The Cape Cod Tufts Club Annual Membership Meeting was held virtually (Webinar and Zoom) on Friday, June 4, 2021 due to the pandemic restrictions placed on all Chapter Alumni Clubs by the University.
The meeting was opened by Mike Duffy, E’67 President, Cape Cod Tufts Club, who welcomed, along with members of the Cape Cod Tufts Club, Tufts Alumni from around the world and members of the Intercollegiate Alumni Clubs of Cape Cod and the Islands.
Mike Duffy introduced David Margaretos, E’75, A’18P and Chair of the Cape Cod Tufts Club Scholarship Committee, who announced the three recipients of the 2020 Scholarship Awards. This year’s recipients are: Garvel Cassamajor, a senior from Raynham, Rosemary Loer, a senior from Orleans, and Ann Christelle Labossier, also a senior, from Taunton.
Len DiLorenzo, E’66, CCTC Vice President and Chair of the Program Committee then introduced our guest speaker, Professor Michael Beckley, Associate Professor in the Political Science Department, Tufts University. Professor Beckley discussed the complex relationship between the U.S. and China and why the competition between these nations will peak this decade. Speaking for over a half an hour without notes, Professor Beckley outlined why he envisioned a decade of decline for China’s economy which will result in greater repression at home and “striking out” around the world. He attributed China’s slowing growth to these three factors:
- China’s growth will decline to 3%. Recent growth has come from Government spending 29 trillion! Along with this heavy debt load the country is littered with unused airports and empty apartment buildings.
- China’s population is aging and the policy of one child per family has resulted in fewer workers. Only just recently has this policy been ended.
- With the growing world restriction on China trade and a depletion of their natural resources, the country is dependent on foreign trade.
At the same time there is a growing anti-China feeling around the world. Countries are pulling out of China’s SILK ROAD program and at the same time neighbors, like India and Japan are rebuilding their military.
You can watch the entire webinar here.
Mike asked for a moment of silence to note the passing of long-time Board Member, Founder and Past President of the CCTC Dr. Bernard Maney, Tufts 1949 and Tufts Medical School 1953, and Board member Robert Forbes, Tufts 1961.
He then recognized retiring Board Member Kim Eaton, A’1963 for his years on the CCTC Board, serving as President for three years and until the end of fiscal year 2020-2021 as Secretary/Treasurer. As an appreciation of his contributions, the Board presented Kim with a Tufts Boston Rocker with name and graduate year inscribed.