Rumson Police Chief Scott Paterson is diving into his annual Special Olympics New Jersey cause again — this time in distanced pandemic times.

And, while the chief always does quite swimmingly with his fundraising efforts for the cause, his thrilling, chilling dive always reminds RFHers of the past (and he’s one of them) that there were those who did the icy dive before him.

So, it’s only right, in honor of the chief and a well-wish from his alma mater, that we look back again to an RFH club. After all, this 1970s club just may have motivated him and others, or vice versa, in the pursuit of that invigoratingly chilly leap for the thrill of helping out — RFH Polar Bear Club.

The Polar Bear Club, though, we’re pretty sure wasn’t doing dives for charity. The idea, for them, was more in the thrill and teen whim of plunging.

We’re not sure how often these guys dove into this chilly fun time to create their own brand of warm kinship, but they had no fear and fostered a lot of friendship and fun over it all. Oh, there’s plenty of teamwork involved in a plunge and usually, while the dunk is a solitary experience for each, the camaraderie before and after involves lots of close encounters that have become rare in our new normal.

So, here’s to close encounters before and after the chilly thrill of the dunk and a future of more like in this past time capsule of a snapshot.

Do you remember the RFH Polar Bear Club? Know any of these cold weather beachgoers? Where did these guys usually dive in?

In the meantime, the chief’s pre-plunge fundraising has begun …

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