Samuel J. Tilden Democratic Club

Please remember to bring any completed petitions to the next Club Meeting, which is Thursday (June 19) evening at 7:30 at Seafarer’s Institute (15^th Street at Irving Place). This will be the first collection, so keep gathering more signatures! Members who gather two completed petition sheets are invited to the Tilden Petition Wrap Party at Kipsey’s on Monday, July 7th at 7 pm for last collection of petitions.

Please note that this will be the last meeting until September, so please attend and see everyone before the Summer break. We will be having a special guest speaker, lots of good discussion, munchies and drinks, and a whole lotta fun as always!

Thanks to everyone who attended the Tilden Street Fair. The weather was perfect, lots of members were at the booth all day, many others roamed the Fair gathering hundreds of petitions, and we were joined by many of our elected officials. We also met several potential new Tilden members and look forward to seeing them again. 

Please note that the meeting will begin at 7:30 pm

Monthly Meeting
Thursday, June 19, 2014 7:30PM
Seafarer’s & International House
DRAFT AGENDA
1. Adoption of Agenda
2. President’s Report
3. District Leader Report
4. Discussion: 350NYC Fossil Fuel Divestment Resolution
5. Guest Speaker: Stanley Wilson, Council of School Administrators and Supervisors, Manhattan Unit Leader, Re: Veteran’s benefits
6. Old/New Business
7. Adjourn

It’s Petition Season! What better way to spend quality time meeting neighbors and strangers on a street corner? Our candidates need your help collecting signatures so that they can get on the ballot. You can help by getting signatures. Come pick up a few Petition sheets on Tuesday, June 3 from 6 – 8 pm. We will be on the mezzanine level of the Seafarer’s Institute, at the corner of Irving Place and 15th Street. If you have never Petitioned before, we will teach you how in a few minutes. It’s easy and fun – and you can do it with other members, in your own building, or wherever you can find local Registered Democrats. It’s one of the most important things we can do aside from voting.
And don’t forget that this Sunday June 8 is the World Famous Tilden Street Fair! The event runs from 10 am until 6 pm. and stretches along beautiful Third Avenue from 23rd to 34th Streets. Tilden’s Booth will be located on the west side of Third Avenue between 25th and 26th Street. Stop by for some fun, mozzarepas and Petitioning!

Our next meeting will be June 19, 7:30 pm, at Seafarer’s International (Irving Place at 15^th Street). One topic we will be discussing was proposed by Club Member Shelley Winfield. This is the issue of “Veterans Buy Back,” which would allow veterans to purchase retirement credit for their service. Shelley and a special guest speaker will provide us with information so that we can learn more and consider supporting the legislation. Our May meeting was exceptionally lively; Senator Brad Hoylman and Assembly Member Brian Kavanagh, along with Erik Bottcher, Governor Cuomo’s liaison, stumped for our endorsements and answered some tough questions from Club members. They did very well, since by the end of the night we had endorsed Governor Cuomo, Comptroller Di Napoli, Attorney General Schneiderman, Senators Hoylman and Krueger, Assembly Member Kavanagh, and State Committee Members Farrin and Egeth. Immediately prior to the meeting, the County Committee held its Executive Committee meeting, where they voted to enthusiastically support the re-election of Hon. Arlene Bluth for re-election and  Louis Nock for civil court.

This year’s Tilden Street Fair will be Sunday, June 8 on 3rd Avenue from 23^rd to 34^th Streets. The famous Tilden Booth will be on the west side of 3rd Avenue between 25^th and 26^th Street. Stay tuned for details.

The Second Annual Demmy Awards will be held On Monday July 14, 7 pm, at the world famous Apollo Theater.  As many of you remember, Tilden’s very own Louise Dankberg won the Democrat of the Year award at the last ceremony. To nominate someone for Democrat of the Year, Young Democrat of the Year, or Club of the Year send in your nomination to TheDemmys@gmail.com by June 20. If you would like to travel to the ceremony with fellow Tilden Club members please notify Louise at LDankberg@nyc.rr.com.

Our email list is being updated. If you know of any members of friends who do not receive the Club email update, please contact Mark Thompson, President, at markptnyc@aol.com.

The next monthly meeting will be held on Thursday, May 15 at Seafarers’ Institute (northeast corner of 15th Street and Irving Place). PLEASE NOTE THE MEETING WILL BEGIN AT 8 PM. The meeting will start later than usual because the NY Democratic County Committee will be holding its meeting in the same room from 6 – 8 pm. The Tilden Club meeting will begin immediately after the County Committee meeting ends. Please attend the County Committee meeting if possible. Refreshments will be served!

At the County Committee meeting County Leader Keith L. T. Wright will speak, followed by voting for Civil Court Judges. Tilden Club Member Richard Tsai is in the running so please attend and show support for Richard.

Below is the draft agenda for the Tilden Club Meeting.

