President’s Message - October 1991 New Beginnings The September monthly meeting, which was hosted by Cecile and Peter Gahan was a big success for many reasons. It was a glorious morning for running and the large turnout made the start look more like a local road race than a club run. For many of us, it was also an opportunity to get caught up on club activities after returning from vacation.  The celebrities of the day were Fran and Lonny, just returned from honeymoon. Fran looked marvelous; pink cheeked and vibrant, she was the picture of robust health. Lonny, on the other hand, appeared pale, washed-out and seemed in terminal stages of sleep deprivation. It’s strange how salt air affects people differently. The meeting was adjourned immediately after the election of the new officers so there wasn’t an opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of the out-going officers. Let me attempt to correct that here.  As you all know, Sarah has done a wonderful job this past year as our Treasurer. She kept the books, wrote the checks, carefully avoided all temptation to scold us about our profligate and dissolute ways, and still ended the year with a larger balance than she began with. She and her husband have just bought a new home and are preparing for the birth of their first child next spring. Ted will be sending an upgrade to family membership as soon as the birth announcement arrives. Meanwhile, we thank Sarah for her fine work as Treasurer.  Lonny has stepped down as Vice President and it’s like the end of an era not to find his name in the Newsletter masthead. Indeed, if not for Lonny there probably wouldn’t be a masthead. Over the years he has made so many valuable contributions to the club that he qualifies as an “Elder of the Tribe.” despite his blushing youth. (Although that honeymoon sure clocked a few turns off the odometer.) Surely his most significant contribution has been the manner in which he transformed the Newsletter from a low-key information sheet to a first rate media production. Our Newsletter is a better product than some running magazines I have subscribed to, and is certainly more interesting and informative than Runner’s World; although that is damning it with faint praise. As someone observed at the August meeting, Lonny is stepping down and being replaced by three people. These three would-be “heirs to throne” will be hard pressed to duplicate his performance. Our sincerest thanks to Lonny. May he enjoy a well- deserved rest and learn the virtues of pacing.  While Barry has vacated the Presidency, we are fortunate that he will continue to serve as club officer in the capacity of Treasurer. Barry has done an exceptional job as President. He has supervised our affairs with competence, fairness, intelligence, and professionalism - qualities that will be surely be missed in the year ahead. Nowhere was his leadership more evident than in our recent dispute about how the GFTC should select those causes that deserve our financial and organizational support. This was potentially an explosive and divisive issue. With great patience, Barry encouraged all parties to express their point of view, kept the discourse civil, and led us through a reexamination of how the club business should be conducted. In the process, it became clear that our bylaws had to be amended to incorporate organizational changes that arose from the growth of the club. Barry led us through that lengthy process as well. Altogether it was an extraordinary display of leadership, and the GFTC emerged stronger for it. We are greatly indebted to Barry for his many accomplishments as President. I am delighted that Lee Consoletti, Ted Tyler, Tom Abbott and Cecile Gahan will continue in their current capacities as club officers. It is comforting to know that after Wayne and I have been impeached, there will remain a core of officers qualified to restore the club to its past glory. Art