2 A Message From President Rounds :
Douglas ’ 76 Provides Life Lessons — And Laughter — In His New Book
2 A Message From President Rounds :
Fall Semester Is An Exhilarating Time !
The start of fall semester at Williamson College of the Trades is always an exhilarating time for me . The weather is pleasant , the leaves are changing color , a new group of freshmen have arrived , eager to begin their education , and a group of seniors were recently sent into the world with the foundation they gained in their 1,000-day Williamson journey — a foundation of trade skills , academics , and good values .
The Class of 1W7 graduated on June 2 with inspiring words from a dear friend of Williamson , James Nevels , founder and chairman of the Swarthmore Group , a major investment advisory firm . He stressed to the graduates the importance of service . Something we all take seriously .
In addition to new freshmen , fall semester also saw the addition of a number of new instructors and staff , including several trade directors . We are thrilled to have these outstanding people as part of our team and it is exciting to see their eagerness to share their knowledge and talents with the students . They have fit in quickly and are already making their mark .
Fall semester also marks the begin- ning of our being a smoke-free campus . As of the beginning of the semester , smoking is not allowed on Williamson property , not for students or personnel . Our goal is to encourage a healthy lifestyle . We have to set a good example for our students to follow .
Our physical plant has also undergone a number of exciting changes . It is heartening to see members of the Class of 1W8 living for the first time in Watson Dorm , which was completed at the end of spring semester .
A benefit of this new living facility is already in action — the refurbishing of Eyre Dorm . One of the reasons we wanted a new dorm was to make possible the refurbishing of our existing dorms by giving the students living in those dorms another place to live while the work takes place . This project is also giving our students additional hands-on trade experience while saving the school money by not having to hire contractors . One of the benefits of a school that teaches the trades .
Another impressive change to our infrastructure is the renovation of Rowan Hall . For those who have not been on campus since the spring , we have added hardwood flooring to the first floor hallways , lobby , and dining room , renovated the existing dining room , and are in the process of expanding the dining room to a size that will nearly double the occupancy . Soon , the room will be large enough to accommodate the entire student body and then some . What a difference this will make when we hold special events , such as the Sports Banquet .
Anyone who has driven by the campus recently has seen two new attractive entrance signs . They not only look nice , but clearly let passersby know Williamson College of the Trades is there . The signs were designed by our own Kevin Blackney 7W6 , owner of Blackney Hayes Architects . Our masonry students gained additional experience helping with the signs and our horticulture students did a nice job landscaping the area .
Another part of our physical plant that is expanding is the Energy Island . Our solar panels are working and saving us money on electric bills . We also recently purchased a new low pressure turbine , condenser , and control panel . They are in place in Turbine Hall and
in the next few months will be put into running condition with student help . These new additions were made possible by our dear friend , Lee Rowan , for whom the program was named the Lee Rowan School of Power Plant Technology .
The 2017-18 school year is off to a good start and we eagerly await all the new events to take place . We hope you will continue to be a part of what we do .
For Williamson ! Michael J . Rounds
Douglas ’ 76 Provides Life Lessons — And Laughter — In His New Book
Gordon Douglas 7W6 writes like he talks , fast , so hold on to your hat as you cover his life in 39 chapters in the book he recently wrote , Growth Spurts & Growin ’ Pains , Things I Wish I Knew , Vol . 1 .
Though writing in detail about his life , hiding nothing , did not come easily to him , as he sat down to write his book he decided to bare all so that others could benefit from his difficult journey through life — and laugh along the way . He says the book is like Reader ’ s Digest with a touch of Mad magazine . “ Each chapter is short , has a story , a message , and is funny . It covers his struggles , triumphs , learning , and spiritual growth . I tried not to be too preachy while covering three important areas — my comedy , family , and faith .”
He said , “ I wish I had known everything that is in this book when I was in middle school . The lessons I have learned since then have helped me . I wrote this book so that my struggles and lessons learned from them will help others .”
Douglas covers his difficult high school years , his life as a Williamson student who slowly discovers his interests — carpentry , the ministry , and making people laugh , life as a professional carpenter , life as a minister , and , finally , his current life as a professional comedian doing over 100 shows a year . The book also contains two of his favorite recipes .
Needless to say , as he writes about the painful parts of his life , he fits in enough jokes to make you laugh until your sides hurt and offers plenty of life lessons all can benefit from .
He also admits he has ADD , though he is self-diagnosed . “ I took an on-line test once , but it was way too long , three questions , so I quit .”
As he describes his life , he ends each chapter with a section entitled , “ I Wish I Knew ,” with the hope that the reader can benefit from what he did right — and wrong .
His life began in Lester , in a house close to the Philadelphia Airport , and then Glen Mills . He grew up feeling inadequate and alienated .
When he was 16 , his dad had surgery for a brain tumor . Taking care of his father and seeing his struggles was very difficult for him . What he learned from that — “ every day is a gift and life as we know it can change in a moment .”
In high school , he had trouble with sports , girls , and fitting in . He felt like he wasn ’ t good at anything . In English class , he actually wrote a paper entitled “ Why I hate life .”
Through this time , he attended church regularly at Stonybank Community Church , Bethlehem United Methodist Church , and Chester Heights Camp Meeting . Spirituality was important to him , but had not completely taken hold yet .
When he came to Williamson he was full of anger , hurt , and doubt , but things began to change for the better . As he learned the carpentry trade , he also was very involved in school activities . He found that making people laugh was a good way to make friends . The daily chapel caused him to reflect more on religion . He began to feel like he fit in .
After graduating from Williamson , he went to work at Gulf Oil Co ., in Philadelphia . It was around this time that he began performing comedy in front of audiences on a part-time basis .
He soon had the thrill of being on the Mike Douglas Show in a David Brenner look alike contest . He lost , but got in some good jokes on national television . Next was the Gong Show , where he walked off the stage when he saw they were about to gong him . He gave up trying to break into comedy in Hollywood when they demanded he tell dirty jokes .
Back home , he started his own carpentry business , making furniture for people with disabilities . He also worked in several positions in the ministry including senior pastor at Garden City Chapel in Wallingford .
He said , “ The happiest , most joyfilled people I know are those who have found out what their plan is and are doing it . The ministry and comedy are what I like best so I combined the two .”
The man who always had trouble with dating has now been married to Dawn for 35 years . Dawn ’ s doctor told her she was unable to bear children and they now are the proud parents of five natural children and over the years have provided a home to well over 20 other children and some adults .
He offers plenty of stories from these experiences , including the day he found out he was not the ideal husband he thought he was .
After years of performing comedy on the side , eight years ago Douglas realized he could support his family as a full-time comedian and hit the comedy road , doing about 100 shows a year , specializing in inspirational , family comedy which also includes his religious beliefs .
He has already started writing his second book with a summer deadline .
Douglas ’ book is available on Amazon at https :// www . amazon . com / Growth-Spurts-Growin-Pains-Things / dp / 0998781606 .
Comedian and author Gordon Douglas ’ 76 .