The Ash Creek Papers

I catch a fair amount of television without the benefit of sound. In the morning I spend an hour plus on the treadmill, my attention occasionally on the bank of TVs turned to this channel or that… no sound except for those cardio types with earphones who want the added distraction of following the dialogue.

In the evening I am often at my “second office” at Ash Creek Saloon to watch the last couple of innings of the Yankee game. Also no sound. To be honest, no great disadvantage here. I don’t need a “play by play” man tell me that Gary Sheffield hit a screaming line drive into the left field seats for a homerun. The score then flashed up on the screen. Who needs sound?

I will say this… occasionally I will see a commercial that seems amusing and I wish I could get the script, because the action is certainly funny.

Yesterday, or maybe it was the day before, I saw an ad that caught my attention, although it wasn’t particularly funny. It was for Jaguars (don’t you love the way the English pronounce the word…Jag-you-war… as if that justifies the cost). The part of the ad that made me smile had nothing to so with the car, or the computer created graphic of a jaguar racing thru the scene (in fact I thought it was a cheetah, and only learned it was jaguar at the end of the ad when the name of the auto and it’s distinctive logo appeared on the screen).

What made me smile was the scene of a father waist deep in a pool as his little boy jumped from the side of the pool into his awaiting arms.

Yes, that 4 second scene made me smile. I am old enough to remember being the father… and young enough to remember being the son.

Perhaps the scene would not have had the same effect if I had seen it, say in November or March. But with a summer day as a backdrop, the memories are all too clear… as clear as “blue” pool water.

When I was a kid we were members of two Clubs. Racebrook for golf and food. Woodbridge for swimming (although Dad would sometimes play there, too. I can never recall eating there). On Sundays Mom would take me over to Woodbridge for a day of swimming and sun. Dad would play golf over at Racebrook and after his round of golf, a shower and lunch he would drive the MG over to join us at Woodbridge.

I can remember looking for the MG to drive by thru the slats of the six foot high wooden fence. Gary Moss and I would alternate between the water, our towels (when our mothers would pull us out of the water because our lips were turning blue) and the Snack Bar… we would be indulged by a sinful concoction called an “iced chocolate”.

Finally Dad would appear. He would kiss my Mom and I would hurry him to change into his suit. Then he would stand in the shallow end and I would leap from the side of the pool into his arms. It wasn’t just any jump. My knees would be bent, arms thrust to the back, perhaps imitating my early impression of how racers dove into the water, and then in an instant I would hurl my self into the water. He would put me back to the side of the pool, and we would repeat the drill, only this time he would inch himself further back; until eventually my leaps would take me mostly into the water and less into him.

I think I could have kept it up all afternoon; but he would claim that he was exhausted, or perhaps Mom would have come to the side of the pool for the “lips inspection”… yes, they were blue… time to get out of the water; but only with the promise of one more session before it was time to go home.

And years later I stood waist deep at the pool of the JCC waiting for Zack to jump into my arms. Zack was very cautious about stuff. By the time he reached “jumping into the water” age, there was a new “invention” that had come into play: swimmies. Inflated plastic rings that would fit around small arms. Zack could use swimmies at the pool at our Sunrise Condo; but to my recollection, they were prohibited from use at the JCC.

Zack had to be coaxed to take the leap without the security of the swimmies.

But the posture I can well recall… knees slightly bent, hands to the rear ready to add momentum with a forward thrust, toes curled at the edge of the pool for better grip… and then the launch into my arms. And yes, I did that when I was his age, too. I would laugh, bring him back to the side of the deck, help him up… and then inch back to ready myself for the next jump.

I can well recall both times… sun in the sky, joyous days of summer when there was nothing that could possibly interrupt the moment.

Jaguars, I could care less about. But the joy of being a Father and a son are too special… especially on a summer’s day.

Well folks, it’s like this… the subject of the Good Time Charlies Club recently has come up. Amy and I visited Tiny at Mount Sinai and we began sharing stories and the Charlies were one of the subjects that we visited. And it was something that Amy mentioned as part of the beautiful eulogy of Tiny that she, Julie & Josh gave.

So with the help of Lynn, Paul & Paula I have put the pertinent details together… something for us to share as a family… something for us to continue… something for us to enjoy and, in an important way, remain connected to those Charlies & Charlottes who have moved their game pieces to a different part of the board.

Here goes…

Uncle Morris was the inspiration for the creation of a family club. And as near as I can figure it, the dating has to go back to the time that Joe Grossman entered the family, or at least he was about to. I think this must be right because he was in the original slate of officers. So I am thinking this had to be 1957 or 1958.

The name of the club was Good Time Charlies Club. The sole purpose of the club was to have a good time. Inclusion in the club was based on being a direct lineal descendant of Mommie Soph, or in marrying a direct lineal descendant. This made becoming a Charlie more difficult than being a member of the D.A.R.

All members when together, would call each other “Charlie”.

We had a song, or more correctly put an “anthem”… lyrics written by Morris. It is noted below.

