1979-02-13
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TOWN OF WAPPINGER
RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES
FEBRUARY 13, 1979
The Recreation Commission of the Town of Wappinger met on February 13,
1979, at Town Hall, Mill Street,Wappingers Falls, New York.
Present: Hugh J. Maurer, Chairman, Mary Schmalz, Joseph Ennesser,
Director.
Others Present: Janet Reilly, COuncilwoman,
Mr. Maurer opened the Meeting at 7:40 P.M. to take care of the
business of the Commission as Mr. Charles Drum, representative from
Dutchess County Youth Bureau was expected to give a presentation at
8:00 P.M.
Bills were presented and signed by the two Commissioners present.
Mr. Ennesser reported on his winter Programs which were moving along
very successfully. They all had a good attendance; he was especially
pleased with the Women's Exercise p~ogram, the attendance was very
commendable. He was not satisfied with the Indoor Tennis Clinic and
said he would discontinue it if the attendance did not pick up. The
schools were being very cooperative and in general, everything was
A-OK.
Mr. Charles Drum from County Youth Bureau arrived at 8:20 P.M. and
explained that he had been in meetings all afternoon and apologized
for being late: his wiee had called previously to explain that he
would be late. He gave a presentation on the application for the
funds that were available, some 100% funding. The reports had been
simplified to some degree and he showed those present what was now
required. It was a lot simpler: all vouchers did not have to be
copied~ voucher numbers, check numbers, name of program, theee were
necessary, but not all the copy work that had been previously submitted.
He explained the forms and answered all questions asked by those present.
He further explained that there could be no reimbursements on programs
that the Town charged a fee for youths. All summer and ~nter programs
sponsored by Town Recreation were free and therefore could be presented
in the application for funding: any programs with a fee could not.
He offered his assistance to the Town when they were ready~to fill out
the forms and suggested that rather than wait until the deadline that
they be worked on monthly and submitted either monthly or quarterly.
When we had reached the quota we could then send them in~ it did not
have to be a full year.
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Recl'leation Minutes 2/13/79
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Mr. Johnson, COuncilman on the Recreation Committee arrived during
the next presentation which was on the art of Fencing given by Mr.
Drew Kopf, an instructor at Dutchess Community College. He brought
along a student and gave a very thorough presentation of this sport,
showed the Commission the equipment he uses and offered a program
to them. He himself would not be giving the instructions, one of
his students would do this, but everyone would be involved and have
a chance to use the equipment. It wouldn I t just be instructional,
theee would be action for the class. Mr. Ennesser took the informa-
tion needed if he decided to try this program for the Town Recreation.
H:M offered a copy of an article written by him entitled "1111 Get .
Right to the Point", which is on file for those interested in reading
. it.
Since we did not have a quorum at this meeting, there was no other
official business, and the meeting closed at 10:00 P.M.
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Gladys Ruit, Secretary
Recreation Commission
D'II Get Right
to the Poant
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DREW G, KOPf
F"...in9 Most"r
Dutche.. Community Colleg_
I finished reading Dr. Dyer's book, Your Erroneous
Zones, and decided to deal with my procrastination as soon
as i could get around to it. I put finger to pushbutton
phone and called 212-254-4053, Santelli, to price the latest
in Fencing equipment. Foil, jacket, pants, mask, and glove
came to less than what some of my skier friends invest in a
good pair of ski boots. My Tretorns would work as well as
regulation Fencing shoes for now. I broke down and ordered
a new outfit save for the glove. After thirteen years of use,
mine is perfectly worn in. 1\ly Fencing students at
Dutchess Community College say it is completely worn
out. To them I sa v, "So what if it has no palm, So what if
only some of the -fingers have any leather left." They kid
me about having a "lucky" glo\'e. To me luck is when
preparedness meets opportunity. But at the same time, I
love my glove. .
Fencing, as an art of self-defense, enjoyed international
acceptance for centuries. As a modern day sport, it is a
mixture of creativity, as in interpretive dance, and
stealt.hful fury and frustration, as in a forty:yard
touchdown pass. It is, perhaps, the only "art-sport."
Today's many "you-can-be-better-than-you-are" books
and tapes being read and listened to by anxious and am-
bitious Americans, may well help to make Fencing the next
leisure time interest boom. The traditional Fencing "look"
would then be in for a change.
The once dashing, debonair, romantic, carefree, self-
assured, brave, confident, even cocky, sometimes con-
ceited, and just this side of arrogant athletes dressed in
dazzling white will be gone. They will soon be seen in stun-
ning double knots that would make a peacock jealous. The
dashing, debonair, romantic, carefree, self-assured, brave,
confident, cocky, conceited, and arrogant elements are per-
manent. One of my new Fencers said, "Making a touch is
like getting to cIo something I'm not supposed to do."
The world famous mime actor, Marcel Marceau, in his
forward to Sword and Masque by Fencing Master Julius
Palffy-Alpar, wrote:
Drew Kopf demonstrating lunge for a new fencing student to. practice 'her
parry.
By DREW G. KOPF
I consider Fencing to be a great art which raises men to
Knights in their thoughts and behavior. Fencing is a school
of humility and develops speed, perfect control (.f the body,
balance, beauty, and strong grace. It should be recommend-
ed to a\l wanting to master their feelings and actions during
their lifetime. Through this art they will think c!early and
act alwa\'s wi:h stvle in their decisions.
. . . the most (mportant feeling in life is self-command.
This is the only way to lead men to rule over t:-,eir passion
and reach the most precious. aim in life: liberty.
