Minutes from Class Meeting
TO ALL HANDS
I have attached the Meeting Notes from our Class Meeting in New York on 27 October 2014.
I am distributing these notes to All Hands, not just the attendees, in the hopes of enticing a larger turnout and an increase in our dues paying members.
Dick Kidder: Class President
Jim Greaney: Secretary
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MEETING NOTE
CLASS 0F 1954
OCTOBER 27, 2014
The Class of ’54 meeting was held at the Doral Arrowwood Resort in Rye Brook, NY on 26 Oct. 2014.
Jim Greaney, the outgoing Class President, introduced Dick Kidder as the new President whose Term of Office runs through the 2016 reunion.
Dick, as the new President requested a Secretary, as opposed to a Vice President, which request was approved. Dick then named Jim Greaney to fill this role.
Dick expressed the sincere thanks of the group to Jim Lynch and George Garbe for their efforts in putting the details for our 60th reunion together is such a masterful fashion. In view of the trying conditions it was a herculean effort.
The following Classmates were present for the meeting: Bob Allen, Charlie Brown, George Brown, George Clarke, Don Fischer, Jim Greaney, Dick Kidder, Harry Kessler, Jim Lynch, Dick Mackessy, Norm Meyer, Stan Ostergren, Ken Peters, Mario Polizzotti, Tommy Russell, Rolf Skoglund, Craig Smith, Frank Sposato, Don Towers, Dave Treffs, Johan Turna and Roger Wessel.
We should recognize that the support provided by our wives was and is crucial to the success of these yearly reunions. Those wives attending, in alphabetical order, were: Carol Brown, Daphne Brown, Mary Greaney, Faye Kidder, Kathleen Mackessy, Margaret Ostergren, Grace Polizzotti, Mary Thomson, Moreen Skoglund, Donna Sposato, Emma Treffs, Margaret Turna, and Maureen Wessel. Tammy Kearns, her daughter Susan Tusing and Peggy Feeley further enhanced our gathering with their presence.
We spent Saturday afternoon at the Fort for the Homecoming Festivities, including a pass in review ceremony and a sumptuous lunch. That evening we enjoyed a catered dinner at the Doral Arrowwood.
Sunday afternoon we bussed down to Manhattan for a tour of the Ground Zero Museum. This was quite a moving experience. It was only through the efficient “HERDING” expertise of Jim Lynch that the group, with the exception of one, made the bus for transport to the Dinner Cruise Ship. Harry Kessler, although missing the bus, was able to get himself to the Ship for our Dinner Cruise. We returned to the Doral around midnight for a well earned nights sleep.
DOWN TO CLASS BUSINESS
After Dick Kidder assumed his position as president and Jim Greaney was appointed Secretary, Jim Lynch was asked to present the Financial Report.
Jim distributed copies of his Financial Report indicating our finances are currently in good shape. He noted that dues paying by the Classmates has fallen off, however, and he is afraid if that trend continues we will run out of money. A suggestion to stop collecting dues was put forth, but this did not answer the problem. It was agreed that we will continue to try and get our Classmates to pay their $15.00 annual dues. We also decided that any remaining funds left in this account should be transferred or sent to the Class Scholarship Fund. Additionally Tom Russell will assist Jim Lynch in transferring our assets into a regular checking account with Jim and Tommy co-signers. They will check with the Bank Management to establish a procedure to have any remains of this account ultimately transferred to our Class Scholarship Fund. This will greatly simplify our finances.
Bob Allen was then asked to update our Alumni Scholarship Fund. We have about $80,000 plus in this account and it is being disbursed by the School. We have no idea how it is being disbursed or where it is going. Bob with the help of Tom Russell will look into this further and report back to us.
The 2015 reunion was discussed. The overwhelming majority of the group were not in favor of going to San Diego as Frank Sposato offered, so this was not passed. Ken Peters offered to look into short cruises out of Cape Canaveral, FL. This idea was accepted and Ken will pursue it further for next year.
Business concluded, it was moved, seconded and unanimously approved to close the meeting.
