Champeau voted on and accepted, and the Pond was introduced to jack Dunne of the Reliable

Reporting Service. Mr. Dunne is the Guardian of the Pond for the Garden State Pond, and he was

expected to either transfer to the Hartford Pond or become a Dual Member. Grand Nest Bulletins

were given to those in attendance, and MLG Adams promoted the upcoming Miami Convention.

On January 27, 1967 The Boston Puddle met at Polcari’s Restaurant for dinner at 6:30, and then

attended an NBA game between the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons.

January’s Gander of the Month was Supervisor of the Flock Arthur “Art” Jacobs. Born in

Glastonbury, CT on December 26, 1898, Art attended the Glastonbury Public School system and

went on to the Insurance Institute and sprinklered risk training with the Eastern Inspection


Bureau. He also spent time with the Scottish Union and National Insurance Company and the

Springfield Fire & Marine Insurance Company. Art retired in 1963, and this grandfather of

eleven grand-children was described as “one of the nicest guys any of us have ever met.”.

On February 20, 1967, the Pond welcomed a distinguished guest to the Clam Box Restaurant in

Wethersfield, CT. The occasion was a Grand Nest visitation by Grand Keeper Jay Knowlan of

the Penn Pond. Three employees of the General Adjustment Bureau (Bernard Ladden, Donald

Roberts, and Bob Uricchio) were initiated into the Pond. MLG Adams handled the ritual and the

Charge was conducted by Grand Keeper Knowlan. The Pond was entertained by listening to a

tape recording of Lloyd Wallace recount the first Blue Goose meeting in 1906 and tell stories

about the early days of the Honorable Order.

Trying to kick-start the rather dormant New Haven Puddle, a luncheon meeting was scheduled at

the Carriage Drive in Hamden on March 15, 1967. A surprise snowstorm resulted in only 19

attending.

On Monday March 20, 1967, the Pond gathered at the Shoreham Motor Hotel in Hartford “for

our annual get-together with representatives of the State Insurance Department. Gerry Wholley

was the guest speaker…and he had an interesting message (on) the workings of the Insurance

Department and pending legislative action affecting the insurance industry.”

The March 1967 Gander of the Month was Custodian of the Goslings Tom O’Neill. Tom was

born in Hartford on January 8, 1927, was educated in the West Hartford school system, and went

off into the Air Force. After his 1946 discharge, he attended Trinity College and joined the

National Fire Insurance Company in 1948 and attended night classes at the U Conn School of

Insurance. Tom left National for a stint at the Aetna Insurance Company, before becoming an

independ

The Pond was selling Blue goose decals for $1. They were picked up from the Arizona Pond as

a fund-raiser for their 1969 Grand Nest Convention.

The Grand Nest Membership Committee consisted of Hartford Ganders Bill Coughlin, Gordon

Crowther, Jack Ellen, Dick Adams, and Art Tyrol. For the last few months, they had been

“conducting membership surveys with all the Ponds in an effort to see that Blue Goose continues

to grow in membership and stature throughout the United States and Canada.”

The Pond held an April 17, 1967 Ladies Night Meeting at the Clam Box Restaurant. The Guest

Speaker was Orlando Sargeant of the Middlesex Lynn Group speaking on Home Fire Protection.

The New Haven Puddle held a Luncheon Meeting on May 17, 1967. A crowd of 22 attended the

luncheon at the Carriage Drive Restaurant in Hamden. Seven new members were initiated: John

P. Bruno (New England Insurance Rating Association), John J. Donovan (J. Neale MacDonald

Co.), Jerome T. Meighan (Public Service Mutual Ins Co.), John E. Pinkney (Providence-

Washington Ins Co), William X. Rossiter (General Adjustment Bureau), John C. Ruskin (Public


Service Mutual Ins Co), and Herbert W. Schultz (self employed). The Puddle officers for the

next year were Loyal Gander John Cote, Puddle Supervisor Lewis Nelson, Puddle Guardian

Stewart Bailey, and Puddle Wielder Lewis Geis.

Later that evening, on May 17, 1967, twenty attended the Boston Puddle’s meeting at Patten’s

Restaurant in Boston. Five new membership applications were voted on and accepted: Albert G.

Carlson (Merchants Mutual Insurance Company), Philip R. Fournier (Ralph H. Carlo & Co.),

Lee H. Gibney (Ralph H. Carlo & Co.), Victor B. Griffin (Fireman’s Fund), and Wendell J.

Leary (Morrison, Mahoney & Miller). Puddle officers for the new year were named: Loyal

Gander James Strong, Puddle Supervisor Ted Caulkins, Puddle Guardian Ralph Carlo, and

Puddle Wielder Walter Connelly. The Boston Puddle now numbered thirty members, and was

“well on its way to the magic figure of 50, at which point it can make application to the Grand

Nest for Pond status.”

Bill Coughlin, Dick Adams, Art Jacobs, Gordon Crowther, and Art Tyrol attended both Puddle

meetings that day. It was quite a day for the Hartford Pond – a day that saw twelve new Ganders

added to the Hartford Pond’s roster from two Puddles.

The Pond’s Annual Meeting was held on May 22, 1967 at the Clam Box Restaurant in

Wethersfield. We had seven special guests, representatives of the Factory Insurance Association

(Dallas, New York, Syracuse, Boston) who were in Hartford to attend training classes. Two new

membership applications were approved- those of Raymond Hitchcock and Albert Boudreau.

Gander Hitchcock was present, and he was initiated.

PMLG/DMLGG Bill Coughlin delivered the report of the Nominating Committee. The

Convention delegates for the Miami Grand Nest Convention were incoming MLG Art Jacobs

and Permanent Wielder Gordon Crowther, with Bill Coughlin as an alternate.


MLG – Arthur Jacobs

SOF - Craig Heston

COG - Arthur Tyrol

GOP - J. Paul Harris


KGGE – John McCoy


As the 1967-68 year started, the Hartford Pond’s membership stood at 101 – representing a gain

of +14 from the previous year. This total included 20 in the New Haven Puddle and 29 in the

Boston Puddle.


The Pond’s June 24, 1967 Annual Outing was held at Ted Hilton’s Resort in Moodus, CT.

Eleven Ganders made their own sandwiches for lunch before heading off to the pool or other

sporting arenas. “PMLGs Dick Adams and Bill Coughlin… demonstrated their prowess off the

high diving board at the pool; most of the rest…confined themselves to sunbathing and less

hazardous endeavors.”

The Pond’s Executive Board Meeting was held on August 7, 1967 at Valle’s Steakhouse in

Hartford.

The 1967 Grand Nest Convention was held at the Americana Hotel in Miami from August 13-18,

1967. Hartford attendees included Jack & Irene Ellen (plus daughter Maureen), Delegate Gordon

& Ivye Crowther, Delegate Art Jacobs, and Art Tyrol. Charter Oak Chatter received an

Honorable Mention for the Grand Nest Publication Award.

The Pond’s first meeting of the year drew 27 members and 2 guests to the Clam Box Restaurant

in Wethersfield on September 18, 1967. Charter Oak Chatter reported this “was the largest

turnout in at least the past 5 years.” Three membership applications were accepted: Edward J.

Flaherty (Maryland Casualty Co.), Edward J. Riley (Northwestern Mutual Ins. Co), and Paul

Cotter (Cornwall & Kennedy). Only Gosling Flaherty was on hand, and he joined previously

accepted Albert Boudreau in an initiation ceremony that evening. Three Ganders recently took

flight to the Hartford Pond, and the news was shared in the September 1967 issue: Charles Falk -

Netherlands Insurance Co. – from the Ohio Pond, Charles W. Kemp – Travelers Insurance –from

the National Capital Pond, and Paul Mayer – Commercial Union Insurance Company – from the

Chesapeake Pond.

On Sept 27, 1967, the New Haven Puddle meeting drew 21 members to the Colonial House in

Hamden. The guest speaker was Bob Bryan - Fire and Casualty actuary of the State Insurance

Department, and he spoke about “the recent disturbances in Hartford, New Haven and

elsewhere.”

The Pond held a luncheon meeting on October 16, 1967 at the Shoreham Hotel in Hartford.

There were 19 members and 6 guests (including 2 ladies) in attendance. Guest Speaker Gerry

Wholey of the State Insurance Department spoke of the claim issues resulting from the civil

disturbance claims in Connecticut and throughout the nation. A scholarship award was presented

to James Petrone of the University of CT’s School of Insurance.

The November 9, 1967 dinner meeting drew16 ganders, 12 wives, and 5 guests to the Clam Box

Restaurant in Wethersfield, CT. The Guest Speaker was Captain Robert Brennan of the U. S.

Marine Corps speaking about his recent return from Viet Nam. On the heels of the evening’s

strong turnout of wives, the Pond announced that a Ladies Auxiliary was formed.

On November 15, 1967, the New Haven Puddle held a meeting at the Colonia Inn in Hamden.

There were 26 on hand. Six Ganders were initiated: Gerald Carnevale (General Adjustment

Bureau), Paul Cotter (Cornwall & Kennedy), Ronald Cozzolino (General Adjustment Bureau),


Jack Drexler (General Adjustment Bureau), Joseph P. Minardi (Insurance Company of North

America), and Gerhard Otten (General Adjustment Bureau).

On November 27, 1967, the Boston Puddle held it’s first meeting of the year. There were 27 in

attendance, including 21 of the Puddles 29 members-a 72% membership turnout. Guest Speaker

(and member) Robert Morrison of Morrison, Mahoney, and Miller spoke about “current

legislation affecting the insurance industry in Massachusetts”.

On December 9, 1967, the Pond’s Christmas Party drew 17 members, 14 wives, and 24 guests (a

total of 55) to the Clam Box Restaurant in Wethersfield. A special guest was Major Robert

Brennan (the Pond’s November speaker), and his wife Pat. In answer to a request made by Major

Brennan in November, the Pond responded with a large toy donation that the Marines would

send to needy children in Viet Nam. Music was provided by the “Penthouse Four”

In January, the Hartford Pond’s Membership Committee solicited comments from the Pond

concerning MLGG Harry Cutler’s question about broadening Blue Goose eligibility to “all in the

insurance industry, i.e. general business, such as insurance Agents and Managers or purchasers

of insurance for large corporations who are professional insurance men?” These questions

were being asked within the framework of Blue Goose losing 18% of it’s membership over the

last ten years.

On January 18, 1968, the Pond’s first dinner meeting of the new year drew 16 members and 9

guests to the Clam Box Restaurant in Wethersfield. Guest Speaker Richard DeMark of

Lumberman’s Mutual Casualty Company spoke about the controversial Keeton-O’Connel plan

for no-fault automobile coverage. Four new membership applications were approved: William A.

Smith, Jr. (Surveys and Services of N. E., Inc.), William H. Fee (Berkshire Mutual Ins. Co.),

John S. Crump (American Policyholders Ins. Co.), and David X. Smallcomb (Merchants Mutual

Ins. Co.).

The New Haven Puddle held a January 24, 1968 meeting at the Colonial House in Hamden with

15 in attendance. Guest Speaker Attorney James O. Shea spoke on the recently passed auto

liability law.

The Pond’s February 1968 meeting was held at Matarese’s Restaurant in Newington; and the

“attendance was rather disappointing.” A membership application was accepted from George

Johnson (Retail Credit Company). Gander Henry Stone was unable to attend and provided “one

of the most unusual explanations on record” for his absence – he was at home babysitting his

newly born twin lambs. The Guest Speaker was again Attorney James O. Shea.

In March, the Pond said Farewell to Henry Fuldner; a Charter Member of the Hartford Pond.

Charter Oak Chatter described him a being “particularly active on Committees and other

endeavors up to the time of his retirement in the late fifties, after more than 40 years service with

the Insurance Company of North America.”


The Boston Puddle’s March 5, 1968 meeting drew 24 in attendance, and saw six new members

initiated The six were Ganders Fee, Crump and Smallcomb (approved in January), plus Donald

Marcum (American Policyholders Ins. Co.), J. Clifford Parsons (Ralph M. Carlo Co.), and

Raymond Strobel (Ralph M. Carlo Co.). The Boston Puddle now had 38 names in its roster, so

the goal of 50 to qualify as a Pond in it’s own right seemed very attainable. The evening’s guest

speaker was Fred Johnson, a Registered Professional Engineer and member of the MA Public

Safety Commission, and his topic was explosions and failures of hot water heating boilers.

On March 19, 1968 the Pond’s Ladies Night signaled a “red letter day” for the Pond as the

nucleus of the newly formed Ladies Auxiliary hosted 15 members, 12 wives, and 24 guests (for a

total of 51) at the Clam Box restaurant in Wethersfield. Ladies Auxiliary President Arlene

Lonergan hosted the affair which consisted of a buffet dinner and an evening of Monte Carlo

Whist. The Pond thanked Andover Companies for donating playing cards, Middlesex Mutual for

donating souvenir pencils and door prizes, and Jones-Mulvihill Company for donating two door

prizes.

On March 27, 1968, the Pond’s New Haven Puddle met and the 18 in attendance listened to a

presentation by Guest Speaker Captain Robert Brennan of the U. S. Marine Corps.

On April 23, 1968, The Pond held “the first Splash Meeting in the history of the Hartford Pond”

at the Publick House in Sturbridge, MA. The membership of the Hartford Pond, New Haven

Puddle, and Boston Puddle were invited, and a total of 35 attended. The breakdown was 8 from

New Haven, 4 from Boston, 17 from Hartford, plus 2 applicants, and 4 guests. Hartford MLG

Art Jacobs welcomed the group, and a Calling of the Roll ensued. Puddle representatives –Loyal

Gander Strong from Boston and Loyal Gander Cote from New Haven gave regards from their

memberships and announced their upcoming schedules. Membership applications were

presented and approved for Mr. Goyette of the Middlesex-Lynn Mutual Group and Mr. Thornton

of the Great American Ins. Co.

