Ed Jolley - Rest in Peace
Past Commandant and long time member Ed Jolley passed away on 6 October. Ed will long be remembered and respected for his many contributions to the Metrowest Detachment. Ed was a primary contributor to our VA visitation. He was a driving force behind the golf tournament for all 14 years that of its existence. He will be missed. We express our condolences to his family.Visiting hours will be at the Everett Funeral Home in Natick Center on Thursday, 9 October from 4:00 to 7:00. The Marine Corps League will conduct a ritual ceremony at 6:30. Members are encouraged to attend in uniform. Preferred uniform is long sleeved shirt with tie, dress blue trousers, with MCL cover if possible. Funeral Mass will be conducted at St George's Church in Framingham on Fri 10 October. Burial will be at Bourne National Cemetery to 2:45
Normal Meeting Schedule Resumes on Third Tuesdays at Natick Amvets:
As summer is nearing completion, we have returned to our normal schedule of meetings on the third Tuesday of the month. The September 16th meeting was conducted as scheduled at the Natick Amvets with 16 members in attendance. Sr Vice Commandant and Past Commandant Jim Hastings presided in the absence of the Commandant who was away on business travel.
As the first item of business, we are pleased to welcome new member Thomas Clark who was sworn in at the meeting.
Golf Tournament Update:
The 14th Annual Tom Potenza Memorial Golf Tournament was very successful with a strong positive resulting profit. This is our primary fundraiser and its success will contribute greatly to our outreach activities this year. The Golf Committee of Ed Jolley, Jim Hastings, John MacEntagert, Bill Costello, and John Crisafulli are to be commended for having committed to numerous meetings and attending to the numerous details that are involved in an event of this size. We had a good showing of members on the day of the tournament who helped out with registration and other roles. Member's family and supporters of the detachment also stepped up to help out. We had good support in advertising from member connected businesses like Mike Corbett, Ed Carr and Past Commandant Mike Whelan. Numerous members sold ads and donated items for raffles. The detachment thanks all those who made this event possible and successful. If you did not participate this year, actively or financially, we look forward to your help next year.
Paymaster Report:
We are in good shape financially. The Paymaster report was submitted and accepted. Bill Costello continues to do an excellent job of performing this important role.
Chaplain Report:
The illness of Jim Lineski was reported and a card was prepared for sending. Jim is a WWII veteran of the Corps. Members are encouraged to notify Chaplain Mike Whelan of illness or distress of members or family members.
Appreciation for Detachment Support:
Chad Connors, grandson of Marty Grady, was present to thank the detachment for sponsoring his attendance at the Student Trooper Academy over the summer. Chad felt that the program was beneficial and was appreciative of the opportunity.
New Detachment Attire:
Jim Hastings has arranged for a detachment sweatshirt to be produced. This is a quality garment with MCL graphics and detachment identification stitched on. It is anticipated that these will be available for purchase at a price of $30. This is a good price for a quality piece of attire. More information will be forthcoming on ordering details.
Framingham Farm Pond Festival, 5 October
The detachment will have a booth at this family oriented festival. This is an opportunity for us to offer roses and CD's in return for donations. Members are encouraged to arrive in uniform at 12:00 noon to support this event. The festival will go until 4:00 so please commit as much time as you can.
Donation to Suicide Prevention:
A motion was made and accepted to donate $500 to support the effort of Captain Justin Fitch who conducts ruck marches to raise awareness of the high suicide rate among today's veterans. This is an increasingly critical issue that is worthy of our attention.
1/25 Support
Mike Corbett, Jim Hastings,and members from the Shutt Detachment conducted a "burger burn" at the rifle range at Fort Devens to raise funds for the 1/25 Marine Corps Ball. This has been a monthly event where the Metrowest Detachment has been one of the mainstays. Through these activities the ticket prices for the ball have been able to be more manageable for the troops. Jim Hastings and John MacEntagert have been instrumental in arranging for food and cooking for each of these events since April.
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 21 at 1930 at the Natick Amvets. This is the time to make yourself heard.