A collage of photos taken by Sid Burns at the Amity Club outing at Woodmont Country Club. The speaker was Dana Milbank.

Dana Milbank writes the Washington Sketch column about political theater in the capital. He joined The Post as a political reporter in 2000, after two years as a senior editor of The New Republic and eight years with the Wall Street Journal. He is also author of two political books, Homo Politicus (Doubleday, 2008) and Smashmouth (Basic Books, 2001). He lives in Washington with his wife and daughter.

Click on the photo to see a larger version.

President’s Message…

It is hard to believe that the 2009 golf season is now in the books. I hope that you had an opportunity to enjoy some of the fine courses that we played this year. Rob Kantor and Andy Simpson are to be congratulated for a terrific season as well as the fantastic new pairings format which dramatically sped up our pace of play. Plans are under way already for next year’s outings, and I hope to have a full list to you by year end.

At the end of September, I called a meeting of The Board of Directors along with some past presidents so that we could discuss the state of Amity. Among our biggest concerns is both maintaining our current members and increasing our numbers. Our Membership Chair, Jeff King will be reaching out to each of you to discuss how we can bring in more new members. This past year, I did my best to create premier events at reasonable prices. We cannot continue this trend without increasing our numbers. So I ask that each of you think now about a potential new member (not a potential prospect) who will join and be an active participant in Amity.

In an effort to increase your satisfaction with Amity, I have asked each of the elected board members to head committees that will be focused on the various aspects of our organization. They will be seeking active participation from all of our members so that all of your input can be heard and within reason, acted upon.

Preparing for the next generation will be an arduous task. It is hard to think that the Amity of today will be a different Amity at some point in the future. To prepare for this, I have proposed to the Board that each July we hold a father-son tournament in memorial of our dearly departed, Harry Hofberg. Those who do not have father-son pairing will not be excluded from this event. In doing so, we will hopefully begin laying the foundation to protect Amity’s future.

Our board meeting did not focus only on the future, but also on the past and present. It was a great privilege for me to nominate Stuart Kushner as our new Recording Secretary, and he was accepted unanimously by the Board. Stuart has served on the Board of Directors for many years.

Michael Freiman has once again agreed to lead our nominating committee with all active past-presidents. He will present the 2010 slate of Officers in our next newsletter, and we will be voting on this slate of Officers at the December event.

Our November event will be held at Tragara Restaurant in Bethesda on November 17th. This dinner will feature ESPN baseball analyst Tim Kirkjian. I want to thank Steve Strickman for arranging this great speaker, and Michael Eisenberg for his help in arranging this event.

As long as I am mentioning Steve Strickman, I also want to extend to him a Yasher Koach for his wonderful Haftorah reading during the high holidays. This is a commendable deed, and every Amity member in attendance told me he performed wonderfully.

I look forward to seeing you all at Tragara. And remember, Amity ain’t failed you yet!

Fondly,
Adam

Growing Amity Club

Membership in Amity Club has been declining for years. So, we need YOUR HELP in rebuilding Amity Club of Washington. For years, our members have mostly shown up for events, eat, drink, play golf and then leave.

Why is that?

Amity events are special and they are something that many of us look forward to each month. Well, your club is slowly declining and the only way for it to grow is for ALL OF US, as a group, to each bring in a new member. If you love Amity and want it to continue to be a thriving community, we all must each commit to bringing in at least one new member this year. I will be sending out emails to you. We need to reach out and find new members that will enjoy the camaraderie of good friends, food, golf and interesting speakers. The club is open to new members all year and let me know how I can be of assistance in helping you recruit new members. Anyone who joins mid-year will be admitted on a pro-rated rate so money should not be an issue.

Everyone knows someone who could become an Amity member. Even if they have been a member in the past, let them how enjoyable the outings are and will continue to be. Our member/guest breakfast is already scheduled for January 24, 2010. Please start “working the room” to gear up interest about Amity and get guys who really want to be involved (by the same time, don’t feel pressured to bring someone who you really don’t think will join. It will be a waste of your time & Amity’s money for the brunch. Last year we had over 30 prospects, but less than 9 actually joined). If everyone brings one really interested person, we can restore the greatness of our proud organization!

Please commit to helping Amity grow this year and into the future so that it can continue to be a great and historic community organization.

- Jeffrey King, Membership Chairman

Subscribe!

Our website has a built-in feature that allows our members to subscribe. Please enter your email address in the field to the left.If we can get everyone into the website as a Subscriber, it might make the distribution of our newsletter and other announcements a lot easier. Once everyone is entered as a Subscriber, any new Posting on our site will automatically send out an email to everyone

Photographer Needed

Do you want to help make Amity Club better? If you are handy with a camera and would like to volunteer to be the “Official Photographer” for Amity Club, please let us know! We really need someone that can take a few photos at each event. Posting photos of each event to our website will be a nice way to share the event with our members. But we have nobody tasked for that job. Amity Club needs you! Please contact Adam Warshavsky if you are interested. Or, just go to the Contact Us page and send us a message.