On May 8, 1968, the New Haven Puddle hosted a luncheon at the Colonial House in Hamden for

17 attendees. The new officers for 1968-69 were elected as follows: Loyal Gander Lew Nelson,

Puddle Supervisor Jack Pinkney, Puddle Wielder Lew Geis, and Puddle Guardian John Ruskin.

The officers were installed by Hartford MLG Art Jacobs.

On May 13, 1968, the Boston Puddle hosted a dinner meeting at Patten’s Restaurant in Boston

for 20 attendees. The guest speaker was Eli Corman of Strand Jewelers in Canton, MA. The

Puddle decided to keep their same officers for the 1968-69 year: Loyal Gander James Strong,

Puddle Supervisor Ted Caulkins, Puddle Guardian Ralph Carlo, and Puddle Wielder Walter

Connelly. The officers were also installed by Hartford MLG Art Jacobs.

The Pond’s May 28, 1968 Annual Meeting drew15 members and 2 guests to the Clam Box

Restaurant in Wethersfield. The Pond welcomed Paul Cusick, the new manager of the General

Adjustment Bureau’s Hartford office, and a former member of the Penn Pond. Keeper McCoy

reported there was $251.50 in the Pond treasury. Wielder Gordon Crowther spoke about an idea


suggested by Ladies Auxiliary President Arlene Lonergan that would have the Auxiliary sponsor

a contest or program for school children to create posters promoting fire safety. The Memorial

Service remembered the loss of Charter Member Henry Fuldner in the Pond’s Memorial Service.

PMLG Dick Adams delivered the report of the Nominating Committee. The Convention

delegates for the Vancouver Grand Nest Convention were incoming MLG Craig Heston and

Permanent Wielder Gordon Crowther, with Art Tyrol as an alternate.


MLG – Craig Heston

SOF - John McCoy

COG - Fred Peck

GOP - J. Paul Harris


KGGE – Jim Holtgrieve


As the 1968-69 year started, the Hartford Pond’s membership stood at 119 – representing a gain

of +18 from the previous year. This total included 27 in the New Haven Puddle and 39 in the

Boston Puddle.

The Pond held it’s Annual Summer Outing on June 29, 1968 at the Frank Davis (formerly Ted

Hilton’s) Resort in Moodus, CT. There were 11 members, 10 wives, and 9 guests present, for a

total of 30. The Pond’s tradition of starting the day with “do-it-yourself” sandwiches was

supplemented by Outing Chairman Dick Adams addition of cherry cheesecake to the meal.

Boating, swimming, sunbathing, horse-shoes and ping-pong followed lunch. A social hour in the

late afternoon preceded a barbecue chicken dinner.

On July 1, 1968, the Pond mailed a membership roster to all members.

Alternate Delegate Art Tyrol replaced Delegate Craig Heston, and attended the August 18-23,

1968 Vancouver convention along with Delegate Gordon Crowther and Gander James

Thornton. The Hertford Pond received an Honorable Mention in the Pond competition for the

Membership Cup, Fellowship Cup, and Publication Cup. The Convention vote to expand

membership eligibility to other aspects of the insurance industry failed.

The Hartford Pond’s first get-together of the 1968-69 year drew 20 members, 2 prospective

members, and 2 guests to a Loyalty Meeting on September 19, 1968 at the Clam Box in

Wethersfield. Two membership applications were voted on and accepted: George Turcotte

(O’Neill & Schultze) and George Gallagher (General Adjustment Bureau). Turcotte and

Gallagher joined previously elected James Thornton (Great American Insurance) in the initiation


ceremony. The Ceremony was conducted by MLG Heston, PMLGs Jacobs and Crowther, and

Ganders McCoy, Harris, Tyrol, and Holtgrieve. The Pond treasury stood at $347.13.

The New Haven Puddle drew 22 Ganders and guests to its first luncheon meeting of the season

on September 25, 1968 at the Colonial House in Hamden, CT. The guest speaker was Gander

Jack Pinkney who spoke about a CPCU Clinic recently held in Hamden. The Puddle announced

plans to hold it’s luncheon meetings on the fourth Wednesday of the month.

The Pond had dinner meetings scheduled for October 15 and November 19, 1968, but no

information is available as to the meetings’ location, turnout, or content.

The Pond’s Christmas Party was held on December 14, 1968 at the Clam Box Restaurant in

Wethersfield. There were eleven Ganders and guests in attendance.

The Gander of the Month for January 1969 was MLG W. Craig Heston. Born in Philadelphia on

January 13, 1935, Craig served in the Marines for three years before entering the insurance

industry (Pennsylvania Lumberman’s Mutual Insurance) in October 1957. He joined Utica

Mutual in August 1963 and currently serves as a Special Agent for Eastern CT.

The New Haven Puddle hosted a luncheon meeting for 14 on January 22, 1969 at the Colonial

House in Hamden. Scheduled Speaker, Attorney Ed Brandley of Waterbury was unavailable

because of the flu, so the substitute program consisted of a discussion of the new Homeowner’s

policy.

The Hartford Pond hosted a luncheon meeting for 16 on January 27, 1969 at the Shoreham

Motor Hotel in Hartford. The guest speaker was Bob Brogher of the General Equipment

Company, and his presentation was on recent advances in restaurant fire protection using an

Ansul system. Three membership applications were approved – Gordon Bishop (National

Grange Mutual Ins. Co), Tom McKiernan (Kemper Insurance), and Ronald Trump (General

Adjustment Bureau). Bishop and McKiernan were present and were initiated.

The Boston Puddle hosted a dinner meeting for 16 on January 27, 1969 at Patten’s Restaurant in

Boston. The Guest Speaker, Roy Richardson of Rough Notes, spoke about the recent changes in

the Homeowner’s Policy.

On February 28, 1969, the Hartford Pond was honored to receive a visitation from Most Loyal

Grand Gander Frank Hunter and his wife Celeste. It was the 4th MLGG visitation in the 14-year

history of the Hartford Pond. There was no official Pond business meeting involved, just “an

informal get-together with other Blue Goose couples.” The group met at the Rockville, CT home

of Hartford Pond MLG Craig Heston, and then several cars set out for the Tobacco Valley Inn in

Windsor for dinner. “Somehow there was a breakdown in communications because just about

every carload of Blue Goosers became royally lost. Wielder Gordon Crowther, who was

chauffeuring the honored guests, took the prize for tardiness by showing up an hour late.” MLG

Heston presented MLGG Hunter with an oil painting of a New England Winter scene.


In March 1969, MLG Craig Heston (Utica Mutual) was transferred to Atlanta, GA. SOF Jack

McCoy assumed the duties of Acting MLG for the balance of the year.

On March 11, 1969, the Boston Puddle held a night at the Playboy Club in Boston. “Fourteen

members and six guests including Harford Wielder Gordon Crowther, enjoyed the sights, the

drinks, a good meal, enjoyable entertainment, and the good fellowship that prevails at a function

of this nature.”

On March 19, 1969, the New Haven Puddle held a luncheon meeting at the Colonial House in

Hamden for 17 members and guests. The guest speaker was Gander Jack Bruno who moderated

a discussion on the new Homeowner’s policy.

On March 26, 1969, the Hartford Pond, New Haven Puddle and Boston Puddle hosted

approximately 40 Ganders and guests at a joint Splash Meeting at the Publick House Restaurant

in Sturbridge, MA. SOF Jack McCoy led the meeting in the absence of MLG Craig Heston who

was out of town on business. The highlight of the meeting was the inauguration of ten new

Ganders. The Initiation Ritual was handled by PMLGs Bill Coughlin and Art Jacobs.

The new members initiated at that meeting were: John Bartick (Middlesex-Lynn Mutual), Alfred

J. Chapman (Chapman & Company), Thomas E. Corcoran (American Policyholders), Gerald J.

DiLoreto (Multi-Line Reporting Service), William Frost (General Adjustment Bureau), Joseph

F. Gately (Shelby Mutual Ins. Co.), Donald Gillis (American Policyholders), Robert Kidder

(American Policyholders), Roland Trump (General Adjustment Bureau), and William Waldron

(Middlesex-Lynn Mutual).

The Pond held an April 23, 1969 Ladies Night “Card Party” at the Clam Box Restaurant in

Wethersfield. There were 32 in attendance to enjoy the Clam Box’s buffet of “copious quantities

of shrimp, crabmeat balls, baked stuffed clams, fries clams and the usual smorgasbord items. We

then retired to the card tables for an evening of Crazy Whist.”

Although the Pond’s Ladies Auxiliary was officially inaugurated this year, Charter Oak

Chatter remarked that they “did not actually succeed in arranging for a meeting of their own”

during 1969-69

On May 21, 1969, the New Haven Puddle’s annual meeting drew13 members and 3 guests to the

Colonial House in Hamden, CT. Gander Lynch of the Nominating Committee proposed the

following slate of officers for 1969-70, and the slate was approved: John Pinkney (Loyal

Gander), John Ruskin (Puddle Supervisor), John Bruno (Puddle Guardian), Lew Geis (Puddle

Wielder), and Lew Nelson (Puddle Keeper)..

The Hartford Pond’s Annual Meeting was held on May 22, 1969 at the Clam Box Restaurant in

Wethersfield, CT. There were 16 in attendance. Four membership applications were reviewed

and approved, although none of the four were on hand to be initiated. The four were Edward P.

LeNoir (Insurance Company of North America), Arthur A. Sagal (Public Safety Mutual), George


Ribnicky (Great American Insurance Company), and Michael J. Davis (Crum and Forster

Insurance Companies). Two Ganders joined the Hartford Pond, having taken flight from other

Ponds: K. J. Kilja (Hartford Insurance Group via the Minnesota Pond), and John T. Heagney

(Hartford Insurance Group via the California Pond).

PMLG Dick Adams delivered the report of the Nominating Committee. The Convention

delegates for the Phoenix Grand Nest Convention were incoming MLG Jack McCoy and

Permanent Wielder Gordon Crowther, with PMLG Art Jacobs as an alternate.


MLG – Jack McCoy SOF - Paul Harris COG - Fred Peck GOP - Jim Holtgrieve WGQ- Gordon Crowther KGGE – Bob Uricchio


As the 1969-70 year started, the Hartford Pond’s membership stood at 118 – representing a

reduction by one member from the previous year.

On June 9, 1969, the Boston Puddle held it’s annual meeting at Patten’s Restaurant for 13

members and 3 guests. The Guest Speaker was Dick Nead of the Frank Morrell Agency

speaking about agency contacts. The Puddle’s 1969-70 slate of officers was introduced: E. B.

“Ted” Caulkins (Loyal Gander), Ralph H. Carlo (Puddle Supervisor), John Sawyer (Puddle

Guardian) and Walter J. Connelly (Puddle Wielder). The formal installation was conducted by

Hartford Pond Wielder Gordon Crowther.

On June 28, 1969, the Pond’s Summer Outing drew thirteen Ganders and guests to the Frank

Davis (formerly Ted Hilton’s) Resort in Moodus, CT.

The Phoenix Grand Nest Convention was held from August 10-14, 1969. Representing Hartford

were delegates Art Jacobs and Gordon Crowther (and his wife Ivye and her sister Irene). Others

in the Hartford delegation included Jack Ellen (and his wife Irene Ellen and daughter Maureen

Ellen). The Convention featured a Cowboy Steak Dinner at the Pinnacle Peak Restaurant, where

PMLG Art Jacobs’ necktie was snipped off and hung on the ceiling with thousands of other

customer’s ties.

Charter Oak Chatter received an Honorable Mention in the Grand Nest Publication Award

competition.

On September 17, 1969, the New Haven Puddle meeting drew a crowd of 24. The guests were

representatives of the Women’s Insurance Association.


On Sept 23, 1969, the Pond held a Loyalty Meeting at the Clam Box Restaurant. The Scholarship

Award winner was Charles Romano of the University of CT’s School of Insurance. Four

members were initiated at this meeting: Robert Gannon (Merchants Mutual Insurance Co.),

Edward LeNoir (Insurance Company of North America), Donald P. Quinn (General Adjustment

Bureau), and Ronald A. Rana (General Adjustment Bureau).

On October 22, 1969, the Pond held a “Ladies Night” wine tasting at the Clam Box in Wethersfield. The event drew a total of 40 (18 ganders, 14 wives, and 8 guests). PMLG Joe Sorge, and his wife Lois (now living in New Jersey) attended. Also in attendance was Grand Supervisor of the Flock Jay Knowlan of the Penn Pond. After dinner, the evening’s program was conducted by Faye Hooper of Heublein Inc., for a tasting session that included several of Heublein’s pre-mixed cocktails.

On October 27, 1969, the Boston Puddle held a meeting at Patten’s Restaurant. Gander Carlo showed color slides he had taken in Mississippi of the damage from Hurricane Camille.

The Pond’s November 19, 1969 Sports Luncheon drew 12 members and 6 guests to Matarese’s Restaurant in Newington. Membership applications were approved for Frank Kolb, Jr. and Daniel St. Onge. The meeting was run by SOF Paul Harris, as he filled in for MLG Jack McCoy. The guest speaker was Bob Soleau of the Hartford Knights football team, a member of the Atlantic Coast Football League. After his opening remarks, Mr. Soleau showed a highlight film of the 1968 championship game won by Hartford over the Virginia Sailors by a score of 30-10.

The Pond’s December 13, 1969 Christmas Party drew a very good crowd of 71 to the Clam Box Restaurant in Wethersfield. The breakdown was 21 members, 19 wives, and 31 guests. The cost was $15/couple for members and $17/couple for non-members. Music was provided by Charlie Donnell’s orchestra, and wrapped toys were collected and presented to the Salvation Army.

