Join us for dinner, dancing and casino games on April 20th

Sheet Metal Workers’ Local 19 is hosting our Dinner Dance + Casino Night to honor our twenty-five and fifty-year members and present the Karl Weinberg Scholarship Awards on Saturday, April 20th. We’re so excited for a night of great food, great company, dancing and casino games.

Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are still available, and we have 11 different sponsorship levels to choose from, in addition to individual tickets and half tables. All proceeds from our Casino Night will go to the Scholarship Fund. Because of your generosity, we’re able to award five academic and five random scholarships this year. Your support will allow us to continue to award more scholarships for years to come.

Casino Night
April 20, 2024

Penns Landing Caterers
1301 South Columbus Boulevard
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

5:00 PM cocktails and hors d’oeuvres
6:30 PM dinner
Open bar, card games, dancing until 10:00 PM

Tickets: $200 each
Obtain from business office or by mail
215-952-1999 ext. 2

Tickets and sponsorships can be purchased through mail, by email or in-person at the business office. Please feel free to contact Kelly at the business office at BUSINESS@LU19.com or 215-952-1999 to secure your sponsorship.

Thank you again for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you on what will be an exciting night.

Please make checks payable to the “Karl Weinberg Scholarship Fund. Return the enclosed order form for tickets, including your ad and logo as soon as possible to: 1301 South Columbus Boulevard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19147, Attn: Scholarship Fund or to business@LU19.com


Ad Requirements
Program ads and logos are due by April 12, 2024 at 5pm.
Full-screen program ads should be 1920×1080 px, half page ads should be 960×540 px.
Logos and/or Ads should be submitted in high-resolution PDF, JPEG, or PNG format to business@LU19.com

Save the Date: Join us on April 20th for Local 19’s Annual Dinner Dance + Casino Night

On the evening of Saturday, April 20, 2024, Sheet Metal Workers’ Local 19 will host our Dinner Dance to honor our twenty-five and fifty-year members at this event and present the Karl Weinberg Scholarship Awards. This year, we are excited to offer casino games in addition to our traditional program!

Check your mailboxes in the coming days for your official invite to join us on this very special evening as we express our gratitude to those who have served our industry. Due to the generosity of our members, we can award five academic and five random scholarships.

Dinner Dance + Casino Night

April 20, 2024

Penns Landing Caterers
1301 South Columbus Boulevard
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

5:00 PM cocktails and hors d’oeuvres
6:30 PM dinner
Open bar, card games, dancing until 10:00 PM

Tickets: $200 each
Obtain from business office or by mail
215-952-1999 ext. 2

Make checks payable to the “Karl Weinberg Scholarship Fund”

1301 South Columbus Boulevard
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19147
Attn: Scholarship Fund

Booster prices: $25 or $50

All proceeds from our Casino Night will go to the Scholarship Fund.

Expect an official mailing in the coming week. Thank you again for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you on this memorable occasion.

Fraternally yours,

Bryan J. Bush 

President/Business Manager

Phillies Score Big Thanks to Local 19 Members

Phillies Sign Installation

Phillies are scoring big thanks to Local 19 members! Together with signatory contractors we’ve been leading renovations at Citizens Bank Park and First Energy Stadium in Reading. Ganter Contractors from Quakertown, and Bensalem-based Compass Sign were front and center in the fabrication and installation of the new video board at Citizens Bank Park which will be 77% bigger when finished! Additionally, Leibold Inc., located in Pottsville, has been working on the expansion at First Energy Stadium that will add clubhouses for both teams, and climate controlled multi-dimensional areas for local businesses and organizations to host events.

Philadelphia area Local 19 signatory contractors have been leading the way in the renovations at both Citizens Bank Park and First Energy Stadium in Reading.

Phillies’ surprising World Series run was an exciting twist for fans, but it also resulted in Ganter and Compass Sign losing over a month right off the bat because it extended the season and delayed work on the project.

