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The Pioneer’s Club Newsletter |
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Memorial Day Service |
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A Place for all the Old Timers to Get Together |
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Volume 2, Issue 6 June, 2008 |
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On Friday, May 23, 2007 approximately 50 people attended our Memorial Service at the flag pole on Scottsville Road.
Mother Nature supplied us with a perfect day to hold to conduct our remembrance.
I would like to thank Ray Dunn and the members of the Vets Club for conducting this service as well as everybody who made the effort to attend.
The Vets Club placed a wreath at the foot of the flag pole, lowered the flag to half staff, and read the names of the veterans who were lost in conflicts, as well as those RG&E veterans who had died since last years service. Dave Payne played Taps , while Ray read the lyrics to it.
It was a solemn and moving service.
The photos are posted on the web site. You can see them by Clicking Here. |
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Golf Leagues |
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Well with spring in Rochester, everyone's thoughts turn to Lilacs, ok strike that, everyone’s thoughts turn to golf. And RG&E’ers are no different.
I was able to find out that there are at least three of the old RG&E Golf Leagues still going on.
The first league I got information on is the:
Twilight Hackers Tuesdays evenings at 5:00 PM At Webster West Salt Road, Webster, NY
For more information contact:
Joseph Cygan Joseph_Cygan@rge.com Phone: 585-771-2722
The next league is the:
The Baggers Thursday evenings at 5:00 PM At Webster East Salt Road, Webster, NY
For more information contact:
Mike Adams or Tina Konopa 724-8732
The last league I heard about is at Victor Hills, Victor, NY.
But I could get no further information on it. |
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The Big Band |
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Dave Payne, the band’s director, sent me a partial schedule of the 2008 concert season.
You can view the dates and locations on our web site by Clicking Here.
These concerts are played at various apartment complexes in the area, catering to senior citizens. So they are not for the general public, but there is no admission charged.
I hope you can find the time to attend one.
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If you know of an organization that would like to book the band, contact Dave Payne by clicking here. There might still be some openings in their schedule. |
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Web Site Stuff |
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I’ve been working on the web site in my spare time.
I pretty much have the “Photo Gallery” cleaned up and reformatted. Check it out! The pictures load a lot faster and the navigation makes more sense (at least to me!).
The “Booklet Gallery” contains copies of all programs from all the previous Pioneer’s Picnics I could find. These programs are in “PDF” format for easier viewing.
To view a PDF file, you need a PDF viewer installed on you PC. We recommend the “free” Adobe Acrobat Viewer. A link to download it is on our web site.
Speaking of our web site, I got an email from one of our members asking what our web address is, Well it’s:
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I also changed the color of the web site to a cooling green. Let me know what you think.
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The Newsletter |
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Last month I got an email from one of our members asking if I could use the regular mail, and send out their copy that way instead of by email.
This was my reply:
I'm sorry but I can't mail out copies of the monthly newsletter. It is not created in a format that allows easy printing. For example, the May issue would require 10 sheets of paper to print in its current format. And that was a short issue. Reformatting it, would require almost a complete re-write of the newsletter in a format designed to be printed.
For people who don't have email, I post all the newsletters on our web site at http://www.ThePioneersClub.org. All the issues are there.
There are 1400 names in the roster for the Pioneer's Club. So that a mailing, via the post office, would cost almost $600 in postage alone every month, plus the paper, envelopes, and wear and tear on my printer. Since we receive no financial help from RG&E and have no dues structure, any mailings are financially impossible. We consider ourselves very fortunate that RG&E mails the postcard for the Annual Picnic for us.
Ron Johnson, Tom Slader, Arnie Stockslader, and myself are paying all the administrative costs generated by the club out of our own pockets with no form of reimbursement.
If I ever find an angel who is willing to pick up the costs associated with printing and mailing a monthly newsletter, I'll make sure your name is first on the list.
While I would like to see this humble newsletter in everyone’s hands, electronic transmission is the only feasible method at present.
Now if someone out there wins the lottery……. |
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Rochester Picnic |
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Last month I did a “heads up” for this year’s Rochester Picnic.
Well the ball is rolling now. Arnie got the menu and the price set for this year.
The menu is:
Hot dogs (Red & White) Hamburgers Grilled Chicken Breast Rolls Baked Beans Cole Slaw Potato Salad Macaroni Salad Milk, Tea, and Coffee Dessert
Chips, pretzels & Peanuts at the bar
The food will be available from: 12:30 – 3 PM
It's buy your own adult refreshments and/or soft drinks, so don't forget to bring money. (Arnie’s interest rates are really high!)
