James Roosevelt, Jr. Guest Speaker

James Roosevelt, Jr. is President and CEO of Tufts Health Plan, Waltham, MA. He is Co-Chairman of Tufts Health Care Institute and Past President of the American Health Lawyers Association. He is also chief legal counsel for the Massachusetts Democratic Party and co-chair of the Rules and By-laws Committee of the Democratic National Committee. He was Associate Commissioner for Retirement Policy of the Social Security Administration and a partner in Choate, Hall & Stewart in Boston. He is a frequent lecturer and author on legal and public policy topics and he is Clinical Instructor in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. He completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in 2003, earned his J.D. in 1971 from Harvard Law School and his A.B. from Harvard College in 1968. He is admitted to the bars of the District of Columbia, Massachusetts and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Program

The Music

Our song leader for tonight was Mr. Richard Freeman. At the piano was Mr. Geoffrey Dana Hicks. We began the evening with a tribute to our country by singing “America, the Beautiful”. We enjoyed hearing much more of Geoffrey's music later in the meeting.

Invocation

Although Pastor Gary McClenthen was invited to give the Invocation for tonight's meeting, Dr. David Kilpatrick, Pastor of West Medford Baptist Church gave the Invocation in Rev. McClenthen's absence.

Dinner

Business and Announcements

Vice President, Mr. Horace Works presided over tonight's meeting. He informed us that Mr. James Cowan, President of the Boston Baptist Social Union, had gone to his eternal home with the Lord. We had a moment of silence as we remembered his service to the Lord, to the BBSU, and for his family.

We welcomed two new members into the Boston Baptist Social Union tonight.

Special Music

To our delight Geoffrey entertained us with several pieces on the pianobefore and during dinner. After dinner, and business was concluded, Geoffrey again performed for us. Featured among the music presented was an original piece he wrote giving praise to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Guest Speaker: James Roosevelt, Jr.

Mr. James Roosevelt, Jr., a former Associate Commissioner for Retirement Policy of the Social Security Administration, was our guest speaker for the evening. Mr. Roosevelt conveyed a number of facts about the current status of the solvency of Social Security. With his informed presentation he dispelled a number of the myths surrounding Social Security and proffered some reasonable ideas to keep Social Security operating in the black throughout the rest of the century. He concluded his remarks with a quotation from his grandfather, Franklin D. Roosevelt, then President of the United States, as he signed the legislation that put Social Security in place.

When Mr. Roosevelt was finished with his remarks he gave us an opportunity for some questions and answers. The questions dealt mostly with Social Security concerns and also health care and health insurance in Massachusetts.

Benediction

Dr. David Kilpatrick, Pastor of the West Medford Baptist Church, gave the Benediction.