Come for the Programs . . .
* Since the Covid shutdown ended, we have been running in-person meetings with "hybrid" access by Zoom. To join by Zoom send a request to [email protected]
Meetings start at 9:30 AM with coffee and socializing. At 10:00 we sit down, sing a song or two, and hear a few jokes & announcements. The day's invited speaker starts at around 10:30. Visitors are asked to arrive by 10:00 AM.
Note: For the present, in-person attendance requires full Covid vaccination. Face masks are optional.
Programs consist of stimulating talks by people such as past governors, mayors, politicians, physicians, Nobel Prize winners, judges, professors, historians, scientists, authors, economists, journalists, financial advisors, medical specialists, conservationists, etc. The following Q&A is lively. Put on your business casual attire or jacket & tie (or something more casual from May to September) and attend a meeting with us. All visitors are welcome. Admission is free.
Stay for the Friends*
After the meetings, many members join together to have lunch at various local restaurants.
In addition to the weekly meetings, there are activity groups for golf, bridge, hiking, trips, computer help, tennis and more.
* Or, as one member put it recently, "Come for the Jokes, Stay for the Talks", since we start each meeting by singing a few songs and enjoying a few jokes :-)
Policy on Weather Cancellations
During very bad weather or when the NPPC is unavailable to us, our meetings simply move online with Zoom. We will post a notice at this website and send an email to members.
For more information:
On Retiring – A Stimulating Road Ahead
Where will you find a sense of purpose and satisfaction? How will you find mental stimulus and a sense of community? Click on this PDF file to consider an answer to these questions.
Donations to Old Guard are welcome and greatly appreciated (although they are not tax deductible).
Dues are $55 a year with a $10 early-payment discount, and can be paid using this dues link.
January Program Chair – Bob Beller
- Jan 7 – Steal a Pencil for Me: A Compelling Love Story about Two Holocaust Survivors – "Steal a Pencil for Me"
is a memoir written by Jack and Ina Polak, that was also made into an award-winning documentary feature film. It recounts the story of the couple's love nurtured through exchanging letters while both were held in German concentration camps. After liberation they married and moved to the US. Jack became a founder and long-time president of the Anne Frank Center USA and lectured extensively throughout the world on the lessons to be learned from the Holocaust. Our speaker Fred Polak is Jack and Ina’s eldest son. After Jack’s death at the age of 102, Fred dedicated himself to retelling his parents’ story and carrying forward their lessons from the Holocaust. [video]
- Jan 14 – How Rutgers Provides Academic Support Services to Student Athletes – Our speaker Scott Walker is the executive director of the Rutgers’ Academic Support Services for Student Athletes program (ASSSA), and a Princeton graduate. Services provided by ASSSA are available to all student-athletes at Rutgers. During his tenure, which includes entry of Rutgers into the Big Ten, Scott has overseen the expansion and modernization of the program and the unprecedented academic success achieved by individual student-athletes and team sports. Scott will provide an insider’s view of services provided by ASSSA and how it has evolved over the years. [video on request by members]
- Jan 21 – How Invisalign® Revolutionized Orthodontics and Expanded the Use of Clear Teeth Aligners – Speaker Dr. Stanley Gersch has been a practicing orthodontist in Westfield, Cranford, and Linden for over 35 years and is the director of Invisalign® training in NYU’s post graduate orthodontic department. Stan was one of the first orthodontists in the U.S. to use Invisalign® in his practice and has been nationally recognized and awarded for his Invisalign® treatment and expertise. Stan will talk about his early interest in how new technologies could enhance treatment for his patients, his early-stage introduction to Invisalign®, and how Invisalign® grew to become the leader in clear teeth aligners. [in-person and on Zoom -- for access: [email protected]]
- Jan 28 – Changes in Traditional Concepts of the Law in the U.S. – Our speaker, the Hon. Joel B. Rosen, will speak about the changing landscape in U.S. law, including the notion of the rule of law, federal prosecutions, judicial review, and ethics. Judge Rosen is a former United States magistrate judge and, as a former partner of the law firm Montgomery McKracken, was a nationally recognized leader in the practice of alternative dispute resolution. Over the course of his career, Judge Rosen has overseen thousands of state and federal legal matters, lectured extensively on constitutional principles, and was an adjunct faculty member of Rutgers Law School. [in-person and on Zoom]
February Birthdays emcee – Larry Cunningham
For speaker photos, visit us on facebook
For an archive of videos of past meetings,
