President Report
Russell Wright
Association President, 2015
The year 2015 was an active, productive year for the Emeriti Association. We added over 60 new members and look forward to continued growth. Early in the year, Council member Clem Ward and treasurer Ron Elliott investigated the possibility of utilizing a credit card system to facilitate the payment of meal charges and annual dues. This system has been implemented and is working very well.
A committee was formed to revise and update the Association’s Constitution and Bylaws. This committee (David Lewis, Chair, Andrea Arquitt, Dennis Bertholf, Anne Matoy and Clem Ward) did an excellent job and the suggested changes were approved by the members of the Association at the June meeting. I thank the committee and council for their work, discussions and suggestions during this process.
I thank Program Chairs, Ed Long and Gladeen Allred, for the many excellent, informative programs at the monthly meetings. I also thank Jack and Jodelle Stout for again organizing the Emeriti Association travel trips. These trips were well received and fun for all who participated.
The Association sponsors three very active special interest groups open to Association members and the public. These groups are the “Technology Interest Group” coordinated by Glade Presnal, the “Emeriti Investment Group” coordinated by Dennis Bertholf, and the “Making the Most of Retirement Group” coordinated by Zane Quible. I am very appreciative of all three of these coordinators and the terrific job they have done this year as well as several past years.
The Association also has an Emeriti Ambassadors group who assist Alumni Center staff by being greeters in the Alumni Center during home football games, assisting at the Alumni Center’s front foyer desk when asked, and assisting the OSU Registrar’s Office by serving as greeters handing out the official OSU graduation programs at all OSU undergraduate commencements. I thank Sharon Brown who formed and coordinates Emeriti Ambassador activities.
During the fall, the Council formed a Committee consisting of Clem Ward, Zane Quible and Ron Elliott to determine the feasibility and procedure to form an Emeriti Association Undergraduate Endowed Scholarship through the OSU Foundation. As of December 11, I signed an Endowment Agreement between the OSU Emeriti Association and the OSU Foundation to create the Oklahoma State University Emeriti Association Scholarship Fund. This scholarship has been endowed at $25,000 and should earn enough interest to grant the first scholarship in the fall semester 2016.
I would like to express my appreciation to the OSU’s Provost Office for their support in printing and mailing costs and to the administrative staff in the OLLI Office, especially Misty Burke who serves as our part-time administrative assistant.
I also appreciate and thank all the officers, councilors and the many volunteers of the OSU Emeriti Association who served this year. REMEMBER, the Emeriti Association is run exclusively by volunteers and is always in need of folks to serve as Association officers, councilors and committee members.