Gadsden GAB a Publication of Bishop Gadsden
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July 2011 Gadsden GAB A Publication of Bishop Gadsden View the Gab in color on-line at http://www.bishopgadsden.org/community_life/newsroom.html Gone with the Wind and the Quest for Survival Vince Lannie Sesquicentennial Anniversary of the Civil War (1861-2011) This is the final article of a five-part series by Vince Lannie on the Civil War or the War Between the States. This is an interpretive investigation, and it inevitably exhibits conscious and even unconscious biases. Facts alone are objective; interpreta- tion is always subjective. The ultimate hope is to fuse fact and interpretation into a balanced and understandable picture. To this end, Lannie reminds us that he is a Northerner by birth, a Southerner by choice, and a Charlestonian by the grace of God. The opening pages of Mar- their genteel cultural roots back to colo- INSIDE THIS garet Mitchell’s Gone With the nial Virginia. Rhett Butler hailed from ISSUE: Wind (1936) characterized Scarlett elegant Charleston even though some O’Hara, the novel’s indomitable but youthful indiscretions made him unwel- President’s vulnerable heroine, as mocking even come in that city. Gerald O’Hara, master 2 Message the possibility of war between North of Tara Plantation and an uncouth Irish and South. Her guests, the neigh- immigrant, gained his land in a liquor- boring Tarleton twins, recently ex- inspired poker game. Such social differ- From the pelled from the University of Geor- ences prevailed in the Georgia up- 3 Finance Office gia, rebuffed this dismissal since country and seemed somewhat crude to “war’s going to start any day.” Pret- the more sedentary seacoast cities. Many ty sixteen-year-old Scarlett reiterat- north Georgians dismissed “music,” Activities / ed her position that there will be no “books,” and the Grand European Tour 6 Events war. “It’s all just talk,” and she was as necessary criteria for success. The “tired of hearing about it.” Besides, Tarleton twins, instead, proposed an al- how could anyone think of war ternate formula for a successful gentle- when the anticipated Wilkes Barbe- man. “A good horse to ride and some Birthdays 9 cue and Ball at Twelve Oakes Plan- good licker to drink and a good girl to tation would take place the next day. court and a bad girl to have fun with and This was the event that was truly anybody can have their Europe.” Chaplain’s important and trumped any inane To symbolize these southern dis- 11 Corner discussion of war. parities, Atlanta - new, vigorous, crude- Gone With the Wind illus- emerged as the prominent city in Gone trated that the South was not a mon- With The Wind. Not Richmond, not Sa- olithic society but incorporated vari- vannah, not even Charleston. Born as a ous sub-cultures not always in sym- railroad hub and militarily important pathy with each other. Ellen O’Ha- during the Civil War (1861-65), Atlan- ra, Scarlett’s mother, represented ta’s values did not generally reflect tra- the delicate French sophistication of ditional Southern values. During Recon- staid Savannah. The Wilkes family struction (1865-1877) it boomed with and their Atlanta cousins traced new construction and Continued on Page 8 Volume 257 Page 2 President’s Message Bill Trawick As most of you know by have seen me and other staff now, I had a members giving tours in recent wonderful va- weeks. Our reputation seems to cation travel- now be “from sea to shining sea,” I could keep writing, naming ing in Greece as we have had staff and board staff member after staff member, and Turkey—only to return to members from other communi- of all the great work being done work on the first day of hurricane ties, with their architects, visit in every area. This past month we season! The consistently extreme from New York, North Carolina, had our annual “Length of Ser- hot weather we have experienced Florida, Mississippi, and Wash- vice” dinner in the Middleton since the beginning of spring has ington (state)! All have been im- Dining Room and I am always only added to the general concern pressed by the entirety of our humbled and overcome when I we always experience during this amazing community, but the din- share this time with such a fine season, as hurricanes are more ing component has really wowed group of individuals who have prone to follow warm ocean wa- them. Jim Epper is fast becoming dedicated so much of the time and ters. However, I could not be a celebrity in our field. They just talent of their lives to Bishop prouder