Seneca Vocational High School Alumni Association

Annual Golf Tournament Notice

Welcome to the Seneca Vocational High School Alumni Association. We publish a Newsletter, provide scholarships to deserving  Alumni Family members, sponsor a number of Alumni functions including an annual picnic and support our Alumni Brothers & Sisters in a number of ways.

            We have over 3000 Seneca graduates in our database and have over 700 past and present members.

Alumni Officers:

President – Jim Klapp – 1961

Vice President – Al Bielecki – 1961

Treasurer – Bob Yavicoli – 1971

 

                                    Secretary – Tom Gerbec – 1961

      Financial Officer/Comptroller – Jerry Ozimek – 1964

 

 

 

2010 SENECA GOLF TOURNAMENT

 

    FRIDAY, AUGUST 27,2010

 

    CHESTNUT HILL C.C.
      1300 BROADWAY
        P.O. BOX 101
   DARIEN CENTER, N.Y. 14040
       585-547-3613
  
  GOLF OUTING IS OPEN TO ALL ALUMNI
    FAMILY AND FRIENDS

 

    FORMAT SCRAMBLE 

 

  TEE TIME 8:00 A.M. (BE THERE BY 7:30 A.M.)

 

  COST $50.00 PER PLAYER- INCLUDES GOLF
    LUNCH AND CART

 

   GET YOUR GROUP TOGETHER NOW
  IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A GROUP OF FOUR, WE
  HAVE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE LOOKING FOR
    A GROUP TO JOIN.

 

  HOLE SPONSORS AVAILABLE FOR $25.00

 

  MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS NOW.
  MAKE YOUR CHECKS PAYABLE TO:
   WILLIAM OBERMEIER
   231 THOMPSON ST.
   BUFFALO N.Y. 14207
    716-876-8939

 

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT

Dear Fellow Alumni:

            We recently went through a “Changing of the Guard” that resulted in a rearrangement of Alumni Officers responsibilities. We would like to thank our past President, Jim Boyer, for his years of hard work and dedicated service in guiding our Alumni for the past 15 years. Jim’s tireless efforts as a champion for vocational education and the tremendous support he provided to Seneca Vocational High School students, faculty and alumni will forever be held in high esteem. We look forward to serving our fellow alumni brothers and sisters and hope to see everyone at our future meetings and events. Please continue to support our Alumni Association with your dues, contributions and personal involvement in our events and activities. The attached newsletter provides information about our recent 100th anniversary dinner, upcoming annual picnic and our past and future alumni golf tournaments.

 

Thanks for your support

Jim Klapp

 

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DUES

 

Make Your Check payable To:  Seneca Voc HS Alumni Association, Include Your Class Year, and Mail to Jerry Ozimek, 87 Roxley Pl .  Tonawanda, NY 14150.

 

Due To The Cost Of Mailing  Newsletters We Are Considering The Use Of E-Mail Addresses.  Please Include Your E-Mail Address with your dues payment.

 

Payment Of Annual Dues By July 1st Of Each Year Will Enable The Board To Satisfy Its Obligations And Plan For Successful Fund Raising Activities Needed To Provide For Annual Scholarships.

Notice Of This Date (July 1st), Will Appear As A Reminder In Each Edition Of The Alumni Newsletter. Our Annual Budget Is Supported By Dues And Fund Raising Through Alumni Events And Advertisement.  Scholarship Awards  Are one of The Major Annual Functions of the Seneca Vocation HS Alumni. Your Dues Also Covers The Cost Of Our Newsletter And Alumni Events.

 

Jerry Ozimek, Comptroller

ATTENTION: All SENECA VHS Grads !!

If you were at the “ Anniversary “ dinner and forgot your camera, or if you couldn’t make it, we have GREAT news for you. Available, NOW, we have a pictorial CD that has, in full color, pictures of the events & your friends enjoying the evening. This CD has several features which include, individual shots, which can be easily printed, & a slide show, which allows you to sit back and enjoy full screen pictures without any “clicking”.