 

1.  Adoption of Agenda

2.  Adoption of Minutes

3. President’s Report

4. District Leader Report

5. Guest Speakers: State Office Candidates (Senator Hoylman, Assembly Member Kavanagh)

6.Endorsement Vote

6.  Old/New Business

7.  Adjourn

 

 

On Thursday, April 24, 2014 The Samuel J. Tilden Democratic Club held its 61^st Anniversary Dinner at the National Arts Club. The event also celebrated Samuel J. Tilden’s 200^th Birthday, as well as the birthday of one of the evening’s honorees, Jack Taylor, and one of our District Leaders, Steve Smollens.  With more than 150 guests seated at dinner, and several dozen more guests who came only for the cocktail hour, the event was a huge success and a tribute to Tilden’s importance and the strength of our community.

After opening remarks by Tilden Club President Mark Thompson, Chris Poe, President of the National Arts Club, spoke and welcomed Tilden members. He then introduced Rev. Dr. Thomas F. Pike, who conducted an Invocation.

During the course of the evening, we presented the Beth R. Cosnow Award for Democratic Leadership to State Senator Brad Hoylman, and the Millard L. Midonick and Margot Gayle Tilden Award for Community Service to Jack Taylor for his outstanding work in helping protect and preserve the cultural and historic character of our community.  Both of these awards were recently named in honor of outstanding leaders of the Tilden Club. We were exceptionally pleased to have been joined by Will’s widow, Jill Midonick.

A surprise took place when the Claude Kleefield Award was presented to Tilden Club member Arthur Wolf for his outstanding community service. The award was named for Claude Kleefield, who a beloved member of the Club whose life was devoted community service and whose grace and class serve as an inspiration to us all.

District leaders Louise Dankberg and Steve Smollens introduced a variety of special guests, including many Judges and individuals hoping to become judges, as well as several candidates for the Assembly from the Upper East Side.

More than 76 individuals or groups served as Patrons, and Sponsors, and for the first time three corporate sponsors took entire tables.  The Council of Supervisors and Administrators, the United Federation of Teachers, and the NY State Nursing Association had a strong presence, and we were joined by many of our elected officials including Minna Elias (representing Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney), County Committee leader Hon. Keith Wright, Borough President Gale Brewer, State Senator Liz Krueger, State Assembly Members  Debra Glick and Dan Quart,  Council Member Dan Garodnick (former Tilden Club President), and former Assembly Member Steve Sanders.

The event could not have been possible without the exceptional dedication and hard work of the Dinner Committee, which included Pat Levenson, Chair, and Wil Weder, Vice Chair, Louise Dankberg, Mollie Dunlap, Sandy Hecker, Laura Koestler, Zoila Poire, Roger Ribacoff, Marcia Robinson, Sandro Sherrod, Steve Smollens, and Shelley Winfield. Special thanks to Rick Eggers, for his photography, and to the staff and members of the National Arts Club, and our host member, Wil Weder.

The next monthly meeting of the Samuel J. Tilden Democratic Club will be held on Thursday, May 15 at 7:30 pm. The meeting will take place at the Seafarer’s Institute, located at the northeast corner of 15th Street and Irving Place.

Please note that due to the scheduling of the Judicial Candidates Event, the March meeting has been moved from Thursday, March 20 to Monday, March 24. The meeting will start at the regular time, 7:30 PM and be held in the regular room on the 2^nd floor of the Seafarer’s Institute (15^th Street at Irving Place) at 7:30 PM.

On Friday morning, March 14, surrounded by her loving family, our dear friend and fellow Tilden Club member Barbara Garodnick passed away. We are saddened by this loss and wish to express our deepest condolences to Barbara’s family and her large circle of friends, which includes the members of Tilden, her neighbors, her students and the many people she touched with her artistic skills, intelligence, grace, charm and dignity.

 

Barbara and her loving husband David joined Tilden many years ago, and encouraged other community activists to join, including Pat Levenson and Laura Koestler. Barbara’s presence was felt through her participation as Donations Committee Chairperson, Vice President and Chairperson; her personal skills guided us through difficult times and made the Club stronger. During the good times she gracefully encouraged us, helped us grow, and kept us moving joyfully in the right direction.  Barbara was proud of her son, Dan, our former Club President and City Council member.

 

The members of the Samuel J. Tilden Democratic Club express our deepest condolences to Barbara’s family and friends, and will observe a moment of silence to honor her memory at our monthly meeting on March 24.

 

 

In honor of Barbara’s memory, her family established an endowment at Brooklyn College to be given annually to an independent-minded junior or senior specializing in visual arts to purchase supplies.  In lieu of flowers, please contribute to the Barbara Riotto Garodnick ’61 Memorial Award Fund (c/o Brooklyn College Foundation; 2900 Bedford Avenue; Brooklyn, NY 11210). The family is planning a celebration of Barbara’s life to be held at a future date.