Well, ladies and gentlemen my term of office will soon be over and this may be considered my farewell address. First off, I would like to thank all of you that have supported myself and the board. My thanks to my board of directors, without whom we could not have functioned. While not completing everything I hoped to accomplish, we have done a number of positive things with this administration. Second, thanks to our members who run events and attend the conventions. Without them we wouldn't have a chapter. Also my thanks to those who decided to run for office in this upcoming election. Participation and commitment are the cornerstones that the chapter has to be built on. Finally, I have several regrets but there is one that needs to be rectified. When I became president 3 years ago, I talked to a great many people both in the chapter and outside. By listening to their advice instead of my own gut feelings, I asked and received the resignation of friend. In this action I was wrong and offer my sincerest apologies to Brian Stokes for how I treated him. Brian was THE founding member of this chapter and if not for his efforts, we would not have chapter. Once again. Brian, my apologies, and thanks for all that you have done. Your soon to be retired prez. Editorial: If Steve wants to beat up on himself for Brian s firing, that is his business, but Stokes' dismissal was important to the club's morale and continued existence. At the time, PSW chapter was on the urge of imploding, everything that was causing problems was being traced, rightly or wrongly, to Brian Stokes' leadership. I, like many others saw his firing as a political necessity for the Steve Verdoliva administration to achieve credibility It reaffirmed their commitment of promised changes and revigorated this chapter. Brian Stokes may have been the founder of HAGS/PSW, but by his sacrifice as a political scapegoat, its continuance was assured. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. I with others see no reason for Steve to apologise for something that was needed and carried out HMGS PSW has flourished under Steve Verdoliva's leadership and for that he has my sincerest thanks. Ed. Back to Table of Contents The Messenger October 1995 Back to The Messenger List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1995 by HMGS/PSW. This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com