Spring is just around the corner and here in Atlanta it gets a little warmer before most of the country. That’s why we live here. However, this year we’re starting a little late. It seems Mother Nature is still hibernating.
Back in November we had Bill Saling as our luncheon speaker and he shared with us his organization’s work with disabled veterans. Based on his appeal for any labor or monetary assistance, luncheon attendees plus many others agreed that his cause and work was worthy of our support. Please refer to our website for more details. To date we have participated in both efforts and on behalf of the local chapter Board, I want to thank everyone who has decided to make a contribution. However through February, we have fallen very short of our financial commitment as an organization to support Bill’s group. There is obviously still time to make a difference in support of this project, so please find a way to volunteer some time or money or both to this program. For everyone who has made a contribution in either time or money, please contact me with details of your participation. I just want to make sure Bill’s group has properly documented our Chapter’s level of participation.
In an effort to build our Chapter membership numbers for the year-end report to national, your Board is asking all present members to reach out and encourage alumni who are not chapter members to join. We know that group, organization and affiliation has to demonstrate increasing value to their members to keep them interested in remaining members and for non-members to be excited about becoming new members. This is ever more apparent in our present economic climate. To that end, we will be launching several new programs to highlight membership advantages.
FEBRUARY HIGHLIGHTS
2010 Dark Ages Dinner/Dance
Great program, and a good time was had by all. Our guest speaker, Capt. Pierre Thuot, was not only informative but engaging and insightful on the Life of a Space Shuttle Astronaut. If you missed it, you missed a good one. We will do it again next year, so start making plans now to attend. (See photos on the website.)
Chapter News
I was remiss in not mentioning in January that Dan Branch ’96 and his wife Caroline celebrated the birth of their first child John Ratcliffe in January. Congratulations to the Branch family and potentially a Class of 2031 member.
Eddie Meyers ’80 is the proud father of an Olympic Medal Winner. At the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, his daughter Elana Meyers won a Bronze Medal in the Women’s Bobsled competition. This was the third Olympics in a row that a U.S. Women’s Team finished with a medal. BZ to daughter and dad.
Anyone wishing to pass on any professional or personal chapter news, please send a brief note to myself or Jim Slemenda, our secretary.
GO NAVY!
Ples Bruce ’77
Chapter President
Atlanta Network