Child & Grandchild Day - June 2, RSVP by this Friday

by Elizabeth Gill

Please bring a child or grandchild to Rotary on Monday, June 2. Our speaker is Bill Bolen, President and CEO of WNBA Atlanta Dream and their Coach Marynell Meadors, as well as some players, so the program will appeal to all ages.

http://www.wnba.com/dream/

Please RSVP to Elizabeth Gill no later than Friday, May 16, so we can make arrangements. [top]

Memorial Day Ceremony to honor Al Weatherly

by Brennan Robison

The 62nd Annual Memorial Day Ceremony at Marietta National Cemetery will be dedicated to our late member Al Weatherly. Al was a member of the National Memorial Day Association of Georgia and The Avenue of Flags, Inc., the event's sponsor.

The ceremony is at noon on Memorial Day.

MORE INFORMATION

Retired General David Poythress, also a Buckhead Rotarian, will participate. Our member Phil Curtis is president of the organization. He composed the following poem and recited it to the club Monday in honor of Memorial Day.

A Day to Remember

From Valley Forge to Vietnam,
Patriots have perished with aplomb;
From bloody Antietam to Afghanistan,
Americans have fought to the last man.

We can never repay their rightful due,
For giving their lives for me and you;
Their glorious legacy shall never fade;
Nor the many sacrifices they have made.

We owe them a debt of gratitude,
For the tireless toils they pursued;
Without these hardy and heroic souls,
We’d be shipwrecked on the shoals.

So let us make this solemn vow,
From those present here and now;
To forever cherish the memory,
Of what they did for you and me.

Let us never forget their bravery,
That bought freedom for eternity;
Salute them for fighting in the fray,
As we celebrate Memorial Day.

Philip K. Curtis [top]

John Pruitt: We are the most poorly informed generation

by Del Martin

From the Anchor Desk: Reflections from 44 years of covering Atlanta

"How long have you been on the air?"

John Pruitt seems to hear the same two questions more often than any others: "How long have you been doing this" and "When do you plan to retire?" He knows that after 44 years of working as a news reporter and anchor in Atlanta, these are questions to be expected, and while he doesn’t mind the first, the second does give him some pangs! He shared that he would like to have one more election cycle under his belt before considering retirement, so we can expect to have him around for at least another five years.

Watching Atlanta grow and evolve

"It has been a privilege to report on my hometown," says Pruitt. He sometimes can't believe all the changes he has witnessed. "While it has not been an easy journey, it has been an exciting one." He began his career in 1964 as a cub reporter. "Just think about how different things are today from 1964" he exclaimed, and then he pointed out some of those differences:

• I-85 was a 4-lane road that ended at Courtland Avenue.
• The premiere building in downtown was the blue-domed Hyatt Regency Hotel.
• Atlanta was a segregated city.
• Instead of two hours of daily news, there was only 30 minutes.
• Viewers had only three opportunities for broadcast news sources: NBC, ABC, and CBS, instead of the 24/7 plethora of sources available today (satellite, cable, internet, computer, blackberry, and 24 hour news stations.)

"History by the inch"

The veteran anchorman likened his reporting career to historian and author Barbara Tuchman’s writing, which he called "history by the inch," meaning that every broadcast, every story was one small occurrence, but adding them all together over 44 years produces a rich tapestry of Atlanta's history. He recalled his first story as a cub reporter: It was July 4, two days after the 1964 Civil Rights Act had been passed. There was a rally protesting the Act, and he had been sent to cover it. Four brave black students waded into the mix, and before he knew it they were being beaten (he was convinced they would not survive). The senior cameraman tossed a camera to him and told him to "get what you can," which he did. That night, his video ran on the NBC nightly news, showing the world what had happened. He was both saddened by the actions that day and exhilarated that he played a part in exposing the hatred and violence to the world.

"Thankfully, such acts were unusual for Atlanta," Pruitt said, and then told the story about how two important Atlanta institutions had been integrated, thanks to a handful of insightful, thoughtful, and courageous men.

It was 1963, and Leroy Johnson was taking his seat as the first black man elected to the state senate. The state capitol building was segregated: separate bathrooms, separate water fountains, and separate dining rooms. Senator Johnson didn't make a lot of noise or fuss about it; he just set about integrating the place. He told Governor Carl Sanders what he was doing, and then quietly began using the "whites only" facilities. The governor agreed that it was the right thing to do, and quietly put the word out that he didn’t want to hear of any trouble . . . and the Capitol was integrated!

The venerable downtown Commerce Club, bastion of the Atlanta business community, was similarly integrated. Senator Leroy Johnson joined his colleges at a meal in the "whites only" club, and one of the wait-staff immediately pulled his table setting out from under him. A call to Governor Sanders by the senator was followed up by a phone call from the governor to Robert Woodruff, CEO of Coca-Cola, and that very afternoon, the Commerce Club was integrated.

Television news today: the compromise that ratings built

Pruitt explained that local TV news chose to concentrate on local news as its niche, since national and international news was so widely covered and omnipresent though a variety of sources and media. He also allowed that, even with such a targeted niche, the competition locally was quite intense. And whether you are talking about local, national or international news, he feels that, in a way, competition is the worst thing that has happened to TV news reporting. At all stations and networks, news has become "big business" because of its money-making potential. While he mourns the prevalence of "news that doesn't matter" such as the omnipresent coverage of young celebrities' personal trials and tribulations, and interstate car chases, he realizes that such items have become omnipresent because people want to see it. There is a public demand for the superficial, the sensational, and the inane.