Schools of theatre are quick to include Fencing on their
recommended course listings. As a graduate student in
Directing at Ohio University. I was able to kf:ep body and
soul together (no mean feat for a theatre majorl by writing
and teaching the course Fencing for the Srcge. :\1)' com-
petitiw varsity fencing at Ye"hiva University was always
punctuated by what some called theatrics. I was being
myself in a match as I dived and rolled and. wow, those
were super times,
I have not ar;1ended my style much, :\o'.~' I encourage
beginning and a~',anced Ff:ncers to "polite!y" allow their
feelings to permiate their every fencing morr.ent. I figured
that Dr. Dyer r:1ight agree with that objecti\'e. so, I ha....e
made Your Err0r.eotlS Zones recommended rf:&ding for my
classes,
The RO'.'al Bank of Canada's Month!'. Letter in
December 1~r;7 was de\'oted to ~Iaturity. In it 'it was stated
that "self-contra!" is a factor in self-confidence. one of the
points by which we judge maturity. The backbone of con-
fidence is one's own faith in the validity of one's own
judgement." Learning to step onto a Fencing !'trip to pit
acquired skills, developed cunning, instinctive com-
bativeness, and a healthy portion of one's ego against
another's can be a fine proving ground for developing
mature persons of all ages.
My experience teaching Fencing for several institutions
has borne this out. 1\ly classes at Dutchei's Community
College were preceded by ones at IHM Country Club, in a
public school adult education program, at a private prep
school, and at :.larist College. These organizations serve
specific memberships. Dutchess Community College, ser-
ving the entire county, overlaps the target populations of
the others. In each instance, Fencing for B~-ginners at-
tracted a wide range of participants. From age ele....en to
those in their late forties. Fathers and motheri' joined with
their sons and daughters. Housewives substitc;ted Fencing
for their Tuesday evening Bowling leaguei'. Professional
men and women were drawn to it as a structt:r"d physical
fitness program in which they could proceed at their own
pace. Students who needed physical education courses
enrolled sometimes out of pure curiosity. Therf:were, of
course, the inevitable theatre majors.
I believe hncing is on most everybody's "want.to-do"
list. After all. who has not thrilled to the. super
swordsmanship of Zorro. D'Artagnan. The Three
Musketeers, Rohin Hood, Cyrano, Scaramouche, Hamlet,
Peter Pan. Romeo. or Adley :'\1andel. (Adley was on the
Juto uy,ew . DeCIMlIl~. 1978
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carefree, self-assured, bra\Oe. confident, clicky, 'i'oMcit..rd,
and arrogant prof~ssional dre;:.sed in dazzlili~ white and say,
"En (~arc!e!"
The Dutchess County Community College Health and
Physical Education Department, headed by ~lr. Richard
L. Skimin, is interested in learning of othl'r junior college
Fencing programs. We would like to continue thii' sharing
of ideas. Please contact us at Dutchess County Community
College, PendeU Road, Poughkeepsie, ~ew York 12601.
Yeslrrnl l'nivcn-ity varsity sabre team with me. I am sure
most folks han' not seen him fence. but I liked watching
his fencing bouts. Iinduded him for good measureo) And
whn, after watching transfixed until the bad guy "gets it,"
has not said to themselves, "Touche: Take that you
swine!"
What is it about Fencing scenes on Hage and screen
that make even the most critical audiences willingly sus-
pend their disbelief and focus on the duel? Each of us en-
visions oursehoes upo there, fighting for our life, and trying
to vanquish our foe. We rarely cheer during Fencing se-
quences, We watch, spellbound, until the death blow
which \\'e experience emphatically with both victor and
victim. If Fencing is, as I belie\'e, a capsulization or,
better, a microcosm of life and our joyous human struggle
to live it to the fullest, then that might explain its growing
popularity. In our area, Dutchess
Community Collage now offers Fen-
cing in both Fall and Spring
seinesters and gets full enrollment.
Hequests have also been entertained
for independent studies in Fencing.
Inter-collegiate activities in Fen-
cing are a possibility among junior
colleges if the seeds of successful
das::es, cluhs, and teams are planted
and culti\Oated.to start from scratch
will require the same attention to
detail as the management of a func-
tioning program plus the will to con,
tinue when others may say it will not
work. It i" worth the efforts of those
who dare because Fencing is one of
the few sports that will stick with
those who stick with it. Fencers in
their ::ixties, and e\Oen in their se\'en-
ties, compete and enjoy the sport
and art. I would much rather know I
might be doing instead of merely
viewing when I get to be their age.
Occ,li'ionally, when I meet
someone and mention my im-oh-e-
ment in Fencing. they wm respond.
"Oh, I'm a Fencer:' They may not
have fenced since 1959, but they still
consider themselves to be fencers.
Some might say, "I used to fence,"
but, when the topic is pursued. they
admit that they would like' to get
back into fencing.
I have found that particularly
among the science professions there
are many of yesterday's Fencers.
With the proper encouragement
(salesmanship) they might well serve
as today's first level Fencing Instruc-
tors in lieu of qualified :\lasters.
Hopefully, they are sill in good
physical condition from their par-
ticipat ion in other sports. If not, get-
ting buck in shape would not be half
hac! for them.
Enthusiastic, knowledgeable and
experienced Fencers, who are
successful in their chosen fields,
would make a fledgling Fencing
program interesting, accurate, ex-
citing and newsworthy. It is easy to
tind an old Fencer. ,Just look for a
dashing, debonair, romantic,
JUCO REVIEW 0 DECEMBER. 1978
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Dre/l' G. Kopf has been imoo/t"l?d in Fencing since 191H. He holds a
_\fa,'ter of FiliI.' Arto~ degree in Directing from Temple L"nit'ersity ill
Philadelpllia. Pao alld a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from
}'eshil'a University in 'veu' Y(jrk Cityo He is a freelana! Theatrical
COnSl/ltClllt (lnd ..idjllnct Lecturer at Dutches.~ Community College
in Communications, Speech. Theatre and Fen~ing.
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