Good and Welfare

On September 9th Richard Hayman welcomed his 9th grandchild into this world. His daughter, Meredith, and her husband, Marc Hanson, presented a new little sister to big brother, Spencer. Thrilled is not a word Richard would choose for little Mr. Spencer. Elaine “Lainey” Soleil Hanson weighed in at 5 pounds, 12 ounces and 19″ long. Everyone is doing well.

Congratulations to Alan and Linda Nelson on the birth of their first grandchild. Olivia Stella Nelson was born on September 30th, weighing in at 6 lbs., 8 oz. The happy parents are Adam & Kirsten Nelson. Adam is Nelson and Linda’s son, of course.

Happy Birthday in November to…

4 -  David Pordy 1950
8 -  Lawrence Stahl 1954
12 – Wayne Viener 1966
13 – Kenneth Linde 1946
14 – Mark Goldstein 1942
16 – Bruce Ochsman 1957
18 – Ronald Jacobs 1942
19 – Bertram Abramson 1912
19 – Martin Kneller 1941
20 – Roger Heymann
23 – Stuart Lloyd 1943
25 – Brad Mendelson 1966
26 – Kenneth Cohn 1958

Happy Anniversary in November to…

2 -  Andrew and Tina Bridge 1991
3 -  Stuart and Maricor Kushner 2005
6 -  David and Staci Berner
10 – Robert and Beth Grimes 1984
11 – Andrew and Lisa Shulman 2000
15 – Scott and Joyce Price 1980
23 – Justin and Jennifer Dross 1996
26 – Kenneth and Evalyn Cohn
27 – Michael and Suzanne Fanaroff 1993
27 – Mark and Connie Heller
30 – David and Elyse Pordy
30 – David and Lynn Pikovsky 1985

Washington, DC

For its members, golf outings or dinner/speaker events are held monthly. This year’s golf tournaments included Hunter’s Oak Country Club, Montgomery Country Club, Chartwell Country Club, Hunt Valley Golf Club and Lake Presidential Golf Club. At these events, members enjoy new and unfamiliar premier golf courses, camaraderie, and the opportunity to support worthwhile charities. Dinner events often feature prominent guest speakers from politics, media and sports. This year’s slate of speakers includes Washington Post Sports columnist Tom Boswell, Yaron Sfadyah from the Israeli Embassy, and ESPN baseball analyst Tim Krirkjian.

Amity also supports numerous organizations through its charitable foundation. For 2009 and in recent years, the Amity Club of Washington was proud to have made donations to numerous charities, including:

• Alzheimer’s Association
• Anti-Defamation League
• American Friends of Magen David Adon
• American Friends of Tel Aviv Univ
• American ORT Federation
• Autism Speaks
• Chai Lifeline
• Children’s Inn at NIH
• Jewish War Veterans
• Friends of Allison Atlas
• Jewish Community Center
• Jewish Council for Aging
• Jewish Foundation for Group Homes
• Jewish Social Services
• Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
• Montgomery Child Care
• Montgomery County Stroke Association, Inc.
• National Holocaust Museum
• Volunteer Braille
• Whitman Walker AIDS Clinic

Members are kept up to date on all club activities through our monthly newsletter, which also makes mention of member birthdays and wedding anniversaries as well as any “good and welfare” news. Our website also features a business directory of member services and “in memoriam” tribute pages to members that have passed away.

Past President Ralph Rothstein, who was born the same year that the Amity Club was founded, fondly recalls, “My Dad was one of the Founding Fathers of Amity in 1924. His enthusiasm for the Club rubbed off on my brother and me – we both joined Amity in 1946 and have been active members ever since. My two sons have been members for over twenty years. We have all made life long friendships.”

Added current President Adam Warshavsky, “Amity’s roots run deep in the Washington DC region. The club’s rich traditions of fellowship, camaraderie and charity are alive and well in all of its members”.

Cost: $100 if received by September 29th. $125, if late.

WE HAVE TO GIVE A FINAL HEAD COUNT BY THE 29TH SO DON’T DELAY!!!!

Lunch: 11:30am
Shotgun Start: 1:00pm

You must PRE-PAY to PLAY!

Click on this sentence to get a payment coupon.

Email Rob Kantor with any questions.

If you do not have a handicap, you may get one by going to http://golf.sports.yahoo.com/tracker.

