December 2006 President's Corner

Steve Frederick '72, USNAAA Atlanta Chapter President

We are now in the last few months of the year, and as always, the amount of Chapter activity has increased. Our November luncheon was held, as usual on the third Friday of the month at Jock's and Jill's Sports Bar, and our guest speaker was particularly entertaining. Dick Williams, a local political editorialist joined us at the invitation of Paul Borer '70. Dick's comments were especially interesting, coming so shortly after the mid term elections. Attendees included: Jim Ravenel '45, Jim Hatch '47 and his guest, Bob Harris, Mike Rose '48, Perry Stephens '51, Bill Rentz '55, Jim Todd '55, Paul Hurst '62, Lorie Moore '64, Joe Frazer '65, Bob Snelling '65, Bill Williams '65, Jim Slemenda '66, Dick Borowiec '68, Paul Borer '70, Win Rorabaugh '70, Bob Schultz '71, Steve Frederick '72, Pete Knoetgen '77, Marc Manzelle '83, Mario Maddox '85, Tony Yanonne '98 and his wife Vilma, and Dick Williams, our guest speaker.

Bob Schultz '71 has done another great job of encapsulating Dick's comments, and they are available on the website Current News & Info page at www.usnaaaa.com. Take a look at Bob's article on the website, and then click on the link to sign up for your 2007 membership if you have not already done so. As you will come to realize if you have not already done so, we (your Board of Directors) are going to make a major push to increase our membership in 2007. In December of 2007 the National Alumni Association will count membership at the local chapters, and the nine largest chapters will be invited to send a Trustee to sit on the Board of Directors of the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association. We are currently represented by Carl McCallum '60, having been the seventh largest chapter when the count was last conducted in 2004. We were not that much larger than the eighth and ninth largest chapters, and we are not sure that the nine largest will continue to be invited to provide representation - it might be fewer. That representation ensures that we are heard at the national level. Carl is very highly thought of and he chairs the Governance Committee, providing the Atlanta Chapter with a particularly effective voice at the national level. We do not want to loose that voice, and consequently we will invite, cajole, prod and encourage you sign up for membership over the next year. Once you have signed up, we will call off the dogs, so you might as well get it over with early; sign up and we will let you alone. SIGN UP NOW FOR 2007! 'Nuff said.

'Tis the season again, with the holiday season having officially begun yesterday with what has become the annual mule thrashing. We changed venues this year for the viewing of the Army-Navy game, and joined the members of the West Point Society of Atlanta at Pepperoni's Tavern on Old Milton Parkway at Exit 10 off GA 400. The Woops actually arranged for the venue this year, as it was their turn to host the event, and our hats are off to them. The venue was terrific, the staff was great and really worked hard to keep everyone happy, and the game went according to plan. A great time was had by all (at least all of the Navy grads) and the crowd included: Jim Ravenel '45 and his wife Carol Sue, Hap Walker '46 and his guests Dan Walker and H.C. Leeming, Carl McCallum '60, Clint Johnson '60 and his wife Monty, Dick Fitzgerald '62 and his wife Dee and their guest Jim Nance, Paul Hurst '62, Teb Bowman '63, Tony Womble '63 and his wife Virginia, Bruce Abel '64, Doug Cutler '64, Bill Holmes '64, Lori Moore '64 and his wife Barb, Keith Waldrop '64 and his wife Karen, Stewart Caldwell '65 and his wife Ann, Steve McDonald '65 and his wife Sandra, Doug Metzger '65 and his son Doug, Jon Barton '66 and his wife Jan, Larry Bergen '66, Will Wood '66 and his wife Catherine, Paul Borer '70 and his wife Jody, Les Gable '70, Jeff Lewis and his wife Helen and daughter Avery, Frank Regan '70, Mitch Rowland '71, Bob Schultz '71, Steve Frederick '72 and his wife Karen, Don Patterson '74 and his guest Joanne Harms, Bill Schenzel '75 and his wife Lynda, Nick Ward '74 and his wife Jean '74, Ples Bruce '77, Pete Knoetgen '77 his wife Sue and their kids, Mark Winsor '79, Pete Canalichio '81, Ned Hunter '81, Andre Swoop '81, Scott Brooks '83, Jeff Johnson '84, Steve Peters '84, Don Schleicher '84, Kurt Miller '88 andCindy Miller '90, Ben Pangrazio '89, Bob Ferrante '90, Mike Herger '90, John Prendergast '90 and his wife Christy, Ron Surfield '90, Miguel Beckles '91, Brian Pilger '93, John McClellan '94 and his wife Jennifer McClellan '96, Karlton Holston '02, and Joe Schippert, father of John Schippert '06. (If you attended with your spouse and her/his name does not appear here, it is because you did not sign her/him in and I did not get the opportunity to talk to him/her. I hope I did not miss too many.)

The December luncheon will provide the two National trustees (Bill Rentz ’55 and Carl McCallum ’60) an opportunity to update the chapter on the latest national association activities.

The Chapter Christmas Party will be held at my home in Kennesaw again this year, and Karen and I are looking forward to it (especially me, as Karen does all the work.) It will be from 1600 to 2000 on 17 December, and if you can join us I would ask that you RSVP by calling my office at 770 423-9298 then getting directions from the website at www.usnaaaa.com. I hope to see you there to celebrate the holidays with a great group of folks.

The Meinike Car Care Bowl will pit Navy against Boston College and will be played at America Stadium in Charlotte, NC on 30 December 2006 at 1300. This will be the last time this year to get together with other alumni. If you are not already aware, BC's coach is Tom O'Brien USNA '71, and that story line is sure to get some ink over the coming weeks. Game tickets are available online at www.navysports.com, and there will be a major tailgate that is being organized by the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association. As specific information regarding sign up for the tailgate becomes available we will post it on our website, so make sure you visit early and often to help in making plans. Mitch Rowland ’71 has done some preliminary research to find a reasonably priced hotel, and will provide that information as soon as we figure out which one looks the best. While it is in the middle of the holidays and many have already made plans, this is a bowl game that is geographically close, and consequently, a uniquely convenient opportunity to see Navy in post season action. I plan to attend and hope to see you there.

One more plug for the website: We will be having a Dark Ages Party again this year, but the specifics have yet to finalized. Stay tuned to the website for that information as soon as it becomes available.

I hope to see many of you at the monthly luncheon or the Chapter Christmas Party. For those of you who I do not get to see in the next few weeks I would like to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family. Please remember our fellow alumni and their shipmates that serve in harm's way at this time of year, and their families in your prayers. Even with its faults, we live in the greatest nation mankind has ever known, and we do so because of brave men and women like those serving today. We can never forget that fact, or those incredible sailors, marines, soldiers and airmen.

BEAT ARMY!
Steve Frederick ’72
Chapter President