24 North Shore Towers Courier n June 2016 Approximately eighty members and guests were privileged once again to have as their speaker at the May 19th meeting, Jack Bilello, a noted historian and writer. The subject this time was the Civil War. For almost an hour and without notes, Jack held his audience in close attention as he spoke about the events and people that shaped the Civil War era and consequently affect this country’s future: Lincoln and his tragic life, Grant, Lee, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Walt Whitman, Clara Barton, even Abner Doubleday, Antietam, Gettysburg, Shiloh and Appomattox. All these brought back memories of our American History classes. But the name with which Jack wound up his talk was so obscure that I believe very few of us recognize his exploits. That name is Joshua Lawrence Chamberlin. Chamberlin was a teacher at Bowdoin College in Maine when the war broke out and immediately enlisted. Although he had no military training, he was given an officer’s rank, learning on the job. He went through many battles with distinction, but the battle for which this relatively unknown officer is famous is The Battle of Little Round Top, where he was in charge of the Union forces that occupied the high ground. The Confederates charged many times, but were repulsed each time. Eventually, the Union forces ran out of ammunition and all seemed lost. Chamberlin remembered a quote that “when all is lost– CHARGE! He ordered his men to fix bayonets and do so. The confederates were so shocked that they scattered in disarray. Chamberlin was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his performance. He was later seriously wounded twice, so badly that the “New York Times” printed his obituary both times, but he survived. For his heroic service, Grant gave him the honor of accepting the surrender of Lee’s Army at Appomattox. After the war, he went back to Maine where he was four times Governor and became President of Bowdoin College. He lived to see FDR inaugurated. His is the classic example of how events can shape greatness. Our speaker at next month’s meeting on June 9th will be Jeffrey Lumerman, M.D. F.A.C.S., who serves as Chairman of the Department of Urology of Pro-Health Care. Dr. Lumerman graduated Cum Laude from Yeshiva University in 1989 and earned his MD from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He trained as an intern at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center and completed his residency there in June 1999 before beginning his practice with Urological Surgeons of Long Island. Dr. Lumerman has participated in many community awareness programs and lectures widely. He has received several academic honors, has extensive experience in urological research, and has published and presented his MEN’S CLUB research findings on many occasions. Dr. Lumerman is certified by the American Board of Urology and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Due to what may become the personal nature of the subject matter, we respectfully request that this be a MEN ONLY meeting. At its last meeting, the Book Group discussed “Dead Wake” by Erik Larsen, which is bout the sinking of the Lusitania before the start of World War I. At its next meeting on June 20th, they will discuss “The Final Storm” by Jeff Shaara. It’s about the war in the Pacific. The author is well known for his historical novels. Books are being held in reserve at the Glen Oaks Library. For further information, please contact Ralph Edwards at 347-235-0472. At our May 9th meeting of the Current Events Group, we welcomed back our leader, Lee Hiller, from snow-birding. In his absence we had two knowledgeable pinch hitters in Gary Darche and Ralph Edwards. Of course, the main topic of discussion at this meeting was the Primaries. There was an esoteric discussion of the word “presumptive” as it referred to Trump’s anointment. It included a talk on convention rules and the Electoral College. Other topics included the releasing of information regarding the Saudis involvement in 9/11; transgender bathrooms; Putin’s unique relationship with Israel; and Supreme Court nominations. And to inject a little levity, some comments were made regarding American Pharaoh’s lifestyle. The next meeting will be held on June 13th at 10:30 a.m. in the Coleridge Lounge. If you would like to get in touch with Lee, his phone number is 347-502-7112. BY PAUL NETTLER Twenty-three of us, including wives and significant others, had dinner last month at Papa Ciros. We had a private room, which made it very congenial. While there, Steve Weiland bumped into an old buddy who serenaded us with his beautiful singing voice. Future planned events (with the contact members) include a Comedy Club show with lunch on June 21 (Arnie Rabinowitz 718-819-8070); dinner at House of Portugal on June 14 (Art Rose 718-352- 2885); lunch at Bamonte on June 23 (Terry Feit 347-235-4931); Mets game on June 22 (Arnie Rabinowitz); a day at Belmont track (Steve Weiland 516-697-5140); and a poker tournament on Thursday, June 23rd, at 7 p.m. in the card room (Arnie Rabinowitz 718-819-8070). The next Bingo game—which is open to all—will be held on June 26th at 7 p.m. in the large card room near the theater. There will be door prizes. A trip to Sagamore Hill is planned for July 26th, and a boat cruise to the Statue of Liberty is planned for August 6th. Remember all the fun we had a while back when Bud Bank sponsored the Men’s Club version of the Newlywed Game? Well, Bud’s at it again, so who is brave enough to volunteer? You can reach Bud at 516-884-5331. Our breakfast get-togethers are becoming more popular. Pretty soon we’ll need a private room. We meet every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday at 9:15 a.m. at Buffy’s. If you would like to join our Men’s Club or have any questions, please call our president, Toby Horowitz, at718- 279-0082 or email him at [email protected]. Speaker Jack Bilello Joshua Lawrence Chamberlin Photo by Toby Horowitz
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