           We also have a DVD of the history of SENECA VHS from its inception (1909) thru its closing , last year. This DVD is approximately 30 minutes of  the various buildings, work shops, Principals, Teachers, & students that attended SENECA. All of this plus very pleasant background music for you to enjoy while watching.

           The CD sells for $5.00 plus $2.50 S&H, & the DVD sells for $10.00 plus $2.50 S&H. BUT you can get both CD & DVD for $15.00 plus $2.50 S&H.

           To order please write to Ralph Bossert, 17 Queens Guard Walk, Tonawanda, NY 14150-6811 OR call 716-876-7834. They will be shipped ASAP.

           ORDER NOW & AVOID THE CHRISTMAS RUSH !!

 

 

We would like to encourage all graduates and their friends to join us next year on Friday, September 27, 2010 for our next Golf Outing at Chestnut Hills. Contact: Bill Obermeier at 876-8939 to reserve your spot at next year’s event.

 

 

 

SENECA VHS ALUMNI

100TH ANNIVERSARY GOLF TOURNAMENT

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Seneca VHS Alumni 100th Anniversary Golf Tournament.  This year we had 72 participants and are hoping for even more next year.

      The first place team consisted of: Bob Yavicoli, Rich Dulniak, Al Jasinski and Bill Tate.

      Second place went to : Jim Grabowski, Gene Bartels, Al Biel, and Joe Abbrano.

      Next years’ golf outing will again be held at the Chestnut Hills CC on August 28, 2010.  The date will be the Friday before the Alumni Picnic.  Have a great winter, begin to organize your foursome, more Information will be forthcoming in the Spring Newsletter.  Your participation has made this even a success. 

 

                                                          Bill Obermeier -  Class of 1964

 

2010 Alumni Picnic

 

The 2010 Alumni Picnic will be held on Saturday, August 28, 2010 at Fontana’s Grove located on Clinton Street, East of Harlem Road. The cost of the picnic will be $30.00 and will include pop, beer, hot dogs, hamburgers, Italian sausage and salads. Please note the change of location of the picnic. Checks should be made out to:

 “Seneca VHS Alumni Picnic” and sent to

Jim Klapp

220 Schimwood Court

Getzville, N.Y. 14068

 

We encourage all alumni and friends to attend the picnic. Special seating will be available for the 50th anniversary of the class of 1960. The class of 1950, 1955, 1965, 1970, and 1975 will also have special seating accommodations if they wish to attend the picnic.

 

2010 SENECA ALUMNI GOLF TOURNAMENT

 

WHERE: CHESTNUT HILL C.C.      WHEN: AUGUST 27, 2010

1330 BROADWAY

DARIEN  NEW YORK 14040

1-585-547-3687

 

COST: TBA

 

The Golf Tournament Was A Big Hit In 2009. We Had a Record Number Of 

Golfers and Are Looking To Make the 2010 Tournament Even Bigger. If You Are Interested In Playing In The Tournament In 2010 As A Foursome Or As An Individual, Contact Bill Obermeier @ 1-716-876-8939. We Are Also Looking For  Hole Sponsors At $25.00 A Hole. More Info Will Be Forthcoming in the Next News Letter and on the Web Site (www.senecaalumni.com ). The Date Was Changed Because The  Picnic Date Was Changed To August 28, 2010.

 

 

Next General Alumni Meeting Date will be  Monday, January 25, 2010 at the Kiwanis Club located behind the West Seneca Town Hall on Union Road. Turn on to Legion Drive and make the first left turn for parking. The meeting will start at 6:00 PM. and  refreshments will be served. Call Jim Klapp at 688-5291 or Al Bielecki at 667-3243 if you plan to attend the meeting.

 

 

Congratulations to: Dr. Len Krucenski (Class of 1949)& Estelle who celebrated 52 years of marriage on October 19, 2009.

