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| | As I write, the year (2005) will end tomorrow. And though Thanksgiving is well past I must here reflect on how much I have had to be thankful for in 2005.
(1) I am most thankful that my only grandson, Cpl. Matthew Williams, USMC , returned home safely from his second tour in IRAQ. My immediate family celebrated this with him Christmas Day.
(2) I am thankful for the support given me by our President, Art Seder, and the officers and Board members and all members of the association. I have now been “promoted” to be your Executive Vice President, which will mean nothing unless all of you support the reorganization of the association which is described in the President’s Letter. Unless you step forward my “promotion” is meaningless. How do you support these changes? You volunteer to be the Treasurer or the Secretary or the other positions which are discussed in the Help Wanted column in the new issue of Poop from Group.
On the last morning in Corby last July Art and I sat down with five Board members at their request. They had met informally the night before and asked for the ad hoc meeting to air some concerns they had about the future of the 401st. Their concerns revolved about the need to reorganize the association’s structure and to energize the association’s fabulous web site. Since
that meeting until now we have worked on both of these areas and the result is contained in the new issue of PFG.
(3) I m most thankful for the wonderful support you have all given the Memorial Endowment Fund (MEF). We set a goal of $20,000 to be added to a fund of $10,000 already on hand to protect the future of the Deenethorpe 401st Memorial. The total given is now in excess of $37,000 and it is invested to provide for the future maintenance of the Memorial. A photograph of the Memorial graced the cover of the last PFG. Thanks to all of you and Happy New Year.
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| | PRESIDENT As we are all aware, the number of veterans active in the 401st Bomb Group Association is diminishing, and the future of the Association depends increasingly on our younger members. It is only appropriate, therefore, that we plan for a transition in the leadership of the Association while, at the same time, utilizing the experience and dedication of those who have led in the past. With this in mind, last summer I appointed a Succession Planning Committee consisting of the officers of the Association and five younger members to consider ways in which to proceed. After careful consideration, we proposed to make several changes in the organization of the Association, and those proposals have now been adopted by the Board of Directors.
The first step in the process was the preparation by George Menzel of a detailed explanation of the various responsibilities he performs. As you know, he is the Secretary and Treasurer of the Association. In addition he is the Editor of Poop from Group and Coordinator of Reunion activities. These positions are all related, and it was necessary to develop a plan that would recognize the interrelation of these functions.
The plan of reorganization contemplates that younger members of the Association will be elected to succeed George Menzel in the positions of Secretary and Treasurer. However, in order to take advantage of George’s experience and judgment, he will supervise those officers as they become familiar with their responsibilities. To formalize this arrangement, the Board has adopted an Amendment to the Association’s By-Laws to create the new office of Executive Vice President, to whom the Secretary and Treasurer will report, and George Menzel has been elected to that office.
The Board also adopted a Resolution establishing the following positions: (1) Editor of Poop from Group, (2) Reunion Coordinator, (3) Webmaster, and (4) Legal Counsel. Under the plan, George Menzel will continue for the present to edit PFG and coordinate reunion arrangements, while younger members will be be brought in over time to fill those positions. They will also report to George as Executive Vice President. A new Webmaster will take over responsibility for maintaining and improving the 401st Internet web site, and we will seek to enlist a lawyer to fill the position of Legal Counsel. These positions will report to the President.
Accordingly, I would like to call your attention to the “Help Wanted” article that appears elsewhere in this issue of PFG asking for volunteers to fill the offices of Secretary, Treasurer, Webmaster and Legal Counsel. We need the support of our younger members if the Association is to continue as a strong, vibrant organization. The importance of this effort and the obligation of younger members to offer their time and skills is well stated in the article by the Group Historian in this issue of PFG.
So please read the “Help Wanted” article and let us know whether you are interested in helping to maintain the Association as the proud offspring of “The best damned outfit in the USAAF”.
Art Seder
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2006 DUES REMINDER
This year, for the first time in the Association's history, members will receive a mailing notifying them that annual dues are now due and payable. We hope this will provide a reminder to those who forget that each year's dues are payable at the first of the year. Please respond promptly. $10 a year is little enough to pay to ensure that the work of the 401st continues. As before, Life Members and the widows of veteran members pay no dues.
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Find out more about joining the 401st Bomb Group Association
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Copyright © 2005 - 401st Bombardment Group (H) Association, Inc. All rights reserved.
Material and images contained herein may not be used without the expressed
permission of the copyright holder.
Last modified: March 27, 2004 |
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