HIGHLIGHTS OF 2019
OSU Emeriti Association
Sharon Nivens, 2019 Association President
Association members were offered an assortment of events and activities during 2019. These included the monthly Monday Night Dinners, the Investment Club, Making the Most of Retirement, the Technology Interest Group, and the formation of several new special interest groups. Officers, council members, committee chairs, and other volunteers continue to work to keep our Association relevant to our membership. Members also serve on Faculty Council and University standing committees. Without the willingness of member volunteers to devote time and effort to ongoing activities, the Association would be hard put to continue. Names of those who have participated in this effort are listed in preceding pages of this directory
Membership numbers, as in years past, have remained in flux. The year ended with 473 members of which 28 were new additions to the Association. The majority of our members are in Oklahoma, but current members also reside in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin. New members are a revitalizing force, and we urge them to seek ways to become actively involved. In addition, we remind current members that there are many ways to assist in growing and strengthening our Association. We are saddened to report that in 2019 we lost 14 members whose names you will see in the In Memoriam section of this directory.
The financial condition of the Association is strong and is monitored monthly by the Council. Our annual receipts and expenses are closely balanced, and we have savings in reserve. Through the year, we took in approximately $1,800 in annual dues and $2,300 in life dues. The meal receipts for our Monday night dinner meetings totaled about $9,600, which was less than the $12,800 we spent on catering and room expenses. Some of the difference is paid from cash earnings from reserve funds. The Council endorses this dinner subsidy in order to keep our per-person cost at $15, and thereby to encourage and support participation in our monthly gatherings. We continue to provide complimentary meals for Association members who are over 90 years of age, and, on a one-time basis, for prospective/new members. The meet-and-greet receptions preceding the dinners pay their own way. Other operating expenses tend to be minimal.
The Association has two endowed funds with the OSU Foundation. At year’s end, the endowment value (i.e., the “principal”) of our scholarship fund was about $44,500. The Association and student scholarship recipients are very appreciative of the donations that have been, and will be, made to this endowment. It was an honor to be able to present two scholarships in 2019. The McCollom Emeriti Scholarship was presented to Ryan Hollands, Edmond, OK, a senior majoring in Economics, Political Science, and Spanish. The OSU Emeriti Scholarship was presented to Halie Schovanec, Garber, OK, a junior majoring in Agricultural Communications.
Our other, older Foundation fund had a year-end endowment value of about $48,500, and we’ve been using the earnings to help subsidize our dinner meetings. The performance of these two endowed funds is, of course, dependent on market conditions.
In 2019, thanks to the leadership of Zane Quible, an online 4-page newsletter was launched. The 4-page newsletter is electronically distributed 10 times a year via email. Each newsletter is accompanied by an “opening page,” which is Association-relevant information for the membership. Members have been very helpful in providing content for the newsletter by submitting articles that focus on what they are doing in retirement. The articles have focused on “Long-time Members”, “New Members”, “A Retirement Activity” and “A Travel Activity”. All members are encouraged to submit articles for the newsletter and may do so by contacting zane.quible@okstate.edu .
The Emeriti Special Interest groups continue to be popular. The Making the Most of Retirement special interest group, co-sponsored by the OSU Emeriti Association and the Stillwater Public Library, had ten meetings during 2019. Six were speaker programs, two were armchair traveler programs, and two were moderated discussion group programs. The Technology group, the longest standing of our special interest groups, continued to draw attendance from Emeriti members. The Investment Club, which meets twice a month in the Emeriti Suite, also continues to elicit ongoing participation.
The Emeriti Ambassadors, a group of volunteers from within the Emeriti membership, represents the Association by assisting with OSU Commencement Services twice a year and, as in the past, are available to assist with Alumni events if needed. The Alumni Center, in partnership with the Emeriti Council, provides office space and a conference room to support Emeriti activities. We are very grateful for this partnership.
In January 2019, Clem Ward conducted an online survey of OSU Emeriti Association members to determine the extent to which retirees remain active in retirement. Results confirm that OSU retirees stay active in many ways, including their support of the university and the community where they live. This survey may be viewed in its entirety at our Web site. (Go to the Reports link and then to Emeriti activity survey, 2019 link.)
Monday night dinner meetings continued to be one of the most valued activities according to members. In addition to dinners held in the Alumni Center, dinners were also held in May and December at Meditations. The May meeting is offered in conjunction with the Stillwater Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) and is attended by both Emeriti and OLLI members.
The Emeriti Association is extremely grateful for the support we receive from the OSU Provost’s Office. It is because of that support that we are able to provide this directory. The Provost also covers the cost of a quarter-time employee who assists us with our mailing list, dinner reservations, printing needs, etc. Without this assistance, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to continue member services.