Orange Blossom Chorus!

HOW  MELODY MANOR  CAME TO BE OURS!
  Through years past, 1955-1956, we, the Orlando Chapter, met at a different place just about every week.  Elks Club, Church Halls, back rooms, you name it, we met there.  Yes, each week before we left the meeting, we had to know where we would meet the next week.  If that was unknown at that time we had a phone committee that would call the members and tell them where to meet.

Now, doesn't that sound organized?  Well, it worked but took a lot of coordinating.  It was rather difficult to maintain an average membership which started us thinking about our own place.  Boy, what a dream.  But, dreams do come true and with a lot of hard work and dedication, it did come true and this is how it came about.

A few of us each loaned the chapter a thousand dollars to purchase a vacant lot. The deal was, the chapter would pay it back whenever it could, and it did just that.  (I'd mention their names, but they have all gone on ahead of us to join the Heavenly Chorus.)

The vacant lot was kind of bowed and needed dirt. Well, I-4 was just getting started and I talked the contractor into giving us some dirt that they would deliver on the following Friday.  Plans were made with six of our members to be at the site the following Saturday with rakes and shovels. We got there and this is what we were faced with:

Staring at us was, forty 5-ton piles of dirt very evenly spaced on our lot.  I first looked at those piles, then at the other five men, and I said, "let's go home!"  Being the Chapter President back then was tough enough as it was. Now, back to the 40 piles of dirt that rakes and shovels just would not get the job done without a lot of blisters got me on the go again.

With a little research it was learned that Hubbard Paving Company was in the process of grading a large street in downtown Orlando, so a trip was made to their office.  After explaining to them who and what we were, a discussion was held about the 40 piles of dirt that needed to be leveled. We explained we had no money but we worked out a deal.   We would provide the entertainment at their next dinner / meeting.   They loved it!

We were to meet them the next day at our site and what showed up was a very large flat bed hauling the largest 8 wheel grader I ever saw.  It took two men about an hour to unload and assemble.  That was nothing to the five hours it took to transform those piles into a beautiful building lot.  And we were planning to use rakes and shovels?  Yea sure.

We then found out the Orlando Health Department had four wooden barracks type buildings not in use. Frank Caldarazzo visited them and talked management into giving us one and the deal was that we had to pay to get it moved onto our lot.  It took $800 to move it three miles and place it on a foundation. 
 
We were moving right along. We had a lot leveled and a building on it. We organized a work crew and converted the barrack into a beautiful meeting hall.  Our master carpenter, Bill Oehrtman (now deceased) did all the woodcraft work in the kitchen, building cabinets and shelves. 
   
Mandy Higgins, a fairly new chapter member came up with the name, "Melody Manor"  and it has been ever since. Mandy was a transfer from up North.

We needed front steps so Dick Bame, (a new member), built the steps with a lot of concrete, reinforcing rods and a lot of sweat.   Bill Oehrtman recruited some of the guys to help laying lay a tile floor; that job will get you down on your knees.

The inside of the building, when finished, had a kitchen, two rest rooms, a storage room and an office. All this our work crew did on weekends until finished and Melody Manor came to life. It was 40 ft. x 85 ft.
 
What a joy not to worry about where to meet any more.  At times we held a spaghetti dinner on a Saturday or a pot luck or Bar-B-Q.   Our "togetherness" was always well attended.
All this went on for years when suddenly, BOOM!, the City said, "We need your lot for an entrance to 1-4."  Yes, that portion of the interstate was to go right through our beautiful building.

Where was it? If you drive West on South Street and turn left on Mills Avenue,  you will see the ramp going up to 1-4 on your right. Our building was in the middle of that ramp.

We had about $5,500 in our Manor and the City gave us $25,000 for our first building/lot which we used to buy our Montana property, "Melody Manor," formerly known as "The Little Theatre."

In thinking of those days with all the joys and memories, all the friendships made, members families and all our children growing up around Barbershopping, I can't help thinking, "Those were the good old days."
 
We were the second chapter in the whole Society to own its own building.  If you look around the Manor, you will see some photos of our first club house.  The picture of a guy in an apron is me, fixing  a spaghetti dinner for around 40 people.

I miss those 50 or so Barbershoppers from days gone by who have joined the Heavenly Chorus.      It is hoped that each of you, of the Orlando Chapter, never forget the love and devotion that was once a way of life with each member and their families and continue it into the future.