February 1, 2008

Being employed until age 91 is something of a challenge. To accomplish that is a personal achievement deserving of honors. During the lunch hour on the first day of February, The Cliff Dwellers paid tribute to Belton Calmes, who was hired for the wait staff at the club more than 20 years ago. This followed an even longer career as a Santa Fe railroad Pullman chef. Known to members as “Cal,” he was joined by his daughter Deidra, who came to Chicago to be present at the retirement ceremony. (Photo by William Bowe)

Belton Calmes Retirement Lunch
Additional Photos and Slide Show by William Bowe

January 14, 2008

Cliff Dwellers gathered in the Kiva for the 101^st Annual Meeting of the club, which immediately followed the traditional steak dinner. Presiding was outgoing president William Bowe, who introduced the various committee heads giving their yearly reports. (Yolanda Deen, House Committee, Doug Schroeder, Millennium Sustaining Fund Committee, and Trish Vanderbeke, Arts Foundation, are shown in the photo.) Three new directors were elected to the Board---Susan Aaron, Ed Gordon, and Paul Hamer. Tributes were given to Chef Victor Perez for his continued culinary excellence as well as to Belton “Cal” Calmes, retiring after 22 years of service with the wait staff. Attending members were informed that the club closed the 2007 fiscal year with a surplus and the current membership stands at 399. (Photo by George Gabauer)

A near-capacity gathering of Cliff Dwellers and their guests filled the Kiva in celebration of the club’s centenary. As the culmination of events during this centennial year, the formal dinner party was a festive occasion that included guitar music during the reception and dining segments, a brief program of traditional jazz music by a guest ensemble, and several presentations. Prominent among the evening’s highlights were the display of a new painting by Robert Guinan, CD ‘84, capturing the centenary theme, and an address keyed to historical connotations of The Cliff Dwellers’ first hundred years. It was delivered by Gary T. Johnson, President of the Chicago History Museum. Use the following link to access the full text of the presentation. (Photos by George Gabauer) http://www.chicagohistory.org/aboutus/from-the-president/speeches-and-articles

October 16, 2007

Just how that classic musical “Oklahoma!” was created and how original it remains after more than six decades were part of the story told by Charles Troy, an informed and enthusiastic chronicler of Broadway productions. Assisted by extensive audio-visual content, he traced the development from its plagued origins through its inspired transition via Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. With extensive biographical findings on the personalities involved, Troy  offered an overall appreciation of the creators who were responsible for this treasured stage hit. (Photos by William Bowe)

October 5, 2007

Sustaining The Cliff Dwellers beyond this year’s centenary is the financial goal of the club’s Millennium Sustaining Investment Fund committee. A special reception and program, held in the Kiva, gave attending members the latest information on the plans being made to assure both the identity and continuation of activities beyond the current lease period. Edward Gordon, in behalf of the fund committee, offered a presentation that focused on the needs and progress of pledged contributions for investment in “The Next 100 Years.” (Photo by George Gabauer)

July 27, 2007

Words invite images, and this is what guest speaker Errol Kindschy accomplished as he presented Cliff Dwellers with a re-creation of Hamlin Garland, one of the founders of our 100-year-old club. Kindschy, who lives in the home that Garland occupied in West Salem, Wisconsin, has taken his portrayal of the Chicago author to audiences throughout the Midwest. (Photo by William Bowe)

July 19, 2007

Less than a quarter-century after The Cliff Dwellers club was established, a number of members became involved in creating yet another private club on Michigan Avenue---the Tavern Club. That organization chose to honor our club's centenary year with a private cocktail reception at their site, highlighted by commentary from the presidents of both clubs. There was a good showing by Cliff Dwellers, who spent  part of the early evening celebration checking out the views from the 26th floor terrace of the 333 North Michigan Avenue office building. In September, members of the Tavern Club will be guests of The Cliff Dwellers at a comparable reception, giving them an opportunity to sample the much-admired views from our own current home. (Photos by George Gabauer)

April 11 & 13, 2007

"100 Years and Still Waiting" was the appropriate title for this centenary tribute to Samuel Beckett, the Irish-born playwright, poet, and novelist born on April 13,1906. Produced by Cliff Dweller Larry Lund, this was a one-hour presentation of short poems and excerpts from several plays, the best-known being "Waiting for Godot" (1952) and "Endgame" (1957). In the living-room atmosphere of the Club, these chosen selections were given sympathetic treatment via readings by a trio of excellent screen and stage actors: Terry Gibson (who also directed this production), Steve Munro, and Kathryn Shubert. (Illustration of Beckett from the poster art by Mark Anderson.)

January 24, 2007

An exposition on the defense of capitalism was the theme of the January dinner presentation at the club. Deirdre McCloskey, CD '02, discussed her most recent book, "The Bourgeois Virtues: Ethics for an Age of Commerce," which is the first of four volumes to be issued by the University of Chicago Press. Members and guests had the opportunity to have the author respond to their own questions as well as to hear further insights on the subject.

January 8, 2007

The Cliff Dwellers celebrated the 100^th annual meeting of the club with a substantial turn-out of members for the traditional steak dinner. President William Bowe was assisted by other officers and the various committee chairs in presenting reports on the state of the club along with brief coverage of principal events during 2006. Members responded with the expected pro-and-con outbursts, nevertheless participating in the election of new Directors and in a rousing rendition of “Zivio,” the club’s anthem.