June 2003 President's Corner

Incoming President Bill Rentz '55, USNAAA Atlanta Chapter President

The following remarks are from the Chapter June Luncheon, 6/20/03.

This is the first opportunity to pass along this report on the May 2003 Board of Trustees meetings to the Chapter membership, although I did brief the Chapter Board of Directors on this material on May 13. I will be relieving Bob Schultz as Chapter President today, but not replacing him, because his shoes are far too big for me to fill. I am thankful that he will stay on as Webmaster for the Chapter.

My first day in Annapolis, May 1, was spent with the Admissions Committee, of which I am a member. Chair Rob Bender ‘73, and USNAAA Staffer Ron Casey ’75, had a lively agenda for us. Discussion of the Class of 2007 was eye opening – over 14,000 applications, highest ever, and most diverse with respect to minorities and females in history, and most highly qualified academically. That is not a sign to ease up on recruiting efforts, since the demographics may not support these numbers in the future. We as alumni need to continue to support our BGO and AAR in getting the message out. There are many outstanding candidates who have never heard of the Naval Academy and some have parents who are not fluent in English, so the challenge is huge. The subject of Affirmative Action came up and that term is not applicable at USNA because of the highly qualified pool of candidates we have to pick from. (In spite of what the AJC’s Cynthia Tucker says.) We don’t have to lower standards for any group when we have so many qualified candidates to pick from. And remember we choose nominees based on the whole person, not just academics. We can make the Brigade look like a cross section of the Navy enlisted ranks or any thing we want to with the type of applicants we are getting. But we must keep up the efforts to maintain the quality of candidates.

Don Montgomery ’74, whom many of you will remember from the USNA Gospel Choir tour here in Atlanta last January, talked to the Committee about his job as Minority Area Coordinator. He urged Chapter support of these efforts and one of the good examples he used was the Atlanta Chapter hosting of the choir at Ebeneezer Baptist Church. If you haven’t seen that event, try to do so next year. It will do your heart good. You can’t miss Don. He stands about 6’6” and looks like he could strap on the pads today like he did when he was an All East Offensive Tackle for Navy. He has a very impressive business resume also and happens to have been born in Cartersville, GA. His Dad was an Army Seargent First Class. We got on the subject of David Robinson, whose Dad was a Navy Chief Boatswains Mate. A lot of very complimentary sports articles about David have appeared lately as the Spurs wrapped up the NBA championship and David’s retirement and what a man of solid character he is, his charity work and religious faith. Don indicated that he had agreed to help with USNA recruiting. That will be a great boost for our recruiting efforts, minority and across the board.

The Board of Trustees meeting was most remarkable for the fact there was no arguing or arm waving about bylaws for the first time in a long time, thanks to the great work of the Governance Committee led by its Chairman RADM Roy Snyder ’50. Issues had been worked hard and resolved in the past meetings. Roy did brief the BOT on his review of Standing Committee size and makeup.

Another highlight of the BOT meeting was President and CEO George Watt’s excellent Report to the Board. That report is found in its entirety on the Alumni Association website at USNA.COM and I encourage you to take a look at that great presentation. I highlighted his discussion of membership goals, since that is important to all of us as the Atlanta Chapter and nationally. That’s how we get informed advocates of USNA and how we get a Trustee slot next count. I commended the Class of 1960, whose Class President Ed Clexton encouraged participation in Chapter Activities, and resulted in 8 members at our monthly meeting. George Watt also covered the success of the Comprehensive Campaign toward the goal of $175 Million by 2005. I also mentioned the financial prowess of our Alumni Association and Foundation and how they had performed considerately better than the stock market in a down market period. I tipped my hat to fellow chapter mate and former Trustee, Bob Bush ’65, who has served on the Joint Investment Committee at the Alumni Association. My tour on the Other Chapter Selection Committee expired in May, as did my trusteeship. I even helped pick our replacements, Tampa Bay, St. Louis, and Knoxville. President Watt’s Leadership Update recently published also covers some of these same points and I recommend it as a great read to all alumni. The Trustees meeting ended with introduction of the new Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Admiral Carl Trost.

I also pointed to our Eastern Region Trustee Mase Wells ’47, outstanding reports on everything, particularly the Trustee Meeting blow by blow account. All should read them. If you are not getting these reports, including the Leadership Update, then your e-mail address is not on file or not correct in the National Alumni Association’s database. If you log on to USNA.COM, and go to the Alumni Only area you will be shown how to update your e-mail address. Our webmaster, Bob Schultz, also forwards a news bulletins from national, plus local Atlanta Chapter info, to Chapter members. In order to get these, your e-mail address must be correct in the Atlanta Chapter database, and you must subscribe to USNAAAAMAIL, the Atlanta Chapter e-mail list server. You can subscribe by going to the Chapter web site at USNAAAA.COM and going to the Member Services page. Communications are our most vital link to make us more informed advocates of the Naval Academy.

I also tipped my hat to our Chapter Life Membership honorees from ’35, Captain Bill Wideman and Captain George O’Connell. They were both career surface warriors. I also noted that our very distinguished alumnus, Chief Justice Tom Marshall ’42, who just passed away this month, was a destroyer Gunnery Officer in WW II, and later commanded a destroyer in the Korean War. And I acknowledged my two classmates, Charley Plumly ’55, and Jim Todd ’55, both career surface warriors like me. My other classmate present, Johns Jaudon ’55, was a submariner, but a Nuke like me, so we share a lot of sea stories on our commute from Henry County to North Atlanta. I also told how I became a SWO – long story – but briefly; my Father was a Naval Aviator so I joined the Navy to fly. But by the time I graduated my eyesight was too bad for aviation, my sense of smell was too good to be a submariner, and my grades were too high to be a marine, so Surface Warfare is all that was left by default. I wouldn’t have had it any other way and got to see the world, 30 years as a SWO, 5 ½ years in command of a DDG and a CGN. I was blessed by hard work and great shipmates all the way.

I held up copies of the Committee Assignments, Governance Committee Report, Alumni House Committee Report, and the Membership Committee Report, all of which we were asked to vote on, and also pointed out that these and other reports presented at the Trustees meeting are available on the USNA.COM web site. I urge your review of these and if there are questions, please feel free to call me and I will answer or get you an answer to your question. I have left a stack of my business cards on the check-in table with my correct phone numbers and e-mail address.

Speaking of Communications, a sad example is the unfortunate story of the Superintendent’s incident. We had a fairly supportive and positive discussion of how the story played out at the luncheon. I had announced several months ago to the Chapter Board of Directors and to a Chapter meeting that an incident had occurred New Years Eve involving the Superintendent and a Marine sentry, and that the incident was under investigation by the Navy Inspector General. This was based on an e-mail from George Watt. There was an immediate attempt by a chapter member to bring up newspaper articles, rumors, and hearsay from unnamed sources about the incident, which I discouraged as improper and unfair to a distinguished Naval Officer, and that I would have no more to say about the story until the IG report is out. The President and CEO on June 4 sent out his personal e-mail with the CHINFO release attached discussing the IG Report and, sadly, VADM Naughton’s resignation and retirement. His action was taken for the good of the academy. That is more than I can say for the chapter member who continued to send e-mails a week later with rumor and opinion not supported by the facts. As Chapter President, I intend to ask the Board of Directors and Chapter membership to encourage communications, but not those that are intended to harm our great institution. It is a great institution and it will go on and thrive in spite of this unfortunate incident.

I am pleased to have been your Chapter Trustee and look forward to serving as Chapter President.

Bill Rentz '55