“It was a challenging job,” admitted Frank Higgins, sheet metal superintendent for Ganter. “The Phillies went to the World Series and that put us five weeks behind schedule and we still had to be done before the 2023 season started.”

Ganter started after the World Series stripping all the metal skin panels off the original board down to the support beams. Then the iron workers moved in to ensure the integrity of the original structure and installed additional steel to accommodate the new board which, when finished, would be 77% bigger.

“We got back in right around Thanksgiving and were there the entire time to the end, which was probably the second week of March,” Higgins said.

The pace picked up. Swinging stages encircled the structure. The Phillies assumed responsibility for the swings and the trades figured out a system to share their use. Ganter returned to the project, fabricated, and installed all the sub-framing to existing and new steel structure, furnished and installed all new metal panels, and installed all new flashings and louvers.

“The ironworkers went back in to repair and extend the steel support structure to make it bigger, taller, and wider,” said Project Foreman Dave Halikman. “About a month later we went back in to install new hat tracks and fasten all the panels to the steel. There are over 10,000 screws and they all had to be pre-drilled and capped. No tap screws. With the panels we installed, we couldn‘t use pre-tapped. We needed something a little stronger.”

The project moved forward largely without incident. The mild winter was a huge help. Halikman said they only had to contend with snow and ice once and they were able to use leaf blowers to clear the work area. There were a couple of days when high winds created problems but not enough to throw the job off schedule. Ganter had anywhere from six to 10 people on the job on any given day, and when the project was nearing its completion they were working 10 hours a day, seven days a week.

Still, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. An 11th-hour change in the louvers created a bit of panic, but a solution was found quickly.

“We did have a little scare when the louvers had to be changed out at the last minute,” Halikman said. “You have to remember that the board is one big computer and it gets hot so there has to be air moving through there to cool it down. They made some more calculations and determined we had to upgrade to another product. Bob Ganter stepped up, found the right product, and got them in right away.”

Meanwhile, Compass Sign was just as busy, working hand in hand with the other contractors at the site and spending the winter producing the new logo at their facility on Ford Road.

“We were working with the Phillies directly, the Phillies and the general contractor,” said Compass Sign owner Phil Doerle.

Mike Maddalo, the project manager, added they were working on-site at the same time as the other trades, advising them as they were adding the steel until the structure was complete. All the while, the Compass Sign shop was busy creating the new bigger, and brighter logo, one that would be the exact replica of the one on the Phillies uniform.

“The new letters are three feet taller,” Maddalo explained. “The “P” on the old logo was 24 feet tall and on the new one is 27 feet. The old one was installed in 2003. We didn’t do it, another company did but is no longer around. The guys who worked on that one now work for us so they’re proud that they are a part of this.

“On the original video board, the bracket was old school and the old letters were different. They were close but not the exact logo. We didn’t want that. We wanted to create a logo that was a 100% replica of the logo on the Phillies uniform.”

Another difference was the lights on the old board were set three feet deep, but on the new logo, they are six inches from the base, making it brighter. During night games, it really stands out. On the evenings there are other events, like a concert, it can be dimmed so it’s visible but understated.

The letters are constructed with a translucent material stretched over an aluminum frame. The material comes in large rolls and the seams are so subtle they are practically invisible to the fans in the stands and when stretched over the frame it has the elasticity of a trampoline.

“We built them, assembled them, disassembled them, loaded them onto a flatbed, and transported them down to the job site in multiple trips,” Maddalo said.

Installation, including the two Citizens Bank Park signs which Compass Sign refurbished, took around three days. The Phillies logo with each letter connected to the next was installed beginning with the “s” and working left to right back to the “P”.

“The Citizens Bank Park sign on the back went up the first day, the Phillies logo on the second day and Citizens Bank Park on the front on the third day,” Maddolo said. “I’d say the letters (of the Phillies logo) were airborne for about 15 minutes. Then it took a little longer to lock it in place. They’re locked in with about 10-12 bolts.”