The Pond’s January 20, 1970 Insurance Department Luncheon drew 53 ganders and guests to the Clam Box Restaurant in Wethersfield, CT. MLG Jack McCoy introduced the Insurance Department’s Gerry Wholey who spoke about the insurance industry’s problems and legislative issues. Wholey was joined by colleagues Bob Brian, Wally DeSante, and Charles Drury in a Q&A session. Ten of the New Haven Puddle’s 33 members attended, including Loyal Gander Jack Pinkney. The Pond’s February 19, 1970 dinner meeting drew 20 members, 2 applicants, and 3 guests to the Clam Box Restaurant in Wethersfield, CT. Applicants Ray Schonn (Merchants Mutual Insurance ) and Fred Thomas (Maryland Casualty Company) were voted in and initiated. A thank you letter for the Pond’s Christmas toy donation was read. The Keeper’s report showed a balance of $72.92. The evening’s special program consisted of a film depicting the Apollo 11 mission, when astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin walked on the moon (July 20, 1969) while astronaut Collins orbited above. Charter Oak Chatter reported that “the photography, most of which was in color, was unbelievable, and with Gander Paul Goyette furnishing supplementary comments to the soundtrack, the program turned out to be very educational as well as entertaining.”


Blue Gooser John Lonergan was named “the Fieldman of the Year” at the Mutual Agents Association meeting in New Haven. The Pond was selling “a supply of…high quality items bearing the Blue Goose insignia.” The items were a decal for $1, a tie clip for $2.50, and cuff links for $5.50. The Pond had two events on March 18, 1970. The New Haven Puddle’s luncheon drew 15 members and guests to the Colonial House restaurant in Hamden. The guest speaker was Alan Damsky of the Hamden National Bank, speaking about what it takes to start a bank. The Pond’s March 18, 1970 Ladies Night Spring Card Party drew 51 attendees to the Clam Box Restaurant in Wethersfield, CT. The evening featured a Teacup Auction – described as follows by Charter Oak Chatter : “delicious bakery items… brought by each of the girls…were prominently displayed, with a teacup (paper cup) placed near each item. Chances were then sold (20 tickets for 50¢) and each purchaser could then distribute his tickets in the various teacups for items in which he might have a particular interest. Thanks to the fine support of the ladies, the Pond realized a profit of $22.50 from this novel undertaking.” On April 28, 1970 the Pond held its third annual Splash Meeting at the Publick House Restaurant in Sturbridge, MA. The cost of the dinner was $6, and there were 44 in attendance, an increase over the 40 from 1969, and 35 in 1968. Six new members were initiated – Allan Carlson (Middlesex Mutual), Frank Kolb (GAB Hamden), James Owens (J. O. I. S. Inspection Services), E. Lee Sinkwich (Royal Globe Insurance) , George Ribnicky (Great American Insurance), and Daniel St. Onge (Middlesex Mutual). Program Chairman Paul Harris reported on the upcoming May meeting and June Family Outing. The New Haven Puddle named its new officers for 1970-71. John Bruno was Loyal Gander, Joseph Minardi was Puddle Supervisor, Paul Goyette was Puddle Guardian, Lew Geis was Puddle Wielder, and Lew Nelson was Puddle Keeper. On May 26, 1970, the Pond drew 21 members and 2 guests to Matarese’s in Newington for the Annual Meeting. After dinner, the Wielder’s report offered a recap of the April 28 Splash meeting, the Keepers report stated the Pond’s treasury balance was $274.06, and Program Chair Paul Harris previewed the June Summer Outing scheduled for the Wallingford residence of MLG Jack McCoy. Three Ganders were voted in for membership – Robert Milliot, Richard Brown, and Dwight Barton. Gander Milliott was initiated, as was John Vallee who had been voted in at the April 28th Splash Meeting.

The Pond ended the year with 119 members. PMLG Art Jacobs delivered the report of the Nominating Committee. The Convention delegates for the Toledo Grand Nest Convention were Wielder Gordon Crowther and PMLG Art Jacobs. The evening culminated with PMLG Lew Geis’ installation of the Pond’s new slate of officers for the upcoming year.



MLG – Paul Harris SOF – Fred Peck COG - Robert Uricchio GOP Ken Lynch WGQ- Gordon Crowther KGGE – Ray Hitchcock


Left: Editor and 1961-62 MLG Pete Tompkins

Right: 1960 Officers (L to R) are SOF Pete Tompkins, GOP

Robert Davis, COG Bud Schmidt, KGGE Harold Porter, WGQ

Jack Ellen, MLG Wally Bailey

May 23, 1960 Annual Outing- Clambake at Rosemont-Pagani’s Grove in Bolton

Upper Left-(Seated) Robert Bordeaux, Lew Geis, Gardner McKenzie, Horace Anderson, Andy Carlin,

and Fred Monsees (Standing) Lewis Dube, Reginald Schmidt, Wally Bailey

Upper Right: Stewart Bailey, Henry Steeneck, Robert Grimason

Lower Left: Nicholas Chilek, Lewis Dube, Bud Schmidt

Lower Rt: Wally Bailey, Andy Carlin, Fred Monsees, Gardner McKenzie


Editor Pete Tompkins’ subtle way of

lamenting low attendance at 1959-60

meetings


Grand Banquet at New York City Grand Nest Convention

August 10, 1961. Front row (L to R) are MLG Pete Tompkins, Irene

Ellen, and Jack Ellen


Gordon Crowther

Pond Meetings

April & May 1966


Pond Meetings

April & May 1966


Hartford Pond Delegation at the 1969 Grand Nest Convention in Phoenix, Arizona

L to R: Delegate Gordon Crowther, (and his wife Ivye and her sister Irene).

Irene Ellen, Delegate Art Jacobs, Jack Ellen


Pond Christmas Party

December 1969



As the 1970-71 year started, the Hartford Pond’s membership stood at 119 – representing an increase of one member from the previous year. The Pond’s newest member was Daniel Shephard (Hartford Insurance) who joined as a Flight from the Hawaii Pond.

Overlooking Long Island Sound in Waterford, the Pond held a Family Outing on Saturday June 20, 1970 at the Millstone Point home of MLG Jack and Dottie McCoy. A very good turnout of 14 members, 12 wives, 4 guests, and 29 children (total of 59) attended. Activities included swimming, sunning on the beach, games, and grilling. Charter Oak Chatter summarized the day by reporting “If the size of the turnout was a surprise, even more surprising was the fact that with so many children (and adults) of widely different ages and interest, there wasn’t a single “incident” that are usually so common at events of this nature. It certainly speaks well for members of the Pond and their families.” There is a gap in the Pond’s history from July through December 1970. The Wielder’s July 1971 report mentioned Pond meetings in September, October, and November 1970, but there was no information on these events in the Charter Oak Chatter. There is also no report available on Hartford related news for the 1970 Toledo Grand Nest Convention. The Pond’s December 5, 1970 Christmas Party drew 19 members, 17 wives, and 42 guests (for a total of 78) to the Clam Box Restaurant in Wethersfield. Dance music was provided by Charlie Ryan and the Plaids, and Gander Fred Peck made an appearance as Santa Claus. A large number of toys were collected for the Salvation Army.

The January 13, 1971 meeting drew a crowd of 21. Guest Speaker, Gander Henry Stone addressed the group on “Solving Insurance Marketing Problems”. Two new members were initiated- Thornton Morgan (Covenant Group) and Dwight Barton (Merchants Mutual Insurance).

The February 16, 1971 Insurance Department Luncheon drew 39 ganders and 16 guests to the Clam Box. New Insurance Commissioner Paul Altermatt was unavailable because he was attending the inauguration of Governor Thomas Meskill. Gerry Wholey, Chief of Licenses and Claims spoke on his behalf, gave a report on some of the insurance industry related bills that were to be introduced during the year, and answered questions from the crowd.

The Pond announced the sale of Blue Goose commemorative bottles manufactured by the Jim Beam Distilling Company. The bottles were produced to commemorate the 65th a anniversary of the Honorable Order. Charter Oak Chatter described the bottles as follows “A very attractive design has been worked out for the Anniversary Bottle. On the front will be the Blue Goose symbol with the name of the order around the rim. On the back will be a scene depicting blue geese taking to the air from a small pond, with a border reading “organized Green Lake, Wisc. 1906- Character-Charity-Fellowship. Reportedly this will be the first Commemorative Bottle with a “see-through” window.” A total of 100,000 bottles were produced.

On March 23, 1971, the Pond held a Ladies Night at the Clam Box Restaurant. 54 members and guests attended, and the Teacup Auction netted $53 for the Pond.


The Hartford Pond was scheduled to perform the Memorial Service at the Summer’s upcoming Atlantic City Convention. On April 13, 1971, the committee members met to discuss the ceremony’s overall theme, program and dress. The Pond’s Fourth Annual Splash Meeting was held on April 20, 1971 at Matarese’s Restaurant in Newington. Twenty-one members, one applicant, and a guest speaker attended. A membership application was approved for J. C. McLaughlin of GAB Bridgeport. The Keeper’s Report stated there was $411.59 in the Pond treasury. MLG Paul Harris appointed a Nominating Committee of PMLG Dick Adams, Art Jacobs, and Jack McCoy to present a slate of officers at the Annual Meeting. The Guest speaker was agent Bernard J. McMahon, who spoke on the subject of “The Poor, Riots and Insurance.” With the reinstatement of Gander Charlie Kemp (Travelers Insurance) of Providence, RI, the Hartford Pond now claimed a member in every one of the six New England States. Charter Oak

Chatter reported “in addition to the many members residing in CT and MA, other representatives are as follows: Maine- Don Marcum (A.P.I.), Vermont- Richard Gages (Agency), New Hampshire- Charles Falk (Netherlands) and Carleton Palmer (Merchants).”

The New Haven Puddle met on May 12, 1971 and elected their slate of officers for 1971-72. The selections were Loyal Gander- Joseph Minardi, Puddle Supervisor –Paul Goyette, Puddle Guardian- Thomas Corcoran, Puddle Keeper- Lew Nelson, and Puddle Wielder- Lew Geis.

The Pond’s Annual Meeting was held on May 19, 1971 at the Hawthorne Inn in Berlin, CT. There were 22 members, one applicant, and one guest in attendance. The turnout included all of the Pond’s current officers and five PMLG’s. The Pond’s special guest was MLGG Jay Knowlan, who promoted the upcoming Atlantic City Convention and showed the Pond the new Jim Beam Blue Goose collectable bottle. MLGG Knowlan was presented with a gift, a telephone stool made by Connecticut’s own Hitchcock Chair Company.

Membership applications were accepted from Charles Fortunato and Kingsley Beecher. Fortunato was present, and he was initiated along with previously accepted Paul Visconti and William Dillon.

The Keeper’s report indicated a balance of $443.19.

Bill Coughlin reported that the Boston Puddle was reorganizing, a committee of volunteers had met and selected a tentative slate of officers, meeting plans were being formulated, and recruiting efforts were under way.


PMLG Jack McCoy delivered the report of the Nominating Committee. The Convention delegates for the Atlantic City Grand Nest Convention were incoming MLG Fred Peck and Wielder Gordon Crowther. Outgoing MLG Paul Harris received his PMLG pin. The evening culminated with the installation of the Pond’s new slate of officers for the upcoming year. We were honored to have MLGG Knowlan install the officers.


MLG – Fred Peck

SOF –Bob Uricchio COG- Ken Lynch GOP – Ray Hitchcock WGQ- Gordon Crowther KGGE- Paul Goyette


As the 1971-72 year started, the Hartford Pond had 105 members; a net loss of 14 from the previous year.

In his Wielder’s Report, Gordon Crowther looked at the state of the Pond and keyed in on three themes, writing: “somewhat disappointing was our failure again this year to firmly establish a formal Ladies Auxiliary. As evidenced by their attendance and assistance at joint Pond functions, there are a considerable number of wives who are very much interested in Blue Goose; seemingly all we need to do is to come up with a good leader to get them organized. For the first time in the history of the Pond, several of the wives are planning to attend the upcoming convention in Atlantic City, and perhaps this will serve as the catalyst to finally ‘get the show on the road’.

“During the past year there was a marked contrast in the activity of our two Puddles. New Haven held luncheon meetings on a bi-monthly basis, the program being chiefly aimed along educational lines with generally good attendance. On the other hand, things were virtually at a standstill in Boston for most of the season. However with assistance from Pond Officers, a reorganization meeting was held in late Spring and we are hopeful that by Fall, things will be rolling once again in Boston.”

“This report would not be complete without again mentioning the current high morale of the Pond membership. The interest that has been shown in making plans for the Memorial Service presentation at this year’s convention is very encouraging. Even more inspiring however, is the enthusiasm shown for the candidacy of the Wielder for Grand Nest office, even though it means that 5 years from now the Hartford Pond will be expected to host a Grand Nest Convention. Such spirit bodes well for the future.”

On June 3, 1971, the Hartford Pond lost one of its Charter Members, 78-year old Gander Ray Gustetter. Ray was a special agent with the Phoenix Insurance Company for 46 years, before retiring in 1958. In addition to being a Charter Member of the Hartford Pond, Ray also spent many years with the Tennessee Pond, joining them in 1931. He received hi 25-year pin in 1956 and became a Life Member in 1959.


The Pond’s Annual Outing, scheduled for late June, was postponed until early September.

In addition to the Jim Beam Blue Goose Commemorative bottles, the Pond was selling another item of Blue Goose branded material – a deck of playing cards. The Pond purchased 50 pairs of playing cards from the Minnesota Pond as a fundraiser for Minnesota’s 1975 convention.

The August 1971 Grand Nest Convention was held in Atlantic City, NJ. Two important matters in Hartford Pond history occurred there; the Convention’s Memorial Service, and the installation of Gordon Crowther as a Grand Nest Officer. The convention’s Memorial Service was conducted by a team from Hartford consisting of Dick Adams, Paul Harris, Ray Hitchcock, Bill Coughlin, Gordon Crowther, Jack Ellen, Lew Geis, Art Tyrol, and Art Jacobs. The team wore matching black slacks, a white dinner jacket, white shirt, and black bow-tie. “The program for the occasion was written by PMLG Arthur Jacobs, taking the standard published ceremony of the Order, and by the addition of appropriate prayers, organ background, dignified procession by the participants .… produced a very meaningful ceremony. As the names of the departed ganders from each Pond were read by PMLG Jacobs, representatives of that Pond rose quietly and remained standing while one of the Hartford Pond representatives placed a flower on the special altar provided for the occasion.”

