Class of 1968 45th Reunion Planning Committee
| Class of 1968 45th Reunion Planning Committee Meeting #5 Minutes The meeting was called to order at 6 PM, April 11th, at Quinn's Restaurant. The classmate attendees were: Al Blumberg (Chairman), Sam Boles, Bob Denny, Garry Dudley, Gary Hoffman, Carl Janssen, Ed Leonard, Dale Oderman, Gene Rose, Vince Rusinak, Bob Sallee, Bill Sasz, Neal Starkey and Doug Wilson. Also attending was Sara Dozier, the AOG Reunion Liaison. The Chairman's remarks highlighted that the Class Agency Fund was now separated from investment activities ("frozen"). This money is available for use by the Committee for Reunion expenses. Al also commented that the Committee will be meeting more frequently, but comments by the Committee Members indicated that more might be accomplished with Sub-Committee meetings rather than as a Committee of the Whole. The vacation schedules of the Committee Members will be addressed and this will be decided at the next meeting. Neal Starkey updated the Committee on the Participation Initiative. In short, the feedback has been mixed with the classmates contacted to be callers, with about 80% in favor of the Initiative. Neal said we were completing Phase 3 of the 7 Phase Initiative and that the callers selected now had the information needed to begin solicitations of their squadron-mates. There is no participation data yet, but this should start soon. The Class is generally unaware of the existence of the Class Website (www.usafa68.org) and this will need more publicity. Bill Sasz re-confirmed that the Reunion Hotel is the Marriott on 5580 Tech Center Drive, COS 80919. The Reunion room rate is $109/room, with a larger room available for $129/night. Reservations will be available beginning June 1st (See below). Bill also indicated that he and his Committee will taste the various menus available (tough duty); and the Reunion Committee asked him to hold the meal prices to $30-$50/person (tougher duty). Dale Oderman updated the Committee on the Class Memorial Service. The 1030 start time on Nov 1 (Reunion Friday) has been approved by the Chaplain's Office. A complete outline of the Service was submitted to the Committee and is available for review. The Committee approved the report, which included a specific order of events, and also approved the printing, at Class expense, of Class-specific Cemetery maps to be included in the Registration Packet. All known Next-of-Kin will be sent a copy of Al's invitation letter (See below). Sara Dozier indicated that the Registration Form will go live on the AOG Website on JUNE 1! All prices for all events will be on the form, along with a firm schedule (except for Football Kick-Off, which is subject to TV changes). Registration instructions will also be included with the Form. Vince Rusinak updated the Committee on the Reunion Merchandise. All of it will be available on June 1st, with firm prices and instructions for ordering. The football jersey orders remain suspended and Vince is in the process of shifting their production and sale to the vendor responsible for the rest of the merchandise. This remains an active problem. Al and Neal were asked to produce a third video (Two Oscars were not enough!) and Al was asked to write a Reunion Invitation Letter to all classmates and Next-of-Kin to be snail-mailed to all Graduates and Next-of-Kin that can be reached. The Committee intends to be as inclusive as possible, and to that end, the letter will address how to invite individuals that have a tie to the Class in some way. If an invitation is offered, the inviter is responsible for the invitee's well-being during the Reunion. The letter will be sent in draft form to the Committee Members for input prior to the June 1st mailing. Thanks are due once more to Bill Sasz for making the upstairs meeting room at Quinns available for Committee Meetings. The Reunion planning is running smoothly. Having run out of verbosity, the Chairman adjourned the Meeting at approximately 8 PM on the 11th , the same day it started. The next Meeting will be on May 15th, 6 PM at Quinn's. Al Blumberg/45th Reunion Chairman |
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| Class of 1968 45th
