by mary breen
The members of North Hempstead Country Club turned back the hands of time on Saturday, May 14, and celebrated the club’s Centennial Year with a Great Gatsby-themed Black & White Gala. Members were greeted by Ziegfeld Folly girls at the door and entered into a clubhouse where the ambiance evoked the lifestyle of the Roaring Twenties. Three tents were erected on the property to accommodate the capacity crowd. “This could be the largest gathering of members in the club’s 100-year history,” said Club President Robert Weppler.
Kicking off the festivities was the airing of a brief video on the club’s history and the dedication of the new Centennial clock. Weppler recognized each of the nine former presidents in attendance for their contributions to the club and then pivoted deftly to the future with a warm welcome to five new members in attendance.
“It’s wonderful that without knowing much about our history or traditions these new members wanted to be here to celebrate tonight,”
said Weppler.
Centennial Committee Chairman Don Dunphy, Jr., thanked the more than 400 North Hempstead members in attendance for being part of the club’s historic Centennial celebration. Dunphy then recognized the O’Connor and O’Hara families, whose members span three generations of club membership, as well as the club’s longest members in attendance: Stella Stovall-Benisatto, Robert Hartigan and Fred Goetz.
Both Weppler and Dunphy thanked the many individuals who contributed to the gala’s success, particularly the club’s manager, Dan Rogers, his entire staff and the members of the Gala Committee: Chairwoman Xiomara Dolan, Melissa Driscoll, Mary Breen Patrick and Karen Walsh. Members enjoyed the remainder of the evening feasting on the scrumptious buffet prepared by Chef Robert Curran and dancing to live music by ELAN.
“Throwing a party that befits this once-in-a-lifetime occasion was very important,” said Weppler as the evening drew to a close. “But equally, if not more important, is for North Hempstead to remain a vibrant part of this community for the next 100 years.”
