Denouement

In 2011, I published a story a week about my life for my progeny, which at that time did not yet include four great-grandchildren. 

The history of the Association of Godby Graduates (AGG) founded in 2003 is told here, and many related stories are published here.

In 2004, when a Godby High School teacher who had been maintaining the alumni webpage retired, I was asked by AGG Director Manny Joanos to re-publish it at a Florida State University site, which I was able to do as an alum, and I continued to maintain it. Twelve years later, FSU discontinued its policy to allow alumni to use fsu.edu domain names, and I began privately financing its publication. 

Since my 2006 induction into the AGG Hall of Fame, I felt compelled to seek out others worthy of such a distinction, and each Fall, successfully nominated at least one alum for Godby High School's greatest honor. The nomination process is formally documented at the AGG's by-laws, and I took great care to contact potential nominees a year in advance, to work closely with them to thoroughly document their lifetime achievements, as in many cases, I had never met them. I asked to attend the Hall of Fame selection committee meetings, because I wanted to personally present and discuss the individuals' qualifications, so there would be no doubt or mistake. It was always a very collaborative process, among alumni previously inducted, and the AGG's Executive Committee, as outlined in the by-laws. I never told anyone I attended or served on such a selection committee and did not wish to be known for doing so, since vividly remembering the archetypal sitcom dilemma where the protagonist is chosen to be a beauty contest judge, and all acquaintances suddenly become dear friends with an ideal candidate.

After posthumous inductions for three military alumni killed in action, Godby administration began dividing the floral arrangements used each year at graduation and alumni would deliver them to gravesites of the two that are locally interred. In 2021, Godby staff informed me that the students were more interested in honoring their newly departed classmates in this manner, and discontinued the process. I then began acquiring year- and Godby color-specific trinkets and delivering them to the gravesites on behalf of our alumni, and that class year, anyways. The third interred at Arlington has a local public event held in his honor every year, and I always tried to attend.

I was a late-comer to social media, and acquiesced after the insistence of my granddaughter, who at age 11 attended the first Hall of Fame Induction ceremony with me. In 2008, I discovered Godby High School was the only area high school without a Wikipedia page, and created one. I love to attend parties, and made myself available for the planning of our alma mater's reunions, and attended more than forty reunions. If a class was not already represented on Facebook, I often created its page, so that the 2,500 members of the AGG Facebook group could see it and class members could congregate.

I'm a photography enthusiast, and attended every reunion, Hall of Fame and alumni function I could, to take numerous photos, and make them available for free to all alumni at the AGG's website and Facebook page.

I served as the AGG's first president in 2003, and again in 2011 per by-laws, after serving as vice-president. In 2022, when Manny announced his immediate retirement and selected a successive Director, I agreed to serve as president, to facilitate a smooth transition. 

Late in 2022, I submitted a Hall of Fame nomination for a graduate of my own class, after working with that person for months to learn about life details and recent activities. I was invited to the Hall of Fame selection meeting in January. I arrived a minute late, because I had to call Manny to be let inside, as I have not been provided with the new Director's phone number. Once inside I was told by the Director that the AGG is now interested in support by younger alumni, and escorted to a desk far away from Manny, and all seats faced front towards the Director. The lone chair next to me was soon filled by an alum who works at Godby. We were each provided with a thick sheaf of Hall of Fame nominations. The alum arrived, and after glancing at the documentation, said to the Director, "You told me to submit this nomination." The Director then instructed us to rank the nominations in order, and to publicly state our top choices. The Director had an associate, obviously well groomed in the expected proceedings at hand, who handled many arrangements during the meeting. The Director informed us which {other} nomination had been the Director's. After this exercise, we were told to turn in our papers. I objected, saying, "I made personal notations on these in pen, and don't think I can erase them." The Director allowed me to keep the papers. 

The meeting was promptly concluded, and I walked over to the Director, sat down and said I wanted to talk for a few minutes. The Director quickly rose and told me that the Director didn't have time, and began walking to the exit door with the associate. I followed and walked fast to keep up, and brought both to an immediate halt by saying, "I think the AGG should elect a vice-president, because per the by-laws they will become president after the current one." The Director looked at me, and said, "Repeat that," which I did, seemingly for the associate's benefit. Both strode off without saying anything further.

I was then excluded from all further discussion, preparation and planning for the AGG Hall of Fame Banquet on March 31, 2023.

Five weeks before the event, the Director published an image to the AGG Facebook group with the list of inductees, and details of the upcoming Hall of Fame event, and did not answer a response from an inductee who usually attends, who asked how to make a contribution. Five days before the Hall of Fame Banquet, I happened to chance upon the link to use to purchase tickets to the event, and published it to the Facebook group, as well as to the Facebook groups for the class members who were being inducted. I emailed the Director and expressed my embarrassment at having to simply discover the link to facilitate ticket purchase so close to the event, and also inconveniencing the 2,500 other alumni. 

I received an I'm sorry if you were embarrassed type reply, as of course it was not the Director's intention to embarrass me, but the Director will be excluding me from some things, though that had not been the norm, and asked for my trust.

At the event, I discovered a professional photographer had been engaged, though I have only ever seen 5-6 photos. Presumably, the others are available for sale at some location using information that has not been disclosed to me or 2,500 alumni. The Director did not speak to me that evening, or mention any AGG title besides that of the Director, and with one exception, did not allow my name to be publicly spoken. My nominee in acceptance thanked "all the people who nominated me." Near the end of the event, the Director thanked all the people who served on the selection committee and said, "Raise your hand when I call your name: Mitch Gans, {et al by name}."

I realized at that time I could not continue to serve as president of the AGG in that fashion, and at once removed myself from officers posted to the alumni Facebook group and website. On Monday morning, I asked Godby's webmaster to do the same.

I conduct business openly, and will not tolerate or be a party to bigotry, bullying or exclusion of others. 

Best wishes to all Godby alumni.

"Collaboration, not condescension" -- Nancy Pelosi

"Trust is not a request, Trust is earned." — Jeffrey Gitomer