What was also removed in the reconfiguration were the four advertising boards on the right side of the old video board and replaced with small boxes over top of the line score display.

“Those four other boards were not changeable so the new board has smaller boxes across the top so they can manage the advertising and it gives the appearance of one big scoreboard,” Doerle said.

The new video board is 152 feet wide, 86 feet tall, and weighs 116.298 pounds. With a 16:9 aspect ratio, it would have the capability of displaying 516 life-size Phillie Phanatics at the same time. With a 4K capable and HDR system utilizing nearly 11.6 pixels with 10 mm pixel spacing, the new board will deliver richer colors with remarkable clarity and fans will have shorter-distance and better viewing angles.

The new video board towers over the left-field stands and Local 19 members worked on nearly every aspect of it from the digital board, to the lettering, to the siding which wraps around the impressive structure.
 
Higgins said the back of the structure will at some point be covered with a mural. And the best part is, in keeping with Local 19 standards, it was completed on time and under budget.
 
Meanwhile, in Reading, the Phillies Double-A farm team was faced with a memorandum to upgrade the facilities at the venerable FirstEnergy Stadium or risk losing its affiliation with Major League Baseball. The Reading Fightin Phils originally intended to erect a 27,000 square foot building that would house, among other things, locker rooms for both teams. However, the scope of the project was changed from one building to two, with the total square footage remaining the same.
 
“The original design called for the home and visiting team clubhouses to be in the same building,” said Susan Albrecht, project manager for Leibold Inc. of Pottsville. She said they received the updated drawings in the middle of April.
 
“The home clubhouse will have a new locker room, weight room, training area, kitchen, and team dining area, and offices for the coaches and support staff. There will also be a video room, laundry, and an area for storage. The whole second floor will be a ballroom with a kitchen area where they will be able to host events all year round.”
 
This building stands impressively in right-center field with all signage attached. Meanwhile, inside the building, Leibold workers have begun hanging the duct in the second floor ballroom. A second building is under construction behind it which will house the visiting team clubhouse plus meeting and conference rooms.
 
Currently, they anticipate being finished by opening day of the 2024 season.
 

Sisters In Solidarity First Annual Bingo Extravaganza

SMW19 Bingo Night Featured Image

Attention Local 19 members!!

Our first annual bingo night will be held on Saturday, June 24, 2023.

Doors will open at 4:00 pm.

Games will begin at 5:00 pm.

We will have EXCELLENT PRIZES including Phillies, 76ers & Flyers tickets.

There will also be a 50/50 raffle and extra games.

All Union members as well as ADULT (18+) family members are welcome.

Please spread the word!

TICKETS

  • $30 in advance
  • $40 at the door

Admission includes BUFFET and OPEN BAR and 1 bingo card per game (excluding specials)!

Extra cards can be purchased

For advance ticket purchase or for any questions, please contact:

Natasha Scott – 215-588-0728

Sisters in Solidarity First Annual Bingo Flyer

Local 19 Member Natasha Scott Receives Award from City of Philadelphia

Local 19 Member Natasha Scott Receives Award from City of Philadelphia
Local 19 Member Natasha Scott Receives Award from City of Philadelphia

During Women’s History Month this year, Local 19 member and sheet metal worker Natasha Scott received an award from the City of Philadelphia. City councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson awards this honor annually to women in the trades who she hopes to recognize and encourage to continue their work in a male-dominated industry.

This year, the award ceremony, Women’s History Month Celebration: Honoring Women in the Trades, was held in Center City Philadelphia, where Natasha and two other tradeswomen received the award surrounded by family and friends. 

As one of the longest-standing, active female members in our union, Natasha has always been very involved with Local 19. She currently serves as the President of Sisters in Solidarity, Local 19’s Women’s Committee. 

Since February 2023, the committee has fundraised over $6,000 through its efforts. Natasha’s goal is to send every woman at Local 19 to the NABTU Women’s Conference this year. 

