When I became President of this Association on June 21st, I was told by several Past Presidents that effectively my term was over, in the sense that having picked/appointed such superb committee chairpersons, coupled with Carole and Heather to run the Bar Office, I should stay out of the way. The proverbial buck only starts with the President in that it stops with the Officers and Executive Council. The President is but the whistle of the train. And oh by the way, July and August are slow months anyway.

Let me tell you about my first two months as your President.

The Annual Banquet and Fall Golf Outing have been planned. On July 10th, the Executive Council and Officers met to address several open issues for the current fiscal year. This was the first such monthly session not held at 8:00 a.m. in at least the last ten years. We met at 4:30 p.m. and a highlight was unanimous approval of the application for membership of Honorable Cliff Gordy of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City. As always, Executive Director, Heather Martin, had previously circulated an agenda to keep everyone on task and on schedule.

On July 11th, I passed Judge Vicki Watts just before 5:00 p.m. in the Circuit Court Lobby as she arrived to conduct the first meeting of our Professionalism Committee at Association Headquarters. There had been a power outage in the Circuit Courts Building since 2:35 p.m. so it was rather warm inside, but Judge Watts held her own and held her Committee meeting.

On July 12th, Heather Martin and I attended the kickoff meeting of your Advocate Committee chaired by Lee Kaminetz. I was impressed that the entire Committee attended. The entire fiscal year’s events have all been assigned to a particular member.

Eight newly admitted attorneys were sworn in by the Circuit Court for Baltimore County on July 18th. Jennifer Beach as Chair of our Young Lawyers Committee moved for their admission and Honorable Alexander Wright, Jr. responded from and for the Bench. A reception followed in the Association Office.

On July 19th, President-Elect Steve Nolan, Secretary John Nowicki, Treasurer John “Ned” Gontrum, Executive Director Heather Martin and Executive Council Members Alan Bussard and Bud Clark spent three hours with Peter Rellas (our accountant and a member of our Association) and me formulating our budget for fiscal year July 1, 2001 through June 30, 2002. We operate on total revenues of $290,600 per year, servicing 1,348 members. Dues shall remain the same, $100 per year.

All 25 committees were represented by either their Chair or Vice-Chair Person at a dinner meeting on July 25th at the Country Club of Maryland. This event afforded each Committee’s goals for the coming year to be presented to the Officers, Executive Council and Executive Director of our Association.

August started with Judges coming and going. On August 1st, members Nancy Cohen and Dorothy Wilson were named by the Governor to our District Court. They will replace Honorable Charles Foos, who retired this year, and Honorable Robert Dugan, who was elected last year to our Circuit Court. Nancy is a criminal defense lawyer who also handles special education cases, Dorothy is Deputy Counsel and Chief of Litigation for the Maryland Insurance Administration.

Honorable James Temple Smith, Jr. of our Circuit Court tendered his resignation to the Governor on August 6th. Since 1985, Judge Smith has blessed our County, our Circuit Court and our Association due to his industry and zeal, both on and off the Bench. Our Association is honored to have had, and to continue to have, Judge Smith as a member. Judge Smith’s resignation becomes effective September 6th.

Speaking of Judges, Honorable John Fader II, is back at work, having suffered a nasty fall last Spring at his home. We all hope Judge Fader is well enough to attend the portrait dedication of the late Honorable James Sfekas on September 13th at 4:00 p.m. in Courtroom 2. In 1981, Judges Fader and Hinkel ran for their initial 15 year terms with the late Honorable James Harker Langrall and the late Honorable James Sfekas.

On August 7th, President-Elect Steve Nolan, Immediate Past President John J. Nagle III, and Executive Council Members Debra Schubert and Bud Clark conducted the Association’s first annual salary and performance reviews for our Lawyer Referral Coordinator Carole Otte and our Executive Director Heather Martin. Hopefully this mutual assessment of our staff, and of our Association by our staff, will prove to be doubly rewarding.

I met with the Memorial Committee on August 8th, along with our Executive Director, to address having not one, but two memorial services fro the ten members of this Association who passed away since October, 2000. The late Honorable Robert Murphy and the late Honorable James Sfekas will be among those departed members to be remembered on November 1st and on November 15th. Also to be memorialized will be the late General Leroy Robert Evans, President of our Association in 1972.

On August 23rd, the Officers and Executive Council will host a luncheon at the Country Club of Maryland to celebrate the appointments of Associate Judge Designates Wilson and Cohen to the District Court of Maryland for Baltimore County. The entire District Court of Maryland for Baltimore County, including retired Judge Foos, plan to attend, along with Ms. Wilson and Ms. Cohen. “Judges” Cohen and Wilson have scheduled their investitures as Associate Judges of the District Court of Maryland for Baltimore County for August 28th and 30th, respectively. In keeping with tradition, the Association will present each new Judge with her first robe at her respective investiture ceremony.

And I am to believe July and August are slow months!

In closing, I am happy to report that our good friend William “Bill” Evans of the Dundalk firm of Arnick and Evans is back at work following single bypass surgery last month. Congratulations are in order for Lois Fenner McBride and John “Ned” Gontrum. John is the first recipient of the Home Town Award from the YMCA of Central Maryland. John, a longtime member of the YMCA Board of Managers, was recognized for his outstanding leadership and enthusiasm through his involvement with the YMCA. Lois is being honored this year by the Baltimore County Office of Fair Practices and Community Affairs, along with the Baltimore County African American Cultural Festival, Inc., as an individual who recognizes, creates, and practices diversity in our community and in the workplace. On September 6th, Lois will be attending the 2nd Annual Cultural Diversity Awards Banquet at Martin’s West, the proceeds from which both benefit students with scholarships and also are used to fund efforts to preserve historical African American treasures within Baltimore County. In turn, the banquet is also the kickoff event for the Fifth Annual Baltimore County African American Cultural Festival scheduled for September 15th in our Towson Courthouse Plaza. This Association thanks Lois for the super Law Day, 2000 celebration chaired by Lois this past May 1st. Both Lois and John exemplify this Association’s purpose, inter alia, to use our collective resources to improve the well-being of our community and its citizens, especially our youth. I am proud to count Lois and John among our members.