This gathering is open to all Active or Retired Employees, and Contractors. |
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We are sorry but we had to increase the price by $1.00, which is exactly the amount the caterer raised it to us. Please send your checks for $15.00 made out to “Pioneers of RG&E” to Arnie at: 131 LeGran Road Rochester, NY 14617 Payment is required in advance by check by Tuesday, July 15, 2008. The postcard announcements will be mailed this month to all members. The post card
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The RG&E News |
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We all remember the RG&E News. That wonderful publication we all looked forward to reading every month.
Last year when Arnie and I were poking around the basement at 89 East Ave. We came across a file cabinet full of very old issues. To be exact we borrowed the year’s 1912 and 1913 to post on the web site.
Well they are finally all scanned into PDF format and are posted on our web site for you to read.
In the beginning (May 1912) it was called “Gas and Electric News” and published by Rochester Railway and Light Co., our parent.
We hope you enjoy reading them as much we did.
Our next goal is to borrow 1914 and 1915 and put them on the web site. Eventually, we hope to be able to have every issue on line for your enjoyment. |
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The picture above is a direct link to the May, 1912 issue. Just click on it to see how it looks. |
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What “One Cents” Worth of Electric Will Do! |
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Poach one dozen eggs. Broil one nice sirloin steak. Cook a Welsh rarebit for six persons. Fry twelve eggs. Make coffee for four persons. Iron six handkerchiefs, two pillow cases and two towels. Do the stitching on three shirt waists (sewing machine power). Ignite one cigar each for two hundred and eighty-seven men. Curl the hair once each for fourteen women. Pump the water from a one-hundred-foot well for one good drink for eleven elephants. Grind enough sausage for one meal each for two hundred and sixteen persons. Grind enough shelled corn to make one cornmeal feed each for one thousand chickens. Give one horse a hair clipping. Enables a dentist to complete a large gold filling. Heat the water for shaving needed by three men. Lift (by magnet) ten tons twelve feet high in one minute. Perfectly toast ten slices of bread. Furnish hot water for the tea for a party of eight. Heat milk for the baby four times. Keep a heating pad hot for two hours. Properly light a room fifteen feet square for two hours. Fan cool a dining room on a hot day for three meals. Cook one breakfast for one person. Play an electric piano for one hour. Fry boiled potatoes for two persons. Fry bacon for breakfast for four people. Press one pair trousers. Clean four 9 x12 rugs.
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Unfortunately that’s not available at today’s prices. I found the list as part of an article in the October, 1913 issue of the RG&E News (AKA Gas and Electric News by Rochester Railway and Light Co.).
Check out these very old issues we are currently putting on-line by Clicking Here.
After reading these old issues, you will be able to get a feel for what a great company we all worked for, and what a fine history it had.
To see these documents , you will need a PDF viewer on your PC. At the bottom of our FAQ section you will find a link so you can download a free, common version of the viewer. |
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It’s Not Your Father’s RG&E Anymore |
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That was an article from the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle which I saw in the business section of the Friday, May 30, 2008 edition.
I guess the era of co-operation between the employees and management is finally over and the labor/management wall is being built.
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It’s funny but I remember when RG&E would bend over backwards to maintain a happy family. The days of the Sea Breeze Family Picnic, the Children's Christmas Party, contributions to a department get together, and funding of various clubs and social groups. The list is probably longer, but some slip my mind.
I can also remember when Human Resources was called Employee Relations for a reason, and the benefits we received were given as part of a way of saying “Thank You” for a job well done not as a bargaining chip.
Yeap!, I guess it’s “Not our fathers RG&E” anymore. |
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Obituary Page |
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I found myself updating the Obituary page again last month.
Giacomo (Jack) H. Paris joined the list on April 18, 2008. He was a F/H Maintenance retiree.
David J. Crichton joined the list on May 9, 2008. He was a F/H Maintenance retiree.
Robert A. Stein joined the list on May 16, 2008. He retired from Risk Management.
They will be missed. |
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“Lest we Forget” |
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Memorial Service Photo |
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Remember: Pass this Newsletter on, so everyone can see it! And if you’re not on our mailing list, click here to join Questions or Comments or Articles? Just Email me at Tom@ThePioneersClub.org
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This Newsletter was produced for : «Email Address»
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