|
St. David’s Men’s Group
was formed in 2005 to provide
service to both St. David’s and the greater Kinnelon community as well
as providing educational and fellowship opportunities for the men. It
meets on the evening of the third Monday of each month. Our meetings
begin at 7:30PM and are generally over by 9PM. Come join us in the
Skylight Room.
For more information contact:
Mensgroup@stdavidskinnelon.org.
Among the service
projects that the group has undertaken here are some highlights:
The Christmas Creche
 A
major project for 2006 was the creation of a nativity scene for the
front lawn. The Men’s Group sponsored the project, rai sed
the necessary funds and designed and constructed the stable. The Youth
Group than joined the project by erected the stable on the front lawn at
St. David’s. It all came together on the third Sunday of Advent when the
characters of the Nativity Scene was put into place in a special evening
ceremony.
 The
Three Crosses During Lent.
Our 2007
Lenten Journey was highlighted by placement of three large crosses on
the church lawn. The Men’s Group built the crosses which were erected
following church services during the week prior to Palm Sunday. The
crosses, draped in the maroon and orange colors of Virginia Tech, served
as the focal point for a community vigil following the random killings
at that university in April 2007.
Breakfast Celebration.
The Men’s
Group utilized its culinary skills for the benefit of the congregants of
the 8AM service by hosting a breakfast in May of 2007. A normally
“kitchen challenged” crew of men somehow managed to prepare a hearty
breakfast featuring Eggs McDavid and other tasty items. It was quite a
sight to see “the guys” bringing their occupational talents to bear in
the kitchen as they created an assembly line to produce the breakfast
fare.
Educational and social
activities undertaken by the group include:
Review of the generic pharmaceutical
industry
Linda
O’Connor, Director of Quality Assurance for the world’s largest generic
pharmaceutical company, spoke to us of it compares with the branded,
innovator portion of the drug industry. She made of aware of FDA and
other regulatory issues and allowed us to understand how the entire
industry operates on the global stage.
Presentation on the art of public speaking
A short
paragraph here that describes this project would be helpful. you can add
pictures, links or groups of pictures here. If necessary you can even
add another sub page to this portion of the site.
 Tour
of the local first aide squad.
The group
took a “field trip” to the Tri-Boro First Aide Squad where they learned
of all the good work performed by local area volunteers who are trained
Emergency Medical Technicians. They operate a first rate ambulance and
medical service for the community. Our own Wayne Hammaker and sons Jason
and Adam are members of the squad.
Overview of the small jet airline industry.
 Our
own Ralph Aceti, Director of Dassault Aviation, provided the group with
an insight into the small jet aircraft business. Dassault is the
French-based manufacturer of the Falcon jet. Ralph, a veteran of this
business segment, was able to give us a peak into the future of this
growing field of aviation.
Review of personal computer security issues.
Our
hi-tech expert, Marty Stanton, discussed how to avoid problems such as
viruses and thieves looking to obtain your credit card numbers or other
vital information. We came away with a far greater appreciation for the
need for vigilance while utilizing the web.
Travelogue of Armenia
Mike Odian
took us for a tour of Armenia through a series of photos. The group had
the opportunity to visit this ancient Christian land which is home to
hundreds of unique churches that date back to the 9-11th centuries.
Photos of Mount Ararat, settling place of Noah’s Ark, brought home our
heritage.
Travelogue of China
We have
Brian Bussey to thank for taking us to China through an extensive
serious of photos. Sites such as the Great Wall and the unique skyline
of Shanghai gave us an appreciation for the capabilities of this
country.
The Osh Kosh Fly-In.
Our lead
aviator, Harry Barker, has attended the world’s largest fly-in at Osh
Kosh, Wisconsin. He was kind enough to give us a visual tour of the show
thanks to his spectacular photography. Harry showed us the entire
spectrum of planes from the old to the new, experimental ones. Harry is
one of several pilots in the congregation.
Overview of the “lie detector” machine and
industry.
We have
Richard and Linda Arther to thank for filling us in on the so-called lie
detector machine. Their informative presentation and demonstration gave
us a full appreciation of the science behind this fascinating
technology.
Presentation on the international child
adoption process.
The
O’Connors and Stantons were kind enough to speak to the group on the
issues and procedures involved with adopting of a child in China and
Russia. Major differences exist throughout the world when it comes to
adoption from that cover the range of cultural, bureaucratic and health
issues. Both families shared their journeys which allowed us to obtain a
better understanding of this vital aspect of societal life.
A wine tasting event
The entire
congregation was invited to a wine tasting party. Allan Capalbo of Wine
InThe Woods (of West Milford) provided several wines from small vintners
for our pallet. His insight and expertise added much to a very enjoyable
evening. Many thanks to Brian O’Connor for making the arrangements with
Allan.
A beer-tasting event
A short
paragraph here that describes this project would be helpful. you can add
pictures, links or groups of pictures here. If necessary you can even
add another sub page to this portion of the site.
 Our
own Tandy and Cronyn
Joan and
Jay Ludwig, St. David’s own version of Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn,
met with the group and gave us a peak into their careers on the stage.
What a delightful treat it was to learn the paths that each took in
becoming involved in the theatre. The evening was topped off with them
performing a reading for the group. Many thanks!!!
Astronomy
 Mark
Odian and David Sarkisian brought us up to date on
the latest in telescopes that are utilized by both the professional and
high-end amateur astronomers. We were able to view a nebula with two of
their scopes and got a much greater appreciation for star-gazers!
Coincidentally, both David and Mark are former students of our own Joan
Ludwig.
Cycling
 Ever
wonder about those guys and gals riding around on those speedie bikes in
their colorful Spandex outfits? Well, we were fortunate to have Rodger
Pisani fill us in on the sport of cycling. Rodger also brought in eight
of his bikes to help explain changes brought about through technology.
Sal Pisani, Rodger’s dad, also attended to give his son a hand. We also
learned about the Tour de France and Rodger’s racing hero, Lance
Armstrong. Thanks, Rodger.
 Skydiving
St.
David’s very own skydiving team (Tom Snyder, Rodger Pisani and Mike
Odian) gave us a sense of that feeling as one stands at the open door of
a plane, about to jump from almost three miles in the air. We aren’t
quite sure what got into these guys for attempting such an activity but
we do thank them for sharing their photos and thoughts. Better them than
us……….
 Anserve
Nancy
and Robert Ward were kind enough to host the Men’s Group at their
business, Anserve. Their company, the largest answering service in New
Jersey, utilizes the combination of highly trained operators with
state-of-the-art technology to meet the needs of many professionals
throughout the country.
ASP
The group
took a “virtual” tour of Associated Specialty Products, a machine shop
business owned by our own John Simonelli. This business manufactures
high-end pipe fittings for the pharmaceutical and nuclear industries.
The virtual tour took place by viewing a series of photos that followed
the intricate manufacturing process from receipt of metal tubing through
to inspection of final product. |