IN MEMORIAM

 

Bob Honeckers  - Class of 1956         Died May 31,2009

George A. Scherer – Class of 1933    Died Oct. 3, 2009

George A. Scherer of Amherst, a retired postal clerk and World War II veteran, died October 3rd in Buffalo Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He was 93. George was our oldest Alumni member and was honored as such at our annual picnic in 2008. The Buffalo native graduated from Seneca Vocational High School, where he was a member of the 1933 city championship track team. He won silver and bronze medals in races commemorating Buffalo’s 1932 centennial, and remembered running in the 1933 Turkey Trot, the nation’s oldest continuous road race. As part of his vocational training at Seneca, he helped install the first two-way radios in city police cruisers.

 

Mr. Scherer worked at Laufer Furniture Co. before he was drafted in 1943. He was a medic with the Army’s 17th Airborne Division in Europe, where he took part in the Battle of the Bulge. He later landed in Germany in a wooden glider with five fellow soldiers and a Jeep. He returned to Laufer Furniture after the war, before joining the U. S. Post Office, where he worked until his 1978 retirement. Mr. Scherer’s wife of 67 years, Marcella “Sally” O’Neill Scherer died in 2008. Surviving is a daughter, Linda Gerbec, and a son, George.

George was the father-in-law of our alumni secretary, Tom Gerbec.

 

ALUMNI WEB SITE

We have an Alumni Web Site. www.senecaalumni.com.  This web site will be updated on a going forward basis to keep you apprised of is happening with our Alumni.

 

THE ALUMNI SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS PROGRAM

The Seneca Vocational High School Alumni Association Scholarship Awards Program offers family members of dues paying Alumni members Scholarship Awards. A scholarship awards committee, comprised of Alumni association officers, will review the candidate’s application, eligibility and determine the amount of the award. The scholarship awards are in the $200.00 range per candidate.

 In order to be eligible for an Alumni Scholarship Award, the candidate must be a family member of a dues paying alumni member. A family member defined as son or daughter, grandson or granddaughter.

Application requirements

1.      The applicant must be graduating from high school in the year that the applicant submitted their letter, or is already in some advanced schooling education. The applicant may also intend to work in industry after graduation and will be considered for the award.

2.      A 250 word essay stating why the applicant deserves this award, and what his/hers future career plans are.

3.      Your names, age, address, and relationship to the alumni member who is sponsoring this candidate is needed.

4.      The applicants essay must be mailed to the Alumni award chairman:

Thomas Gerbec, 82 Parkhaven Dr. Amherst NY. 14228-3401

Refer any questions to Tom at 716-691-4941. Or e-mail     tagerbec@roadrunner.com

The award committee will be accepting these essays on  MARCH 01-2010 and post marked no later than MAY 15-2010.

5.       The awards will be given out in the last week of July.

6.      We only give out one award per student. If you don’t receive an award this year, you may submit it next year.

Champions of Vocational Education,

 

          This summer the Seneca Alumni association gave out 4 awards to students who wrote about their feelings regarding Vocational Education. Each of them expressed how important Vocational Education was to them and also included its importance to their family members.

These are the people who will "champion" the cause of Vocational Education now and into the future. Those of us who were fortunate enough to have experienced Vocational Education know of its advantages and we must not forget to tell others of the advantages that Vocational Education provides. As time goes on and political correctness is applied to everything around us the public can be wrongly convinced that Vocational Education is a thing merely of history without real meaning any more. To a large degree, this process has been at work for some time now and some folks are convinced that Vocational Education is not of value in our modern society. Nothing could be further from the truth; however, some in powerful positions within the educational community have been busy little beavers gnawing away at a very fine area of study.

          Many folks left the so-called rust belt area of the country over time and settled in other areas of the country. Over that time, various educational prejudices cropped up and Vocational Education was left behind.

Many southern states took these rust belters in and incorporated them into their communities but soon it became apparent that there was a need for the classical areas of Vocational Education to be reinstated or increased in the

Educational programs because there was a lack of people who were properly trained to perform such skills. Now these areas of the country are teaching Vocational Education courses and providing their communities with the Special skills and services that they need to move ahead smoothly.

          You can also help in being a "champion" for Vocational Education. When you hear someone criticize Vocational Education, remind them just how important such fields of study are for both the individual and a smooth running community.

 

Any Questions regarding this website may be directed to:

 

albielecki@verizon.net