Augusta CWRT

By Matthew Borowick · Originally published December 2019 · p. 4

In September I presented at the regular meeting of the Augusta Civil War Round Table, an incredibly well-run organization. Their success provides a great example for other round tables to follow. It starts with leadership. Gwen Fulcher Young continues in her role as round table president. She is full of passion and energy for running things well and it shows in a few ways: The invitation. Gwen inquired about my availability to speak to the group with a very clear invitation. She offered the available dates and made clear, up front, how travel and related expenses would be covered. The promotion. Gwen kept me well apprised of the marketing she was doing for the meeting and my appearance. Links to stories in local papers and a copy of the group’s newsletter all demonstrated her effectiveness in getting the word out about the meeting. The visit. I arranged my travel and Gwen took care of accommodations. A particular treat was lunch on the day of the meeting with Gwen and her husband, Bob. Both are long-time Augusta natives who take great pride in their hometown. In fact, Bob was the mayor in the early 2000’s and Gwen’s real estate business gives her great insight into the pulse of Augusta. We were joined at lunch by round table member Dan Funtsch who recently retired from his career as a high school principal and now helps Gwen with round table business. After lunch Gwen went to the meeting hall to get things ready while Dan treated me to a tour of Augusta. It was a great way to see the city and learn about its history and exciting future. The meeting. The round table meets in Goodwill’s Snelling Center, a nonprofit dedicated to job training and community development. It’s an accommodating place to meet with excellent amenities, while giving the people at Goodwill an opportunity to show their talents. The round table charges $23 to attend the meeting, which includes a buffet dinner. The food was excellent. Gwen sets aside a “Speaker’s Table.” Bob is a regular at the table. The other table guests are selected by Gwen, giving members an opportunity to connect with speakers on a rotating basis. It was a pleasure to be with Dan, Kim, and David for the meal. The doors opened at about 5:15 p.m. and the attendees trickled in, ultimately reaching an audience of about 100. Gwen began the program at 6:45, sharing updates about the round table, welcoming non-member/guests in attendance, and introducing the speaker. By 7:00 I was on. Gwen made it clear in the original invitation that I had 40

minutes for the presentation; I came in at 39 minutes and 25 seconds. This would be followed by a question and answer session, moderated by Gwen, who chose from among the many raised hands. By 8 p.m. we were done, mindful of people’s time while providing them an enjoyable social evening complemented by (hopefully) an informative and entertaining presentation. This was my second visit to the Augusta CWRT. Gwen runs everything to perfection just as she has been doing for seven years. As a speaker, I was grateful for the clear directions she gave, how travel would be reimbursed, how the meeting would run, how much time I had to speak, where I would sit for dinner. These all allowed me the opportunity to focus on my part, informing the audience how “Northern Financial Decisions Won the American Civil War.” For more information visit: www.civilwarroundtableaugustaga.com.