of the incredible plan- better keep their envious hands Gadsden. As I told them, it is not ning that has been done by our off of him! lost on me that the life of this staff, led by Katie Jayne, to as- Finally, the Read Cloister ren- community—and my life person- sure that we are as prepared as ovations continue to go very ally—have been immeasurably possible should one come our well. Sarah Tipton, Daniel Larra- enhanced by their years of com- way. We will always remain bee, and Linda McMahon are do- mitment and service. here, unless a mandatory evacua- ing an incredible job and the end tion is declared by the governor. product is going to be far better If this occurs, the BG staff will than we imagined due to their be focused on relocating our My- vision and attention to detail. We, ers Hall, Read Cloister and Arca- hope by this Thanksgiving we dia Close residents to our reloca- will have a beautiful new space tion site in Spartanburg and se- for which to be thankful in this curing our community. We urge important part of our community. all apartment and cottage resi- dents to also have a plan in place for evacuation, as there will be no staff or services here during the storm. We will return and ser- vices will resume as soon as it is safe to do so. In the meantime, pray hard that none of this will be necessary! On a lighter note, you may Welcome New Residents John & Lucia Childs Volume 257 Page 3 From the Finance Department Susan Legare This month I am writing about a love story, which is definite- My Mom lived in every ar- ly a departure from my usual financial-perspective musings. The sto- ea of our community—apartment/ ry is about my mother, Suzanne Gough, who died in June, but it is cottages, assisted living, memory not about my love for her. Rather, it is about the people, things and support and skilled nursing. Just as places she loved (in no particular order): Paris, arranging flowers, she adapted for years to the nomad- the color pink, babies, a good hot dog, champagne, the beach, my ic life of an Air Force wife, she father, fine linens, her church, dogs of all sizes, “The Price is Right,” adapted to each move in the contin- whimsical hats, her children, high-heel shoes, balloons, ice cold Coca uum. Even as Alzheimer’s disease Cola, sparkly things (like diamonds), Christmas, blue Texas skies, took its inevitable toll, she knew chocolate, fireworks, yellow roses and living at Bishop Gadsden. she was in a safe and loving place. I always said my parents were very brave to I would ask, “Mom, are you hap- move half way across the United States at ages 77 py?” And she always replied “Yes, and 81 to Bishop Gadsden, a place they had never I am.” seen. And it was my mother’s decision. I remember This love story did not end my dad saying to her, “You will outlive me, so you with her death. My brothers and I decide where you want to be.” have many, happy memories of our Without hesitation, she an- mother and the people, things and nounced Charleston and Bishop places she loved. We are so very Gadsden. thankful for the Bishop Gadsden That was in 1999, and it community, because Mom loved was probably one of the best de- living here. We believe she is now cisions they ever made. I know free of the frailties of age, sipping my dad’s life was extended by champagne somewhere that looks a living here, and I often say my lot like the Left Bank of Paris, mother was “the poster child for holding hands with our dad, and moving through the continuum of strolling in her high-heel shoes! care.” The Bishop Gadsden Website – Preparing for its Next Update In the fall of 2008, Bishop Gadsden launched a new website that showcased the beauty and uniqueness of our community. Nearly three years later, the time has come to refresh the site. We want to improve the areas we know are being used and eliminate those that are not. If you are a regular user of the website and would like to com- ment on ways we can improve the site, we welcome your suggestions. Or, if you have yet to visit the site, we certainly encourage you to do so. With activity calendars, Market Place Café menus, and links to our Face- book page and Blog, there are always interesting tidbits of information available to you. If you would like to attend a website tutorial and comment session on our website, please join us on Monday, July 25th at 10:00am in the Board Room. Additionally, all comments and suggestions on the web- site should be sent to Kimberly Farfone, Director of Development and Public Relations at kimber- [email protected]; or 843.406.6334.