Lake Presidential Golf Club at 3151 Presidential Golf Drive, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774

Located in central Maryland less than 20 miles from the White House, Lake Presidential is a beautifully groomed, championship caliber course offering a versatile, balanced test from five sets of tees ranging from 7,230 to 4,960 yards. There’s a spacious all-grass practice facility, a full-service golf shop and a handsome clubhouse with a veranda offering fine cuisine and the best sunset views west of Annapolis. Professional event planning ensures your event is as smooth and seamless as our greens. Lake Presidential is much more than just great golf. Your round is blended into a luxurious golf experience. Always open to the public, enjoy amenities found at the finest clubs in the nation. Lake Presidential is a place where everyone is treated like a member.

I hope the summer has treated you well and you are ready for our final summer/fall outings. Since I last wrote a newsletter, we have lost one of our finest friends, Harry Hofberg. His memory will be carried eternally by the Amity faithful. At our next board meeting I will propose an annual memorial tournament “The Harry Hofberg Father Son Tournament” in his honor.

Speaking of tournaments, our final tournament for the year will be the Dennis Baer Tournament of Presidents at Lake Presidential. For those who have not played here yet, this course has been one of the most widely acclaimed in the Washington, DC area. We hope to get a large showing of all of Amity’s Past-Presidents.

Hopefully by this point you have seen our newly designed website. Wait… your in it! Poke around. Enjoy!

I want to thank Stuart Kushner for all the time he has dedicated to its design and operation. The new web-site includes many new technology features. Among the new features is a new event invite technology. By clicking on the here, you will be taken directly to the invitation for the Lake Presidential Event. Please register at the bottom of that page as soon as possible.

For those of you whom I do not see next week at Hunt Valley, L’ Shanah Tovah, I wish you and your families very sweet and Happy New year.

Fondly,
Adam

LAKE PRESIDENTIAL GOLF OUTING

The final golf outing of the year is taking place at Lake Presidential Golf Club in Upper Marlboro, MD. Lake Presidential is a beautifully groomed, championship caliber course offering a versatile, balanced test from five sets of tees ranging from 7,230 to 4,960 yards. There’s a spacious all-grass practice facility, a full-service golf shop and a handsome clubhouse with a veranda offering fine cuisine and the best sunset views west of Annapolis.

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Harry Hofberg passed on August 11th after breaking his hip in a fall and undergoing surgery. Harry will be remembered for his many years of service to Amity. Feel free to leave a thought or message on the In Memoriam page we have created for him. Ralph Rothstein is recovering nicely from his surgery and we look forward to seeing his smiling face soon.

Ron Ginsburg placed 11th in the Senior Olympics Nationals 400 yard run. Good job, Ron! Most of us can barely walk that far.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN OCTOBER TO . . .

• 3 – Myron Bernstein 1945
• 5 – Richard Meyer 1934
• 8 – Seth Allen 1962
• 11 – Jonathan Gold 1967
• 12 – Sidney Burns 1940
• 14 – Brett Bernstein 1975
• 20 – Jeffrey Axelson 1951
• 20 – Howard Menditch 1952
• 27 – Robert Grimes 1958
• 30 – Richard Mirsky 1952
• 31 – David Krieg 1952

HAPPY ANNIVERSARIES IN OCTOBER TO . . .

• 6 – David and Laura Bach
• 15 – Joshua and Linda King
• 18 – Robert and Nancy Reiner 1981
• 22 – Max and Betty Shevitz 1978
• 25 – David and Marcia Rudden
• 31 – Morton and Ruth Faller 1976

• The New Website
• Paypal

Do you have any other issues or ideas for the Board to discuss? Email Adam and we will add it to the agenda. Or, let us know as you fill out the form below.

Location of Meeting: Potomac Grill
Time: 6:30pm

Harry was one of Amity’s shining spirits. We will fondly remember our cherished times with him.

For many years, Harry selflessly sat on the Board of Directors and helped to coordinate our outings and group communications. His contribution was priceless. Last year, we honored Harry as a Member for Life. Selfishly, we hoped he would hold that honor for many more years.

Harry passed away on August 11th, 2009.  Harry was “Mr. Amity” and will always be remembered for his years of dedicated service to The Club.  Harry was greatly loved, respected and admired by his friends in Amity. Simply stated, everyone liked Harry.

Harry enjoyed golf and although he never “shot his age”, he did play golf well past his 90th birthday. He was a an avid sportsman. Harry left behind 2 children, 4 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.

Harry, we teased you because we loved you. “Stand up, Harry!”

Harry’s Funeral service will be held at 12:30 pm on Thursday at B’nai Israel Congregation at 6301 Montrose Road, Rockville, MD 20852. It is a Masonic service at 12:30pm and a religious service at 1:00. Burial will be at Judean Gardens.

Shiva will still be at 13002 North Commons Way, Rockville, MD 20854

_______________________________________________________

• Thursday (after funeral) until 9:00pm
• Friday 12 – 5pm
• Saturday Sundown – 9 pm
• Sunday 12 – 9 pm
• Monday 7pm – 9 pm
• Tuesday 7pm – 9pm

Cost: $100 if received by September 7th. $125, if late.

