YELLOWBIRD Chapter

Changing of the Guard

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A Few Words from Freddie Tappan

Nearly fourteen years have passed since Joan Wenzel, Ruth Rice and I met at a coffee shop in Andover, MA to
discuss forming a group to keep in touch with former co-workers at Northeast Airlines. With help from the
late Brad Day and his wife, Dottie, who furnished us with long lists of ground personnel, pilots and flight
attendants from the beginning of the airline, we were on our way. Joan, Ruth, Chris Watson-Byrne, JoAnn
Blanchette, and the late Kathy Cummings helped to spread the word. On October 1, 1996, our group was
formally accepted into the Delta Pioneers as the Yellowbird Chapter.

During the last thirteen years, many changes have occurred. We have advanced one millennium, which caused
much speculation and computer engineering; we have experienced an attack on American soil which has
reflected on our freedom and security, on two wars waged simultaneously, on the collapse of the stock market
and, indeed, on most of the world’s economy. We also suffered the bankruptcy of Delta Air Lines, which was
soon followed by the merger with Northwest Airlines and the emergence of Delta as the largest airline in the
world.

This change brought new members and, with them, new needs, ideas, and opportunities. It has not been easy
for anyone, but we all coped somehow and to some extent, we persisted. Now, it is even more important for
all of us to contribute what we can in order to keep this communication and cooperation going into the future.

In addition to the names mentioned above, I wish to thank Yellowbirds Joan Ferrone (NYC),
Grant Weier (VT), Paul Garbarino (VT), Jack Healy (PHL), Ben Rymut (MD), Dick Murphy (ATL), Jimmy
Collins (BOS), Donna Blanchard (BOS), Andrea Donovan (BOS), Claire Whitten (BOS), Pauline Kopacz
(BOS), Shirlee Purcell (BOS), Captain George Chaudoin, Captain Bill Donahue, Captain Mike Farrey, Captain
Dave Cowley, captain John Caldwell, and Captain Dan Hurley, for their help and support over the years. For
their administrative support, I thank Past National Presidents Arthur Rogers, Jim Gregory, and Paul Schmidt.
Additionally, many thanks to Inez Harris, National Chapter Coordinator and Mary Fowler, National Officer
Manager.

It has been a busy, yet enjoyable thirteen years serving as President of the Yellowbird Chapter of the Delta
Pioneers, and now it is indeed a pleasure to pass along the leadership of the Chapter to Jon Maynard, who has
graciously accepted the challenge for its future. Jon is well known to many of us. He is currently the National
Volunteer Leader of the Delta/Red Cross Partnership, and serves as a member of the Board of Directors,
DALRC, representing Sales and Marketing. Jon’s twenty-six years with Delta included many years as a
facilitator in Boston Reservations in addition to four years spent in Corporate Consumer Affairs in Atlanta. He
also had special assignments in Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, and India in Asia and Lima, Peru in Latin America
where he opened Reservations and City Ticket Offices. I know I can count on all of you to support Jon in his
new venture as President of the Yellowbird Chapter of the Delta Pioneers.

Freddie Tappan