Clyde elected to Salvation Army national board

MADISON — William C. Clyde, Ph.D. of Madison has been elected to join The Salvation Army’s National Advisory Board upon strong recommendations from his community and peers, along with the full endorsement of the executive/nominating committee of the national advisory board. He will be officially installed in September in Omaha, Nebraska. The following was announced by the advisory board

Dr. Clyde is the Provost and Executive Vice President of Manhattan College and holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Edinburgh University, an M.S. in Chemistry from New York University, and a B.S. in Economics and Chemistry from DePauw University. Along with his experience in economics, finance, strategic planning and non-profit leadership, Dr. Clyde’s expertise in poverty alleviation will be a great asset to the Board.

One of the things that attracted Dr. Clyde to The Salvation Army was its Pathway of Hope program, a free life-skills program that pairs families who are experiencing chronic poverty and instability with a case manager who serves as a mentor and life coach. Families are encouraged to marshal their own strengths, talents, and resources and to work with The Salvation Army and its community partners to create increased opportunity for education, employment, housing, stability and independence.

“Pathway of Hope shines a light for families who have no way out and gives them the resources they need to succeed,” said Dr. Clyde. “These families want a way out, but may have no idea of the path needed to make that happen. This program is a pathway to a stable life that means they won’t need support resources anymore. They will be doing it on their own. That seems to me a much more loving and respectful way to serve people. It’s the ‘teaching them to fish’ thing.”

Another program that inspired Dr. Clyde to join The Salvation Army’s National Advisory Board was WORTH, a project of The Salvation Army World Services Office. SAWSO seeks to elevate women out of dire circumstances through the WORTH project which creates a cycle of sustainability fueled by holistic education and empowerment. Bringing together groups of 20-30 women, the WORTH curriculum provides literacy and savings training, as well as facilitating social mobilization for women in need. Program members are taught how to read and write; to keep business records; to account for group and personal savings; and to run their own businesses.

Dr. Clyde has published widely, including “Using Technology in Teaching,” has spent several years as a trader and corporate advisor in the foreign currency markets and has served as Vice President at First National Bank of Chicago (now part of JP Morgan Chase). He has served on several boards and is currently chair of the board of the Union Community Health Center in the Bronx, NY.

“Bill and his wife Christine have been loyal supporters of the work of The Salvation Army for nearly 30 years,” said Dawn Fleming, Donor Relations Director for Connecticut and Rhode Island. “As monthly contributors, their generosity has provided a predictable stream of funding for programs that make a lasting impact on the lives of those who turn to us for assistance. As an economist with a particular interest in lifting families out of poverty through self-directed solutions, Bill has been a trusted advisor to our Development team in Connecticut and Rhode Island, offering counsel as we develop our poverty reduction program for families through Pathway of Hope. The Clyde's genuine interest in alleviating suffering and improving lives has been a blessing to all of us at the Army and to those we serve.”

Resident organizing new travel club

EAST HAMPTON — A new travel club, The Connecticut 169 Club, is being organized by author Marty Podskoch of East Hampton with the goal of encouraging travelers to visit all of the towns and villages of our beautiful and unique state, according to Podskoch.

The idea for the CT 169 Club began after Podskoch read about Dr. Arthur Peach in the Dec. 11, 2005 issue of American Profile Magazine. Dr. Peach, in a story in Vermont Life magazine, suggested the idea of an informal group, the 251 Club, to veer off the beaten path “to discover the secret and lovely places that main roads do not reveal.” He felt that every part of Vermont had its beauty, history, attractions, traditions, and interesting people.

At first Podskoch decided to start a travel club for the Adirondacks. Since 2001, he has traveled to all 102 towns and villages in the Adirondacks gathering stories for his five books on the Adirondack fire towers, the Civilian Conservation Corps camps, and Adirondack lore. He noticed that tourists only went to a few towns like Lake George, Old Forge and Lake Placid.

He decided to create a book that would be a guide and a passport book. Podskoch got someone from each town to write a short description highlighting their town’s location, history, and interesting places to visit. He included space for travelers to journal about their experiences. There was also a place to get the book stamped or signed by a resident or business. They got to know the locals and perhaps find a good place to eat or an interesting local attraction? In this way they got to know the real Adirondacks.

There was no membership fee, just a desire to experience the whole Adirondack region. Adults and children of all ages could be members. Once a member reached their goal of visiting all 102 towns & villages they became a “Vagabond” member and were awarded a patch at a luncheon held in a different town each year.

“Vagabonds” is how Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone & John Burroughs described themselves when they took automobile camping trips in the Adirondacks & other sojourns throughout America to get away from their busy lives. Each Vagabond had his own tent with electric lights. They traveled through the Adirondacks twice.

Podskoch was a teacher in the Catskills and came to Conn. in 2005. He decided to write a book on the Connecticut CCC camps. He traveled to more than 100 towns in Connecticut, where he gave talks on the CCC and people shared their stories and photos. His Connecticut Civilian Conservation Corps Camps was published in 2016. He is now recruiting people to write about their towns that will be similar to his Adirondack 102 Club book. People who visit all 169 towns will receive the “Leatherman Award” after the man who traveled frequently in Conn. during the late 1800s and stayed in caves.

In the following weeks excerpts of the future book will be published in this newspaper and the book should be completed by the fall of 2018. If you would like to write about your town, contact Marty Podskoch at 860-267-2442 or podskoch@comcast.net