Reunion Planning Committee Meeting #4 Minutes 1. Call to Order @ 6:00 PM, March 6, 2013, @ Rusinak's Real Estate, Colorado Springs. Attendees: Al Blumberg, Gary Hoffman, Carl Janssen, Ed Leonard, Barney Mills, Mike Parkinson, Gene Rose, Vince Rusinak, Bill Sasz, Neal Starkey, Gary Vasek, Doug Wilson and Bill Wood. Also attending as representatives of the AOG were Sara Dozier and Emma Ross. (If I missed anyone, my apologies-I forgot to have a sign-in sheet and the above are from my challenged memory.) 2. The initial remarks by the Chairman were inconsequential, given the verbosity below. 3. COMMITTEE REPORTS The big news was Bill Sasz's detailed report on the two hotels in the running for the Reunion. The Marriott was selected with a $109/night room rate, with larger rooms available for a surcharge. Bill did such a good job with his report that he was "volunteered" to be the Friday night Banquet Chairman. Talk about cruel and unusual rewards! Emma and Sara led the Committee through a revised schedule, with a Friday Morning Memorial Service being the only touchy item. Dale requested a 1030 start in the Chapel so as to dovetail with the Mitchell Hall/Doolittle Hall lunch periods. That will have to worked by the AOG with the Chaplain Staff. Since it is during class time, the Chorale's participation might not be possible. The Format for the Service will follow the past Reunion Template(s). Vince had several comments and questions regarding merchandise. He noted that Cole Promotions, the AOG Preferred Provider, had an extensive list of offerings; and he is perusing several catalogs brought to him by Sara. Vince thought that a digitized yearbook might be a good Registration Gift and he is exploring the option. Gene Rose traced
the devolution of our Class Agency Fund. In a phrase, we were a significant,
if unwilling, participant in the downturn in the stock market from 2008
- 2011. The Fund lost approximately $15,000 (>40%) during that time,
leaving us with roughly $20,000 to use. The Reunion Chairman has filed
a request with the AOG to restrict that Fund from further investment
until the end of the Reunion period. This will take effect on April
1, 2013 and it assures us full use of the $20,000 now available. Doug Wilson followed up on his generous proposal to lead either a fishing or a game-hunting (no AK-47s!) expedition on Thursday, if there is interest. Doug brought the necessary input and the Committee voted to put the Excursion on the Registration Form when it goes live on June 1st. 4. PARTICIPATION INITIATIVE Carl Janssen then reported on the significant efforts continuing to be made by his Sub-Committee (Mike Parkinson, Bob Sallee and Neal Starkey) regarding the Participation Fund-Raising Initiative. The objective for the Initiative is to persuade EACH member of the Class of 1968 to give an amount, ANY AMOUNT, to an Academy Function, Charity, Project, etc. in 2013. The Giving Menu is NOW LIVE ON THE AOG AND CLASS WEB PAGES!! To date, the Sub-Committee has identified over 250 different Academy-related functions, charities, etc. that are in the "Menu" for participation. The amount of coordination needed to track the donations from the Class is extensive and complex. The USAFA Endowment (Mike Parkinson is a Board Member.) is a major supporter of the Initiative, and they represent the largest single group of Academy entities in the "Menu". Bob Sallee continues to do a lot of the legwork needed to establish lines of communication. The Initiative is unique in that it will require a lot of effort by everyone in the CLASS! The first materials have been vetted and Neal is approaching the key graduates of our Graduating Squadrons as the first "volunteers" to be trained as Callers for the Initiative. Neal indicated that the Campaign is now in the third phase of a seven phase plan and active solicitation is in the near future. Neal is in charge
of all phases of the Initiative and will be responsible for accumulating
the information and feedback throughout the period. He will make available
to all Squadron Callers a script to "deviate from", along
with a spreadsheet giving background (names, addresses, etc.) on each
classmate. We plan on letting the Class know frequently how many of
us have contributed and to which functions. 5. The Football Jersey Program has hit a significant bump in the road and Neal has asked the Webmaster to post the changes. In short, we are looking for a new vendor and orders should be postponed until we find one. Orders currently in process should be discussed with Neal directly. (See below for contact information.) 6. SUB-COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS (most were volunteers!) Fund-Raising---Carl
Janssen, Chairman Communication--Gene
Rose, Chairman Memorial Svc-----Dale
Oderman, Chairman Merchandise------Vince
Rusinak/Bill Eckert, Co-Chairmen, Contracts----------Gary Hoffman, Chairman Transportation---Gary Hoffman and Gary Vasek. Entertainment----TBD
(But Chairman will contact our long-time 7. Meeting was
adjourned at 8:00 PM (or thereabouts) on the same day it started! Many
thanks to Vince Rusinak for allowing us to use his office as our meeting
place. The Committee will be meeting more frequently and the next meeting
is April 11th at 1800 @ Quinns. Al Blumberg ablum68@hotmail.com Class Website www.usafa68.org Pat Russell webmaster@usafa68.org Carl Janssen cjanssenjr@aol.com Neal Starkey starkeyandassoc@qwest.net |
