I was (Sam Hudson) President of Plymouth Rotary Club that year.
I wanted to make sure the affair was chaired
by a man who had the ability to
organize and administer what appeared to be
developing into a major happening.
Now that it was to be more than a barbecue, we had to be sure that all of the elements were coordinated.
I asked around and was told that Frank Arlen, a past
President of the Rotary Club
and a local
industrialist,
was the man for the job, if he would take it.
I had lunch with Frank and urged him to be the general
chairman. He said he would consider the responsibility only if he had a strong committee to back him up.
I assured him that I would appoint the club's entire board of directors as his committee. He agreed to take the job on those terms. With Frank Arlen as general chairman, the committee heads for the first Fall Festival were Rotary board members Earl West, in charge of site preparations and facilities; Harold Guenther, host committee; Robert Beyer, serving committee; Perry
Richwine, soft drinks, dessert
and coffee; Robert Maurer,
tickets; and Carl Caplin, chef's committee.
I was chairman of the publicity committee.
We went to unusual lengths to make sure the 1960 event
would be successful.
Frank had heard that Manchester, Michigan, had been staging a large and successful barbecue for many years. He and I drove to Manchester one sunny
afternoon, while the barbecue was on, with the idea of learning what we could from their experiences.
We watched the Mancunians perform, and we talked to Bill Baker, President of the Manchester Jaycees, and Luthur Klager of the Optimist Club, both of whom were very cooperative. Frank, who knew what he was looking for,
we came away full of ideas
for improving our
barbecue techniques in Plymouth.
