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THE GUIDES ASSOCIATION OF NYC presents:
THE GANYC E-NEWS BLAST
It was another busy & productive Summer in the tourism world in New York. Now, we enjoy the Autumn because the even busier holiday season will be here before we all know it!
Autumn in the United States often means election season, and GANYC is about to head into its own elections. Full members will be voting on the 2020-2021 Executive Board of GANYC. All positions are up to be voted on: President, Vice-President (2), Secretary (2: Corresponding Secretary, & Recording Secretary), Treasurer, and Members-at-Large (3). The Executive Board is the face of GANYC to the tourism & travel industry, and to our colleagues all over the world, and so these positions-- while volunteer-based-- do carry great importance. We encourage all our voting members to take this process seriously, and participate, even if just by their votes! Please remember that provisional members will not be participating in this election.
Beginning at our October monthly meeting this week, the nomination process will begin. Any full, voting member may nominate a fellow full member to any position. The nomination will require a second, then the nominee can either accept or decline the nomination. Nominations may also be made throughout the month on the GANYC website discussion forum. Ballots will be mailed out by the Election Committee to all full members in November, which must be postmarked to return to GANYC by November 30. At the November meeting earlier that month, all candidates will have a statement read, either in person or by proxy. The ballots will be counted at the end of November by our Election Committee, and the winners announced at the December membership meeting. The newly-elected Board will then take office in January.
GANYC continues to grow in both membership numbers, and in prominence in the industry. We thank our membership as always for their support, and we thank the outgoing Board for their incredible efforts. We look forward to seeing how the next Board continues to push GANYC forward in a rapidly-changing travel industry.
Finally, enjoy some photos from recent fam tours... many members continue to be generous in donating their time to provide these great experiences!
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And don't forget to check out the GANYC Announcement page, discussion forums, blog, and social sites to stay on top of all the happenings in the NYC tour world.
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Wednesday, October 2 from 6:00-8:30pm
GANYC's next membership meeting will be held October 2 at 6:00pm at Plymouth Church (57 Orange Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201).
Guest Speaker:
Brendan Fay, human rights activist & filmmaker, co-founded The Civil Marriage Trail Project in 2003, bringing couples across borders for legal marriage. Among the couples were Edie Windsor & Thea Spyer whose landmark US Supreme Court case led to the eventual legalization of same sex marriage in the US in 2015. He has been involved in the creation of two documentaries about Fr. Mychal Judge, the FDNY Franciscan chaplain who died in the WTC tragedy on September 11, 2001. As part of October's celebration of LGBT history month, Brendan will share some of his personal stories, including about individuals who have a Brooklyn connection.
Elections:
A large part of the meeting will be dedicated to the nominations for the 2020-2021 GANYC Board of Directors.
Sign-in for the meeting will be open between 5:30-7:30pm, anyone arriving at 7:30pm will not be checked in.
Directions: A/C train to High St
(nearby: 2/3 to Clark St, R to Court St, 2/3/4/5 to Borough Hall)
Register on our calendar page
Registration: 5:30 PM / Meeting: 6:00 PM
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Check out our upcoming FAM Tours & Events:
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Monday, October 7 from 10:00am-12:30pm
Downtown Manhattan's Lost Neighborhood
with Joe Svehlak
Manhattan’s Lower West Side from the World Trade Center to the Battery west of Broadway in the shadow of Wall Street was New York’s most diverse immigrant neighborhood over one hundred years ago. A 1917 survey counted 27 nationalities living in this small area. A true melting pot first with Irish and Germans in the 1840s, later intermingled with peoples from the Middle East and then various Slavic races. At one point the area was even known as “Little Syria”, the “Mother Colony” of all Arab immigrants to the United States. What happened to these people? What’s left of their unique diverse neighborhood? Hear their stories and view remnants of this once vibrant neighborhood including a former Syrian Catholic church, the Downtown Community House, and the few remaining tenements and Federal Era townhouses. We’ll discuss issues of planning, preservation and development as well as the immigrant experience with our tour leader whose family lived here over a hundred years ago.
Register online: www.ganyc.org/calendar
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Friday, October 11 from 9:00am-4:30pm
Fam Trip to the Octagon House and Irvington
with Susan Birnbaum & Bob Gelber
Catch a 9am train from Grand Central Terminal on Friday, October 11, to Irvington. In Irvington, we will be met by our Coach transporting us during the day. The Day should end around 4-4:30 PM, with the group catching Metro-North from Irvington back into Grand Central Terminal.
First stop is The Armour-Stiner Octagon House, built in 1872, for a 10:30 a.m. tour. The House is one of the most visually unique homes in the World. It is the only known, fully domed octagonal residence and the only house which replicates Donato Bramante's 1502 Tempietto in Rome. Purchased in 1978 by Joseph Pell Lombardi, a preservation architect, specializing in conservation, restoration and historic preservation throughout the world. The House and grounds have been restored to their 1872 appearance. After our tour, we will coach into Irvington.
