VOL. 59, No. 11, Jan 6, 2005

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all our members and their families. Let's all set our sights high for 2005, to include our responsibilities to OUR club, our families, our community, and our personal and spiritual growth.

Please forgive the relative tardiness of the bulletin, and its skimpy content. Your INTERIM writer will do a better job next week.

We held our first meeting of 2005 today at the Hilton with President Duarte presiding. Our Chaplain, Hershel Bingham, gave the invocation and led us in the pledge of allegiance to our Flag.

El Presedente gave his "Moments in History" for this date, but I was busy preparing our speaker's introduction and didn't make note of anything he said. Alberto, we all promise to go to the almanac and review January 6 for ourselves.

Carl Winkler announced that former member and long-time bulletin writer Fred Wills suffered a heart attack on New Year's Eve, and was hospitalized in critical condition. Carl will update this information Thursday, but remember Fred and his family in your prayers.

Jesse Woods, our Oratorical Contest winner from 2004, was a guest today. He came to ask support for Sparkman High School's "We the People in Government" competition. The support needed takes two forms. First are judges for the competitions, which will be held on Sunday, January 8u', 15th, and 22nd. VP Clyde Nevins is coordinating, so if you can spare a couple of Sunday afternoon hours on the 15th or 22nd, please contact Clyde and volunteer. I'm sure Sidney Sandridge, who participated on the 8th, can give us more info Thursday.

The second form of support may be to help with the team's travel expenses. They have won the competition for the 5th Congressional District, so it's on to Montgomery at the end of January for State competition, with a possibility of competing in the National Competition in Washington in early May. I will speak to the Comm. Svc. Comm. and Fund Raising chairs about the possibility of financial support.

Our very interesting speaker today was Edward Krenson, PHD, who is President and Head of School at Randolph. Eddie has guided Randolph during five of its most productive years, but has recently decided to accept a prestigious new position in Atlanta with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools as Executive Director of Non-Public and Special Purpose Schools, with accreditation oversight of approximately 1,200 private schools in the Southeast and Latin America. Prior to Randolph, Eddie served as Principal of Father Ryan High School in Nashville for twelve years. Eddie will be missed by his many friends, and the Randolph and Huntsville education families.

Among Eddie's observations today were that non-public schools in Huntsville serve approximately 3% fewer students than the national average, which he attributes to the quality of the City and County public systems in the area. That said, there is always a need for special purpose schools to serve a particular segment of society, such as Faith-based, specialty schools that concentrate on Sciences or Arts, or secular schools which stress academic preparation, such as Randolph.

Ed Clark stole the attendance prize, we recited the Optimist Creed, and adjourned. See you Thursday.

CALENDAR

Jan 13 Thursday 11:45 am Hilton Curtis Hunt, ScoutReach Executive, Boy Scouts of America
Jan 20 Thursday 11:45 am Optimist Recreation Center Business Meeting
Jan 27 Thursday Possible NOW Banquet or TBA