UWG Association of Retired Faculty and Staff (ARFS) ANNUAL
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UWG Association of Retired Faculty and Staff (ARFS) ANNUAL REPORT For the dates: August 27, 2017 - August 11, 2018 Mitchell H. Clifton, Past President, ARFS Submitted on March 29, 2019 Introduction On October 7-9, 2018, two ARFS Coordinating Council members (Mitch Clifton and Anne Richards) attended the Ninth Biennial Conference of the Association of Retirement Organizations in Higher Education (AROHE) at Emory University in Atlanta. One session at this meeting discussed the benefits of a retiree organization producing an annual report. Later, Mitch and Anne decided that ARFS should, for the first time, consider producing such a report. At our January 19, 2019 ARFS Coordinating Council meeting, it was agreed that ARFS should produce an annual report for the time period starting on the day after the 2017 Annual Reunion (August 27, 2017), and ending on the date of the 2018 Annual Reunion (August 11, 2018). It was also agreed that Mitch Clifton should write this initial report. This report is being submitted in two forms: (1) a paper copy of three pages, and (2) a PDF file containing the three page report and ten appendices. Report Summary During the time period covered by this report: • Four Coordinating Council meetings were held; average attendance was twelve members. • Three issues of the Rejuvenator newsletter were produced and distributed to UWG retirees. • Mitch Clifton and Anne Richards attended two meetings of the USG Retiree Council and two meetings of the Georgia Association of Higher Education Retiree Organizations. • Eighty-seven persons attended the Annual Reunion, including fourteen new UWG retirees. • Fifty-five UWG retirees gave over $197,900 in contributions to the University of West Georgia. ARFS Support for University Mission and Values ARFS seeks to foster closer relations between UWG retirees and the University of West Georgia. Our main event to foster relations with retirees is the Annual Reunion. We also foster communications with regular issues of the Rejuvenator newsletter, timely announcements distributed on our ARFS listserv, and updates to our ARFS website. We also developed and endowed the UWG Retiree Legacy Scholarship, awarded for the first time in 2018. Denice King-Perdue has reported that in the Fiscal Year 2018 (July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2018), fifty-five UWG retirees gave a total of over $197,900 in contributions to the University. The University database shows there are currently about 450 active UWG retirees. Individual retirees continue to be involved with UWG in many ways, including giving talks to student groups, serving on University committees, and volunteering for special projects. Many retirees have given generously to UWG. Since 2004 retirees have given over $2,041,000. Officers and Coordinating Council Members Officers and Council Members serve two year terms, beginning at their election at an Annual Reunion and ending at the Annual Reunion two years later. The Officers and Council Members serving during the period of this report and their terms of service are listed in Appendix A. Coordinating Council Meetings Four meetings of the Coordinating Council were held during this period. Serving in his second year as ARFS President, Mitch Clifton chaired these meetings. Also present at all four meetings was the Assistant Director of Alumni Relations, Denice King-Perdue, our organization’s representative from the University of West Georgia. The dates of these four meetings and the number of officers, members, and our University representative attending these meeting were: September 29, 2017 (eleven attendees), January 19, 2018 (fourteen), March 23, 2018, (twelve), and May 18, 2018 (twelve). Among the topics discussed at these meetings were planning for the next Annual Reunion, planning for new editions of the Rejuvenator (our periodic newsletter), and issues retirees were having with OneUSG and Aon to manage their health benefits. Copies of the agendas and the minutes for these four meetings are contained in Appendix B. The Rejuvenator Three issues of the Rejuvenator were produced for: November 2017, February 2018, and June 2018, with articles on such topics as University events, benefits for retirees, and the Annual Reunion. Electronic copies were emailed to retirees subscribed to the ARFS listserv, with printed copies mailed to retirees not subscribed to the listserv. These issues were assembled by Denice King-Perdue, with articles written by Denice and Coordinating Council members. Copies of these three issues of the Rejuvenator are contained in Appendix C. Benefits Fair On October 17, 2017, the University held its annual Benefits Fair. Four ARFS Coordinating Council members manned a table from 10 am to 3 pm and spoke with dozens of University faculty and staff about ARFS and about issues relating to retirement. We also handed out copies of our brochure “Steps to Retirement for Faculty/Staff” that was produced jointly by Human