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News & Notes from The Lotos Club F E B R UARY 2010 Lotos Celebrates th Event Highlights Latin America To many, Latin America connotes Members will begin to sip their 140 Anniversary the Incas and the Aztecs, pisco sours, margaritas, martinis Always a highlight of the season, the annual Founders’ Day Dinner (for conquistadors, and, perhaps, and mojitos at 6 p.m. ($125 per members only) will be held this year colonial balconies. On person). on Friday, March 12. The black-tie Wednesday, February 24, the festivities begin with a cocktail Lotos Club will present a cultural reception at 6:30 p.m. followed by evening featuring modern Latin Exhibit Opens dinner in the Ballroom at 7 p.m. America: Astor Piazzolla’s tango, on March 8 Nobel Prize winner Gabriela Each year for the past several One of the oldest arts and literary Mistral’s writings, danzonas from years, the Art Committee at the clubs in the U.S., Lotos was founded the Caribbean, music that lifts your Lotos Club has invited members to in 1870 by a group of artists, writers, spirits, and the paintings of artists submit works from their own merchants, actors, musicians and representing a vibrant culture. private art collections for a special public officials. At this traditional exhibition in the clubhouse. gathering, members share an evening The Special Events Committee has Members are extremely of camaraderie as well as enjoy a planned an evening of passion and enthusiastic about this exhibit, and gourmet meal. The cost of the fun. The performances of the it has come to hold a place of honor evening is $80 per person for drinks, evening will include concert in the Club’s annual activities. champagne, wine, dinner and pianist and recording artist Rosa souvenirs. Antonelli, the spectacular Ballet of The show this year is titled What Members of the Club for twenty-five Merida of the Yucatan and the beat Lotos Members Collect: Then and of live bossa nova music. Now . Exhibitors will provide two years or more are guests of the Club. works: one piece from their early years of collecting and a recent acquisition. A cocktail reception for members and guests from 6 to 8 p.m. on March 8 will kick off the exhibit. There is no charge, but reservations are requested for planning purposes. The exhibit will run through March 18. Reserve Now Alfred Lord Tennyson Renowned actress Angela Lansbury charmed Lotosians at a State Dinner in Gourmet Wine Dinner her honor on January 25. Dais members were (l to r) John Sussek, Ellen Friday, March 5, 2010 Monk, guest speaker Terrence McNally, Michael Yon (back row), Ms. Lansbury, guest speaker Robert Osborne (back row), Patrick Frawley and (See insert for details.) Anne Russell. (Photo by Natural Expressions NY) N E W S A N D N O T E S A Note to Members Welcome to by Paul F. Jock, II, Secretary the Club “Connecting the dots” is a phrase tunities by reserving on line at Gloria Goldman (Resident), retired, we often hear. At Lotos, www.lotosclub.org or calling the New York City. Memberships: “connecting the members ” better Club office. Muttontown Club, Les describes our goal and the value of Mark Twain once said: Ambassadeurs (London), Ritz Club membership. The Club seeks to (London). Proposer: Elinor Appleby; foster the opportunity for Twenty years from now you will Seconder: William J. Schneider. connection in many ways, all of be more disappointed by the which are premised on common things that you didn’t do than by William Hartman (Resident) retired, New York City. interest pursuits in the company of the ones you did do. So throw off fellow members in the warmest of the bowlines. Sail away from the Memberships: Boulders Club, social settings. safe harbor. Catch the trade Reynolds Plantation Golf. Proposer: winds in your sails. Explore. Elinor Appleby; Seconder: Martin The opportunities are many and Dream. Discover. Schwat. they are diverse: Sanjeev Nath (Resident) • Salon 66, a monthly venue to ophthalmologist, New York City. enjoy cocktails and Memberships: American Board of conversation concerning all Ophthalmology, American Medical things literary—literature, Association, New York Medical writing, drama, criticism and Society. Proposer: Thomas Curtin; praise Seconder: Stanley F. Cohen. • Evening and afternoon book 5 East 66 th Street discussions New York, NY 10065 (212) 737-7100 • Grill Room luncheon table (212) 737-9188 (fax) talks pertaining to art, www.lotosclub.org history, writers, theatre, poetry, literature and opera News & Notes • Tea and conversation in the A Thank You to Members Tennyson Room Executive Editor Many thanks to all members who Stephenie Ralston • Bridge lessons have returned the survey forms sent Design Editor with the membership cards at the • Grill Room