"Fellow Green Coaters:
Since I no longer live in the area, I will be unable to make tonight’s meeting to discuss the proposal to change the Green Coat Club to The Founders Club. I know my “vote” or opinion might not matter, since I did not pay my dues this year (the first time in 10 years), but I wanted to voice my opinion for whatever it may be worth.
While I understand the need to try to bring in new people to ensure the success of the tournament, I am not sure why we have to change the name of the Green Coat Club as it currently stands? Do we have to bring these “movers and shakers”, as they were referred to in the Greensboro News and Record, into our organization for them to feel part of the tournament? Will they not want to serve as an official host of the tournament if they are not wearing a green coat? Can we not form a Founders Club without it being part of the Green Coat Club or removing the Green Coat name altogether?
There has been much discussion about our history. If memory serves me correctly, it was the Jaycees who started the tournament. In past years, in order to be a General Chairman of the tournament one had to be a Jaycee first. Some General Chairmen I know feel that their Jaycee time was time well spent prior to moving onto a tournament role. I know the landscape of the Jaycees has changed dramatically over the last 20 years, but I don’t think there is a person who would disagree that it was (and still potentially can still be) the best leadership opportunity for young people in the area. If the Jaycees have failed over the years, should we not try to rally around them to help them succeed much like we do the tournament?
My Green Coat means so much to me. It reminds me that I worked hard (for both the chapter and the tournament for over 10 years) to reach a level of leadership in the greatest leadership opportunity in the world for young people. It acknowledges the sacrifices I made. It represents the fact that the Jaycee membership believed in me to lead the organization. It means that I secured a place in our history (not only as a President, but as one of a handful of female Green Coaters). My green coat was never about the tournament. If we are going to allow people to become Green Coaters just because of their money or their status in the region, to me that means my coat has a little less value.
As I said, my “vote” apparently does not count, because I am not a “member in good standing.” I think that is the first time someone can say that about my membership in the Jaycees, JCI or the Green Coat Club. I will be paying my dues next year to what I hope will continue to be the Green Coat Club.
Thank you for your attention to my opinion.
Barbara Esquibel
2001 Jaycee President
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