LOOK BACK TO DEC. 1, 1958

PLEASE JOIN US AS WE REMINISCE OF BYGONE DAYS AND THE DICKMAN ODYSSEY IN WHAT WAS THE CLOSEST THING TO UTOPIA "COPLAY".

DECEMBER 1, 2015                7:10PM


AS I SIT HERE AT MY PC, IT IS THE APPROXIMATE TIME 58 YEARS AGO WHEN I ATTENDED, BY INVITATION, MY FIRST COPLAY RECREATION AND WELFARE ASSN. MEETING. IT WAS A MONDAY AND THE FIRST DAY OF BUCK SEASON. I HAD SPENT THE DAY IN THE LEWISTOWN VALLEY JUST SOUTH AND WEST OF TAMAQUA.  I CAME HOME EMPTY HANDED BUT IT WAS AN ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCE,  MY DAY WAS TO BE FILLED WITH SOMETHING THAT WOULD INVOLVE US, ANN AND MYSELF, FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS.  BECAUSE OF A JOYFUL EVENT IN ANN'S AND MY LIFE, WHICH ENDED UP TRAUMATICALLY EARLIER IN 1958, WE BECAME ACQUAINTED WITH ROBERT HAUKE, SR.  BOB CAME BACK TO OUR HOME ON SAYLOR DRIVE AND SPENT SEVERAL HOURS CHATTING AND MAKING US AWARE OF WHAT THE COMMUNITY OF COPLAY HAD TO OFFER TO US NEWCOMERS.  HE TOLD US OF COMING TO COPLAY ONLY 2 OR 3 YEARS BEFORE US AND HOW HE BECAME INVOLVED.  HE TALKED OF COPLAY REC AND WELFARE THAT WAS CHARTERED ON JULY 5, 1955, JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS AFTER WE MOVED INTO COPLAY. (INCIDENTALLY, JULY 5, 1955 WAS MY FIRST DAY OF EMPLOYMENT IN THE BETHLEHEM STEEL BEAM YARD AS AN INSPECTOR)  BOB SAID HE WOULD INVITE ME TO CONSIDER BECOMING A MEMBER AT A FUTURE DATE.  SO, ON DEC. 1, 1958, WHEN I ARRIVED HOME FROM HUNTING AT 7:00PM, MY LADY SAID MR. HAUKE CALLED AND INVITED ME TO THE REC & WELFARE MEETING WHICH WAS ALWAYS HELD ON THE FIRST MONDAY OF THE MONTH IN THE OLD BOROUGH HALL ON 2ND ST. ACROSS FROM THE LEGION HOME.  WITH A SCRAGGLY BEARD AND IN MY HOME MADE HUNTING CLOTHES ( MY LADY MADE THE OUTFIT), I WALKED INTO THE BOROUGH HALL AND SAT ON A CHAIR NEAR THE ENTRANCE.  BOB WAVED A GREETING AND CONTINUED THE MEETING. I REALLY DIDN'T RECOGNIZE FOLKS AT THE MEETING, EXCEPT FOR THE GENTLEMAN WHO NOMINATED ME FOR MEMBERSHIP AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME. 
I AM GOING TO STOP TALKING AND ATTACH A COUPLE PAGES OF THE COPLAY REC AND WELFARE MINUTES FOR DEC. 1958 AND JAN. 1959. THE JANUARY MINUTES MENTION A SPONSORED DANCE WHICH DIDN'T TURN OUT TO WELL BECAUSE COPLAY HIGH SCHOOL WAS IN A BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT AT SLATINGTON AND EVERYBODY WENT TO SLATINGTON. THE SECOND ITEM IN THE JAN. MINUTES TELLS OF ME RECEIVING THE KEYS FOR THE LIGHTS AT THE ICE SKATING RING, WHICH IS WHERE THE CURRENT TOT LOT IS LOCATED. ANN AND I ACTED AS  CHAPERONES WHEN THE BOROUGH OPENED THE RING. 

PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT AND READ ABOUT DAYS OF THE PAST. 

DEDICATED PEOPLE: ROBERT HAUKE, FIRST REC & WELFARE PRESIDENT, (GEORGE MILLER AND A FEW OTHERS STARTED REC & WELFARE), BERNICE REPPERT, MADELINE ROTH, ROSE LANSENDERFER, STELLA REICHL, L.KATHRYN FOGEL, BETTY BANKES, MITZI BLOZINSKY, BILLY HELLER, ED FLECK, JOHN AND MARY ZSIGOVITS, O. HEFFELFINGER, EARL LYNN,  RAY KRATZER, WILLIAM "BILL" ADAMS, AND ANN AND FRANK DICKMAN.   I KNOW I MIGHT MISS SOME FOLKS AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. 

THE CURRENT PRESIDENT OF COPLAY REC & WELFARE IS MR. RICK HESS. 

THE ANNUAL SANTA ARRIVAL, TREE LIGHTING AND CHRISTMAS PROGRAM, WITH THE WHITEHALL HIGH SCHOOL CHORALE PARTICIPATING, WILL BE HELD ON THURSDAY DEC. 3RD, 2015 --- 6:30PM --- AT THE BOROUGH MUNICIPAL BUILDING. REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED.

GOD BLESS,
FRANK AND ANN DICKMAN

                                                         30 YEARS OF DEDICATED
                                                           AND LOYAL SERVICE
                                                           TO OUR COMMUNITY

                                                              GONE TOO SOON
                                                               DEEPLY MISSED
                                                        MAY HE REST IN PEACE

americanclub.org
coplaysaengerbund.com/
coplayfirst.blogspot.com
coplaysports.org
facebook.com/coplaycommunitydaysfestival
www.rephscar.com
samuelowens.com
alexmeixner.com
facebook.com/GeigerFamilyFarm
coplaypubliclibrary.org
facebook.com/frankcdickman