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| Class of 1968 45th
Reunion Planning Committee Meeting #3 Minutes 1. Call to Order @ 6:00 PM, January 30, 2013, @ Quinn's Restaurant, Colorado Springs. Attendees: Al Blumberg, Bob Denny, Gary Hoffman, Carl Janssen, Barney Mills, Mike Parkinson, Gene Rose, Vince Rusinak, Bill Sasz, Neal Starkey, Gary Vasek, Doug Wilson and Bill Wood. Also attending as representatives of the AOG were Sara Dozier and Emma Ross. 2. Al Blumberg gave an update on the dates for the Reunion, announcing that the Reunion will be October 31 - November 2, 2013. This is the week of the AF-Army football game and it is unlikely to be shifted. However, the timing of the kickoff will not be known until ten days prior to the game itself. Should the time be announced earlier, all available means will be used to get the word out. Al also indicated that the second video, highlighting the dates and the Participation Initiative (See more below), was now published and on the website. Gene Rose questioned the effectiveness of this mode of advertising and wondered if the class was getting the word. Al and Neal indicated that they had received several favorable ("don't quit your day job") inputs from classmates. However, it was noted that this is not the only method of communication with the class. Electronic mail, Youtube and word-of-mouth are also in play. 3. Emma Ross and Sara Dozier then led a detailed discussion of the AOG Reunion Event Schedule. There were some changes made to the initial profile presented. After some discussion, it was decided that the golf outing will be Thursday afternoon @ 1300 (Weather permitting). Vince proposed that an alternate course be used, such as Flying Horse or Kissing Camels. Both courses entail travel and expense; and Vince and Barney Mills (Golf Sub-Committee Chairman) will look into those issues. The issue of allowing spouses to eat at Mitchell Hall on Friday was voiced. Emma and Sara will be working on that. Carl Janssen volunteered to host a Farewell Brunch for classmates and spouses on Sunday, November 3rd, from 1000 to 1400 at their home in Monument. That was very generous of the Janssens and hopefully, many classmates can work it into their travel plans. Doug Wilson also generously proposed to lead either a fishing or a game-hunting (no AK-47s!) expedition on Thursday, if there is interest. Doug will bring prices and other details at the next meeting. The largest change to the profile concerned the Memorial Service. Since this is not a 10 yr Reunion (30th, 40th, etc.), it was decided not to hold this Memorial Service at the Cemetery, but at the Chapel. (The Service will be held at the Cemetery at the 50th Reunion!) There is still a question of timing. Since the Memorial Sub-Committee Chair, Dale Oderman, was not present, this will be discussed further at the next meeting. A morning service may be more convenient. 3. Carl Janssen then reported on the significant efforts made by his Sub-Committee (Mike Parkinson, Bob Sallee and Neal Starkey) regarding the Participation Fund-Raising Initiative. The objective for the Initiative is to persuade EACH member of the Class of 1968 to give an amount, ANY AMOUNT, to an Academy Function, Charity, Project, etc. in 2013. To date, the Sub-Committee has identified over 250 different Academy-related functions, charities, etc. that will be in the "Menu" for participation. If there are further ideas, the Sub-Committee would welcome the suggestion. The amount of coordination needed to track the donations from the Class is extensive and complex. The USAFA Endowment (Mike Parkinson is a Board Member.) is a major supporter of the Initiative, and they represent the largest single group of Academy entities in the "Menu". Bob Sallee continues to do a lot of the legwork needed to establish lines of communication. The Menu is now live at the Class website, www.usafa68.org, and all classmates are encouraged to explore it at their convenience. The Initiative is unique in that it will require a lot of effort by everyone in the CLASS! The first materials have been vetted and Neal is approaching the Squadron Commanders of our Graduating Squadrons as the first "volunteers" to be trained as callers for the Initiative. Neal indicated that the Campaign is now in the third phase of a seven phase plan and active solicitation is in the near future. Neal is in charge of all phases of the Initiative and will be responsible for accumulating the information and feedback throughout the period. We plan on letting the Class know frequently how many of us have contributed and to which functions. NO AMOUNTS OR SPECIFIC NAMES WILL BE RELEASED, HOWEVER, JUST PARTICIPATION PERCENTAGES. The goal for 2013 is 68% participation (vice the previous low 20%)! The Class will be hearing from everyone beginning very shortly. All forms of social media, Email, Website, Youtube, etc. will be used to get the word out. 4. The Class financial status was briefly reviewed. The Class Gift Fund, being used currently for Cemetery Plaques for deceased Classmates, stands at approx. $21,000; and the Class Fund, committed to working capital for Reunions, Projects, etc. sits at approx. $20,000. Gene was not certain that the figures given to the Committee by the AOG were correct and will be following up with them on this issue. 