HISTORY
IN RETROSPECT
It seems like yesterday when we met formally for the first time to form this
non-for-profit club now known as Haffen Park Sports Association, Inc… To
be exact, the date was July 24, 1993, when more than fifteen original
organizers met with Teah Wulah, President; Lon Braithwaite, Vice-
President; Robert Hedgepeth, Secretary; and George Archer as Treasurer.
Other members in attendance were: Raymond Burton, Clifton Dunkley,
Betty Jones, Dorian C. King, Carl Lynch, Douglas Morris, Marion Shields,
Joseph Smalls Jr., Joyce Stoudermire and John Stuart.
The idea of an organizing arose from a lack of communication of the death
of Harry Brown one of the pioneers for Tennis in the park. Only few players
knew of his death and were able to attend the funeral.
On a discussion of how to get more members or tennis players who utilized
the park interested, it was in Mr. Smalls’ view that more people will join
when they see what we had accomplished through sport activities. While
Mrs. Shields advised that making our aims and purposes clearly stated and
visible was another mean of drawing new members. All these suggestions
were taken into consideration when President Wulah appointed Mr.
Hedgepeth to make the organization’s aims and purposes known to all new
members, which he did.
There were three important committees setup on that day: The committee for
affiliation with the USTA, ETA; members were Carl Lynch, chairman; Lon
Braithwaite and Robert Hedgepeth. A committee on incorporation was also
setup with the president getting the appropriate information; and a fund
raising committee with Mrs. Shields as chairperson. A total of $100 was
collected. That same year, the first Charles Whiteman/ Harry Brown
Tournament was organized which was won by R. Sherman.
It has been over ten years since that date and our membership has grown
tremendously to over 80 members. Through those years we have seen
leaders of the organization some of whom were very serious and brought our
association to greater heights; while others just occupied the seat. All-in-all,
we have come a long way in a short time. While each one of us needs to be
congratulated, there are those very few hard workers who regardless of the
president did their utmost to see and hold us together. Some of these without
hesitation need our expressions of appreciation. These members include
Irene Brown, Braithwaite, Hedgepeth, Winston Crawford, Archer, Toussaint
Foster, Burton, Shields, and Thelma Suriel.
The membership fee has been $12.00/yr. The purpose of such low
membership fee was to encouraged participation in other fund raising events
such as the Tennis Party, our main source of income.
Since then, the organization has grown beyond a mere club to a corporation.
Thanks to past President Esmond Waldron and Robert Hedgepeth for their
efforts. Some of the successful programs in the past years include a Youth
Tennis Program which last year brought together fifty girls and boys, some
of whom touched a tennis racket arid step on a tennis court for the first time,
and also the Youth Tennis Tournament for the third year in a row sanctioned
by the USTA. Thanks to Francis Waldron and Laverne Pauline and the more
than 10 volunteers for a job well-done.
TEAH WULAH
former club president