We had an official “toast”. Standing up, drink in hand, we would say “Gumbay” (origin, Chinese I believe), then you would put a hand behind your head, toss back your drink & back kick your leg.

There were By-Laws and a Constitution that Morris had written and a slate of officers. Nothing too complicated, just covering the information noted above. Paula has recovered the original By-Laws from Tiny’s Papers and it is included herein.

At the same time The Ladies Auxiliary was formed, and they became the Charlottes. The requirements for inclusion were identical to the Charlies.

The Good Time Charlies Club (circa 1958)
Morris Rosoff
Sidney Winston
Joe Grossman
Paul Winston
Jimmy Winston

The Ladies Auxiliary
Ex. Officio Mommie Sophie
Tiny Rosoff
Eve Winston
Paula Grossman
Lynn Winston

Constitution and By-Laws of the Good Time Charlies Club

Article I: Name: The name of this organization shall be the GOOD TIME CHARLIES CLUB.

Article II: Eligibility to Membership: Every male descendant, or every male married to a female descendant of MOMMIE SOPHIE is automatically a member of the club.

Article III: Officers:

The officers shall be a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer and a Sergeant at Arms.

A. The President is Morris Rosoff because he elected himself in an arbitrary, capricious and undemocratic manner.

B. The Vice-President is James Winston, Esq. since he walks important.

C. The Secretary is Joe Grossman because he went to Harvard and can read.

D. The Treasurer is Sidney Winston because he is rich, he is honest, and there will be no money in the treasury.

E. Paul Winston is Sergeant at Arms because of his magnificent physical super structure.

Article IV: Activities: The activities of the Club shall be confined to having one hell of a good time.

Article V: Associate Membership: Every female descendant, or every female married to a male descendant of MOMMIE SOPHIE shall automatically be a member of the LADIES AUXILIARY and shall bear the title of “CHARLOTTE”.

Article VI: Ritual: At meetings and functions of the Club, every male member of the Club shall be addressed only as “Charlie”, greeting each other as such at meetings and functions and at other times as may be desired by the members. The members shall use the word “Gumbay”, and shall execute certain gestures which indicate the taking of a quick drink of hard rye or raw moonshine whisky.

Article VII: Part-time Members: Every person engaged to marry or keeping steady company with a Charlie or a Charlotte, as the case may be shall be known as a part-time Charlie or a part-time Charlotte, as the case may be. In the event the marriage does not take place, he or she is automatically expelled from membership.

Article VIII: Honorary Chairman of the Board: There shall be an honorary Chairman of the Board, who shall be MOMMIE SOPHIE. The Honorary Chairman shall have no voice (imagine) but may make such contributions by way of stuffed-cabbage, kreplach, and/or chopped chicken liver as she in her sole discretion may from time to time desire.

 Article IX: Ammendment of Constitution and By-Laws: That shall be no provision made for the ammendment of this document since it is perfect.

Article X: Governing Law: The Club is organized, constituted and exists under and by virtue of the Laws of Bopia.

Bopia

This was our “Anthem”. It had its genesis in the “security blanket” that I used to have (actually, I had many). For whatever reason, I called it a “Bop”. It was in fact an old diaper (this was in the days before paper… thank God). Ellen threw out my last one when I was 43… I have been a nervous wreck since. One Bop was used to make a map of the Land “Bopia”… I believe Morris must have been the cartographer. Sadly, the map no longer exists… if it ever turns up, we should send it to the Smithsonian.

Oh Bopia, dear Bopia
No one else can topia
Oh Bopia, sweet Bopia
No one else can stopia

And as we wave our snow white bops
We’ll protect you like we were cops
And we’ll fight until the last bop drops
Oh Bopia, sweet Bopia…

…………

Lives are added, lives are subtracted… it’s an ever changing tide. Yet we remain connected. We have bid farewell to Tiny, and in soon we will welcome a new member to our ranks…

And in the words of Mommie Soph, “May we live and be well!”

The Good Time Charlies Club (Updated March 2023)
Paul Winston
Alan Cadan
Jim Winston
Phil Novak
David Breiger
Andy Cadan
Geoff Morin
Alex Cadan
Adam Cadan
Chipp Winston
Jason Harinstein
Zachary Winston
John Harke
Joe Coleman
Josh Breiger
Micah Breiger
Kai Winston
Bo Winston
Davis Cadan
Harrison Cadan
Colby Coleman
Caleb Coleman

The Ladies Auxiliary
Lynn Winston Cadan
Janet Winston
Sandy Mazur
Amy Breiger
Julie Grossman
Lisa Cadan
Maryana Winston
Fan Winston
Sarah Harinstein
Rachel Cadan
Jacquie Cadan
Beth Palian
Shaina Winston Harke
Suzy Winston Coleman
Sophie Novak
Abby Young
Caroline Cox
Aliza Harinstein
Mackenzie Cox
Kate Harinstein
Summer Winston
Olivia Harke
Rebecca Harke
Lily Winston
Sydney Cadan
Josie Harinstein
Eliana Coleman
Sienna Cadan