Update on the future of the Alumni Association
» Minutes from the last meeting
Summarized by Peggy Martin
Next Alumni Meeting is 1-11-2012 at 6 P.M
CHS Alumni Association meeting
November 2, 2011
Thank you to all alumni who attended: Darline Few, Belinda Martinelli, Etha Tinnie, Donna Judd, Willard Patterson, Chris Reid, Dana Fisher, Molly Payne, Bill Acklin, Sherry Acklin, Sean Kelly, Dale Cotham, Ryan Blakemore, Harry Escott, Ron Lamb, Lee Denney, Claudia Gerfen, Cliff Case, Lou Griffin, Loretta Smith, Nick and Matt Marcum.
One of the main issues discussed was the lack of volunteers. Year after year, it is the same people, and there’s a real need for more people to get involved. Many don’t want the association dissolved, but few are willing to attend meetings and do what it takes to keep it going.
The association needs e-mail addresses for more alumni. If you can help achieve that goal, please contact them via e-mail: [email protected]. This same e-mail address allows you the option to get on the mailing list. Further, if your mailing address and/or e-mail address has changed, please notify the association as soon as possible.
The e-mail address for the alumni association ([email protected] ) is a ‘one stop shop.’ You can get on the mailing list, submit name changes, send class roster updates, make notifications of a death, and change your street and/or e-mail address. The e-mail account is monitored at least twice a day.
If Alumni Hall is to be kept open, there are repair issues regarding the following: roof, tears in the awning, and the ceiling is peeling. Then there is the matter of utility expenses.
Darlene Few talked about the upkeep of Alumni Hall. She goes to the hall two times a week to check for any problems, etc. There’s a leak in the roof, graffiti on the back of the building that needs to be removed, and at least one broken window. Darlene suggested that we hire maintenance people, a man and woman, to help run and keep up the hall.
A motion was made by Dale Cotham and seconded by Brenda Martinelli regarding the purchase of a new vacuum cleaner for the hall. It was passed by a unanimous vote. Darline Few has been authorized to make the purchase.
There will be an All School Reunion in May of 2012. No decisions have been made regarding annual reunions beyond that. If there are to be others, it needs to be standardized and not reinvented each year as that makes it more difficult to organize. A suggestion was made to have the reunion in 5 year increments (after this year) by Lou Griffin. If that is agreed on, there would not be another all school reunion until 2015, and Alumni Hall would be open during Memorial weekend in the intervening years, 2013 and 2014.
2012 ALUMNI WEEKEND:
a. Steering Committee Chairman–Chris Reid appointed Sean Kelly as the Steering Committee Chair. Sean will get the committee members put together.
b. Activities – Lee Denney suggested we have a fact finding committee who will call other towns our size and see what they have done to sustain their annual reunions. We can get ideas from them and then decide what to do. Sean Kelly moved we form a committee of volunteers for fact finding from other communities. The decision to dissolve the association was put on hold until January, 2012, when the results of the fact finding are in. Ryan will be in charge of this committee with Sean Kelly and Lou Griffin, Etha Tinnie, Lee Denney, and Sherry Acklin. Dale Cotham seconded the motion and it passed by a vote.
Sean talked about the reunion bringing people to town and how this helps Cushing businesses and economy. Members of the association could go to businesses owned by non-alumni and try to get volunteers or have a “Friends of the Alumni” association to tap into a bigger pool of volunteers.
In 2012, the association plans to use Cushing High School’s FFA Chapter to cater the banquet, but talked about moving it back out to the Elks Lodge. And there was mention of trying to get a band downtown on Saturday.
Next Meeting for Alumni is January 11, 2012 at 6 P.M. at Alumni Hall, downtown Cushing. At this time, a date for the Steering Committee meeting has not been set.
***
