The Roslyn Country Club Civic Association will be holding a meeting on October 19, 2010 @ 7:30 pm at The Wheatley School Auditorium to update the residents on progress made with the Town of North Hempstead in taking steps to reopen our country club. The options going forward appear to be the creation of a Park District or a Town Park – the pros and cons of each will likely be addressed at the meeting.
See you there!

The Block Party was a big success,
And as each one gave his home address,
Each neighbor placed a name tag on,
And was quickly greeted – shyness gone.

Out from houses came young and younger,
Mothers, fathers, sisters, brother,
And Grandpartens residing here 60 years,
When all were friendly and knew their peers.

The food came forth and drinks and such
But the conversations meant so much,
About Roslyn Country Club – Could it be saved?
Could it be reopened? That is what all craved.

Talk of the pool in its former glory,
Old-timers supplying much of the story,
We felt the party had met a need,
Common interests were strong indeed.

Can it be done? Can we resume the fun?
Of a day on the courts or a swim in the pool?
And the law courts have favored us in their rule,

And bring back the day where each kid could play
With racket in hand on the RCC land.

The courts have ruled we should get the club back,
But somehow or other – we don’t have the knack.
Levitt had a purpose – a thorough plan,
Let’s unite the community – Yes! We Can!

Written and read by Judy Orshan

Restoring a sense of community in our modern suburban neighborhood is vitally needed to ensure the sustainability of the Levitt sprawl created over six decades ago. Though we find companionship with computers and television, family and friends, the neighborhood where one lives, throughout mankind’s history, has always been one of our species most important relationships. Walls that divide us have been constructed in our recent history. These walls cannot remain so high.

Much of a sense of community has been lost on Long Island, especially in our neighborhood, the Roslyn Country Club. We have had a very odd decade, with great upheaval in this upper-middle class neighborhood. Since its construction in the late 40s, until 2007, the Roslyn Country Club has remained open to the residents during the summer as a place to gather, play tennis and swim at a reasonable cost. It was an initial perk to attract new residents, and throughout the community’s history, has been a draw for families with children. Labor Day 2010 had no community party, tennis tournament or swimming races, though the Royalton likely had several events that holiday weekend. There is no Country Club for us anymore.

For our August 29 Block Party, a few interested and motivated residents of Pebble Lane got together to organize an event to help unite our suburban neighborhood. We had some food, some drinks, some snacks, some games, an Albertson firetruck was able to come by for a few hours, music played from classic records, and a sense of community that has not been experienced for many years was rekindled for a brief period that Sunday afternoon. You can go to RoslynCountryClub.org to view a video and pictures from the event.

The Block Party has shown the need and benefit for a community gathering place. It is surprising how many neighbors that live so close to each other never met until this event. Kids were able to make new friends, adults of different generations were able to mingle, and the youth was able to learn some history from the elderly.

Roslyn Country Club has much history and it should not be wiped out by the misguided pursuit for profit and personal agenda’s of a few. The neighborhood needs to be restored to the prior glory of the early 50s. In the isolated world of the 21st Century, the least we can do is make our neighborhood a more welcoming, united place that can inspire the best in us.

As our efforts go forward, we are looking for old pictures of the Country Club and neighborhood for our website, any classic “Ranchers” newspapers and interested and motivated residents to get involved. You can email me, ben@RoslynCountryClub.org, call us, 516-234-5236 or check the website, RoslynCountryClub.org.

We have to be willing to come together to work for the restoration and reopening of the Roslyn Country Club, restoring it to its glory of many decades ago, for the neighborhood.

We have no expectation this will be easy. It will take time as time keeps creeping through the neighborhood. It will not be solved in a court room or through an annual community meeting. It will only be solved when you and a few of your interested and motivated neighbors come together for our suburban neighborhood. Why can’t we succeed?