Minutes of the October 11, 2018, Meeting
The Rotary Club of Mobile
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by President Ernest Ladd IV at 12:15 PM. Ken Niemeyer offered the invocation and Tommy Blankenship led the group in song accompanied by Bill Oppenheimer. Jeff Zoghby welcomed visiting Rotarians and members’ guests.
Announcements:
• Ernest Ladd, reminded members that the annual Rotary Gala is scheduled for Wednesday, November 7th at Cotton Hall on Dauphin Street. There will not be a luncheon meeting on November 8.
Student Guest: Jeff Luther introduced Dominque Taylor, a senior at Blount High School who discussed her experiences of service. She plans on majoring in Criminal Justice.
Program: James E. Jewell -FBI
Claire McCarron introduced James Jewell, Special Agent in Charge of the Mobile Division of the FBI.
After some difficulties with the hotel’s equipment, Special Agent Jewell presented a power point program and discussed the history of the agency from G-Men and cross state kidnappings in 1934 to terrorist threats in the age of 9/11.
He explained that the agency’s goal is to identify a threat and prevent a crime before it actually takes place. The agency must identify a wide array of threats in an ever changing world of new technology. One of the most important areas is protecting large gatherings such as football games and beach festivals, from becoming the target of terrorists – home grown or from abroad.
He also discussed the importance of battling public corruption and white collar crimes. Jewell explained that if Americans cannot trust their elected officials to be honest the entire system of our government is at risk. The agency also battles foreign spies who seek to obtain trade secrets – a great potential risk in cities like Mobile with its aviation and ship building as well as Huntsville.
After answering a number of questions, Ernest Ladd thanked Special Agent Jewell for speaking and presented him with a certificate noting that a donation in his honor has been made to the Rotary Children’s Foundation.
The meeting adjourned at 1:10 PM.
Tom McGehee