ysmenwestportweston.org

Newsletter

communications@ysmenwestportweston.org

Contact the communications committee concerning Y's Men newsletters, requests or

any other concerns you might have.

Follow the Y's Men on Facebook

Come join our Facebook Group and stay up to date on what’s happening

with the Y’s Men every day; don’t miss out!

Click below to visit and join the group:

(233 Members) Y's Men Westport/Weston | Facebook

Y's Men News -- Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Table of Contents



(Scroll Down to Find the Article Behind the Headline. Articles are

in the same order as the Table of Contents)

• Noted Consultant Eric Baron Speaks This Week
• Y's Men Co-Sponsor LWV Local Candidate Debates
• T&E Lists Outing to Governors Island
• Two Vacancies Available for Long Sold Out Essex Trip
• GIDG Will Focus on Mideast Cease-Fire Deal 
• Staples High School BridgeBuilders to Meet
• Red Cross Blood Drive October 29 at VFW
• Y's Men Veterans: Bedford Students Want to Hear You
• Entry Period in 2025 Photo Contest Begins Next Week
• Y's Men Current Events Discussion Group Meets Weekly

Y's Men: Please Show Respect for Your Speakers

Speaker presentations on Thursday mornings are not over until the Q&A session is finished. Please remain seated until then. If you must leave during the Q&A, sit in the rear of the room so you can slip out quietly. And avoid conversations in the back of the room until the Q&As are completed.

Tomorrow: Noted Sales and Negotiating Consultant Eric Baron

Eric Baron

Noted sales and negotiating consultant Eric Baron will be the featured speaker at tomorrow morning's meeting. He has been training sales professionals and their managers for more than 35 years in a variety of programs that fall under the umbrella of sales and sales management.

Eric co-founded The Baron Group in 1981 and his company has trained tens of thousands of people at Fortune 500 companies in the fields of finance, insurance, advertising, aviation, healthcare, CPG, automotive and consumer electronics.

Eric is also an accomplished author of three sales training books as well as a teacher at Columbia Business School as an Adjunct Professor. His course,

Entrepreneurial Selling Skills, is offered to second year MBAs. In 2009, Eric received the prestigious Dean’s Teaching Excellence Award.

He will be discussing how to work together to settle difference between people in a productive way.

Y's Men Thursday morning meetings are in Hoskins Hall downstairs in the Saugatuck Congregational Church, 245 Post Road East in Westport. Coffee, donut and bagel social hour begins at 9:00 am, business meeting at 10:00 am, speaker at 10:30 am. Come early and meet your fellow members. Guests are always welcome.

Submit your questions by Sunday, October 19, to lwvwestportct@yahoo.com

Friday, October 24

Governors Island Tour

Spouses and significant others are most welcome.

https://conta.cc/4pVvpDZ

Two Vacancies Available for Essex Fall Foliage Excursion

The Y's Men Essex Fall Foliage Excursion and Luncheon scheduled for this Friday (October 17) has been sold out for some time. However, two vacancies have just become available. If interested, contact Y's Man Jim Wong at ytivitaler14@gmail.com

For details about the outing, click here.

GIDG Will Focus on Mideast Cease-Fire Deal

The Global Issues Discussion Group (GIDG) will meet Monday, October 20 at 9:00 am in Room 203/204 at the Saugatuck Congregational Church.

The topic for discussion will be the Mideast cease-fire deal.

For more information on GIDG, contact Harvey Luft at harveyluft@gmail.com

Y's Man Jim Marpe Seeking Participants in Staples BridgeBuilders Inter-Generational Discussions

Fellow Y's Men:

We’re ready to begin a new season of inter-generational discussions with the Staples High School BridgeBuilders. Co-chairs of the group, Jake Shufro and Sienna Schwartz, have received interest from more than 90 fellow students - obviously a smaller sub-set will participate in our session. 

They and their fellow students have decided the topic of the October meeting will be "How do people lose trust in government institutions on the local and national level." Here are some questions and background - https://bridgebuildersusa.org/october-2025

The first session will be held on Wednesday, October 22, from 6:45 pm to 8:45 pm at The Westport Library, Room 210 (the Board Room).

Please let me know (jamesmarpe@mac.com) if you will be able to attend so we can recruit substitutes if necessary.

Thanks for your interest. Looking forward to another stimulating and thought-provoking discussion.

Jim

For additional information, contact Y's Man Jay Dirnberger at jdirnberger@gmail.com.

Y's Men Veterans: Bedford Students Want to Learn From You

NOW HEAR THIS: In years past, a number of Y's Men military veterans have participated in a highly successful Veterans Day education program at Bedford Middle School. The program invites veterans to share their military experiences with members of the school's eighth grade classes.

The coordinator at Bedford is eager to have as many vets as possible participate in this year's program but has not heard from some of her past volunteers. 

If you are a vet and have participated in the past, but have not responded to this year's invitation, or if you would like to join this year's program on Wednesday morning, November12 as a first-timer, please contact John Brandt at jkbrandt@aol.com. He will put you in touch with Courtney Ruggiero, the program coordinator who will reserve you a place in the program.

According to past Y's Men participants, it's one of those intergenerational experiences that will be well worth your time.

Entry Period in 2025 Photo Contest Begins Next Week

Entries in Expo 22, the photo contest co-sponsored by the Y's Men Photography Club and the Westport Center for Senior Activities, may be submitted beginning Thursday, October 23, through Thursday, November 6.

Judging of entries, in eight classifications, will be on Wednesday, November 12. Three entries per person will be allowed in these categories: Landscape, Waterscape, Architectural, Portrait, Nature, Critter, General, and Highly Manipulated.

Click here to read the rules of the exhibition and obtain an entry form.

Y's Men Current Events Discussion Group Meets Weekly

A small group of Y's men meet weekly to discuss topics of mutual interest inspired by current events. That's the Y's Men Current Events Discussion Group.

There are two separate groups that meet on Wednesdays and Fridays at the Saugatuck Congregational Church at 10:00 am for an hour-long discussion.

The topic for discussion is selected by consensus at the previous meeting. Each of the two separate groups is limited to seven members so everyone attending can actively participate in the discussion. An additional Monday group may be added should there be sufficient demand.

Anyone interested in learning more about the Current Events Group or in joining it should contact Y's Man Tony Pranzo at tpranzo@yahoo.com.