As a result, he feels that we are more poorly informed than any previous generation of Americans. "One of the biggest challenges for all of us, news reporters and news audience alike, is to find perspective in the massive amount of daily information that is available," Pruitt says. In today's world of "itchy fingers on the remote control" and short attention spans, TV news has to be a compromise of what the public wants to see and what it needs to see. He is grateful that, for the most part, Atlantans have rejected hype and superficiality.

He closed by quoting veteran journalist Bill Moyers: "Journalists operate with a deep ethical imperative, of which the public is only aware when we violate it."

John Pruitt is proud of operating within such an imperative.

BACKGROUND

John Pruitt anchors Channel 2 Action News at 5, 6 and 11 p.m. Monday through Friday. He began his television news career as a reporter and cameraman, covering major civil rights stories around the South.

John is a graduate from Atlanta's own Druid Hills High School, where he was a track (he ran track with Buckhead Rotary's John Saunders!) From 1965-67 he served as an infantry lieutenant in the U.S. Army in Seoul, South Korea, and Fort Gordon, Georgia. Upon his return to WSB in 1967, John resumed his reporting career, eventually rising to the position of weekend anchor. In 1973 he became anchor of the 6 and 11 p.m. news.

In 1978 John joined WXIA-TV as evening news anchor, but in 1994 rejoined WSB to anchor the 6 and 11 p.m. news.

John has a history degree from Davidson College and has received many awards for his anchoring and reporting. He has won ten Emmys, including Best Male Anchor and Best Documentary; five Sigma Delta Chi Quill Awards; the UPI Award for his coverage of Jimmy Carter's presidential campaign and coverage of a north Georgia airliner crash; the Georgia Winner Award for Public Service; Father of the Year, Pioneer Broadcaster Award from the University of Georgia journalism school; the Silver Circle Award from the National Academy of Radio Arts and Sciences; an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Public Service from Presbyterian College (2004) and the Distinguished Achievement in Broadcasting Award from Di Gamma Kappa at University of Georgia School of Journalism (2006).

Some of the major stories John has covered include Jimmy Carter's gubernatorial and presidential campaigns, the civil rights movement, the funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the first flight of Lockheed's C5 Galaxy, the 1968 kidnapping of heiress Barbara Jane Mackle, the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, the 1989 San Francisco Bay-area earthquake, the presidential inaugurations of Presidents Carter and Clinton, 11 Democratic and Republican conventions, and the aftermath of the September 11th attack on the World Trade Center.

John is an active volunteer with many groups, including Literacy Action, the Nature Conservancy of Georgia and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.

John and his wife, Andrea, have been married for 39 years and have two daughters, Kristina and Lisa and five grandchildren. (Kristina's husband is Buckhead Rotary's own Mason Maynard!) [top]

Vocation: Bill Marsh never had a "job"

by Del Martin

Bill Marsh’s father was a Connecticut Yankee, with all the values that implies. When he was a young man in the late 1930’s, he bought a truck, hooked a snow plow on the front of it, and drove south “until no one knew what a snow plow was.” He ended up in Athens, where he met Bill’s mother. When Pearl Harbor was bombed, he joined the military and served in World War II. After the war, he moved his family to Atlanta. He wasn’t in Atlanta long before he decided he wanted to live on a farm, so he moved his family to 22 acres in Ellenwood, Georgia, so Bill grew up a rural farm boy.

His father valued a good education, a Christian way of life, and having your own business, which he taught his son. At age 10, Bill was enrolled in military school and given some chickens with which to start an egg business, which he promptly did. From that day on, Bill never had a job… he was always in business for himself.

In the early 1960’s, he was working his way through Georgia State as a professional photographer, and was talked into buying a house, which he soon sold at a nice profit. Viola! He decided that real estate would be a much more lucrative career than photography.

In the late ‘80’s and early ‘90’s, Bill was very active in the community, including chairing the Dogwood Festival. But his real joy was the “Fellowship of Companies for Christ”.

When he was ready to retire, he bought a house in the Old Fourth Ward area, and with the help of his wife Anne, managed to help turn the blighted area around and save his investment. Quite proud of his wife, he brought her to the podium.

A member since last July, Bill Marsh is quite glad that Ed Vaught introduced him to Buckhead Rotary. [top]

GSE Japan team gone, time to nominate South Korea team

by Brennan Robison

The Group Study Exchange team from District 2730 in Japan completed its visit last Saturday. Thanks to host families Jim Coleman, Bill Perkins, Stan Brady, Ken Clary and Dave Peterson. Lee Nunn, Steve Hall and Walter Allen supported the team’s daytime activities.

The deadline for the next Group Study Exchange going to South Korea is August 29, 2008

In September, four or five young professionals that are NOT Rotarians from west Georgia and the Atlanta metro area will be selected to travel to South Korea with a Rotarian team leader.

The South Korea trip is for approximately one month in April 2009, going to the Gyeongsangbug District, east of Seoul. All travel expenses are provided by Rotary International, and food, housing, and local transportation are provided by Rotary members and their families in South Korea.

Applications are due by August 29 and require a Rotary Club sponsorship. If selected for the candidate short list, a personal interview will be scheduled on Saturday, September 13, 2008.

GSE Team Member Qualifications:

• US citizen who lives or works within District 6900 (metro Atlanta and south and west to Florida border)
• Ages 25-40
• Employed full-time & intending to remain in work force
• Open-minded, tolerant, with good communication skills
• Endorsement of a District Rotary club
• Rotaract members are eligible
• Rotarians and spouses and direct relatives are NOT eligible

Brochure

Team Member application

Buckhead Club Contact:
John D. Saunders, Esq.
Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP
1230 Peachtree Street, NE., Suite 3100
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
(404) 815-3682 - phone
(404) 685-6982 - fax
jsaunders@sgrlaw.com [top]