To join Sisters in Solidarity, please contact Natasha Scott at (215) 588-0728

The Local 19 Women’s Committee meetings are held on the first Monday of the month at 6:00 PM, right before the full union meeting.

View our calendar of upcoming meetings at https://www.SmartLU19.org/Members/Calendar/.

Local 19 donations bring the holiday season to those in need

SMW19 Community Donations
SMW19 Community Donations

Throughout the holiday season and beyond, Sheet Metal Workers’ Local 19 and its members have been helping those in need throughout the region, providing donations and volunteers to help local families. Many families across Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey have experienced hardships, and Local 19 is proud to give back to the community which gives so much to us.

Helping Philadelphians in Need

“Every year, Local 19 has been blessing us with a donation,” said the Rev. Bob Paul, pastor of Piney Grove Baptist Church, which is located in the Logan neighborhood of Philadelphia and has a focus on serving those most vulnerable outside the church — the elderly, the hungry and the economically disadvantaged.

Our union’s donations to the church helped them feed hundreds of neighborhood residents and children, as well as local first responders.

“We’ve been going into the Logan community. We have been feeding the Logan Elementary School, which is directly across the street from our church. We feed the entire staff, including the faculty,” said Rev. Paul. “We also go into the Piney Grove Day Care, where we also feed the faculty. They do daycare and evening activities for children in the community, so helping them has tremendous impact. We also go to some homeless shelters in the community.”

Rev. Paul said that anyone who came to the church the Tuesday before Thanksgiving received a full course Thanksgiving meal. They typically prepare about 200 meals. Unlike previous years, when people were fed on-site in the dining area, this year people were given to-go platters due to concerns with COVID-19. 

As every year, Local 19 partnered with St. James Methodist Church to feed 300 Philadelphia families during Thanksgiving. 

The Saturday before Thanksgiving, Local 19 members pitched in to fill meal boxes for the needy at St. James’ location in the Olney section of the city. The union has been working alongside the 9th Councilmanic District (now represented by Anthony Phillips) and the Carpenters Union in this effort for several years at this point. Every year, more families are given full Thanksgiving meals for the holiday. This is what the holiday should be about – service to others and making sure we all have enough.

Also, in Northeast Philadelphia, Local 19 sponsors Helping Hands in the Northeast, an organization that helps needy families with a Thanksgiving meal.

Around Christmas time, Local 19 also sponsored two families in need through a program that the Philadelphia AFL-CIO has sponsored for many years to give back to the community.

And again, Local 19 was proud to sponsor a Christmas gift giveaway at the Piney Grove Baptist Church where toys were distributed to children or families to ensure they had a Merry Christmas.

Giving Back in Bucks County

In Bucks County, Local 19 worked with the Bucks County AFL-CIO to give back to families in need. Every year the Labor Council, with help from affiliates like Local 19, make and drop off food baskets for union families in need for Christmas.

Lucy the Elephant

Lucy The Elephant
Lucy The Elephant

By Charlie Sprang

Lucy the Elephant has been standing guard over the beach in Margate City for more than 140 years. The six-story, 90-ton structure was named to the National Registry of Historical Places in 1976 and has withstood all sorts of weather conditions over the years, including Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

Lucy was initially constructed using over one million pieces of wood, 200 kegs of nails, four tons of bolts and iron bars, and then covered with 12,000 square feet of tin. Structural repairs and upgrades were made in the early 1970s, but time has taken its toll. In August 2021, the Save Lucy Committee announced that more than half the elephant’s skin was damaged beyond repair and needed to be replaced. A  month later the famous tourist attraction was closed and work began on Lucy’s facelift.

“We had to reskin Lucy,” explained John Green, president of A.C. Gentry, the Colmar, Pennsylvania architectural sheet metal company. “We had to rip off the metal and replace it.”

