July 2002 President's Corner

Bob Schultz '71, USNAAA Atlanta Chapter President

I trust that everyone had a great 4^th of July holiday and was able to celebrate and enjoy our Independence Day in a manner befitting our great nation.

I’m also sure everyone will agree that we had another great LobsterFest this year. Look elsewhere in the newsletter for a complete write-up on the event. Also look on our web site under “Current News & Info” for digital pictures of many of those in attendance, including the sure to be infamous “bobbing for tomatoes in ice water” pictures!

Now on to a more serious issue. Considering that we’re past the mid-year point, I thought that this would be a good time for an update on Chapter membership.

According to our V.P. of Information Systems, Mike Herger ’90, our database shows that 230 alumni have paid their 2002 Chapter dues to date. This means that over 70 people who were dues-paying Chapter members last year have not mailed in their 2002 dues yet for this year. That’s not a good number for a mid-year count.

I know that I’ve preached this sermon before, but its worth repeating. We have to get our membership numbers back up over the next two years or we will lose our trustee’s seat on the National Board of Trustees. Representation on the national board of trustees means that we have a voice. We get to participate in the formatting and setting of policy for our Alumni Association as a whole. Only the top nine Chapters (by membership) are afforded a seat on the Board of Trustees. (This was changed a couple of years ago from the top twelve chapters.) Since we were not in the top nine, our current seat was won by competing for one of three “other chapter” seats. We cannot compete for an “other chapter” seat again next time (two in a row of this type are not allowed). So, we must get our Chapter membership numbers back up high enough to get into the top nine chapters in order to regain a trustee’s seat on the board when our current trustee’s (Bill Rentz ’55) term expires.

In order to count you must be a dues-paying member of the Atlanta Chapter AND a member of the National U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association as well! In the past few years only about 85% of our dues paying Chapter members were also National members. We need to fix that ASAP! That alone drops us down a ranking or two on the top Chapter list. If you are not a member of National, sign up this year! We need your Atlanta Chapter membership to count toward our total membership tally for trusteeship. It looks like we need to target a minimum number of 300 alumni who are both Chapter members and National members to get us up into the top nine chapters for this year

If you have been a Chapter member in past years, you know what the Atlanta Chapter has to offer and the fellowship and camaraderie that it provides. If you’ve been active, but haven’t paid your annual dues this year, or just plain forgot to, re-up and pay your dues today! If your classmates aren’t involved, look them up in the Chapter Roster, then pick up the phone and call them. Tell them what they are missing and invite them, or bring them, to an event or a luncheon.

In January you received a dues mailer via snail-mail. If you didn’t get one, or have misplaced it, a 2002 Atlanta Chapter Dues form can be found on our web site at www.usnaaaa.com/2002dues.pdf. Or, go to the Member Services page on the web site and look under the “Become a Member” section for the dues form.

If you were a member last year, and none of your personal contact information has changed (address, phone, etc.), you don’t even need to use the form. Just put a check in the mail made out to USNAAAA for your yearly dues ($25.00 for on-line newsletter membership type, or $35.00 for hard copy, snail-mailed newsletter membership type. If you have e-mail/web access, please sign up for the on-line newsletter membership type. We are trying to phase out hard copy snail-mailed newsletters.) Mail your check to USNAAAA, P.O. Box 76684, Atlanta, GA 30358..

You, the Atlanta Chapter members, ARE the Chapter! Let’s keep our Chapter going and growing!

God bless America. God bless our troops defending freedom around the world.

And… BEAT ARMY!