MLG Gordon Crowther of the Hartford Pond joined the Grand Nest after he was nominated for the position of Grand Keeper of the Golden Egg by Past Most Loyal Grand Gander Joe Knowland, seconded by PMLGG Bob Stumpf, and closed by PMLGG Ken Carmody. Gordon was to move up the Grand Nest ladder one year at a time, and the Hartford Pond would have the responsibility of hosting the 1976 Grand Nest Convention. The Pond’s rescheduled Family Outing took place on Saturday September 11, 1971 at the Surf Club in Madison, CT. The turnout included 14 members, 12 wives, and somewhere between 23 and 29 children. The Pond’s supply of Jim Beam’s Blue Goose bottles had just about sold out, so the Pond reordered several more. They were available to Pond members for $12.50 per bottle.

The Pond’s first meeting of the 1971-72 year was on September 22, 1971 at the Lord Cromwell Restaurant in Cromwell with 20 Ganders, 1 gosling and 1 guest in attendance. The meeting saw a reshuffling of the officer positions. MLG Fred Peck resigned his position due to a change in employment, and Wielder Gordon Crowther resigned because of his election to Grand Nest Office. Bob Uricchio moved up to MLG, Ken Lynch moved up to SOF, and Ray Hitchcock moved up to COG. Art Tyrol stepped in as the GOP, Paul Goyette switched from Keeper to Wielder and replaced Gordon, and Lee Sinkwich became Keeper. The Pond’s revised officer lineup for 1971-72 was:

MLG- Bob Uricchio SOF – Ken Lynch COG - Ray Hitchcock


GOP – Art Tyrol WGQ – Paul Goyette KGGE – Lee Sinkwich

The September 22, 1971 meeting also saw the initiation of Robert J. McGough (Robert J. McGough Associates) and a Scholarship Award presentation to Timothy Johnson (Aetna Insurance Company) for his excellence as a fire insurance student at the University of CT’s School of Insurance.

Most Loyal Grand Gander Browne Bolton appointed several members of the Hartford Pond to Grand Nest positions. Lew Geis was named as a DMLGG for New England and Upstate New York, Art Jacobs was named to the Ritual Committee, and Bill Coughlin was named to the Convention Liaison Committee. Coughlin had already been selected as the General Chairman of the Hartford Convention Committee for their 1976 Convention.

The New Haven Puddle continued their practice of holding luncheon meetings on the third Wednesday of each month. Their first meeting of 1971-72 was held on September 15, 1971 at the Colonial House in Hamden, CT. The scheduled speaker, an attorney, was unable to attend the meeting because he was tied up in court. On October 18, 1971, the Pond’s Boston Puddle held a reorganizational meeting in the form of a luncheon at the Engineers Club on the 43rd floor of the Prudential Center. Over 25 attended, including newly installed Grand Nest officer Gordon Crowther. Don Gillis chaired the meeting, and he stressed that the year’s program hoped to stress professional education. The Guest Speaker was Milton McDonald, the Chief Actuary for the MA Department of Insurance, and his topic was MA No Fault Auto Insurance. The Hartford Pond’s October 20, 1971 Ladies Night was held at the Clam Box Restaurant in Wethersfield with 19 members, 18 wives, and 7 guests in attendance. After a buffet dinner, the group enjoyed some W. C. Field movies. The Ladies Auxiliary was formally established at this meeting, with Laura Geis elected as President. The Pond held a November 16, 1971 luncheon at Matarese’s Restaurant in Newington for 37 Pond members and guests. The guest speaker was Jack Kane of the CT Insurance Department, who spoke about legislative changes in the industry. The New Haven Puddle held a meeting on November 17, 1971 at the Colonial House in Hamden, CT. The Guest Speaker was David Slayback of O’Hanlon Reports. On November 22, 1971, the Pond’s Boston Puddle held a dinner meeting at the Marriott Motor Hotel in Newton, MA. There were 23 in attendance. Five new members were initiated; Vincent Madden (O’Hanlon Reports), William McGowan (American Policyholders), John Hogan (Standard Service Bureau), William Woodbury (Underwriters Adjusting), and Herbert Siegel (Associate Adjustment Bureau). Don Gillis was installed as the Puddle’s Loyal Gander and Ted Caulkins as Puddle Wielder. The Guest Speaker was Tom Kelleher of the Fraudulent Claims Bureau.


The Pond’s December 11, 1971 Christmas Party was held at the Clam Box Restaurant in Wethersfield, CT. On January 10, 1972, the Boston Puddle held a Luncheon Meeting at the Engineers Club at the Prudential Center. Thirty Ganders and guests heard a presentation by Insurance Commissioner John Ryan. On January 13, 1972, the Hartford Pond drew 23 Ganders and Guests to the Hawthorne Inn for a dinner meeting. One new gander, Kingsley Beecher (Patrons Mutual Insurance Company) was initiated. The scheduled guest speaker was forced to cancel, and was replaced by Keeper Lee Sinkwich who spoke on the subject of Mass Merchandising. The Pond’s February 9, 1972 Insurance Day Luncheon was held at Matarese’s Restaurant in Newington. The Guest Speaker was Gerry Wholey of the Insurance Department. On March 22, 1972, the Pond held its annual Spring Card Party at the Clam Box in Wethersfield. The evening featured a seafood buffet dinner, teacup auction and card games ending “with the traditional game of crazy whist.” On April 18, 1972, the Pond lost Art Jacobs. He served as the Pond’s 14th MLG in 1967-68, and served on many Blue Goose committees locally and nationally. Most recently, he conducted the Hartford Pond’s Memorial Service at the Atlantic City Convention in August 1971. At his family’s request, Hartford Pond ganders served as bearers at the funeral, because “Blue Goose was Art’s whole life during his years of retirement.” The Pond held its Splash Meeting on April 20, 1972 at the Publick House Restaurant in Sturbridge, MA. The Guest Speaker was “Mr. Mutual Agent of America” Russ Howard. Initiated that evening were Ray Labbe (Labbe Agency), Brad Barna (Allstate Insurance), Bill O’Neill (Merchants Mutual), and Bob Garvey (American Policyholders). Membership applications were also approved for Dex Hyland (New London County Mutual) and Dick D’laidoro (Merchants Mutual). On May 22, 1972, the Boston Puddle held a Luncheon Meeting at the Engineers Club at the Prudential Center. Twenty-three Ganders and guests heard a presentation by Robert Danner of Shelby Publishing about a recent seminar he had attended in London by the Underwriters at Lloyds. The New Haven Puddle held bi-monthly luncheon meetings throughout 1972 at the Colonial House in Hamden. At their May Annual Meeting, they installed their 1972-73 officers as follows: Loyal Gander Tom Corcoran, Puddle Supervisor Jim Owens, Puddle Guardian Al Chapman, Puddle Wielder Lew Geis, and Puddle Keeper Lew Nelson. The Pond’s Annual Meeting was held on May 24, 1972 at the Hawthorne Inn with 24 in attendance. PMLG Art Jacobs was remembered during the Convention’s Memorial Service. Bob Uricchio and Paul Goyette were selected as delegates to the Louisville Convention.



MLG – Ken Lynch SOF – Ray Hitchcock COG – Ted LeBlanc GOP- Lee Sinkwich KGGE – Bob Gannon WGQ- Paul Goyette


The Pond’s Family Picnic was held at the Chatfield Hollow State Park in Killingworth, CT on June 17, 1972. The Hartford Pond’s delegation at the Louisville Convention included Gordon and Ivey Crowther, Bob and Mary Uricchio (plus their two children and Mary’s mother), Paul and Meg Goyette (plus their three children), Lew and Laura Geis, Ray and Ethel Hitchcock, and Art Tyrol. The Pond’s September 27, 1972 dinner meeting drew 26 Ganders and guests to the Lord Cromwell Inn in Cromwell, CT. Delegates Bob Uricchio and Paul Goyette, and Grand Nest officer Gordon Crowther reported on their attendance at the Louisville Convention. Ganders Dex Hyland and McLoughlin were initiated. The Pond’s October 19, 1972 Ladies Night & Wine Tasting drew 17 members, 15 wives, and 13 guests (total of 45) to the Clam Box Restaurant in Wethersfield, CT. On November 9, 1972, the Pond held a luncheon at Matarese’s Restaurant in Newington. The guest speaker was Gander Bob Morrison whose topic was “Making a Good Merger”. The Pond’s Saturday December 9, 1972 Christmas Party was held at the Clam Box Restaurant in Wethersfield. There were 41 couples in attendance. The Pond’s January 16, 1973 meeting drew 17 Ganders to hear a presentation by Walter Bagdon of the Highway Users Federation. His topic was “Highways and Ecology”. Charter Oak Chatter reported that “February 5, 1973 represented a major landmark in the history of the Hartford Pond – our first attempt with a major fund raising project for our 1976 Grand Nest Convention – a Theatre Party.” The fundraiser was held at the Jerry Lewis Cinema in Canton, CT. The evening included a social hour, door prizes, and a special fountain dispensing “Cold Duck”. The movie featured that night was “The Last of the Red Hot Lovers” with Alan Arkin, Sally Kellerman, and Paula Prentiss. The evening netted $21.50 after expenses. The Pond’s February 15, 1973 Insurance Department Luncheon drew 39 members and guests to Matarese’s Restaurant in Newington. The Commissioner was unable to attend, but his deputy (and former Blue Goose member) Jack Kane took his place and spoke about state legislation affecting the insurance industry.


In March 1973, the Pond held its annual Ladies Night Teacup Auction and Whist Party at the Clam Box Restaurant in Wethersfield. The Teacup Auction netted $28 for “the ladies special convention fund.” The Pond’s April 24, 1973 Splash Meeting was held at the Publick House in Sturbridge, MA with 33 attending. The special guest was MLGG Archie MacDonald of the Quebec Pond. The Pond’s Annual Meeting took place at the Hawthorne Inn in Berlin, CT on May 23, 1973 with 25 members in attendance. The Convention delegates for the Montreal Grand Nest Convention were incoming MLG Ray Hitchcock and Wielder Paul Goyette. The evening culminated with PMLG Lew Geis’ installation of the Pond’s new slate of officers for the upcoming year. The Pond’s new officers for 1973-74 were:

MLG – Ray Hitchcock SOF – Lee Sinkwich COG – Ted LeBlanc GOP - Fred Latham KGGE – Bob Gannon WGQ – Paul Goyette


The Pond’s Summer Outing was held on June 24, 1973 at Chatfield Hollow State Park in Killingworth, CT. There were nine couples and many children present. The outing was run by John Bartick. The Hartford Pond Ladies Auxiliary announced plans to collect stamp books to fund the purchase of door prizes and gifts that would be needed for Hartford’s 1976 convention. Each lady was asked to furnish one stamp book (or the equivalent $3) each year for the next five years. If the Auxiliary member’s last name started with A-K, the books or checks were sent to Ivye Crowther, and checks for members L-Z went to Ethel Hitchcock. The August 19-22, 1973 Grand Nest Convention was held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal. There were 529 registrants, including 20 from the Hartford Pond. The Hartford Pond’s delegation included Ray and Ethel Hitchcock, Paul and Meg Goyette (plus their three children), Ken and Yvonne Lynch, Lew and Laura Geis, Bob and Mary Uricchio, Fred and LeAnn Latham, Ted and Jean LeBlanc, Irene Crowther, and Gordon and Ivye Crowther. Charter Oak Chatter reported that the convention’s “crowning achievement” was the approval of a Constitutional amendment revising membership eligibility to “strike out the color barrier”. The New Haven Puddle met at the Colonial House in Hamden on September 19, 1973. Their next meeting was scheduled for November. On September 25, 1973, nineteen ganders attended a Dinner Meeting at the Lord Cromwell Inn in Cromwell, CT. Stanley Prymus (Utica Mutual) was elected to membership and initiated. The Ponds two delegates to the recent Montreal Convention (MLG Ray Hitchcock and Wielder Paul Goyette) briefed the group on convention highlights.


The Pond’s October 18, 1973 Ladies Night was held at the Clam Box Restaurant in Wethersfield. Audrey Turner of Connecticut Underwriters became the first female recipient of the Pond’s Scholarship Award. On Sunday October 21, 1974, the Pond held a Convention fund-raiser in the form of a Tag Sale at the Wallingford Plaza. The proceeds totaled $135.00. On October 29, 1973, the Boston Puddle held a luncheon at the Pillar House in Newton, MA. The Guest Speaker was William Kilmain, Executive Director of the MA Agents and Brokers Association. There were 24 at the meeting. Two new members were initiated, Richard Campbell (American Policyholders) and William Porter (Commercial Union). Gander Fred Moson (American Policyholders) petitioned for Flight from the Garden State Pond, and Jack Bruno (Quincy Mutual) made application for Reinstatement. On November 7, 1973 the Ladies Auxiliary held a luncheon at the Clam Box Restaurant. There were seven in attendance. Mary Uricchio volunteered to serve as Secretary, joining President Laura Geis and Treasurer Ivye Crowther on the Board. A “first” in Hartford Pond history occurred in Newington on November 14, 1973 at Matarese’s Restaurant, the site of the Insurance Department Luncheon. For the first time, the state’s Insurance Commissioner, newly appointed Thomas C. White, attended and addressed the group. A good crowd of 70 ganders and guests heard the commissioner’s very first remarks to an insurance gathering. At the meeting, Gander Clark Collins, who joined the NYC Pond in 1932, and became a charter member of the Hartford Pond in 1954, received his Life Membership plaque. On December 3, 1973, the Boston Puddle met at the Pillar House in Newton, MA. The Guest Speaker was George Patterson of Commercial Union, who gave a presentation on flood insurance. On December 5, 1973, the New Haven Puddle met at the Royal Footman in Hamden. On Saturday evening December 8, 1973, 24 couples attended the Pond’s Christmas Party at the Clam Box Restaurant in Wethersfield. As 1974 arrived, the Hartford Pond’s 1976 Grand Nest Convention was about 2 ½ years away. Some fundraising efforts included the purchase of 100 Blue Goose umbrellas (with alternate blue and white panels and the Blue Goose logo) to sell to the Ponds, plans to sell sponsor advertisements in a pocket-sized Pond roster, a second Theater Party night, a second, but hopefully larger, Tag Sale, and a raffle of a variety of prizes including hand knit afghans and stoles, a portable fire extinguisher, and a Blue Goose Jim Beam bottle. Tickets were set to print, and the drawing was projected for the June Family Outing. The site of the Convention hotel was still undecided. The Convention Committee was originally looking at the Hartford Hilton, but the newly opened Sheraton Hotel was also being considered. It was expected that a decision would be made by June 1974.


