April 25, 2015

Finest Hour 117, Winter 2002-03

Page 05

This is an exciting time—The Churchill Centre is on the cusp of great events and noble endeavors. We are entering an era of aggressive expansion among young and old alike, buttressed by a central professional administrative structure actively supported by an engaged Board of Governors. What then can we expect in 2003 and beyond?

Younger generations are our top priority. Initiatives are already blooming. A solid working relationship has been established with the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. Our website (winstonchurchill.org) offers the “Churchill Classroom,” an innovative educational opportunity. Student participation will be a significant feature of our annual conferences. The Centre will continue to provide hundreds of our “Study History!” posters to anyone who requests one.

The Centre’s allied organizations and academic advisers will be asked to become more deeply involved in introducing high school and college students to Churchill’s example and enduring legacy. When financing becomes available, I will recommend that the Centre employ a Director of Student Affairs, a full time staff position whose sole responsibility will be to manage and expand our student relationships.

Emphasis on the young does not mean deemphasis of the things we do now. Our annual conference will remain the most prestigious gathering of Churchillians from around the world. The next three venues—Bermuda, Portsmouth/Normandy and Quebec City—underscore the reality that the Centre has no national boundaries. Finest Hour will remain the centerpiece of our communication efforts, followed by an increasingly utilized website. To supplement these major endeavors we will frequently publish Chartwell Bulletins focusing on current activities of the Centre and its allies.

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Generating new initiatives and programs is one thing; transforming them into substance is quite another. Volunteer management, no matter how energetic and well meaning—and ours is absolutely superb—operating on a modest income stream and dependent on the annual generosity of hundreds, simply won’t permit the Centre to reach its full and desired potential.

The Governors have moved boldly to address these matters. I have asked Richard Langworth and Laurence Geller to head our aggressive “Campaign D-Day,” to conclude in 2004 at our conference in Portsmouth. The campaign’s goal reaches into the seven-figure range. It sounds ambitious, and it is; but it is within our reach. The funds will support the programs earlier described; most significantly, they will position the Centre to purchase a permanent home in Washington, D.C. Obviously this campaign is a major but necessary undertaking. Participation by all is a prerequisite to its success.

On January 1st The Churchill Centre took a huge step towards a long cherished goal: its own quarters and staff. No longer will our administration be conducted from studies, basements, and living rooms of volunteers. Our office on the third floor of 1150 17th Street in downtown Washington is open for business. Dan Myers, an accomplished association executive and avid Churchillian, is now our Executive Director. He is as eager to begin as we—so much so that your Executive Committee met there on January 7th and 8th before the paint dried.

This, then, is our challenge. The next few years will be truly exciting. If we persevere, we will lay a solid foundation for even greater things to come.