5. SUB-COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS (most were volunteers!) Fund-Raising---Carl Janssen, Chairman Mike Parkinson Bob Sallee Neal Starkey Razelle Doherty, USAFA Endowment Communication--Gene Rose, Chairman Website-------------Pat Russell Memorial Svc-----Dale Oderman, Chairman Bob Denny Garry Dudley Ed Leonard Venue Prep--------Bill Sasz, Chairman Steve Staley Golf Tourney-----Barney Mills, Chairman Sam Bole Vince Rusinak Merchandise------Vince Rusinak/Bill Eckert, Co-Chairmen, Neal Starkey (Football Jerseys) Contracts----------Gary Hoffman, Chairman Transportation---Gary Hoffman and Gary Vasek. Entertainment----TBD (But Chairman will contact our long-time entertainers, Blair Stewart, Pat McBride and Greg Shuey) 7. Meeting was adjourned at 8:00 PM on the same day it started! Many thanks to Bill Sasz for allowing us to use Quinns as our meeting place. The beer was great and so was the food!! The Committee will be meeting more frequently and the next meeting is March 6th at 1800 @ Quinns. Al Blumberg 45th Reunion Chairman KEY CONTACT INFORMATION Al Blumberg — ablum68@hotmail.com— 719-331-4343 (Cell) — 719-644-6965 (Home) Class Website — www.usafa68.org Pat Russell — webmaster@usafa68.org Carl Janssen — cjanssenjr@aol.com— 719-488-6778 (Home) Neal Starkey — starkeyandassoc@qwest.net— 719-930-8810 (Cell) — 719-598-3771 (Home) |
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|
Class of 1968 45th
Reunion Planning Committee 1. Call to Order @ 6:00 PM, September 20th, 2012, @ Quinn’s Restaurant, Colorado Springs. Attendees: Al Blumberg, Bob Denny, Bill Eckert, Gary Hoffman, Carl Janssen, Dale Oderman, Mike Parkinson, Vince Rusinak, Bob Sallee, Bill Sasz, Steve Staley and Neal Starkey. 2. Al Blumberg gave an update on the current lack of a date for the Reunion. Nothing has changed since the January Meeting and no date has been selected. It was the sense of the Committee (no formal motions) that we want a Football Reunion; and we are looking at the Mid-September to end of October time-frame as a target. A Committee Meeting will be held as soon as the 2013 Football Schedule is announced (probably late February/early March, 2013) to firm up a date 3. Carl Janssen then reported on the significant efforts made by his Sub-Committee (Mike Parkinson, Bob Sallee and Neal Starkey) regarding a Participation Fund-Raising Campaign, versus a targeted project. The objective for the Campaign is to persuade EACH member of the Class of 1968 to give an amount, ANY AMOUNT, to an Academy Function, Charity, Project, etc. in 2013. To date, the Sub-Committee has identified over 100 different Academy-related functions, charities, etc. that will be in the “Menu” for participation. If we have further ideas, the Sub-Committee would welcome the suggestion. The amount of coordination needed to track the donations from the Class is extensive and complex. The USAFA Endowment (Mike Parkinson is a Board Member.) will help since they represent the largest single group of Academy entities in the “Menu”; and Bob Sallee has done a lot of the legwork needed to establish lines of communication. The Campaign is unique in that it will require a lot of effort by everyone in the CLASS! The first materials are in draft form and Carl requested volunteers (the first of many!) to help the Sub-Committee proof and produce them. Dale Oderman, Vince Rusinak and Steve Staley “volunteered”. Neal Starkey is taking charge of the actual Campaign and will be responsible for accumulating the information and feedback throughout the period. We plan on letting the Class know frequently how many of us have contributed and to which functions. (No amounts or specific classmember names will be published.) At the end of Carl’s presentation (no powerpoints, but he doesn’t need no “stinkin” slides!), he moved that the Class adopt formally this Campaign. The motion was seconded and discussion ensued further. The motion was passed unanimously by those present!! The Class will
be hearing from everyone beginning very shortly. All forms of social
media, email, website, youtube, etc. will be used to get the word out.