The Pond held it’s first meeting of 1974 at the Forage Restaurant in Newington on January 17th. There were seventeen at the meeting. The guest speaker was SOF Lee Sinkwich who spoke about security in the home and at work. On Feb 11, 1974, the Boston Puddle held a meeting at the Pillar House in Newton, MA. The Guest Speaker was Leslie Ray, the newly elected President of the Independent Mutual Agents of New England. On February 20, 1974, the Pond held a Luncheon meeting at Matarese’s Restaurant. On March 1-3, 1974, the Eastern Region held a Mini Convention at the Downington Inn in Downington, PA. Thirty-six couples from across the region attended, and the Blue Goose total (including children) exceeded 100. Hartford was represented by Jack and Irene Ellen, and Gordon and Ivye Crowther. On March 15, 1974, the Pond drew 47 members, wives, and guests to its Ladies Night Teacup Auction and card party at The Forage Restaurant in Newington, CT. The Pond was able to set up it’s own bar at the restaurant and sold drinks for 75¢. Baked goods prepared by the Pond’s wives were auctioned off in the Teacup Auction. On April 25, 1974, the Pond held it’s Splash Meeting at the Publick House Restaurant in Sturbridge, MA for 26 Ganders and guests. Three new members were initiated, Joseph Kennedy (American Policyholders), Richard North (North Insurance Agency), and Richard A. Summonds (Commercial Union).

Forty-six ganders and guests attended the Pond’s second Theatre Party on April 30, 1974 at the Kensington Cinema. The feature movie was “Finnian’s Rainbow” starring Fred Astaire and Petula Clark. The night featured a social hour and door prizes. Charter Oak Chatter assessed the results as follows- ”From a financial standpoint, the Party was something less than a “howling success”. Whereas on paper, we should have netted several hundred dollars profit, for the second year in a row we find ourselves “scrambling” to break even. Having tried different locations and different times of the year, we have concluded that Theatre Parties are not meant for our group and will not be repeated as money-making projects in the future.” . A Convention fund-raiser in the form of a Tag Sale was held on May 19, 1974 at the Star-Daniels Shopping Center in Wallingford from noon – 5:00 PM. The Pond designated three drop-off points for merchandise contribution; one in the Meriden area (Bob Gannon’s office), one in the Hartford area (Bob Uricchio’s house), and one in the New Haven area (Fred Latham’s office). The Pond’s Convention fundraiser tag sale was held on May 16, 1974 at the Wallingford Shopping Center and netted $76.60. The New Haven Puddle held its annual meeting in May, and elected the following officer slate for 1974-75: Loyal Gander Al Chapman, Puddle Supervisor Fred Latham, Puddle Guardian Dick Simmons, Puddle Wielder Dick North, and Puddle Keeper Lew Nelson. . Charter Oak Chatter

optimistically reported that “things were somewhat quiet in New Haven this past season but with


Al Chapman at the helm and with a good crew assisting him, we are anticipating lots of activity in the Elm City area during the coming months.”

The Hartford Pond’s Annual Meeting was moved from May 21, 1974 at the Hawthorne Inn to May 29, 1974 at the Forage Restaurant in Newington. The Pond was able to set up its own bar at the Forage, and sell drinks for 75¢ instead of the $1.50 that the Hawthorne Inn would have charged. The meal cost was also more advantageous at the Forage - $5.50 as opposed to $8.00. There were 20 at the meeting. Various Committee reports were given – the keeper reported there was $354.98 in the treasury, Lew Geis reported on the tag sale, Gordon Crowther recapped the Theatre Party, Lew Geis recapped the Raffle, and Ken Lynch recapped the umbrella sales and gave the report of the Nominating Committee. The Convention delegates for the Salt Lake City Grand Nest Convention were incoming MLG Ray Hitchcock and Wielder Paul Goyette, with Fred Latham and Jack Ellen as alternates. One new member was initiated, Bob Drieu (Excelsior Insurance). The evening culminated with PMLG and Grand Nest Officer Gordon Crowther’s installation of the Pond’s new slate of officers for the upcoming year.

SOF Lee Sinkwich was unable to move up to the MLG slot, and Ray Hitchcock agreed to serve a second term as MLG. The Pond’s new officers for 1974-75 were:

MLG- Ray Hitchcock SOF – Ted LeBlanc COG – Fred Latham GOP - Brad Barna KGGE – Bob Gannon WGQ- Paul Goyette


Thirty-five adults and 16 children attended the Pond’s Family Outing at the Tamarack Lodge in

Voluntown, CT on June 22, 1974. Our members enjoyed use of the facilities, and since the

weather cooperated with a beautiful summer day, the swimming pool saw a lot of use. There was

a barbecue chicken luncheon, and the Pond set up its own bar inside the Main Lodge. The cost

was $5 for adults and $2.50 for children. Prize drawings for the Convention Fundraiser Raffle

were held at the outing, and Madeline Tafflin won the stole, K. Papadopoulos won the afghan,

James McLaughlin won the fire extinguisher, and Len Maxtutis won the Jim Beam Blue Goose

bottle.

As the Salt Lake City Convention neared, it was expected that an amendment would be ratified to increase dues by $1. The Hartford Pond’s Executive Board voted that we would not pass on the additional cost to our members, and we would continue to charge $12 for the 1974-75 season. The Salt Lake City Convention was held from August 11-14, 1974. Delegate Lew Geis (and his wife Laura), Delegate Ray Hitchcock (and his wife Ethel), Grand Nest Officer Gordon Crowther (and wife Ivye, and Gordon’s sister Irene) represented the Hartford Pond. At the convention, Gordon eulogized PMLGG Bob Stumpf. On the final day of the Convention, the Grand Nest officers moved up one rung, and Gordon was installed as Grand Supervisor of the Flock.


On September 25, 1974, the Hartford Pond met at the Forage Restaurant in Newington where 8 new members were initiated: Robert T. Corbett (Factory Insurance Association), Kenneth W. LeQuier, Edward A. Bachand, Leonard J. Reeves, Roger W. Knight (all 4 were with Underwriters Adjustment Bureau), Stephen W. Swanston (Reliance Insurance), Ronald C. Licata (Aetna Insurance Company), and John DeSanto (Aetna Insurance Company). The Boston Puddle met on September 30, 1974 at the Pillar House in Newton. Their new slate of officers was installed by GSOF Gordon Crowther –Loyal Gander Dick Rice, Puddle Supervisor Bill Porter, Puddle Guardian Bill McGowan, Puddle Wielder (and Keeper) Dick Campbell. Also on September 30, 1974, the New Haven Puddle met at Reilly’s Restaurant in Hamden. Charter Oak Chatter described the evening as “a disappointing turnout”. A new Hartford Pond roster was mailed out to the membership. Any errors or changes in the details were to be brought to the attention of Gordon Crowther or Paul Goyette. The Pond held a Ladies Night Meeting at the Clam Box Restaurant in Wethersfield on October

23, 1974 for forty members, wives, and guests. The program featured a wine tasting through the

courtesy of Fisher’s Package Store in Hartford.

In October 1974, the Boston Puddle met at the Engineers Club in the Prudential Center, and followed with a field trip to the Boston Central Alarm Headquarters.

The Pond’s November 20, 1974 Educational Luncheon meeting drew 24 members and 12 guests to Matarese’s Restaurant in Newington. The Guest Speaker was Arnold Kaplan, President of the Insurance Center of Southern CT. Mr. Kaplan was reported to be “one of only four men in CT who has both the CPCU and CLU designations”. His topic was “Agency Growth through Acquisition and Perpetuation”. The ‘bottle of cheer’ door prize was won by Les Olson, a guest from New London County Mutual. Les told the group that he was a lapsed Blue Goose member, having joined the NYC Pond in 1940, so he was promptly given a membership application for Reinstatement.

Most Loyal Grand Gander Ivar Awes announced the appointment of two Hartford Ganders to Grand Nest offices; Jack Ellen (Hartford’s 1976 Convention Chairman) was named to the Grand Nest Liaison Committee, and Lew Geis was named a Deputy Most Loyal Grand Gander for Upstate New York and New England.

In November 1974, the Boston Puddle met at the Pillar House in Newton, where the Guest Speaker was Richard E. Schroeder speaking about Products Liability.

The Pond’s Christmas Party was held on December 14, 1974 at the Clam Box Restaurant. There were 55 Ganders and guests present. Donated toys were distributed to the Masonic Hospital in Wallingford. The Pond’s January 23, 1975 meeting saw 29 Ganders tour the Fire Insurance Association Safety Lab in Hartford, then meet for dinner at Delmonico’s Restaurant in West Hartford. Our group met at 6:00 PM and was broken into three smaller groups for the FIA tour. The tour culminated in a fire demonstration that set off a sprinkler head, complete with the activation of an alarm system. After the veal Parmigianino dinner at Delmonico’s, membership applications were


accepted from four new Goslings – Roger Hooper (Underwriters Reports Inc.), Robert Orr (Merchants Mutual Insurance Co.), John Renfrew (Abington Mutual Insurance Company), and Perry Salvagne (Commercial Union Assurance Co.). On January 27, 1975, the Boston Puddle met at the Pillar House in Newton. There were 25 present, including Hartford MLG Ray Hitchcock and DMLGG Lew Geis. The Guest Speaker was Arthur Johnson of the H. Lincoln Harrison Agency of Worcester. Hartford’s 1976 Grand Nest Convention was still approximately a year and a half away. With the projected convention site, the Sheraton Hartford Hotel just completed, the Convention Committee decided to hold all upcoming Convention Committee meetings at the hotel on the third Monday of every month. The Grand Nest Officers travelled to Hartford for their Mid-Year Meeting at the Sheraton Hartford on the weekend of February 15-17, 1975. Their weekend included a Feb 17, 1975 cocktail Party with the Hartford Pond. Charter Oak Chatter reported that “the officers were quite favorably impressed with the hotel and also seemed pleased with our tentative plans as outlined by Convention Chairman Jack Ellen”. On February 19, 1975, the Pond hosted its Insurance Department Luncheon at Matarese's Restaurant in Newington. There were 31 members and 11 guests present. The Guest Speaker was outgoing Insurance Commissioner Tom White. The Pond Scholarship Award was won by Miss Pat Borkowski of the Wood Agency in Terryville. The Eastern District (Region) held it’s Mini Convention on the weekend of March 7-9, 1975 at the Host Farm Resort in Lancaster, PA. There were 89 adults and 39 children present. Despite terrible weather that included sleet, snow, and freezing rain, a crowd of 25 made their way to the Forage Restaurant in Newington for Ladies Night on March 14, 1975. The Teacup Auction of baked goods raised $35.00. In March 1975, SOF Ted LeBlanc received a promotion from his employer (Reliance Insurance) and moved to Wayne, New Jersey. Gander Dean Christiansen (Aetna Insurance) joined the Hartford Pond as a “Flight” from the Minnesota Pond. The Pond’s Splash Meeting took place on April 17, 1975 at Rom’s Restaurant in Sturbridge, MA. There were 24 in attendance, including five new members that were initiated: John Houlihan (Powers, Bolles, Vigra, Houlihan Agency), Charles Larocca (Merchants Insurance Co.), Robert Quintal (Quintal Agency), Robert Savard (MCA), and Les Walker (Reliance Insurance). The Pond’s Convention Fund-raising Tag Sale was held indoors at the Motts Shopping Center in Wethersfield from10 AM-4 PM on April 19, 1975. The Pond’s proceeds totaled $164.05, and the Pond acknowledged the time and effort put forth by Paul Harris, Marge Harris, and their children in pulling off the event.


