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Minutes of CHS class of 1956 Reunion Committee Meeting, June 8, 2004

Tulsa Central High School Class of 1956
Reunion Committee Meeting
June 8, 2004

Minutes
I.       Welcome – Allen Keenan

Chairman Allen Keenan welcomed members & expressed his appreciation to Jacqueline Slagle Wilson for her continued hospitality for our Pot Luck Dinner.

Those in attendance were Fred Boyd, Greta Morris Cailloux, Dick Gable, Marilyn

Miller Gilmer, Allen Keenan, Judy Keenan, Carolyn Eads McGee, Joniel Foster Russell, & Jacqueline Wilson Allen asked that committee members sign a list with current, up-dated e-mail addresses.

II.        Minutes – Joniel Russell

The minutes had been mailed to all committee members.  Allen noted that several meeting dates &/or locations had been changed since the minutes were e-mailed and asked that a corrected schedule be re-printed in today’s minutes:

“Breakfast Club” meetings, which are open to all class members, are scheduled for July 8 from 5 to 7 P.M. at TeKei’s at 17^th & Utica (more like a “Thirsty Thursday”) September 10 at 12 noon at The Green Onion & October 8 at 9 A. M. at The Full Cup.  The Reunion Committee will meet at 6 P.M. for Pot Luck Dinners with Jacqueline Wilson on August 10 & November 9. Carolyn McGee has invited committee members to a Holiday Open House on December 9 from 5 to 7 P. M., 7751 S. Erie Avenue , phone 481-3347.

With the above changes, the minutes were approved.

III.      Treasurer’s Report – Jacqueline Wilson

Jacqueline reported a balance of $11,799.43.  She anticipates issuing a check for $299.40 to cover the cost of the web site for another year.

IV.     Newsletter – Allen Keenan for Tom Summers

Allen would like to get another edition ready to go on the web site by July 15.  He already has an article from Tom. He asked Joniel if she would help him to edit the newsletter.  It was suggested that news of current activities of our classmates would make interesting reading & might entice members to attend the Reunion . Ideas include Jacqueline’s award from Habitat for Humanity; Marilyn Gilmer’s request for memorabilia (with each item clearly labelled & identified) so that she may begin scanning/copying them now; leaders to organize mini-Junior High reunions within the overall reunion schedule; requests for recipes from the restaurants popular in the 50’s, as Bishops, Pennington’s; the State of the Class report; a story on the work done by Fred Benford to collect the bios & pictures of our gang.  In addition, it was agreed that if someone wished to continue to receive our newsletter by “snail mail”, a $20 contribution towards paper & postage would be requested.  (Already some class members have voluntarily made such contributions.)

V.     State of the Class Report – Allen Keenan for Dotty Westby & Dick Rapier

To date, 1053 graduates (or “near” graduates) have been identified.  We know of 110 who are deceased, 731 who are living for whom we have physical addresses & 209 for whom we have neither physical or e-mail addresses.  Number of valid e-mail addresses?  Who knows!  Dick would like to threaten to tell their Mothers (or spouses) when classmates don’t give us their e-mail address or fail to update us when they change e-mail addresses!  It takes many hours to figure out who the    person is whose address no longer works, to update the records & to print new mailing labels for those who subscribe to the Newsletter via “snail mail.”

Dick & Dotty also acknowledged the tremendous job being done by Fred Benford on the pictures he has sent for the web site.  He not only took or scanned the pictures, presented them in both JPEG & TIFF as Dick had asked, but he also identified them which is no small amount of work!

Dick said the web site apparently is still down.  When it is up, he has changes to make to it.  He particularly works to keep the deceased & lost records current & he posts Newsletter & minutes as soon as he receives them.

VI.     Development Committee Report – Allen Keenan for Bill Bruckner & Chris Seger

Allen presented the drafts of a solicitation letter & a pledge form prepared by Bill & Chris.  Several legal issues were raised, ie, contributions are not tax deductible if made directly to the Reunion itself.  Would they be if made to the Tulsa Central High School Foundation? Revisions were proposed (copies of the revisions are attached at the end of the minutes).  It was decided that the letter & pledge form should go to all classmates for whom we have physical addresses since every       classmate should be given a chance to participate in The Comma Club.

 VII.     Web Site Report – Allen Keenan
It is not functioning presently.  If the difficulty cannot be solved, Jacqueline Wilson and Dick Rapier will pursue another provider. Fortunately, Dick has provided excellent back-up for all our records. 

VIII.    Decorations, Food & Registration Committee Report – Marilyn Gilmer

Marilyn reported that she is searching for recipes to put in the Welcome Packet & now  has one for Black Bottom Pie.  She raised the question of preparing a CD of our past reunions for the packet if materials can be found.  Marilyn would like to finalize a schedule so that it could be put on the web site & suggested that a possible time slot for Junior High gatherings would be Thursday night, although some class members might not have arrived by then.  Marilyn also would like for committee members to hear some of the bands that might be available for the Saturday night gala.  Jacqueline Wilson recalled that music had not been popular at the 40^th   reunion & many adjourned to the halls in order to visit!

IX.    Venue – Fred Boyd & Bob Duncan

They met with the Double Tree representative, Tracy Bradley.  Many changes have been made to the contract, but Tracy has not yet provided them with a copy showing those changes.  We will not have to guarantee a specific number of room rentals; the Hospitality Suite will be in room 834 which is about 42x21.  Marilyn   said we should spell out that our contract is for this hotel only & for the use of the exact rooms listed in order that the Double Tree not be able to shift us to another site, etc. in the event of construction, remodeling, or a disaster.  Dick Gable said he would read & evaluate any contract before we pursued it!

X.     Round Table Discussion – All Committee Members

Judy Keenan observed that lively music would set a festive mood for our events.

Joniel Russell reported that her CPA husband felt it would be so difficult to establish tax exempt or charitable status for a reunion that it would not be worth our efforts.  She also had contacted  her former student, John Hammill, who is spokesperson for the Tulsa Public Schools to pursue contacting retired Central faculty members.  John said the system quit publishing the master list of every current & retired teacher five years ago in order to comply with privacy policies.

He has a copy of the final list & will get it to her.

XI.     Next Meeting Date – August 10, 2004 at 6 P.M.

Jacqueline offered to cook hamburgers for the main course for the Pot Luck Dinner.

XII.     Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 8:35 P.M.

Respectfully submitted,

Joniel Foster Russell, Co-Secretary

Save these dates:  September 28 – October 1, 2006 !!
Last updated 01/06/16

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