A.C. Gentry is a Local 19 signatory company started by Green’s father and grandfather in 1994. The company specializes in architectural restoration and design. Green and his father, also John, are both Local 19 members, and his younger brother, Jacob, is a second-year apprentice. 

Green’s father is still active in the day-to-day operations while Green lauds his father’s overall knowledge of sheet metal work, and historical work in particular.

“I really don’t know of any other company doing this type of work,” Green said. “If you want to do historical work you have to learn it from the generation prior. Everything I know I learned from him. He’s super talented when it comes to sheet metal work and especially with the layout. He could teach a master class.”

Several of their projects – the roof restoration at St. Francis De Sales in West Philadelphia, the copper cross restoration at St. John the Baptist in Manayunk, and the cupola restoration at both Haverford College and the Overbrook School in Malvern – are featured on their website (www.acgentryinc.com).

A.C. Gentry has 12 full-time employees and Green said they all took the initiative to learn the intricacies of doing historical sheet metal work. Four employees from Gentry, along with Green or his father, worked on the Lucy the Elephant job for nine months. 

“The first thing we had to do was remove all the skin that was on there,” Green said. “We didn’t do it all at once; we did it section by section. We broke it down into quadrants: three on the sides and four around. There were a total of 12 quadrants, each 10 foot by 10 foot.”

Removing the skin exposed damage to the wood frame, one of several challenges they would face. Green said, “It looked like a shipbuilder made it; there was a lot of rot. They had to call a carpenter in to do the woodwork.”

There would be other challenges as well. First and foremost was Lucy’s shape. No piece was flat nor was it the same as the one next to it. They did a majority of the bending on site and were working with a material called Monel, which is a nickel-tin alloy similar to copper, but with the characteristics of stainless steel. According to a description in Wikipedia, Monel alloys are resistant to corrosion by many aggressive agents, including seawater, and they can be fabricated by hot and coldworking, machining, and welding.

The Save Lucy Committee, which received a grant from the National Park Service and did a lot of fund-raising to pay for the project, researched and selected the material, purchasing 12,000 square feet in 3-foot by 8-foot sheets (400 total) at a cost of $1,200 per sheet. Since each piece had to be fabricated to form Lucy’s contour and fit the next one, there was a lot of waste – but every scrap was saved.

“The panels were not put together haphazardly,” Green explained. “The key was to figure out how to do it. There is not a piece that is the same as another and they are all rounded. We saved every little piece, thinking ‘I can do something with this one, or I can do something with that one.’”

“The real challenge with Lucy was that Lucy had a big belly. Imagine putting a piece of sheet metal on a wall to patch the wall – it’s flat. But Lucy was like a ball. She had concave curves and convex curves and they all locked together. Imagine making a ball out of sheet metal. It’s hard. So, you have these flat pieces that you first have to roll out, then you put your bends in. You roll it one way and then roll it the other way. Then you had to pull the panels out so they locked together.”

The panels were fastened together with custom-made metal clips – two per side – and they were locked in, one next to the other. Since each panel was unique and basically had to be cut and formed as they went along it was not only very labor intensive, but also required finding solutions on the fly.

Over time it came together. The final step was a water test with the help of the local fire department. Before that, though, Green and one of his employees, Paul Carter, who along with Alex Ambron, was instrumental in doing the work, spent a month going over every inch of Lucy, fine checking all the details.

Lucy the Elephant passed the test. The scaffolding came down right before Christmas and the Save Lucy Committee held its grand opening on December 28.

Local 19 Wins Big at the Mid Atlantic Apprentice Competition

Local 19 Wins Big at the Mid-Atlantic Apprentice Competition

by Patrick Edmonds

This year, the Mid-Atlantic Apprentice Competition was hosted by Local 19 Philadelphia, and Local 19 did not disappoint. The contest took place from June 2 to June 4, 2022 and included nine different locals from the region, including Local 12 Pittsburgh, Local 19 Central PA, Local 19 Philadelphia, Local 22 Central NJ, Local 25 North NJ, Local 27 South NJ, Local 44 Wilkes Barre, Local 100 Washington, D.C., and Local 112 Elmira NY. 

