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Charly Garcia's the new American Society president
This lovable tinaquero dog needs a human to protect
 

American Society elects officers

The American Society of Panama recently held its periodic election of officers, who will be installed at an installation dinner on May 24. The society's new leaders are Dr. Charly Garcia, president; Rita Sosa, vice president; Sandra Abell, secretary; and Eunice Greaves, treasurer.

Dr. Garcia, the son of an American father who was a judge in the former Canal Zone and a Panamanian mother, grew up in the Atlantic side community of France Field and went to Cristobal High. A dentist, he practiced for many years with the US Department of Defense and still has a part-time practice in Panama City. He also spends part of his time at the family home in El Valle and sells real estate in that area.

The following is a letter circulated by Garcia to American Society members and friends:

From the American Society of Panama's President-Elect

I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all the members of the American Society for the support given to the Board of the American Society and our out-going President, Dr. Wayne Samuels. We were able to get more participation and better events because of your support. Recently you voted in a new Board of Directors to represent you this year. It is an honor to be able to represent you as the new President-elect. I know that with your support and guidance we as an elected Board will continue down the path of success and service to the community. I want to emphasize to you that I expect your constructive input and guidance. I want to know your ideas, your visions and your thoughts on how we can continue growing as a Society.

I especially wish to thank Dr. Wayne Samuels for his great two year tenure as the leader and President of the American Society of Panama. I know he and Maritza will be there watching over us and welcome all the constructive peer review and criticism which experience has given him. I also wish to thank Maritza for the wonderful job she did in supporting Wayne these past two years and the exemplary job she performed as First Lady. It will be a difficult act to follow. We have had strong leadership and with the new team you selected, I believe we can continue to increase our horizons, and elevate our standing as an organization in Panama continuing to support the social, charitable and cultural needs of the English speaking community and our Panamanian neighbors. We are an inclusive organization and as such I want to emphasize that membership is not limited by nationality. We consider for membership all legal residents of Panama.

The new Vice President elect, Rita Sosa, a former President of the American Society, will bring experience, strong character and credibility and I know will be there to assist all of us. Sandra Abell will continue as the Corresponding Secretary as she has for many years and this will give us continuity and excellence. She has been one of the hardest workers and supporters of the American Society. I want to thank Eunice Greaves for accepting to continue on in the most difficult job on the Board. It is a continuous endeavor and few are aware of all the extra curricular efforts she has put into the Society helping to straighten out our legal status as a charitable and social organization here in Panama.

With all our support the American Society will continue to sponsor and perform charitable works and assist groups or individuals that engage in similar endeavors. It should provide a forum for discussing current events and involve our community in needed social, humanitarian and charitable events. My goal is to blend with the members of our host Country and foster better appreciation and the understanding of important aspects of Panamanian culture. As the new President-elect, one of my main goals is to make the American Society the leader of the English speaking community in Panama. It cannot be done without the support and participation of all its members.

One of the more important tasks we now have is filling the positions on the various committees. Who fills these positions is very important. We want individuals that want the positions and will work to accomplish that particular mission. We need volunteers. I am asking each and every one of you to please communicate your interest in one or more committee so I can have an idea whom to task for each committee. More than one person can work together. We need to know of any general members that wish to work on one of the committees. I am asking for volunteers from all our membership to join the Board working on these committees. I want to get our membership involved, bring in new ideas and your help and commitment so that all the work is not done by the same individuals year after year. Here is the list of committees. Please review the list and let me know where you wish to be involved. I know that when you all filled the applications for membership you marked down a preference and that went mostly overlooked. I am now trying to correct that oversight and bring you into active participation in the day to day work and organization of the American Society. We have already filled the post of Chair of the Membership, Social Events, Historian and the Website Committees. We need volunteers to assist them as well as to take on the other important committee's listed below as either chair persons or assistants to these. One of the more important committees we as an organization depend on is the Charity Committee. We need people to volunteer so that who ever is chosen Chair of that committee does not do all the work. We also have attempted unsuccessfully to bring back a Newsletter. We need individuals with some expertise and energy to take this on. Does anyone out there have the right contacts and energy to get involved in Publicity for the American Society? As you can see, we need you, the membership, to get involved.

Below is a list of the different committees for you to consider. Please help us make this a better and more inclusive organization by volunteering. Please select one or more and let me know how you can participate. The Society depends on its members to run its committees and charities.

·        Charity

·        Historian

·        Newsletter

·        Escuela de los  Estados Unidos

·        Membership

·        Publicity

·        Social Events

 Here is a list of our newly elected Board of Directors of the American Society and their contact information. Please keep this for future reference

Sandra Abell --- sandy_abell@yahoo.com, 315-0565

Mary Arreaga --- mary.arrega@att.net, 315-6029

John Beavers --- chiefbeav@cableonda.net, 233-5318

Sergio Davis --- sdavis@cwpanama.net, 225-9184

Robert Emerick --- emerick@cwpanama.net, 314-0480

Dr. Charly Garcia --- garciadentist@hotmail.com, 6618-8877 or 270-0931

Ahmed Abdel Ghany --- edghany@yahoo.com, 265-2515

Cedric Gittens --- cedric@cwpanama.net, 223-5526

Eunice Greaves --- panaeac@yahoo.com, 229-4009

Marilyn Johnson --- jandmarilynjohnson@cwpanama.net, 250-0799

Thomas R. Lord Jr. --- LordTR@yahoo.com, 315-2408

Kathie Mattson --- IsthmusGalKathie@AOL.com, 250-0235

Joe Pulvino --- IsthmusGalKathie@AOL.com, 250-0235

Dr. Robert W. Samuels --- rwsamuels@yahoo.com, 232-5622

Rita Sosa --- sosa@sinfo.net, 260-0671

Thank you all for your support already expressed, and I look forward to working with each and every one of you this coming year. Together we make a strong team. Together we will think big and we will elevate the American Society of Panama to higher horizons and esteem in our community.

After our first Board meeting following the Installation Dinner on the 24 of May at the Sheraton Hotel & Convention Center I will be sending every member a list of the projected social and charitable events projected for the upcoming year. I already have made contact to have an evening at the Panama National Theater attending one of the presentations of the Asociación Nacional de Conciertos. I also am in the process of organizing an evening at the Ancon Little Theater for an upcoming presentation. Both of these organizations will benefit as we also will by our support and participation in these activities. There are other events as well. We will wait for your input before making decisions. I want you to now take this opportunity to send me your ideas on what you would like us to organize for you. We are open to any new ideas and suggestions. Let's get some variety and novelty into our activities. Our success this coming year depends very much on your participation and ideas. Please help the new Board make this a good year for your American Society of Panama.

Respectfully,

Dr. Charly Garcia

President-Elect

American Society of Panama

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