PRESIDENT'S CORNER: May 27, 2016

Memorial Day Edition… You’ve been asked this question: “What are you doing for Memorial Day?” I’m always a bit uneasy because…I never served in the military…no one in my family died in wars…I never march in parades…my dead are all buried far away…but…the best man at my wedding was badly wounded in Vietnam…my step dad served at Pearl Harbor…my Okie cousin chose the Navy to get as far from the middle of the country as possible…I allowed my National Guard students called up for Iraq/Afghanistan to finish via email…and I express my patriotism by never, ever failing to vote and by remembering what High School Civics class taught about the virtues of good government.

On Memorial Day, I don't want to only remember the combatants. There were also those who came out of the trenches as writers and poets, who started preaching peace, men and women who have made this world a kinder place to live. [Eric Burdon]

Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it. [Mark Twain]

True patriotism isn't cheap. It's about taking on a fair share of the burden of keeping America going. [Robert Reich]

Book Club: We’re off to a slow start but I am encouraged by Betty Maxwell, who wrote me last Friday with these suggestions: “I'm reading a couple of other good ones right now that you're probably already aware of: Sisters in Law, by Linda Hirshman about the lives and careers of Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Sandra Day O'Connor - and H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald, which my son in law sent me - about a British woman academic and her amazing relationship (I understand eventually sad, though I haven't gotten to that yet) with a goshawk.” Betty and I also discussed Tom Brokaw’s new book about his fight with cancer, A Lucky Life Interrupted. If you’ve never red Tom, semi-retired NBC journalist and commentator, you should. He’s best known for his two books on The Greatest Generation, terrific reading for this holiday! More recommendations, please…

Film Fanatics: Bonnie and I saw “Money Monster” last week. If you’re up for a great script, fine performances by George Clooney, Julia Roberts, et al, go for it. It has some trenchant commentary about how the financial collapse happened.

Our spring term is coming to an end. Our eight Special Interest Groups will continue as posted. Your Summer Catalog has gone to the printer, so we’ll be ready to start registering by Annual Meeting day if not sooner. The good fun and fellowship never ends…

Jim Held, President