“It was a pleasure to host such a great group of apprentices from our region,” said Joe Frick, Philadelphia Training Coordinator. “The dedication to the trade is remarkable, and the comradery among the apprentices and everyone involved is amazing.” 

Fourth Year Apprentice John Lawrysh III took first place in the fourth year apprentice category, showing off superior welding skills. 

Third Year Apprentice James Primodie took first place for the second year in a row. 

Local 19 Central PA, for the 4th year in a row, brought home the group contest trophy. The group contest is about teamwork, and the team of Georg Hoefer, Austin Daniels, and Braxton Koppenheffer did an outstanding job.

2nd Year

Georg Hoefer – 2nd place, Local 19 Central PA

Bradley Coe – 4th place, Local 19 Philadelphia

3rd Year 

 James Primodie – 1st place Local 19 Philadelphia

Austin Daniels – 2nd place, Local 19 Central PA

4th Year

 John Lawrysh III – 1st place, Local 19 Philadelphia

Braxton Koppenheffer – 2nd place, Local 19 Central PA

Group Competition

Local 19 Central PA – 1st place

Local 19 Philadelphia – 2nd place

Local 19’s apprentices showed their hard work and dedication with their performance this year. Each and every one spent hours preparing and studying for the contest. The apprentices of Local 19 look forward to continuing their winning ways in 2023. Next year’s contest is being hosted by Local 12 in Pittsburgh.  

All photography by Local 19 member Jacob DiPietro.

Ventilation Verification

by Patrick Edmonds

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge. As sheet metal workers, a large percentage of our work consists of ventilation systems that help buildings operate efficiently and healthily. 

The pandemic has brought the work of TABB and Commissioning to the forefront. Sheet metal workers have seen an increased need for IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) and TAB (Testing, Adjusting, and Balancing) technicians created by this need for healthy indoor air quality and proper ventilation, filtration, airflow patterns, and equipment maintenance. Ventilation Verification and IAQ assessments will help ensure buildings are safe from contaminants, such as pollutants, viruses, and bacteria. Due to the influx of this work, the training provided by sheet metal training centers and the International Training Institute has been spotlighted.

While some of the initial pushback might be “this is testing, adjusting, and balancing (TAB) work, and our members don’t do that.” Our key message is: “It’s not as complex as you think.”

In this step of the process – the assessment of a HVAC system – there is no adjustment required, just a recording of the air flow/filtration numbers on a form provided by NEMI that generates a report of current conditions and the next steps (whether maintenance, repairs, upgrades or replacements) to be determined by a design professional.

Nationally, there is a need for technicians that are trained to do Ventilation Verification Assessments. Most of this work is related to basic sheet metal skills and general knowledge of mechanical systems and components is a necessity. Some key aspects of the assessment are: 

  • Filtration and Ventilation meet minimum adequate requirements and recommendations.
  • HVAC components are functioning, and each unit is maintained to operate as designed.
  • Verify air distribution and building pressure.
  • HVAC operating schedule matches occupancy requirements.
  • All zones shall be equipped with a functioning CO2 monitor with the required capabilities.
  • Review of the Ventilation Verification Assessment by a Design Professional.
  • Completion of Design Professional’s recommended repairs and adjustments.
  • Prepare and submit a final HVAC Verification Report.
    • Documentation of final conditions, remaining deficiencies, and a plan to address remaining deficiencies.
    • Identifying and providing any grandfathered and/or landmarked establishments that may hinder changes to the HVAC infrastructure.
  • Establish a Preventative Maintenance List and Agreement with a vendor.

With proper assessments, design professionals can develop action plans to remedy problems with HVAC systems. In many cases, federal programs are available for commercial buildings that help offset the costs associated with the Ventilation Verification Assessment, systems retrofits, or system adjustments. After the design professional recommends changes, sheet metal contractors can benefit from the remediation work. 