On May 22, 1975, the Pond held its Annual Meeting at the Forage Restaurant in Newington. Paul Goyette, the Pond’s Wielder for the past four years, was chosen to be the 1975-76 MLG, inasmuch as SOF Ted LeBlanc had stepped down. This temporarily left the Pond without a Wielder. The Convention delegates for the Minneapolis Grand Nest Convention were incoming MLG Paul Goyette and Lew Geis. The evening culminated with the installation of the Pond’s new slate of officers for the upcoming year. The Pond’s new officers for 1975-76 were:

MLG – Paul Goyette SOF – Fred Latham COG – Bob Gannon GOP – Brad Barna KGGE –Ray Labbe WGQ- Open


The Boston Puddle held its Annual Meeting on May 27, 1975 at Tallino’s Restaurant in Chestnut Hill. There were 24 present to see six new Ganders initiated: Roger Hooper, John Renfrew (Abington Mutual), Perry Salvagne, John J. Schorman, Jr., John B. Sedensky (American Mutual Insurance), and Lester R.F. Sinton. The Puddle officers all agreed to reprise their roles for another year. The slate of officers was installed by GSOF Gordon Crowther –Loyal Gander Dick Rice, Puddle Supervisor Bill Porter, Puddle Guardian Bill McGowan, Puddle Wielder (and Keeper) Dick Campbell. The Pond’s June 21, 1975 Family Outing at the Tamarack Lodge in Voluntown, CT drew 40 adults and 20 children for a day of swimming, active sports, card playing, fellowship, and more. Charter Oak Chatter reported that “the “open bar” was a popular spot all day long, (and) … the girls worked in an informal Ladies Auxiliary meeting during the course of the day”. Gander John Bartick was congratulated for handling all of the day’s details. The “Open” Wielder slot that resulted from the shuffling of officer spots after Ted LeBlanc’s resignation was filled by Lew Geis for the coming year. The Boston Puddle held a meeting on June 30, 1975 at Tallino’s Restaurant in Chestnut Hill. The Guest Speaker was Edward Cabral of AM Life speaking about the 1974 Pension Reform Law. Charter Oak Chatter complimented the Boston Puddle on its year long schedule of insurance related speakers – “As a result of these educational programs and the good fellowship involved, attendance at meetings this past year has been maintained at a consistently high level.” The Minneapolis Grand Nest Convention was held from August 10-13, 1975. Of the 506 at the convention, there were eleven representing Hartford: Gordon Crowther, his wife Ivye, and his sister Irene, Jack Ellen, Lew and Laura Geis, and Paul and Meg Goyette and their three children. The Hartford delegates were Lew Geis and Paul Goyette. The Hartford Pond won the Membership Cup with a 19% increase, largely through the efforts of the growing Boston Puddle. However, the highlight for Hartford was the installation of Gordon Crowther as the Most Loyal


Grand Gander for 1975-76. Hartford’s 1976 Convention Chairman Jack Ellen spent much of his time at the convention passing out posters, literature and buttons promoting next year’s convention, and he culminated his efforts with a formal presentation to the delegates on the convention’s final day. On September 16, 1975, the Insurance Institute of America held their Award Luncheon at the Sheraton Hotel in Hartford, CT. The national education awards were presented by Most Loyal Grand Gander Gordon Crowther of the Harford Pond The Pond’s September 25, 1975 meeting drew 21 Ganders and guests to the Forage Restaurant in Newington. Convention delegates Lew Geis and Paul Goyette reported on the Minneapolis Convention. Due to business and personal reasons, SOF Fred Latham found it necessary to resign his officer position. Brad Barna moved up to the SOF slot, Bob Gannon moved up to the GOP slot, and Gander John Bartick agreed to join the Executive Board as the COG. The Boston Puddle met on September 29, 1975 at Valle’s Restaurant in Newton with 25 present. The Guest Speaker was Douglas Bell of the Shelby Publishing Company, and his topic was “Insurance Consulting Practices.” On October 23, 1975, the Pond’s Insurance Department Luncheon drew 40 members and 23

guests to Matarese’s Restaurant in Newington, CT. MLG Paul Goyette introduced the Pond

Officers. The Guest of Honor was Insurance Commissioner Jay W. Jackson

The Boston Puddle met on October 27, 1975 at Valle’s Restaurant in Newton, MA. The

scheduled speaker from the Senate Insurance Committee could not attend, and he was replaced

by Tony Macero, Treasurer of the Baystate Club.

The Pond’s Ladies Night meeting on November 14, 1975 drew 28 to the Forage Restaurant in

Newington. Convention Chair Jack Ellen and Ladies Chair Laura Geis gave a status updated to

the group.

On November 21, 1976, the Convention Committee met at the Bloomfield home of Jack and

Irene Ellen. The Committee was structured as below:

Men’s Committees

Finance- Bob Uricchio

Registration –Lew Geis

Program –Brad Barna & Ray Labbe

Outing- Bill Coughlin

Model Ritual –Dick Adams

Golf- Ray Hitchcock

Favors- Bob Gannon

Ladies Committees

Prizes & Flowers –Ivye Crowther

Brunch –Ethel Hitchcock

Hospitality- Irene Crowther

Children’s Committee

Paul & Marge Harris


Additional Committees for transportation, entertainment, publicity, printing, & badges were

being finalized.

The Boston Puddle met on November 24, 1975 at Valle’s Restaurant in Newton, MA. The guest

speaker was John Collins, Public Relations Officer of the Boston Fire Department. The Boston

Puddle was growing at a strong rate, and hopes to charter it as a new Pond very soon were high.

The Hartford Pond’s December 6, 1975 Christmas Party drew 49 to the Clam Box Restaurant in

Wethersfield, CT. Our attendees brought toys and gifts that were donated to the Salvation Army.

On December 15, 1975, the Pond’s Convention Committee had a planning meeting at the

Hartford Sheraton Hotel.

The Boston Puddle’s Christmas Party was on December 22, 1975 at Valle’s Restaurant in

Newton, MA.

Between January 9-11, 1976, the Eastern District’s Mini Convention was held at Fallsview, a

Catskills Mountain resort in Ellenville, New York. Over 100 attended. The Hartford

representatives were Jack and Irene Ellen, Lew and Laura Geis, and Gordon and Ivye Crowther,

and Ivye’s sister Irene.

On January 14, 1976, the Pond held an All Day Ladies Open House at the Crowther’s home in

Hartford. The hours were broad to allow those had children in school to participate during the

day, and allow those that worked to arrive in the evening. Six attended the morning session and 4

attended the evening session. On the Ladies Workshop agenda was a general discussion of

Convention planning, and assembly of convention favors.

On January 22, 1976, the Pond’s dinner meeting was adversely affected by winter weather that

caused travel conditions to be treacherous. Only eleven attended the meeting. There were two

new members initiated at the meeting, George Johnson (Middlesex Mutual) and Denis Egan

(Union St. Jean Baptiste).

The Boston Puddle met on January 26, 1976 at Valle’s Restaurant in Newton, MA. There were

eight new members initiated – Carl Carlson (American Mutual Insurance), Carl Carlson

(Underwriting Adjusting Co.), Jack Coppenger (Great American Insurance), James DePhilippo

(Underwriting Adjusting Co.), Alan Griffin (American Mutual Insurance), Mike Mentuck

(George M. Ruddy & Co.), David Perry (Underwriting Adjusting Co.), and Clint Pickering

(George M. Ruddy & Co.). Charter Oak Chatter reported that “this brings the current

membership up close to forty, certainly within striking distance of the magic number of 50

necessary for a Puddle to reach Pond status. It would be a real thrill to all concerned if at the

Grand Nest Convention here in Hartford this August, an official charter could be presented to

the designated representatives from Boston establishing a new Pond in that area.”


On Feb 18, 1976, the Pond held a dinner meeting at the Forge Restaurant in Newington with Guest Speaker Ira Bluth of the Insurance Crime Prevention Bureau. There were 19 members and 2 guests present. On February 24, 1976, the Boston Puddle met at Valle’s Restaurant in Newton, MA. Their guest speaker was Frank Mancini, legislative aide for the Independent Insurance Agents of MA. There were 25 present for the Pond’s March 19, 1976 Ladies Night, Card Party, Fair, and Teacup Auction at the Forage Restaurant in Newington. The evening had a St. Patrick’s Day theme, and corned beef and cabbage were served for dinner. That evening, the Pond held the drawing for it’s Super Raffle winners. Many of the tickets had been sold at the Eastern District Mini Convention in January. First prize (Hindquarter of beef) was won by Frank Sternberg of American Universal in Rhode Island, second prize (full rib of beef) was won by Andy Taffuri of Garden City Claims of Long Island, NY, and third prize (25 lbs of corned beef) was won by Debi Sheehan of Middlesex Mutual of Middletown, CT, who decided to take the cash equivalent of $30). The raffle took in $1,100 vs. $300 in expenses. On March 30, 1976, the Boston Puddle met at Valle’s Restaurant in Newton, MA. Their guest speaker was Richard Tilley, State Auditor for American Mutual Insurance Company. On April 22, 1976, the Pond held a Splash Meeting with members of the Bay State Puddle at Rom’s Restaurant in Southbridge, MA. On April 24, 1976, the Hartford Pond participated in a Super Tag Sale, outdoors at Wethersfield High School. The Pond booth was one of sixty such booths, each one having a spacious 20 X 20 area to set up its tables. Marge and Paul Harris ran the event. The Pond’s May 20, 1976 Annual Meeting was held at Delmonico’s Restaurant in West Hartford. The evening culminated with the installation of the Pond’s new slate of officers for the upcoming year. The Pond’s new officers for 1976-77 were:

MLG – Brad Barna SOF – Bob Gannon COG – John Bartick GOP – Les Walker KGGE – Ray Labbe WGQ- Gordon Crowther


The Hartford Pond’s June 19, 1976 Summer Outing was held at the Tamarack Lodge in Voluntown, CT with 43 adults and 28 children present. The agenda included swimming, and a barbecue chicken dinner.

The Boston Puddle’s June 29, 1976 meeting at Valle’s in Chestnut Hill saw 16 new ganders formally initiated. This raised Boston’s total to 53, thereby qualifying the Puddle to become an


official Pond. Charter Oak Chatter reported that “The new Pond, by vote of the members, will be known as the Bay State Pond. The charter is being issued officially as of July 4, 1976… and will be presented with due ceremonies at the first business session of the Grand Nest Convention on Tuesday August 17, 1976.” Special recognition was given to Past Loyal Gander Dick Rice and Puddle Wielder Dick Campbell for their continuous work over the last two years in growing the Boston Puddle. The Bay State Pond Officers for 1976-77 (the Pond’s inaugural year) were:

MLG: Fred Moson SOF: John Renfrew COG: William Porter KGGE: Anthony Macero WGQ: Richard Campbell

As the 70th Grand Nest Convention neared, Charter Oak Chatter published an updated

Convention Committee list in the July 1976 issue.

General Chairman – Jack Ellen Ladies Chairman –Laura Geis

Men’s Committees

Badges – Al Boudreau Banners- Carl Nelson

Entertainment –Charlie Fortunato Favors –Bob Gannon

Finance –Bob Uricchio Golf –Ray Hitchcock Meals –Les Walker

Memorial Service –Garden State Pond Model Ritual –Dick Adams

Outing- Bill Coughlin Printing –Ed Campbell

Program –Brad Barna and Ray Labbe Publicity –Leroy Troske Registration –Lew Geis

Transportation –Kingsley Beecher

LADIES COMMITTEES Brunch –Ethel Hitchcock

Hospitality –Irene Crowther Luncheon –Irene Ellen

Prizes & Flowers –Ivye Crowther

CHILDREN’S COMMITTEE Marge & Paul Harris Meg & Paul Goyette


The 70th Grand Nest Convention was held at the Hartford Sheraton Hotel from August 15-18, 1976, with Most Loyal Grand Gander Gordon Crowther presiding. 1976 Convention Recap

(The source material for the following recap was found in the Grand Historian’s report excerpted in the September 1976 issue of Charter Oak Chatter, and from the 2006 “History of The Grand Nest, The Second Fifty Years, Prepared by Barry L. Snyder, PMLGG”) “The Spirit of ’76” was the theme as the 70th Grand Nest Convention was held at the Hartford Sheraton Hotel from August 15-18, 1976, with Most Loyal Grand Gander Gordon Crowther presiding. There were 185 Ganders in attendance, of which 19 were members of the Hartford Pond; we had 167 ladies registered and 84 children, making a grand total of 436. Lieutenant Governor Robert Killman gave some warm welcoming comments to the convention attendees, followed by the CT Insurance Commissioner, and Hartford Mayor George Athanson. The keynote speaker at the opening of the convention was Mr. Frederick D. Watkins, President of Aetna, who also made a small confession that he was a member of the Arkansas Pond. The Garden State Pond did the honors of putting on the Memorial Service by placing carnations to form a large number “seventy-six”. Special eulogies were given for PMLGGs Dave McKinley and George Brussel and GKGGE Dick Collins who all had taken their Last Long Flight during the past year. Following the Memorial Service a Fellowship luncheon was held. The Hartford Pond presented their annual scholarship award at the luncheon to student, Richard Koneazny, of the University of CT’s School of Insurance. On Tuesday, the Model Initiation ceremonies were held. As the doors swung open for the start of the ceremonies, it appeared that history had rolled back 200 years as the officers and guards of the Hartford Pond’s team made their appearance in Revolutionary costumes. Hartford’s Model Initiation team was comprised of Paul Harris, Dick Adams, Ken Lynch, Bill Coughlin, Bob Uricchio, Art Tyrel, Paul Goyette, Ray Hitchcock, Jack Ellen, and Lew Geis. Following the Initiation ceremony, all the Ganders gathered for a business meeting. Before calling roll, MLGG Crowther announced the formation of the Bay State Pond, and they received their charter. This was the culmination of years of effort by Hartford Ganders and their many hours invested in the creation and nurturing of the Bay State Puddle. Following Tuesday morning’s business meeting, Ganders and Guests caught the busses leaving for Frank Davis Resort in Moodus, Connecticut. The busses took us through the scenic countryside to this beautiful resort. The rest of the day was spent enjoying swimming, golf, tennis, other sports and just plain loafing around. Others went sightseeing trip to Gillette Castle, or took a steam train along the Connecticut River. A sumptuous barbeque dinner was enjoyed by all in the evening. Let us record something about the social events for the ladies and children inasmuch as they represent a most important part of our conventions. The ladies hospitality room – with


homemade cookies, coffee, and other beverages – was a popular spot whenever there were no other events on the program. The ladies had a luncheon at the nearby Hotel Sonesta on Monday featuring a delicious lunch, many beautiful door prizes, favors, and entertainment by Mrs. Ranney who spoke and gave a demonstration of the “Wonderful World of Bells” – an excellent, much different type of program. On Wednesday, 165 ladies were on hand for a brunch at the G. Fox Department Store, where many more wonderful door prizes were presented. Laura Geis, the Ladies Chairwoman, can be proud of her group, and our Order thanks her and the ladies of the Hartford Pond for the wonderful program for our ladies. As for the children, their headquarters was the Pool Suite adjoining the indoor pool; this are was constantly jumping. For special events on Monday, they were all taken by bus to Mystic Seaport (on the CT shoreline), a living museum of a fishing village in whaling days. On Wednesday there was a pool-side party for the children with a scuba diving exhibition put on by the State Police –an excellent program. The children consumed gallons of soda and loads of snacks in their hospitality room, they had their own banquet with prizes, and even their registration envelope was interesting, as it contained a wooden whale (the new state “animal”). Special thanks are extended to Paul and Marge Harris, who handled the children’s program and looked after them. There were many others who helped with the 84 children and to these wonderful people we say “Thanks a million”. Parents can be very thankful that their children were entertained, cared for, and supervised by such dedicated people. Following Wednesday’s business meeting all the Ganders participated in a “hot dog” and beer luncheon, which was again a huge success. At the luncheon, the golf prizes were presented. After the luncheon the Grand Nest reconvened for its final business session to do the installation of officers. Newly installed MLGG Stanley Spore gave his address of acceptance. The convention closed out with a great prime-rib dinner with baked Alaska for dessert and with fabulous dancing and music. An extraordinary event occurred right after the baked Alaska was served. PMLGG Archibald J. MacDonald asked for the privilege to address the assemblage and followed with a stirring, heartwarming tribute toast to the United States. This was answered eloquently by PMLGG Browne Bolton. The Hartford Pond proved without a doubt that a small Pond can host a Grand Nest meeting.” The following convention events were offered at an individual cost: Sunday August 15, 1976 Get Acquainted Buffet and Cocktails $12 Monday August 16, 1976 Continental Breakfast $2.50 Children’s Mystic Seaport Trip $7.00 Ladies Luncheon and Entertainment $6.00 Men’s Fellowship Luncheon, $8.50 Keynote Address by Cliff Reedy, President of GAB Business Services