4. The Class financial status was briefly reviewed. The Class Gift Fund, being used currently for Cemetery Plaques for deceased Classmates stands at approx. $16,000; and the Class Fund, committed to working capital for future Reunions, Projects, etc. sits at approx. $20,000. Al Blumberg will contact Phil Pignataro, Class President, for permission to use the Class Fund for Reunion expenses (including the Participation Campaign). 5. Neal gave a progress report on Class Football Jerseys. In short, the purchase website has been announced; so go forth and get ‘em. Other memorabilia will be announced as it becomes available; but we need to have those Jerseys! 6. OTHER SUB-COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS (most were volunteers!) Fund-Raising—--Carl
Janssen, Chairman Communication--Gene
Rose, Chairman Memorial Svc-----Dale
Oderman, Chairman Merchandise------Vince
Rusinak/Bill Eckert, Co-Chairmen, Contracts----------Gary Hoffman, Chairman Transportation---TBD Entertainment----TBD
(But Chairman will contact our long-time 7. Meeting was adjourned at 7:30 PM on the same day it started! Many thanks to Bill Sasz for allowing us to use Quinns as our meeting place. The beer was great and so was the food!! Al Blumberg |
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| Class
of 1968 45th Reunion Planning Committee Meeting #1 Minutes 1.
Call to Order @ 6:05 PM, January 26th , 2012, @ Doolittle Hall, USAFA. 2. Al Blumberg called for nominations for Chairman from the floor, but he was elected by acclamation anyway. Mike Parkinson volunteered (really, he did!) to be Vice Chairman and Chairman-Elect for the 50th Reunion. 3.
Al Blumberg proposed a significant new Class Fund Raising Project. In overview,
he proposed a Participation Campaign, versus a targeted project. The objective
for the campaign is to persuade EACH member of the Class of 1968 to give an amount,
ANY AMOUNT, to an Academy Function, Charity, The parameters for the Campaign will be worked out by the Fund-Raising Sub-Committee, chaired by Carl Janssen. This will be another First by the Class and it was enthusiastically supported by the Endowment personnel present. (Note: Mike Parkinson is an Endowment Board Member and will serve on the Sub-Committee.) 4. The Class financial status was briefly reviewed. The Class Gift Fund, being used currently for Cemetery Plaques for deceased Classmates stands at approx. $16,000; and the Class Fund, committed to working capital for future Reunions, Projects, etc. sits at approx. $12,000. 5.
Possible Reunion Dates for 2013 were discussed in general, since the Football
Schedule will not be available until the Spring of 2013. The sense of the Committee
was that a September/Early October date was preferable to the Army game in November,
due to weather and potential Corona Conference 6. The possible venues were also discussed, but no final commitment was made. The Antlers has the early lead, but other venues are still on the table. 7. Emma Ross, the Class Contact from the AOG, reviewed the support available for the Reunion. It is extensive and comprehensive, with only one major change from the 40th Reunion. That is transportation, both on and off the Academy. The AOG will serve as our agent in all contracts undertaken by the Committee (Gary Hoffman is our POC for this.) and this will drive up the overall cost of the Reunion. 8. SUB-COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS (most were volunteers!)
Fund-Raising---Carl Janssen, Chairman Communication--Gene Rose, Chairman (So much for in absentia!) Website-------------Pat Russell
Memorial Svc-----Dale Oderman, Chairman Merchandise------Vince
Rusinak/Bill Eckert, Co-Chairmen Contracts----------Gary Hoffman, Chairman Transportation---TBD Entertainment----TBD
(But Chairman will contact our long-time |
For the 40th Reunion After Action Report and Planning Information - click here.