July 2021 Hamiltons Newsletter

I hope you are having a good summer and getting a chance to enjoy the relaxation of the COVID-19 rules and travel restrictions.

I truly enjoy living on Skidaway Island but as a man with progressive views it can be a challenge in my social interactions with conservative friends. The Skidaway Hamiltons is a place where I and other progressive men like me can connect with each other.

As you will see in this newsletter, the Board has been working hard to put together another year of outstanding programming. Please consider getting more involved with the Hamiltons this year – we need more members on the Program Committee and the Board in general. We also would like to grow our membership and anything you can do to help with that effort would be appreciated.

Our new program season and membership year starts in September and I am looking forward to seeing you.

Marty Grossman

The year 2020-2021 was not a pretty one for many individuals and organizations concerned with public health, public safety, government, democracy, and civility. It was our version of “The Year of Living Dangerously,” with the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on our economy, government, and relationships. It rearranged our lives, priorities, and sometimes our mental health in many ways.

For those who got vaccinated and observed sensible public health protocols, it looked like there was light at the end of the tunnel. But with too many unvaccinated people and the rapid rise of the COVID-19 Delta variant  everywhere including our island, we face another year of public safety uncertainty on top of some very serious issues facing our democracy at the national, state, and local levels.

A Year of Silver Linings

Despite the trying times over the past year, the Hamiltons found some silver linings:

1. We transitioned from a face-to-face organization to a virtual community of monthly Zoom meetings complete with such features as logins, cameras, and mute buttons. Our members seemed to adapt well to this technology. But after a year of such meetings, many experienced “Zoom fatigue.” In addition to using Zoom, we are anxious to return to face-to-face meetings.

We have made arrangements to hold our meetings at the Messiah Lutheran Church on Skidaway Island starting in September.

2. Based on the recommendations of our nominating committee, the new board has been confirmed effective July 1, 2021. Previous board members agreed to continue serving and thus the new board looks much like last year’s board:

• Marty Grossman, President
• Bruce Wallace, Secretary
• Martin Halper, Treasurer
• Jim Waterman, Program Co-Chair
• Bruce Walker, Program Co-Chair
• Rick Cunningham, IT/Website Chair
• George Sedberry, Membership Chair
• Ron Krannich, Communications Chair

3. While we lost a few members, we still grew our paid membership to over 100. One of the major reasons for this growth was the quality of our Zoom programs of guest speakers (see below).

4. We increased our collaboration with our sister organization, the Skidaway Abigails, when both groups invited each other’s members to attend its programs. It was nice to see so many attendees show up at our Zoom meetings and engage the speakers during the Q&A sessions. We look forward to more collaborative efforts in the coming year.

5. Hamiltons Board members helped grow the organization by keeping us in the Zoom loop; upgrading the Hamiltons website (skidawayhamiltons.org) with new features; improving the membership rolls; maintaining financial stability; and providing excellent programs and guest speakers. We’re also in the process of organizing a golf event for interested Hamiltons, for more information contact: m.halper@icloud.com.

6. The Hamiltons organized several informative Zoom meetings on a variety of interesting topics that primarily focused on local issues.

• REAL Task Force Status Update – Dr. Otis Johnson
• What is Socialism? – Professor Ken Zapp
• COVID-19 Vaccines and Vaccinations – Dr. Lawton Davis
• Meeting Young Progressives in Savannah
• United Way of the Coastal Empire – Brynn Grant, President and CEO
• Chatham County Board of Elections – Antwan Lang, Commissioner
• The Filibuster: Past, Present, and Future – Professor Bruce Mallard
• In-Depth Review of COVID-19 Vaccine Trials – B. “Willow” Chanthavong
• Building Effective Community Policing – Chief Jeff Hadley
• Perspectives on Savannah’s Monuments – Roger Smith

Summaries of the above programs are available on our website, SkidawayHamiltons.org .

We are looking forward to another productive year focused on issues relevant to Progressives – from social justice, equality, and public safety to democracy, voters’ rights, citizen involvement, and public health issues. We are in the process of finalizing the next few months of guest speakers who will be addressing our group via Zoom and/or live meetings.

In the works:

• “COVID-19 Update: The Delta Variant Is Here,” Dr. Lawton Davis, Target – August 24
• “The Landings at 50: Looking Ahead,” TLA President John Holmquist, September 21
• “Challenges to the Local Court System,” Judge Benjamin Karpf, October 12

Under Consideration:

• “The Criminalization of Poverty”
•  “Savannah and Chatham County Infrastructure Activity and Future Plans”
• “Affordable Housing”
• “Health Care Issues”
• And Other Topics TBD 

We’re hoping to develop a hybrid meeting venue that would include both live and Zoom elements. We’ve learned that the Zoom format is very useful for individuals who cannot attend a live meeting and for speakers who may reside outside our area.

We also welcome your feedback, recommendations, and involvement with the Hamiltons. Please contact us if you know someone who would be an excellent speaker for our group.

We welcome your ideas and feedback. Email us at SkidawayHamiltons@gmail.com .

Renew your 2021/2022 membership now by clicking HERE .