Tuesday August 17, 1976 Continental Breakfast $2.50 Outing to Frank Davis Resort $15.00 Adults $10.00 Children Wednesday August 18, 1976 Continental Breakfast $2.50 Ladies Brunch (G. Fox Centennial Hall $3.00 Men’s Luncheon $4.00 Fellowship Banquet & Dance $15.00 Adults $6.00 Children When the Boston Puddle spun off to become the Bay State Pond, the Hartford Pond lost 53 members from its roster, causing the Pond’s membership to dip under 100. On October 21, 1976, the Hartford Pond held a luncheon meeting at Willie’s Steak House in Manchester. On November 17, 1976, the Pond held a Ladies Night at the Wallingford Country Club. The Pond’s December 11, 1976 Christmas Party drew 71 members and guests to Matarese’s Restaurant in Newington. Children’s gifts were collected and donated to the Salvation Army. Charter Oak Chatter reported that “music was furnished by the Ray Frank orchestra who did well in keying the tempo of the music to the group assembled. By paying many of the ‘good old songs’, they had a goodly group dancing right up until the closing hour. Door prizes included a digital clock, a camera, and a set of poker chips with holder. A painting of the Noah Webster House netted $45 ‘to help defray the modest deficit from our convention’”. The Pond’s first meeting of the new year was held at a new location. On January 26, 1977, the Pond drew 20 members, 3 guests, and 2 Bay State Ganders to the Parma Restaurant in downtown Hartford. After dinner, Bay State MLG (and New England DMLGG) gave a brief message of thanks to the Hartford Pond for their help in establishing a Pond in Boston. Membership applications were accepted from Thomas Conran, Cameron Craig, Eugene Rice, and Thomas Trask. Three of the goslings (except the absent Conran) were initiated. Convention Chair Jack Ellen gave a financial recap of Hartford’s 1976 Convention. Income was reported at $36,910.29 and expenses to date totaled $36,708.70. The apparent surplus of $201.59 was temporary, because there was also a $500 loan obligation to Grand Nest. Accounts receivable were estimated at $135, so the expected Convention deficit was estimated at $165.00. After a Publication Committee report by Gordon Crowther, and discussion of Old and New Business, Gander Ken Lilja was recognized for his long-term membership in Blue Goose and was awarded a Life Membership plaque. Ken was retired from the Hartford Insurance Group, and had joined Blue Goose in 1937 as a member of the Iowa Pond. Wielder Crowther distributed copies of the Grand Nest Bulletin to those in attendance, and the meeting closed with a film depicting the restoration of historic homes in Philadelphia.


The Pond held a Ladies Night meeting on Friday evening February 35, 1977 that drew 22 to Matarese’s Restaurant in Newington. After dinner there was a Teacup Auction and eight card game. The Pond had a few left-over convention souvenirs for sale. These are the quantity and selling price of the items our Ganders could purchase: (7) Drummer Boy necklaces @ $3, (21) placemats at $2.00, (13) Blue Goose handkerchiefs @ $1.50, (3) flower pot covers @ $0.75, (3) tie clips @ $2.00, and (3) decals (1.00). On April 27, 1977, the Pond held a dinner meeting at Willie’s Steak House in Manchester. The Pond’s Annual Meeting was held on May 25, 1977 at the Mr. Steak Restaurant in Avon, CT. There were 16 members and one guest present. The Pond committed a $500 payment to the Long Island Pond for their 1980 Convention; the payment was to be spread out over the next few years. Due to the limited amount in the Pond’s treasury, it was agreed that the Pond would fund and send one delegate to the 1977 Houston Convention. The incoming MLG, Bob Gannon, was unable to attend the convention, so the Pond agreed to credential PMLG Phil Goyette as their lone delegate, with Gordon Crowther as the alternate. One new Gander was initiated- Cleveland Huggins. The evening culminated with PMLG Jack Ellen’s installation of the Pond’s new slate of officers for the upcoming year. The Pond’s new officers for 1977-78 were:

MLG – Bob Gannon SOF – John Bartick COG – Les Walker GOP – Ray Labbe KGGE – Ron Pizzano WGQ- Gordon Crowther


As the Pond entered the 1977-78 year the membership roster stood at 83. During the previous

year, the Pond gained 11 and lost 15 members for a net loss of 4.

The Pond’s June 25, 1977 Summer Outing at the Tamarack Lodge in Voluntown, CT drew 38 adults and ten children. The weather was cool, and the pool was used mostly by the children. Under it’s new management, the Tamarack Lodge didn’t allow the Pond to set up it’s own bar as in previous years. The July 1977 issue of Charter Oak Chatter saw the debut of three new advertisements. Ads by Edward P. Minor of Edward P. Minor, Inc, Ballard May of Penn Glass, and Henry Stone of Connecticut Underwriters joined existing ads from Coastal Claims Service, A. E. Oberhaus, Inc, Matarese’s Restaurant, Alfred Chapman of Chapman & Company, Grenham & Gaull, Inc., Kenneth W. LeQuier, Jr. of Underwriters Adjusting Company, Arthur Epstein of Epstein


Brothers, Bernard E. Ladden of Dunn-Rite Construction, William R. Morrin of A-1 Air Deodorizing Company, and Robert S. Bergin of the General Adjustment Bureau. On September 22, 1977, the Pond’s first PMLG Night dinner meeting saw ten PMLG’s attend: Dick Adams, Bob Bordeaux, Bill Coughlin, Gordon Crowther, Jack Ellen, Lew Geis, Paul Goyette, Paul Harris, Ray Hitchcock, and Bob Uricchio. Hartford Gander Charlie Kemp was also there, and he was a PMLG of the National Capital Pond. In the absence of MLG Bob Gannon, SOF John Bartick called the meeting to order. Gordon Crowther read a roll call of the PMLGs. A eulogy was read for Art Jacobs, and a message was read from the Hartford Pond’s oldest living PMLG –Joe Sorge Numerous committees were in place for the year as follows:

PROGRAM John Bartick, Chairman

Don Kelley Lee Sinkwich

MEMBERSHIP

Ray Labbe, Chairman Dick Adams

Kingsley Beecher Dexter Hyland

Joe Minardi Bob St. Amand Bob Uricchio Les Walker

EDUCATION

Bob Gannon, Chairman Craig Carter Ken Lynch

PUBLICITY

Jack Ellen, Chairman John Lonergan

WAYS & MEANS Lew Geis, Chairman

Al Boudreau Bill Coughlin Paul Harris

John Houlihan Bob Quintal


PUDDLE LIAISON Bill O’Neil, Chairman

Lew Geis Al Chapman

PUBLICATION

Gordon Crowther, Chairman Ed Campbell

WELFARE

Ray Hitchcock

RITUAL Dick Adams, Chairman

Bill Coughlin Jack Ellen

Paul Goyette Paul Harris

Ray Hitchcock Ken Lynch

Bob Uricchio

The Pond’s October 21, 1977 Ladies Night at the Matarese Restaurant in Newington drew eleven couples, plus the Guest Speaker and her husband. The speaker was Nan Dorsey, a former flight attendant for American Airlines, and she presented a travel movie on Aruba and followed with a demonstration and discussion about packing tips for travel. The Pond’s November 15, 1977 luncheon drew 23 members and guests to the Matarese Restaurant in Newington. After lunch, MLG Bob Gannon called the meeting to order. Keeper Ron Pizzano reported the treasury balance stood at $564.99. The Guest Speaker was PMLG Jack Ellen who spoke on the subject of commercial property rating. On November 22, 1977, PMLGG Gordon Crowther and PMLG Lew Geis traveled to Newton, MA to attend the Bay State Pond’s meeting at Vallee’s Restaurant. Crowther and Geis assisted in the initiation of eleven new members. Gordon remarked that “the membership of the Bay State Pond could very soon exceed that of Hartford unless we “get on the ball”. The Pond’s December 3, 1977 Christmas Party was held at Matarese’s Restaurant in Newington with 20 members, 19 wives, and 23 guests (total of 62) present. Dance music was provided by the Ray Frank Orchestra. The door prize that evening was a half-gallon of Wild Turkey, won by someone in Dick Adams group. A large quantity of toys were donated to the Salvation Army. A few weeks later, the Pond received a nice thank you letter from the Salvation Army’s Divisional Director Evans. The first meeting of the New Year fell on January 24, 1978 when 26 ganders and guests met at the Parma Restaurant in downtown Hartford. Seven new members were initiated – Alfred Marquis and Walter Clayton (ISO), Bill Kearns and Alan Taylor (CNA), Lawrence Mockler


(Zurich), Chris Poules (Gardner Kirby Agency), and Dewayne Roos (W. C. Root Insurance Agency). On Feb 21, 1978, the Pond’s Insurance Department Luncheon was held at Matarese’s Restaurant in Newington, CT On March 17, 1978, the Pond held a Ladies Night at the Clam Box Restaurant in Wethersfield. There were 35 present to enjoy a seafood buffet, Teacup Auction of baked goodies, and card games culminating in a hand of Crazy Whist. The Hartford Pond announced that it was looking for a new name for its Pond newsletter. “Ever since the third issue of this publication in February 1957, it has been known as Charter Oak Chatter. Although this name may be significant to some of us old-timers, it probably doesn’t mean much to newcomers to this area and we are certain that it is meaningless to other Blue Goosers elsewhere in the United States and Canada. Consequently, between now and the end of June we are conducting a contest to come up with a new name that hopefully will relate both to our geographical location and the Blue Goose organization. There will be a meaningful prize for the best entry so we hope that we will be hearing from many of you with your ideas and suggestions.” On April 20, 1978, the Pond held a luncheon meeting at Matarese’s Restaurant in Newington. The guest speaker addressed the group on Condominium Insurance The Pond’s Annual Meeting was held on May 23, 1978 at Matarese’s Restaurant in Newington. The delegates for the upcoming Halifax Convention were Bob Gannon and Gordon Crowther. The evening culminated with the installation of the Pond’s new slate of officers for the upcoming year. The Pond’s new officers for 1978-79 were:

MLG – John Bartick SOF – Ray Labbe COG – William O’Neill GOP – Ballard May May KGGE – Ron Pizzano WGQ- Gordon Crowther


As the 1978-79 year started, the Hartford Pond’s roster stood at 95 members. The Pond’s June 24, 1978 Summer Outing at the Banner Lodge in Moodus, CT drew a very large crowd of 43 adults and 13 children. The weather was beautiful and many of our guests spent the day swimming in the large pool. A highlight of the day was a lively softball game where Marilyn Coughlin pitched for one team and Cathy Simmonds pitched for the other. The Banner Lodge assigned us several cabins for changing, and we used some of the units to set up a bar and lunch facilities. The day ended with a chicken barbecue dinner, and everyone agreed that Bill Coughlin had done a great job making the arrangements.