dinners for Sharon Situ beginning of January. This updated couples married at the Club, information will enable the staff to armed forces veterans and Contributing Editors serve the membership more even car enthusiasts Nancy Johnson efficiently. Margaret Diggory • The upcoming Alfred Lord Tennyson Gourmet Wine Dinner Club Holiday These and other events reflect our The Lotos Club will be closed members’ diverse interests while at Please note that, due to space the same time enabling Lotosians on Monday, February 15 limitations, we will no longer be in observance of to connect with each other in the Presidents’ Day. elegant ambiance of our Club. As able to accept unsolicited literary the New Year begins, there is no reviews for the newsletter. We Bedrooms are open better time to take advantage of one will accept reviews for the every day of the year. or more of these varied oppor- website.—Ed. Page Two The Lotos Club N E W S A N D N O T E S From the Archives Lotos Saturda y Nights by Nancy Johnson, Archivist When Lotos was new, members went Then, as the evening wound down, Morning Journal called them the to their clubhouse, a modest the gentlemen went downstairs to find “Elegant Loungers,” and reported that brownstone on Irving Place near a pot of tea, signaling the end of the a club is a luxury to a married man, a Fifteenth Street, hoping they would evening. refuge. For the bachelor living in find conversation, a card game, a lodgings or a boarding house, a club Month after month, Lotos members friend to share a meal, a smoke or a was a necessity, “his constant resort, gathered at the clubhouse on Saturday drink. Plans had to be made ahead of for his meals, for social intercourse, Nights, and a tradition was born. time; there was no electricity, for lounging and he generally makes Years later, after the Club moved to a telephone or internet. it his post office address.” And how larger house on Fifth Avenue and 21 st did the married men escape their But Saturday night was different. Street, the Saturday evenings also duties at home? In 1886, The New Then, members could count on included art exhibitions. The York Times reported a new social finding fellowship and entertainment. program for each evening was not set, phenomenon. Saturday was the Before the Club celebrated its second but rather depended on who happened husband’s “night off,” his night to go anniversary, Lotos Saturday Nights to be in the clubhouse. And the to his club. were famous. “The Lotos Eaters like proceedings were always informal it and flock to its celebration as if it and jovial. As the Boston Courier As social customs changed, so did the were a sense of duty,” reported the writer observed, while there were Lotos Saturday Nights. Movies and Boston Courier in 1873. “On such clubs of sect, party, taste, aristocracy, cars and TV came in, and the tradition occasions every man wanders to enjoyment, study, research, reform faded. Members no longer sought out Irving Place before ten o’clock and and conservatism, Lotos “is for fun.” the clubhouse for a Saturday night of speculates what is to amuse him for Soon, other clubs began hosting simple, clubby fun. Entertainments the next three hours.” “entertainments and jollifications” on shifted to week nights. But today, as Saturday evenings. Lotos approaches its 140th birthday, After the dinner dishes were cleared the basic idea remains: the desire of and the tables moved from the Who were these Lotos men who Lotos Club members to gather parlors, members and invited guests crowded the clubhouse to celebrate together, share their talents and have a who could entertain were encouraged the end of the work week? The good time. Any time. to do so. On the night the Courier reporter was at Lotos, a soliloquy from Hamlet was followed by a baritone whose performance received thundering applause. Then a popular pianist was jokingly introduced as the “Pantaloonatic,” followed by silly songs, a “wondrous” violin performance and more recitations. As usual, a large bowl of potent punch was on hand. It helped keep the evening going. As the cigar smoke grew so thick that the far side of the room could barely be seen, the famous actor John Brougham came in from nearby Wallack’s theater, stage makeup still lingering on his cheeks, and presented a satirical poem of his own creation. The Lotos clubhouse (from Harper’s Weekly , 1890) The Lotos Club Page Three N E W S A N D N O T E S Save the Date Manager’s Mid -Year Report by John J. McGrath The Lotos Foundation th In late November, I was reading the reservation policy, which allocates 10 Anniversary Celebration final draft of the December/January most of the rooms for Lotos members at The Lotos Club News & Notes .

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