MINUTES OF CLASS MEETING -- May 25, 2024
PRINCETON CLASS OF 1969
Call to Order
A class meeting was held following dinner in our 55th Reunion headquarters tent in Scully Courtyard. President Chris Milton presided.
President’s Report
Chris began by thanking Clay McEldowney, Andy Brown, and Jeff Marston for doing a great job in organizing our 55th. He noted that attendance is quite robust with approximately 320 classmates, spouses, and guests signed up to attend various of our events.
He thanked Chris Thomforde, Bob Golenbock, George Stern and Jerry Von Arx for organizing Saturday morning’s extremely moving Memorial Service. Chris noted especially Jeff’s invocation, the lessons read by Chris Meyer and Joan Weidner, the reading and sermon by George Stern, and Bob Axelrod and Mike Gehret’s reading the names of our lost classmates. Also prayers led by Bob Golenbock and Jack McCarthy and Jeff’s benediction, as well as the musical offerings from Yvonne Thornton, Barry Miles Silverlight, and Marion Sleet.
Chris thanked Muffin Slonaker, Joan Weidner, and Kathy Gaffney for reaching out to the growing number of spouses of deceased classmates. He also thanked Jim Floyd for his efforts in organizing the Alumni Faculty Forums, and Jeff Kaplan for his outstanding work at webmaster.
Chris then presented the following awards:
President’s Awards were given to Clay McEldowney in recognition of his willingness to Chair the 55th Reunion; and to Bob Axelrod in recognition of his dedication to PICS and to the successful amalgamation of PICS into the Pace/LENS initiatives, as well as his service as Co-Secretary and as former Class Agent.
Named as Honorary Classmates were Jen Daniels, the new chair of the PICS Board, and Emily Sharples, Class of 1969 PICS Program Director.
Seven classmates were named to the Society of the Claw, an organization dedicated to the perpetuation of the traditions of Reunions at Princeton. Those named to the Society were Dick Bott, Andy Brown, Bill Charrier, Chuck Freyer, Rick Kitto, Jeff Marston, and Sandy Rea.
Co-Secretaries’ Report
Bob Axelrod commented that he has enjoyed writing Class Notes for the Alumni Weekly, an assignment that has helped him to reconnect with many classmates. He thanked those present for sending in news items and photographs for the Class Notes, and asked everyone to encourage other classmates to send material,especially those who have not been heard from for some time.
Mike Gehret noted the deaths of classmates whose passing we had learned about since the last class meeting on October 21, 2023: Scott Baumann, who died on December 20, 2023; Bruce Hillman, who died on January 9, 2024; Bear Hollar, who died on January 28, 2024; Steve Deupree, who died on February 17, 2024; Chip Levy, who died on March 29, 2024; Allan Warren, who died on March 31, 2024; and Bill Curtis, who died on April 23, 2024. Mike asked for a moment of silence in memory of these seven classmates. Chris thanked both Bob and Mike for their efforts as Co-Secretaries.
Treasurers Report and PICS Report
In order to keep the meeting moving on schedule, Chuck Freyer limited his report to saying that the class treasury is solidly in the black. Reporting on PICS, he noted that PICS successes had been well described during the ceremonies to name Jen Daniels and Emily Sharples as honorary classmates.
Reunions Report
Clay McEldowney noted that he had missed only two Reunions in his lifetime. He commented that he had served as Reunions Chairman from our 5th through our 25th, so serving as Reunion Chair comes naturally to him. The biggest change in Reunions since he last served as Chair has been the degree of University involvement in Reunions operations. The biggest stress at our 55th was having demonstrators trying to enter our headquarter in the Scully quad.
Clay thanked the 20 members of the Reunions Committee for their outstanding work. He gave special thanks to Andy Brown, Jeff Marston, Jeff Kaplan, Bonnie Post, and Jack Cronin and his crew for their very effective efforts, which helped to make our 55th such a success.
Annual Giving/Special Giving Reports
Andy Steele reported that good progress has been made toward the goals of $2,069,000 and 60% participation.
Mike Kiesel spoke briefly about the Annual Giving Legacy program which allows planned gifts of $100,000 or more to count towards the 55th.
Chris acknowledged and thanked Bob Raymar, the lead Co-Chair of the Special Gifts effort, and Co-Chairs Bob Axelrod, Dick Bott, Bill Charrier, Bruce Freeman, Mike Gehret, Rick Kitto, Bob Loveman, Marc Miller, Chris Milton, and Andy Steele, as well as committee members Andy Brown, Bill Earle, Paul Hanle, Brent Henry, Scott Kruse, and Roger Schmenner.
Chris also thanked Chuck Freyer and Andy Steele for the leadership of the participation committee, which also included Andy Brown, Bob Brown, Granville Burgess, Tom Cup, Bruce DeBolt, Claus Frank, Mark Janis, Scott Kruse, Bob Loveman, Allan Meyers, Larry Mills, Chris Milton, Larry Morris, Geoff Peterson, Bruce Rosenberg, Gary Sykes, and Jeff Von Arx.
Chris ended by thanking Andy Steele for his outstanding efforts at Class Agent over the last 5 years.
Elections
Noting that the Class Constitution calls for the Class to elect its President, Secretary, and Treasurer during a class meeting at each major reunion, Chris appointed a Nominating Committee comprised of Dick Bott, Bill Charrier, Chuck Freyer, Rick Kitto, Marc Miller, and himself to consider a slate of nominees. The Nominating Committee proposed the following slate of officers to serve from 2024 to 2029: President, Chris Meyer; Co-Secretaries, Bob Axelrod and Mike Gehret; and Treasurer, Chuck Freyer. The slate was elected by voice vote of the class.
Adjournment
Chris thanked the class for allowing him to serve as President for the last five years. He then called on Sandy Rea to lead a locomotive for Brooke Stoddard for his work on the 55th Reunion Book.
In Chris’s final act as President, he led the class in singing Old Nassau, and the meeting was adjourned.