Physical verification — and thereby adjustment and/or replacement — of an HVAC system by a skilled, trained, and certified technician will ensure accurate ventilation rates, functioning filtration, and achievement of the desired outcome with money well spent to protect the health and safety of the building occupants.

By being at the forefront of Ventilation Verification work, sheet metal workers can affect change in our communities. Understanding ventilation and its effects on occupants is essential to healthy buildings and work environments.

For more information about Ventilation Verification training please contact your training center.  

Additional Resources:

nemionline.org

sheetmetal-iti.org

Retirees Club Helps Community Near and Far

SMW19-Retirees-Check-Blog-Post-Photo

by Charlie Sprang

SMW19-Retirees-Check-Blog-Post-PhotoAs you are well aware, your Local is always willing to lend a helping hand. Whether it be for a Local 19 brother or sister who is experiencing an unexpected hardship or a local institution or group in need of assistance, the leadership and members have always been willing to step up to help.

An opportunity can materialize from anywhere, even halfway around the world.

Bob Schuck, a 55-year member of Local 19 and Vice President of the Retirees Club, learned that the Sisters of St. Basil the Great were collecting supplies to ship over to Ukraine. Schuck; Father Bill Waters, the pastor of Schuck’s parish, St. Augustine Catholic Church in Old City; and another parishioner went to see Sister Joanne Sosler, the Provincial Superior for the Eastern Rite Catholic order, at the Motherhouse in Jenkintown.

“We found out that they had been collecting supplies: blankets, sleeping bags, men’s clothing, babies’ clothes, diapers, everything,” Schuck said. “They had collected so much they were out of room.”

The supplies are packed into boxes, loaded into containers, and shipped to Poland, where Basilian sisters  in Warsaw distribute the items to the more than three million Ukrainian refugees in that country. So far, they’ve shipped two containers at $10,000 per shipment.

“We asked how we could help and she said we could donate money,” said Schuck. “We donated $1,000 and that represents the largest donation the Retirees Club ever made.”

Schuck has been busy spreading the word. He’s mentioned it at Retirees Club meetings, and several members have traveled to Jenkintown to help the sisters pack boxes. 

The Retirees Club meets the second Tuesday of every month at the Hall except in the summer. Club President Jim Farally said they average about 40 members at meetings.

“We have probably over 100 members, and we have people send in dues from as far away as Florida,” said Farally, who noted dues are only $10 a year. “We have members over 90 years old come to the meetings. We even have fathers and sons as members. It is a good organization.”

They have speakers at most of the meetings to discuss issues affecting senior citizens, and they try to make it interesting for everybody. There is a Christmas luncheon every year, but they also plan outings for the members.

“We go on different trips. We’ll go to a Phillies game, a businessperson special,” noted Farally. “Right now, we have a dinner theater we’re working on and another trip to Annapolis, but that has to be voted on. We reach out to people to see what they want to do.”

Executive Board Member Frank Beck organized one such trip, a tour of the USS New Jersey at the end of April. Originally scheduled to be self-guided, Beck said the ship’s Director of Marketing and Sales Jack Willard arranged for it to be a guided tour.

“It was called a Firepower Tour because they took us around to all the gun turrets,” Beck explained. “They took us below deck to the war room and officers’ quarters. They showed us the crew berths, the galley, and the mess decks. We got to go up to the bridge too. It was a good tour that lasted about two hours.”

They also schedule a yearly meeting where they invite the second-year apprentices to join them.

“We treat them to lunch and share our experience and talk to them about what the Local has to offer,” Farally said. “We ask them if they have any questions. We’re building good relationships.”

Farally said the Retirees Club is always looking for a few good men and women to join the club.

“We have people retiring as early as 55,” he said. “So, we’re always looking for younger members. I don’t want this to fall by the wayside.”

Share on