WE HAVE TO GIVE A FINAL HEAD COUNT BY THE 10TH SO DON’T DELAY!!!!

Lunch: 11:30am
Shotgun Start: 1:00pm

You must PRE-PAY to PLAY!

Click on this sentence to get a payment coupon.

Email Rob Kantor with any questions.

If you do not have a handicap, you may get one by going to http://golf.sports.yahoo.com/tracker.

Designed in the late 1960’s by Edward Ault and opened for play in 1970, the Red and White nines start atop our valley overlooking the course, which features large strategically bunkered greens. The Blue nine added in 1976 was designed by Algie Pulley. Cut out of dense forest, the “Highlands“ features small, undulating greens that will challenge even the best putters. Each nine is unique and offers golfers a variety of situations to test their skills.

After a classic British Open finish, Amity hit the links to avenge Tom Watson’s historic loss. While it may not have been as pretty, I am told we tackled Chartwell Country Club like nobody has before. Golf lingo is not my strength, but the pro said this to me while trying to suppress a chuckle, so I think that means we did a good job.

For those of you who missed the outing, you missed a spectacular day of fun, golf and food. The forecast was for rain, but until the last foursomes came in, there wasn’t even a drop. It was a fantastic day, but I assure you it is not your last chance for a spectacular Amity outing in 2009. We will take a break in August, but come September, we return to the links and are promised a fine outing at Hunt Valley Country Club. Please mark your calendars for September 14th, as this is an event you will not want to miss.

For the second time this year, I feel compelled to step away from tradition to cover good and welfare in this message:

For some, this has been a bad month to be a past-president. Following June’s outing, I was informed that Steven Mirsky suffered a slight stroke, but is quickly on the mend. Moments later, I was informed that Ralph Rothstein was slightly less than his usual 200%, but is now patched up, and looking forward to joining us again as soon as possible. Also joining the injured reserve list this past month was Len Blondes, who has quickly bounced back from his surgery, and promises to rejoin us at September’s outing.

For other past presidents, this has been a good month. Please join me in congratulating Ben and Sam Williamowski on adding another generation to their fine family. We look forward to Chase’s induction into Amity in about 25 years. Also congratulations to Ray and Rikki Bialek on the engagement of their daughter Robin! I ask you all to please remind Ray of induction rule #1!

Finally, please accept my warmest wishes for a wonderful summer with your families. I look forward to seeing you all in September, if not sooner.

Remember… Amity ain’t failed you yet!

Fondly,
Adam Warshavsky

2009 Amity Roster – Final Version

The 2009 Newsletter is available online. Please click here to download it. If you find a mistake, let me know and I will update your information for the next release.

Stu Kushner
Asst. Recording Secretary

Amity Business Newsletter

We are still seeking articles and advertising for our Amity Business Newsletter. Amity is about community and we are all in business and mostly self-employed. So, this feels like a good fit for Amity. We hope that we can all do more business with each other. So, if you want to be able to place ads or promotions in the newsletter, send me an email. The cost is $25 per year and the money will go into the Charity Fund.

Send $25 to Steve Weisman at 15400 Calhoun Drive, Suite 120, Rockville, 20855. Then send an email with a brief description of your business and/or an offer for a discount or special offer for your services to me at stu.kushner@amityclubofwashington.org.

Our Business Newsletter members will be able to create up to four ads per year. We can include graphics too! I look forward to hearing from you and all of us working together to create business for and with each other.

Stu Kushner
Asst. Recording Secretary

Happy Birthday in August to…

• 1 – Solvin Gordon, CPM 1953
• 1 – Barry Markowitz 1951
• 6 – Leslie Ulanow 1954
• 12 – Mitchell Morris 1958
• 12 – Eli Guiterman 1975
• 13 – Richard Hayman 1945
• 13 – Alan Nelson 1943
• 14 – Max Shevitz 1955
• 15 – Randall Rothstein 1950
• 20 – Morton Faller 1946
• 23 – Stephen Shapiro 1962
• 27 – Michael Fanaroff 1959
• 28 – Edward Sands 1939
• 30 – Leonard Shapiro 1934
• 30 – Andrew Shulman 1971

Happy Anniversary in August to…

• 5 – Geoffrey and Gail Azaroff 1979
• 14 – Lawrence and Ginger Tempchin 1982
• 15 – Robert and Debbi Silverman 1971
• 16 – Samuel and Barbara Williamowsky 1973
• 17 – Ben and Minna Williamowsky 1947
• 17 – Alan and Linda Friend 1967
• 18 – Mark and Rusty Levy 1957
• 19 – Terry and Linda Vann 1967
• 27 – Walter and Angela Harris