Resources and ARFS Coordinating Council members. This was the first time that ARFS has had a table at the Benefits Fair. A copy of our retirement brochure is contained in Appendix D. University System of Georgia Retiree Council (USGRC) The ARFS President is a voting member on the USGRC. Two meetings of this Retiree Council were held during this time period, on November 3, 2017, and on April 6, 2018, both at Middle Georgia State University in Macon. Anne Richards and Mitch Clifton attended both of these meetings, with Anne taking notes. A short description of the USGRC, GA-HERO, and AROHE is given in Appendix E. Agendas and Anne’s notes for these two USGRC meetings are contained in Appendix F. Georgia Association of Higher Education Retiree Organizations (GA-HERO) ARFS is also a voting member of GA-HERO. During the time period covered by this report, GA- HERO held two meetings, on November 17, 2017, at Middle Georgia State University in Macon, and on May 2, 2018, at Kennesaw State University. Anne Richards and Mitch Clifton attended both of these meeting, with Anne, as GA-HERO Secretary, taking minutes. Agendas and Anne’s minutes for these two GA-HERO meetings are contained in Appendix G. Annual Reunion The Annual Reunion was held at on August 11, 2018, at Sunset Hills County Club. Eighty- seven persons attended the Annual Reunion, including fourteen new UWG retirees. The Reunion began with the recognition of UWG student Jake Saunders, the first recipient of the UWG Retiree Legacy Scholarship. Next, Vice President for University Advancement Dave Fraboni addressed the attendees, followed by remarks by UWG President Kyle Marrero. After lunch the ARFS General Membership Meeting was conducted. The only item for this meeting was the nomination of a slate of officers and Coordinating Council members which were approved by the attending ARFS members. Finally, Kyle Marrero, Mitch Clifton, and ARFS Past President Glenn Novak, presented medallions to the fourteen attending new retirees, who had their picture taken with the President and were given the opportunity to make a few remarks. The agenda and minutes for the Annual Reunion, including the slate of officers and Coordinating Council members, are contained in Appendix H. A copy of the invitation brochure for the Reunion is in Appendix I. A copy of the Tribute Booklet, which was edited by Anne Richards and Martha Ann Saunders, and given to each attendee, is in Appendix J. Appendices A Officers and Coordinating Council Members 5 B Coordinating Council Meeting Agendas and Minutes 6 C The Rejuvenator 26 D Retirement Brochure 41 E Relationship of ARFS to the USGRC, GA-HERO, and AROHE 45 F University System of Georgia Retiree Council (USGRC) Meeting Agendas 46 and Notes G Georgia Association of Higher Education Retiree Organizations (GA-HERO) 102 Meeting Agendas and Minutes H Annual Reunion Agenda and Minutes 152 I Invitation Brochure 156 J Tribute Booklet 159 Appendix A Officers and Coordinating Council Members Officers and Council Members serve two year terms, beginning at their election at an Annual Reunion and ending at the Annual Reunion two years later. The Officers and Council Members serving during the period of this report (August 27, 2017 - August 11, 2018) and their terms of service are the following: Officers (are also members of the Coordinating Council) President: Mitch Clifton (2016-2018) Vice President: Jan Ruskell (Scholarship Committee) (2016-2018) Past President: Glenn Novak (2016-2018) Secretary: unfilled Treasurer: Karen Smith (2016-2018) At Large Members of Coordinating Council Jimmy Drew (2016-2018) Dan Flinn (2017-2019) Kathryn Grams (2017-2019) Swain Harris (2017-2019) Bruce Lyon (2017-2019) Debbie Novak (Scholarship Committee) (2017-2019) Linda Picklesimer (2017-2019) Bob Reeves (2017-2019) Gail Reid (2017-2019) Anne Richards (Co-Chair, Programs/Events Committee) (2017-2019) Martha Ann Saunders (Co-Chair, Programs/Events Committee) (2017-2019) Appendix B Coordinating Council Meeting Agendas and Minutes 1. Agenda for September, 29, 2017 Meeting 7 2. Minutes for September, 29, 2017 Meeting 8 3. Agenda for January, 19, 2018 Meeting 11 4. Minutes for January, 19, 2018 Meeting 12 5. Agenda for March, 23, 2018 Meeting 20 6. Minutes for March, 23, 2018 Meeting 21 7. Agenda for May, 18, 2018 Meeting 23 8. Minutes for May, 18, 2018 Meeting 24 Minutes of the ARFS Coordinating Council Meeting of 9/29/17 President Mitch Clifton called the meeting to order at 10:00 am and asked members and guests to introduce themselves. Present were Members: Jan Ruskell, Glenn Novak, Karen Smith, Jimmy Drew, Kathryn Grams, Swain Harris, Bruce Lyon, Linda Picklesimer, Bob Reeves, Anne Richards, Martha Ann Saunders, Guests: Terri Bussey, Denice King, Rodney Byrd. Absent: Dan Flinn (unexcused) Gail Reid and Debbie Novak received excused absences. Mitch asked for a motion to approve the minutes of the July 21 Coordinating Council (CC) meeting. The motion was made and seconded. Glenn suggested that the current listserv number is closer to 300 than 500 as recorded in the minutes.