After lunch, we will have a walking tour of Irvington. Our host will be Historians of the Irvington Historical Society. Learn the history of the area settled by the Dutch in 1600's. Named "Irvington" in 1854, to honor the American author Washington Irving, who was still alive at the time and living in nearby "Sunnyside." Along the route, we will pass some fascinating buildings with interesting stories. We are also invited to visit the Washington Irving Exhibit at the Irvington Historical Society.
Fee for the trip is $25.
Register online: www.ganyc.org/calendar
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Friday, October 11 from 10:00am-12:30pm
Downtown Brooklyn: Old and New
with Joe Svehlak
Join Joe Svehlak as he recalls the past 70 years of change in Brooklyn's Downtown where he now lives. View old department stores, former grand theaters, a surprising variety of religious edifices, Metrotech Commons, Brooklyn's civic center and the recent landmarked skyscraper district. See rampant high rise developments, the revitalized Fulton Mall, streetscapes and plazas that now all add to Downtown Brooklyn's vitality & livability.
Register online: www.ganyc.org/calendar
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Monday, October 21 from 10:00am-12:30pm
Prospect Park
with Jeremy Wilcox
Explore Brooklyn's scenic treasure, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux after their completion of Central Park. Learn why Olmsted and Vaux came to prefer this park to their original Manhattan masterpiece. Come discover Brooklyn!
This walking tour begins at historic Grand Army Plaza, where you'll see the famous Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch. From there, we'll begin our journey of the highlights of Prospect Park. We'll journey past the Long Meadow, the best people-watching spot in Brooklyn, toward the famous Picnic House. From there, we continue into the Ravine, Brooklyn's only remaining natural forest. Other sites we'll see include the children's carousel near the zoo, the Lefferts Historic House, the Prospect Park Boathouse and Audubon Center, beautiful arches and bridges, before finally ending at the restored Lakeside Center.
Along the way, your guide will recount the history of Olmsted and Vaux's Brooklyn masterpiece and how their experiences with Central Park shaped this park's trajectory. Hear how Vaux's decision to scrap the original plan led to the creation of the nearby Brooklyn Museum and Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Learn the history of this land in Brooklyn, from Dutch farming to Revolutionary War battles!
Register online: www.ganyc.org/calendar
[Event is "sold out", but a waitlist is being maintained]
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Thursday, October 31 from 10:00am-1:00pm
Halloween Tour of Forest Hills
with Bruce Bernstein
Join Bruce Bernstein on Halloween for a relatively fast-paced, fun, and energetic 3-mile hiking tour of Forest Hills Gardens. It's a special day in the Gardens on Halloween and there will be many colorful displays to view. The tour will stop briefly to talk about the history and design of this beautiful planned community that was conceived back in 1909. When not stopping to discuss what we see, the tour will move at a brisk pace.
As a bonus, the tour will visit one of the city's best collections of relatively small paintings & photos specializing in New York City. This "studio" is owned by an eccentric, quirky individual & is rarely opened to the public.
Register online: www.ganyc.org/calendar
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Monday, November 4 from 10:00am-12:30pm
When New York Was Nieuw Amsterdam
with Joe Svehlak
What’s left of old Dutch New York? Where were the windmills, the canals, the first church, and the fort? Where did the girls go to do the laundry, and where did the boys go to graze the cattle?
In conjunction with the Dutch Days celebration, join Joe Svehlak for a look at New York’s Dutch roots in Downtown Manhattan over four centuries ago. Walking downtown’s old streets and the original shoreline, we’ll learn about our Dutch legacy of commerce and tolerance. Hear about the diverse immigrant population, the problems they faced, and the part they played in the foundation of our democratic society.
Register online: www.ganyc.org/calendar
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Plus: Save the Date for the following fams. Details announced soon!
10/24, 2:30pm: Ghosts of Governors Island, with Kevin Fitzpatrick
10/29, 11:00am: Corona Circuit, with Jack Eichenbaum
11/14, 2:30pm: Dorothy Parker's New York, with Kevin Fitzpatrick
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Are you a GANYC member or industry partner, and want to be spotlighted on our blog, Facebook and e-newsletter? We are happy to help!
For tour guides (active members only), please fill out this form. For industry partners, please fill out this form. Please keep in mind that the more information you provide in your answers, the better your profile will be!
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Need a Tourist Guide in New York City?
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If you need to hire a NYC guide, please take the time to enjoy our find-a-guide feature and learn what GANYC members have to offer.
You can look over all of our members... or search by tour type, services offered, or language. |
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How do I become a GANYC Member?
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