Meeting |
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Report |
Meeting |
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Report |
September 12, 2000 |
| Click here for photos of this Meeting | |
| President Don
opened the September 12 meeting by welcoming everyone and congratulating those who had
survived the parking congestion. Mark Norman then introduced our guests and
visiting Rotarians. Mark was followed by the Health and Happiness report of Leland Park.
Ed Ellis then informed all in attendance that he had chosen to lead us in
"America the Beautiful" after deciding not to go with "Short People Got No
Reason to Live." The prayer was led by Frank Martin, who was joined at the head table
by John Lassiter, Philip Van Hoy, Ken Harris, Gib Smith, and
John Tabor, who introduced Richard Vinroot as our speaker. Richard is the Republican nominee running for governor of North Carolina. Richard started off by explaining how he felt that we could best judge him not by the content of his speech, but by the life he has led. He discussed his background and stated, "a lot of what makes me tick is scouting." He went on to mention how he was given a deferment from service in the military because of his height, but he voluntarily gave up that deferment in order to serve his country in Vietnam. Richard also addressed those who say he does not have a realistic chance to win. He pointed out that a strong presidential campaign would help him and that he is currently only behind by seven percentage points. He went on to say that no Republican candidate for Governor had been this close at this stage of the race in the last 100 years. Richard stressed that one of his first jobs as Governor would be to establish a taxpayers' protection act much like the one he crafted while he was the Mayor of Charlotte. This would include a cap on the amount spending could grow each year. That cap would be determined by factoring the percentage growth in population with the rate of inflation. Richard went on to point out how the current state budget has grown 100% in the last ten years by going from 7 to 14 billion dollars. Richard made it very clear that "educating our children is our highest priority." He stated that it is unacceptable that North Carolina still ranks forty-eighth in the country in SAT and ACT scores. As Governor, Richard would do three things to improve our education system. First, he would have all teachers be required to pass a basic competency test. This test would be on a tenth grade level and would allow teachers to fail several times before they would lose their jobs. Secondly, he would make sure that our teachers were paid more, but paid more based on performance, not random bonuses. Thirdly, Richard would provide more educational choices through charter schools like the one he established in Charlotte. He believes that charter schools would benefit everyone. Richard then went on to answer several questions. One of those questions dealt with the state of the courts in North Carolina and what he plans to do to improve that branch of our government. Richard responded by stressing that he was well aware of how under-funded our court system is. In fact, he stated that North Carolina is "one of the two least funded court systems in the United States." Richard went on to point out that we have far too many crimes that are currently not being prosecuted because our prosecutors have been severely under-funded for years. Richard then answered another question from the audience regarding the issue of a state lottery. A lottery, Richard said, is just another form of state-sponsored gambling. Therefore, he would oppose a lottery, but he would not oppose a referendum to allow the citizens of North Carolina to decide for themselves. Richard concluded by staling, "You don't have to agree with me, but you do need to know where 1 stand and what kind of a person 1 am." After giving Richard a magnifying glass as a gift, President Don adjourned the meeting. * * * POWELL'S
Bonnie Cone, Dean Colvard, E. K. Fretwell and Jim Woodward were pictured in the "Observer" in a ring bell ceremony celebrating UNCC's new doctoral status. Ed Kizer has assumed the newly created position of executive assistant to the chancellor for constituent relations at UNCC. Ed formerly was vice chancellor for development and university relations. Rex Welton was given the Cannon Award for community excellence by the Mecklenburg Medical Society Alliance. Mary Mack is a candidate for membership in the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce Board, according to the "Business Journal." Don Haack is one of the new members of the Charlotte Symphony board of directors. * * * |
In Memoriam
October 21,1908 September 10, 2000 "Golden 50" Rotarian James Moses Alexander, MD, CM — our member with the second longest tenure in the club — died September 10 after a long illness. The Mecklenburg County native joined the club on April 19, 1938, in the classification General Medicine, shortly after coming to Charlotte in 1936 to begin the practice of medicine. He is the father of James F. Alexander, MD, who joined our club in 1984. Dr. Alexander, who was 92, founded the medical practice now known as the Mecklenburg Medical Group, the largest internal medicine group in the county. He practiced medicine until his retirement in 1979. He was active in medical and community affairs serving as head of the Red Cross during World War II (he was unable to serve because of a back injury). In 1938 he was one of a small group of physicians along with other community leaders who were instrumental in founding Charlotte Memorial Hospital (now Carolinas Medical Center). He was its last living founder. During the 1940s and 1950s he was Chief of Medicine, Head of Teaching and Chief of Staff at Charlotte Memorial. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, despite heavy resistance. Dr. Alexander was one of the physician leaders to recommend closing Good Samaritan Hospital (which served blacks only) and integrating Charlotte Memorial. He is still admired by those who remember those efforts and for the fact that he always had an integrated waiting room. He was one of the founders and first president of The Charlotte Society of Internal Medicine and the first president of the North Carolina Society of Internal Medicine. After retirement, he helped found and was first president of the board of the Shepherd Center in Charlotte. He was a member of the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce and the Charlotte Country Club and for many years was on the board of the Central Piedmont Community College Foundation and the Board of Visitors of Warren Wilson College. He attended a one-room school and High school in Newell and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a BS degree in Medicine. He graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of McGill University in Montreal in 1934 and completed his internship and residence in internal medicine and pediatrics at Montreal General Hospital and Montreal Children's Hospital. His first wife, Stella Frosst Alexander of Montreal, and a daughter predeceased Dr. Alexander. We extend our sympathy to Dr. Alexander's son, Jim, his wife, Nancy Carver Rouzer Alexander, another son and daughter, nine grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and three stepchildren. Memorials may be made to The James Moses and Stella Frosst Alexander Scholarships, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, 3655 Drummond Ave., Montreal, Quebec HAG ly6; The James Moses and Stella Frosst Alexander Endowed Scholarship Fund, The Medical Foundation of North Carolina, UNC Chapel Hill, 8080 Airport Rd., Chapel Hill, N.C. 27514; The James Moses and Stella Frosst Alexander Merit Scholarship, CPCC, P.O. Box 35009, Charlotte, N.C. 28235; The James Moses and Stella Frosst Alexander Scholarship Fund, Warren Wilson College, P.O. Box 9000, Asheville, N.C. 28815; or the Myers Park Presbyterian Church Music Endowment Fund in Memory of Stella Frosst Alexander, P.O. Box 6160, Charlotte, N.C. 28207. The club will make a contribution to our Student Scholarship Fund in Dr. Alexander's name. * * * |
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