Dear Friend:
“There is no quality I would sooner have, and be thought to have, than gratitude. For gratitude not merely stands alone at the head of all the virtues, but is even mother of all the rest.”
In a speech that would eventually become known as the Pro Plancio, the Roman lawyer and orator Marcus Tullius Cicero spoke these words over 2,000 years ago in 54 BCE. Gnaeus Plancius, a politician and friend of Cicero’s, had been accused of “electoral malpractice” by the opponent he defeated in a recent election. In defense of his friend, Cicero argued that Plancius, far from being corrupt, was of upstanding character and possessed in ample supply the virtues respected by Roman society. Chief among these, argued Cicero, was gratitude.
As the year draws to a close, we have much for which we can be grateful here at the Merchants. One of these things is the scaffolding and fencing that have recently sprung up around the Main Building. With support from the New Jersey Historic Trust, the New Jersey Cultural Trust, and Union County, restoration work has finally begun on the north-elevation facade, the south-elevation chimney, and the tavern’s original wood double-hung windows. And while there is no scaffolding yet to give it away, I am pleased to say that, with support from a generous member donation and a fundraiser thrown for us by the Rahway Knights of Columbus Council #1146, we have finally signed a contract to replace the cedar shake roof on the Terrill Tavern. Assuming the weather cooperates, work on both buildings should be complete in time to include photos in our Winter issue of the Tavern News!
We are also grateful for the dozens of volunteers who make possible everything we do here at the Merchants. Their efforts are the reason why our entire calendar of Fall events – from cemetery tours to hearth cooking – were smashing successes, and will also be why our winter events are similarly successful. Our “Holiday Candlelight Evening” is right around the corner on December 7 and will, as usual, feature a fire in the kitchen hearth, drinks from the bar in the tap room, and the music of Linda Russell. Our annual Member Dinner potluck will be held on January 18 and the “I Heart Horror” literary event will be returning on February 21 and 22. As usual, you can find more details about these upcoming events elsewhere in this newsletter.
And, of course, we are grateful to Members like you. You will soon be receiving a letter from me as part of our annual appeal and I cannot sufficiently express my appreciation for those of you who generously remember us in your year-end charitable giving; we simply could not continue to function without your support. Whether you volunteer to help make our events run, donate to help keep our lights on, or just attend your favorite events and maintain your membership, your support for this organization is recognized and, for all you do, you have my most sincere thanks.
However, if there was one thing about which all of us at the Merchants are most grateful, it would be the service of longtime Trustee and Officer, Cathy Keefe. It was with great regret that I accepted Cathy’s resignation from the Board earlier this fall. Along with her husband Joe, Cathy was always ready to volunteer or otherwise show up to support the entire range of our programs, and her passion and commitment to the Merchants has served as a guiding beacon for the entirety of my tenure on the Board. Her presence will be sorely missed at our meetings, but I am eternally grateful for her service to the organization and friendship over the years. If, as Cicero argued, gratitude is the mother of all virtues, I feel comfortable speaking for the entire Board and Staff in saying that the gratitude we feel for Cathy will nurture us to be very upstanding citizens indeed. Thank you, Cathy. And thanks, as well, to you at home reading this essay.
Forward!
Richard A. Zdan
President, Board of Trustees
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