No. 301 April, 1984
AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
The past twelve months have been particularly rough ones for The John Birch Society. For instance, a year ago for the first time in the history of this crusade, we were faced with the task of raising a considerable sum of money to offset an incredibly unfair legal decision. As we pointed out at the time, that decision was a clear-cut assault on the First Amendment and was possibly the single most dangerous decision in the history of libel litigation.
Within a few months after we successfully raised the necessary money, our new Chairman, The Honorable Lawrence Patton McDonald, was brutally murdered over the Sea of Japan. His loss to the whole Americanist movement was enormous. To our Society and its members everywhere, it was a particularly deep and shocking tragedy for this man had "grown up a Bircher" from practically the time our movement began.
Several months after that fateful KAL flight, Larry McDonald's widow, mother, and some twelve hundred other Birchers gathered in Indianapolis to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the founding of the Society. Great and stirring tributes were paid to our late Chairman; and, although the solemnity of the tragedy was very real in the minds of everyone there, a spirit of determination and an anxiety to win this battle once and for all was ever present throughout the day-long festivities. We believe Larry McDonald would have been deeply moved by the air of confidence and determination that filled the Indiana Convention Center.
The key to the city of Indianapolis was presented to our Founder; and, as if perhaps he believed then that he might never return to do so, Robert Welch implored everyone to carry on the fight for there was "more, much more, to be done if we are to save our country and civilization as we know it." Within a relatively few days after that celebration in Indianapolis he suffered an incapacitating stroke. And, sadly, for the first time in our history was unable to attend the recent March quarterly meeting and Dinner of our COUNCIL in Los Angeles.
Yes, it has been a rough year. And yet, a very significant one indeed. Our Society has survived these adversities, which in itself is a tribute to the soundness of the organization and the dedication and commitment of its members. Not only have we survived, but we have grown in strength and numbers. And we have demonstrated well indeed what Robert Welch dreamed of when he started this movement twenty-five years ago.
It is my fervent hope that The John Birch Society will last for hundreds of years, and exert an increasing influence for the temporal good and the spiritual ennoblement of mankind throughout those centuries.
In conjunction with the future of this quarter-century crusade, the Longrange Planning Committee of our COUNCIL has been meeting frequently in recent months. On the evening of March 2, one day before our COUNCIL Dinner was to be held in Los Angeles, this Committee presented its recommendations to the Executive Committee of
the COUNCIL. They were unanimously accepted and presented to the full COUNCIL, which met in executive session the following day.
After some discussion, the COUNCIL voted unanimously to accept these recommendations, or more precisely, to expand the Executive Committee and to appoint as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Society Mr. A. Clifford Barker of Newport News, Virginia.
The formal announcement of these developments was made at the evening dinner before an enthusiastic gathering of some one thousand members and friends of the Society at the Century Plaza Hotel. Charles Armour, our District Governor, served as Master of Ceremonies and introduced Mr. Wm. J. Grede. He, in turn, announced the appointment of Mr. Barker and': called on him for remarks.
What follows is a transcript of the comments made by Mr. Armour, Mr. Grede, and Mr. Barker. Following their messages we were privileged to hear from John McManus and our featured speaker for the evening, Lt. General Daniel O. Graham, former Chief of the Defense Intelligence Agency. Though we do not have the space to include their speeches here, the full program has been recorded on cassette tape and is available at $6.00 per copy from Belmont and San Marino.
It is with great pride that we introduce both our former and newly appointed Chairmen of The John Birch Society by means of their own words as they delivered them on March 3, 1984.
Mr. Charles R. Armour, Master of Ceremonies:
I want to introduce to you a man whom all of us have long admired. He was one of the original eleven who met with Mr. Welch in Indianapolis way back in December, 1958, when the Society was founded. He has steadfastly participated in leadership capacities for the Society ever since, and for many years he has been Chairman of its Executive Committee.... Just last December, he was asked by our COUNCIL to fill the position of Chairman of The John Birch Society. So it is a real privilege to have him here with us tonight and a real privilege for me to introduce to you Mr. Wm. Grede. Mr. Grede: (Applause.)
Mr. Wm. J. Grede:
Ladies and gentlemen, I want you to know that I deeply appreciate your greeting.
I miss Mr. Welch so much! You remember, as you've attended previous meetings, that it has always been my privilege to be seated next to him; and this is denied me this evening.
In view of the circumstances and the changes, in our COUNCIL Meeting today we took some steps to improve and strengthen the administration of the Society. We expanded the Executive Committee by two and elected members to fill those two positions. I'd like to introduce both of them to you.
Mr. Elisha Poole, of Greenville, Alabama—an attorney, a veteran member, and a COUNCIL Member for the past six years—was elected to the Executive Committee. Unfortunately he could not be here because he had a previous and pressing personal engagement. But I know you will welcome him to this position of leadership which he has earned through his diligence at whatever assignment he has had from the Society.
(Applause.)
And for the second vacancy we elected Mr. C. Walter Ruckel, of Valparaiso, Florida — a banker, a veteran member, and a COUNCIL Member for eight years. He served admirably on the Longrange Planning Committee, which was a significantly important assignment. We appreciate the service he has already rendered, and I know we will appreciate the service that he's anticipating. Walter Ruckel. (Applause.)
And, of course, we have our President whom Chuck Armour referred to previously, and who is the man that took over under very trying circumstances and over the past few critical months has led us through a maze of problems: Tom Hill. (Applause.)
I am also delighted to present to you this evening my successor.
I have been serving as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Society since December and today the COUNCIL very graciously accepted my resignation from those positions and promptly filled them with a younger, more vigorous, brilliant person. I'm delighted to be able to introduce to you this evening Mr. Cliff Barker who was elected to the position of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Society. He has been a Chapter Leader, a Section Leader right here in the San Fernando Valley, and a member since 1961. He is the Founder and President Of Navidyne Corporation, of Newport News, Virginia. It gives me pleasure to resent the unanimous great choice of the Executive Committee and of the COUNCIL, Mr. A. Clifford Barker. Clif. (Applause.)
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August 1986 Bulletin
In June 1986, Charles Armour was asked by the Executive Committee to become President and Chief Executive Officer of the Society. He is now a member of that Executive Committee and of the Society's national Council.
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November 2000 Bulletin
A monolithic structure cannot demand perfect leaders for its success, for no such leaders exist. What is necessary is that whoever has this responsibility will also have the authority to act, will follow the organization’s principles, and will have the wisdom and ability to attract other good people to help him. The Executive Committee of the COUNCIL appointed me as CEO in 1991 following the resignation of G. Allen Bubolz.
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