The Nova Scotia Grand Nest Convention was held from August 13-16, 1978. Hartford representatives included (delegate) Bob and Agnes Gannon, (delegate) Gordon and Ivye Crowther, Irene Crowther, Lew and Laura Geis, Ray and Ethel Hitchcock, Bill and Mary O’Neill, Lee and Mary Sinkwich and their children, and Ballard May and his son. This was a very popular convention with attendance in excess of 700. The Pond’s September 15, 1978 Ladies Night meeting also took on the form of a “Recognition Night’ to honor recently retired PMLG Bob Gannon and Kingsley Beecher. The dinner drew 21 members, 16 wives, and 45 guests (total of 82) to Matarese’s Restaurant in Newington. Jack Ellen and Paul Harris handled all of the details. The Pond’s October 18, 1978 Initiation Meeting was held at Matarese’s Restaurant in Newington. The evening saw the initiation of eight new members – James Beardsley (General Insurance Agency), Gaylord Bruce (Bruce Agency), Terrance Hildebrand (Boyer Agency), Paul Intagliata (Greater Harford Insurance Agency), Elliott Miller (agent), Brian Roby (Bayly, Martin & Fay), John Russell (ISO), and David Shippee (Boyer Insurance Agency). The Pond also welcomed two new members as Flights from other Ponds. D. G. Gil Stewart (Hartford Steam Boiler) joined us from the St. Louis Pond, and Fred Tucker (Afco) joined us from the Garden State Pond. The Pond’s November 14, 1978 Luncheon at Anthony’s Restaurant in Hartford got off to a bizarre start. Based on the return of the blue postcards (used as a RSVP), the Pond expected the usual turnout of 20-25 Ganders, and a headcount of 40 was given to the restaurant. Quite unexpectedly, 56 bodies showed up. Expect for some resulting service delays, the afternoon went well. MLG John Bartick welcomed the group, conducted a roll call, and approved the October meeting minutes. The Keeper reported a balance of $608.57. MLG Bartick announced that in February, the Hartford Pond would have the honor of hosting a visitation from Most Loyal Grand Gander Charles “Chuck” Palmerton. The afternoon’s Guest Speaker was Gerry Wholey, Chief of Licenses and Claims at the State Insurance Department. The Pond’s December 9, 1978 Christmas Party was held on an evening of terrible weather; rain, sleet, freezing rain and snow. Despite the conditions, 76 Ganders, spouses, and guests attended the party at Matarese’s Restaurant in Newington. After the social hour, the dinner choices were prime rib or stuffed shrimp. Sal Greco’s Orchestra provided the dance music, and dozens of toys were presented to the U. S. Marines for their Toys For Tots campaign. A drawing for a Blue Goose decanter set was won by Marge Harris. Due to a snowstorm, the Pond’s scheduled January 17, 1979 luncheon meeting was postponed until January 25, 1979. There were 22 present. Seven new members were initiated – John Barter (John Barter Associates), John Brady (Webster’s Insurance Service), Lee Ingram (Vermont Mutual), G. Robert Johnson (Merchants Mutual), Ronald Skurat (Lumberman’s Mutual), Ernest Small (Shelby Mutual), and Norman Wagge (Associated Services). On Feb 8, 1979 the Hartford Pond was honored to host a visitation by Most Loyal Grand Gander Charles “Chuck” Palmerton and his wife Helen of the Seattle Pond, as well as Grand Supervisor of the Flock Al Kregal and his wife Pat from the Long Island Pond. The Clam Box Restaurant in Wethersfield was the site, and there were 47 Hartford Ganders and wives present. Hartford


MLG John Bartick called for a roll call of names, and GSOF Kregel promoted the 1980 Long Island Convention at the Island Inn in Westbury, NY. MLGG Palmerton spoke next and briefed the Pond on his activities since being installed as MLGG last summer, and the upcoming 1979 Grand Nest Convention in Seattle. The Palmertons were presented with an oil painting created by Shirley Le Quier, wife of our own Gander Le Quier. The painting depicted a colonial home amidst Autumn foliage. This year’s March 13, 1979 Insurance Department Luncheon at Matarese’s in Newington had a somewhat different look. In prior years, our Insurance Department speaker was either the Insurance Commissioner or someone from their License and Claims division. This year, our group of 47 was addressed by John Downey, the Secretary of the new Department of Business Regulation. He educated the group on the responsibilities of the new department- which regulates insurance, banking, public utilities, liquor control, etc. Mr. Downey had quite an amazing biography – prior to his work with the Insurance Department he was a CIA agent and spent 20 years as a POW in China. The March 1979 PIA Convention saw many Hartford Ganders singled out for honors. Dick Adams was selected as “Field Representative of the Year”, Bill Brady was named “Adjuster of the Year”, Elliott Miller was chosen as “Agent of the Year”, Joe Gately was elected as President for the coming year, and Bill Coughlin was presented with a special award in recognition of his service to the PIA. The Pond held an April 27, 1979 dinner meeting at Augustino’s (formerly Matarese’s) Restaurant in Newington. The Pond’s Annual Meeting at the Parma Restaurant in Hartford fell on May 8, 1979. There were 33 in attendance, including a 13-member initiation class that, according to Charter Oak Chatter, represented the largest group to be initiated since the Pond was founded in 1954. Initiated that night were William Begley (Grenham & Co.), Richard Boccacchio (Boccacchio-Susania Agency), Francis Champeau (Zurich insurance), Frederick Clarkin (CNA), Charles Crowley (Hemingway-Lewis Insurance Associates), Joseph Flach (Thompson & Peck, Inc.), Robert Hold (Thico Plan Inc.), Wallace Irish (W. J. Irish Insurance Agency), Louis Kievits (Central Adjustment Service), Raymond Millar (Coastal Claims Service), Arthur Peterson (CT Underwriters), Donald Rittman (CT Underwriters), and Philip Wanat (Thompson & Peck). The Pond’s Education Award went to Sandra Surowiecki of the University of Connecticut’s School of Insurance. She was taking an exam on the night of the meeting and was unable to attend and personally receive her $50 award. Gander Charles Kemp was recognized on his 25th year of service to Blue Goose. PMLG Joe Sorge was also recognized on his 50th year of service to Blue Goose, and Gordon Crowder announced that since Mr. Sorge had retired and moved to Florida, the Florida Pond would be awarding his 50-year pin at their annual meeting in Clearwater on May 26, 1979.


The delegates for the upcoming Seattle Convention were Lew Geis and Gordon Crowther. Outgoing MLG John Bartick received his PMLG pin from Bob Gannon. The evening culminated with the installation of the Pond’s new slate of officers for the upcoming year. The Pond’s new officers for 1979-80 were:

MLG – Ray Labbe SOF – William O’Neill COG – Ballard May GOP – Lee Sinkwich KGGE – Ron Pizzano WGQ- Gordon Crowther


The Hartford Pond started the new season with 125 members, as its roster increased by 34 over the previous year. One more new member was Stephen Estee who took Flight from the Bay State Pond.

The Pond’s June 23, 1979 Summer Outing at the Banner Lodge in Moodus, CT drew 52 adults and 21 children, for a total of 73. The weather was terrific and many in our party enjoyed a dip in the Olympic sized pool. The Banner Lodge gave us several cabins for our party you use, and we took full advantage of the offer and used them for changing rooms, card games, lunch, and our own bar. A barbecue dinner of steak for the adults and hamburgers for the children ended the evening.

In July 1979, the Hartford Pond turned 25 years old.

The Seattle Grand Nest Convention was held from August 12-15, 1979. The Hartford delegation included Delegate Lew Geis (and wife Laura), delegate Gordon Crowther (and wife Ivye and sister Irene Crowther), Jack Ellen and his wife Irene, and Jack’s mother-in-law Evelyn. Despite the Hartford Pond’s impressive 30% growth in membership this year, they did not win the Membership Cup; that honor belonged to the new Brunswick Pond on the strength of it’s amazing 90% jump in membership. Hartford did win the Eastern Region’s Charity Award.

On September 21, 1979, the Pond held a Blue Goose Member-Guest Golf Outing, believed to be one of the first golf outings since the early days of the Pond. The location was the Edgewood Country Club in Cromwell, CT. It was not a good weather day, and attendance totaled 29 golfers and tennis players, and an additional 18 for dinner. The golf winners were: Low Gross: Tom Crockett of the Crockett Agency, 2nd Low Gross: Dave St. Clair (Nationwide), Low Net: Bob Curtin (Insurance & Real Estate Center), and 2nd Low Net: Dave Homer (O’Brien & Homer Agency). The tennis prize was won by John Ott of the Ott Agency. The Golf Outing was organized by Ballard May, and his committee of Dick Adams, Bill Coughlin, Bob Gannon, and Paul Harris.

On October 19, 1979, the Pond celebrated it’s 25th Anniversary at the Chestnut Lodge in Colchester. There were 25 members, 25 wives, and 11 guests for a total of 61. On display before dinner were clippings, photographs, and memorabilia commemorating the Pond’s first 25 years.


Our honored guests were scheduled to be MLGG Al Kregal and his wife Pat from the Long Island Pond, but due to a death in the family, the Kregals had to change their plans. The service anniversary awards, originally planned to be presented by MLGG Kregal, were instead presented by MLGG Gordon Crowther. Charter Members Lew Geis and Elliott Steele received Life Membership pins. Wally Bailey and Art Tyrol also earned Life Membership, but they were unable to attend due to health reasons. Carl Plock, Charlie Kemp, and Gordon Brown were presented with 25-year pins.

The Pond’s November 15, 1979 meeting drew a disappointing 21 Ganders and guests to Anthony’s Restaurant in Hartford. Due to the low attendance, and a misunderstanding with the restaurant concerning the guaranteed count, the meeting ran at a $75 deficit. Three Ganders were initiated: Dave Homer (O’Brien-Homer Agency), Rudolph Persico (Motors Insurance), and Nathan Pierpont (Chittendon Agency). The Keeper reported a Pond balance of $893.51. The educational topic, October 1 changes in State laws concerning the insurance industry, took the form of a panel discussion featuring John Bartick, Jack Ellen, and Ray Labbe.

On December 8, 1979, the Pond’s Christmas Party was held at Augustino’s (formerly

Matarese’s) Restaurant in Newington with 25 members, 24 wives, and 11 guests in attendance.

Special guests included MLGG Al Kregal and his wife Pat, and Bruce and Gloria Franz; all of

the Long Island Pond. Toys collected that evening were donated to the Salvation Army

The Pond’s first meeting of 1980 was held at the Parma Restaurant in Hartford on January 17.

Thirty were in attendance, and 8 new members were initiated. The new Ganders were Colin

“Pat” Johnson (Central Adjustment), Jim Beyer (Beyer Agency), Tom Santos (Santos Agency),

Harvey Atkins (American Universal), Frank Christina (Central Adjustment), Robert Dee (Dee

Investigations), George Fontaine (Associated Services), and Mike Perrotta (Webster

Services).Wielder Gordon Crowther read a thank you letter received from the Salvation Army

for the toys we collected at the December Christmas Party.

The Pond urged Ganders to attend the upcoming Eastern Region’s “Mini-Convention” at the

Pocono Manor on February 22-24, 1980. The double occupancy cost, for skiing, meals, and 3

days, 2 nights, was $104.00 per person.

The meeting concluded with the distribution of Pond Rosters and Grand Nest Bulletins to all, and

an address by new member Robert Dee on arson investigation.

On February 19, 1980 the Pond hosted 64 attendees at Augustino’s in Newington for the

Insurance Commissioner’s Luncheon. After MLG Ray Labbe asked everyone to introduce

themselves and their employer, he introduced Commissioner Joseph Mike for his remarks and

Q&A.

Hartford Pond members did very well at the PIA state convention at the Sheraton Park Plaza in

New Haven as they won four of the five awards. MLG Ray Labbe won Committee Chairman of

the Year for his work on the Legislative Committee. PMLG J. Paul Harris won the

Distinguished Service Award “for excellence in his field for 48 years”. Donald Crosscup was


named Mr. Mutual Agent of the Year, and Bill Dillon was named Mr. Mutual Fieldman of the

Year.

On March 21, 1980 the Pond hosted Ladies Night at the Holiday Inn in Meriden. This was a last

minute change in location, because the original meeting site (the Clam Box in Wethersfield)

closed just two weeks prior. There were less than 30 in attendance. The night’s activities

included a Teacup Auction and a Crazy Whist card game. The Pond used their $250 award from

the Grand Nest (for winning the Eastern Charity Award in 1979-80) to present a $250 donation

to Hospice, Inc.

The Pond was saddened in March to learn of the passing of George (Wally) Bailey. He was a

charter member of the Hartford Pond and served as our seventh MLG in 1960-61.

The April 24, 1980 meeting was a special program; a Testimonial Dinner to honor 1970-71

PMLG J. Paul Harris upon the occasion of his upcoming retirement. The event drew over 100 of

Paul’s friends, (including 27 Hartford ganders and 19 wives) to Augustino’s in Newington. MLG

Ray Labbe was the Master of Ceremonies.

The May 1980 issue of Charter Oak Chatter noted the Pond’s newsletter was “taking

advantage of some new reproduction facilities which permit us to print on both sides of the

paper”.

The Pond’s Annual Meeting was held on May 13, 1980 at the Chestnut Lodge in Colchester.

There were 25 in attendance. Three new members (Louis Thibeault, David Sinclair, and Joseph

Oligny) were initiated.

The Pond ended the year with over 130 members. The Convention delegates for the Long Island,

NY Grand Nest were Ray Labbe and Gordon Crowther. Two proposed constitutional

amendments slate for Grand Nest consideration were discussed. The first would make females

eligible for Blue Goose membership “if they met other occupational requirements”. The second

called for establishing a formal Audit and Finance Committee, to replace the informal procedures

currently in use. After a heated debate, the Pond instructed their delegates to vote “Yes” on the

first proposal and “No” on the second proposal.

The evening culminated with the installation of the Pond’s new slate of incoming officers.


MLG – Ballard May

SOF – William O’Neill

COG- Ron Pizzano

GOP – Lee Sinkwich

WGQ – Gordon Crowther

KGGE- Jack Ellen


Hartford Pond Memorial Service team at the Atlantic City Grand Nest Convention August 1971

(L to R) are Dick Adams, Paul Harris, Ray Hitchcock, Bill Coughlin, Gordon Crowther, Jack Ellen,

Lew Geis, Art Tyrol, and Art Jacobs.


Grand Nest Bulletin promoting 1976 Hartford Convention.

MLGG Gordon Crowther of the Hartford Pond is pictured.


1976 Convention Program


1976 Convention –Handmade favor for Spouse Luncheon


Above- 1976 Convention Initiation Team. (Front Row L to R) Paul Harris, Dick Adams, Ken Lynch. (Back

Row L to R) Bill Coughlin, Bob Uricchio, Art Tyrel, Paul Goyette, Ray Hitchcock, Jack Ellen, Lew Geiss

Below- 1976 Outing at Frank Davis Lodge (L to R) Bill Coughlin, Gordon Crowther, John Houlihan, Dick

Adams, Charlie Fortunato, Paul Harris)

History of the Hartford Pond

Documents

Transcript of History of the Hartford Pond