President's Letter -- September, 2010

September 2010

Headlines

Community Service Fund Inks Historic Agreement with University

Annual Giving Reaches Highest Participation Since 20^th Reunion

Five Events Gather Classmates from Around the Country

Invasion Force Readied to Launch

Hyperbole? Not really. It has been a great year for the Class of 1969. The opening event in October found us once again guided and inspired by honorary classmate JIM MCPHERSON at the Antietam battlefield in Western Maryland, under the capable logistic management of PAM AND JACK MEYERSON with an assist from RICK KITTO. ANDY AND JERRY BROWN hosted our fall weekend dinner in Princeton followed by a winter evening at JACK MCCARTHY and SUSAN ANABLE’s home with an intriguing talk and extended discussion with Politics Professor Robbie George. Then on to New York in March with what we hope will be a growing tradition of regional gatherings around the country. This one featured a private tour of the Lincoln in New York exhibition at the New York Historical Society lead by its curator, Harold Holzer and dinner with Harold and his wife following. And we ended the year back in the Best Old Place of All at our 41^st reunion, managed by our new reunions co-chairs DAN HARMAN, RICK KITTO and ANNE CHARRIER. Thanks to all of you who organized these affairs and especially to Dan, Rick and Anne for taking on the formidable task leading us up to and into our 45th.

To start this year with a nearly nuclear bang, DICK AND MARIAN BOTT will host 52 classmates and spouses for an 8-day mini-reunion in Paris and Normandy exploring medieval France, the Impressionists and the World War II invasion beaches. Lieutenants of the invasion force include JESSE OKIE, GEORGE SHERIDAN, BRUCE FREEMAN, DAN HARMAN AND CURT KEHR covering cuisine, culture and communications, with PAM MEYERSON serving as air travel expert. Honorary classmate ANDRÉ MAMAN will introduce us to whatever he thinks we’re old enough to know about French politics at a lunch at the Sénat.

Plans are already beginning to shape up for a 2011 mini-reunion in Springfield, Illinois, where we will broaden our focus to date on the Civil War period and consider the political and social contexts leading up to the historic election of 1860. Professor McPherson will be joined in helping us shape the intellectual agenda by distinguished Americanist Will Howarth who will add a literary dimension to the discussion. More on this when plans are further advanced.

As to smaller scale gatherings, a number of classmates have suggested possible dinner speakers and half-day events. We can help with targeted regional communications. But we need more boots on the ground to extend our reach beyond the traditional mid-Atlantic region. If you would be interested in helping to organize a regional dinner or other event please drop me a brief e-mail (bcharrier@comcast.net).

Class Finances

Treasurer’s Report – DAVID PENSAK reports a very solid financial year for the Class. 259 classmates paid dues last year, about the same as the previous year. But the big news was in the number of classmates participating in the leadership dues role. This number grew by 40% to an even 100 stalwarts, increasing general revenue by over 50% to $33,625 in support of general class activities. After providing for all FY2010 expenses we have a balance of $41,333 in general Class funds and $1,164 in the major reunion account. This generosity, among other things, allowed us to eliminate the general registration fee for the 41^st reunion and still provide two free meals and much great fellowship. In addition the Class transferred $6,995 to the Class of 1969 Scholarship Fund administered by the University and $12,895 to the Class of 1969 Community Service Fund, both amounts funded by dues card check-offs. Good stuff. And of course the dues check-off is only a small part of classmate support of CSF and the PICS Program. When added to direct donations, classmates contributed $50,887 to the work of the CSF during its year ended December 31, 2009.

The first dues card and return envelope for this year are enclosed. Participation is the name of the game. We’re still at about 35%. Avoid those annoying reminders from David and send in yours today, or click the Pay Your Class Dues Online button on the homepage of the Class website (princeton1969.org).

Annual Giving Report – Class Agent BOB AXELROD and his team hit a solid triple first time at bat. Participation increased over the 40^th from 53.8% to 57.7% for a total of 431 classmates contributing $240,717 in unrestricted funds to Princeton, the highest AG participation rate since our 20^th reunion and the third highest off-year contribution amount ever. And the participation increase also resulted in the Class winning the Carpe Diem matching challenge for our bracket (classes of 1969-1973) and an additional $10,000 credited to the Class total. BRUCE FREEMAN, who retired from the Annual Giving office last year in order to devote even more time to working for the Class, said it best:

Let me add my two cents worth as someone who worked in the AG office for ten years. These results are Spectacular!! Normally we expect to see a significant drop in participation the year after a major reunion. Instead Bob’s Team was able to get 28 more classmates to make gifts this year compared to our 40^th; very unusual in the world of AG. This was a big help in the University achieving its goal of 60% for the first time in ten years.

And why, you might ask, is this not a home run? Because Bob will not be happy until we get to 60% and that becomes the new normal, as they say in the front office. Bob would like to have 20 more volunteers to make calls during this year’s campaign. The callers were unquestionably the key to this success, so join the team by sending Bob an e-mail (raxelrod@stavinsaxelrod.com).

But before we get ahead of ourselves, a giant locomotive to BOB ANDRE, HANK ASBILL, BILL BENJAMIN, JIM BLACKBURN, DICK BOTT, JOHN DRAPER, BILL EARLE, RICH EDWARDS, CLAUS FRANK, TED FRANK, BRUCE FREEMAN, MIKE GEHRET, JOHN GORDON, PAUL HANLE, DAN HARMAN, MIKE KIESEL, BOB LOVEMAN, BRUCE MACDONALD, ROD MATHESON, CLAY MCELDOWNEY, LARRY MILLS, CHRIS MILTON, JIM NOWACKI, GEOFF PETERSON, BOB RAYMAR, BRUCE ROSENBERG, PAUL SITTENFELD, ANDY STEELE, BROOKE STODDARD, TOM WEIDNER AND JAY WILSON. Well done, Guys!

The Secretary’s Corner

Mr. Sittenfeld has enclosed his summer newsletter and is now, once again, fresh out of material. The easy way to send him your news is to include it with your dues card in the space provided. And I am told that if he has never heard from you before he may just seek you out and buy you dinner.

Community Service Fund and the PICS Program

As previously reported, the board of the CSF reached agreement in principle with the University last fall to partner with the Pace Center in offering PICS summer internships to Princeton students. PICS Program manager, Laura Spence-Ash, was hired by the University and relocated to the Pace Center, giving the program a higher profile on campus. CSF Executive Director, SEVA KRAMER now operates from her home, saving substantial overhead cost. This summer PICS placed 64 interns, up from the reduced level of 56 last year occasioned by the economic downturn, and initial reports from the field indicate that it was a very strong program across the board.

Crafting an operating agreement with the University detailing the responsibilities in administering the program under the new partnership proved to be more challenging than CSF Chairman CHUCK FREYER and the board had originally anticipated. But in the end, everything that the board had hoped to achieve is reflected in the agreement that was signed in May by the CSF, the Class and Executive Vice President Mark Burstein for the University. In hindsight the process of negotiating the agreement, by forcing the clear articulation of every important detail of programmatic and financial governance will, Chuck and Seva believe, help avoid the pitfalls of hidden expectations and lay the foundation for solid growth of the program under the new cooperative structure.

In particular, we hope that the stronger association with the University will make it more attractive for other classes and regional associations to become involved in the creation of internships. For the year ended December 31, 2009, other classes and individuals (most notably the classes of 1970 and 1977) contributed in excess of $30,000 in support of PICS. Under the leadership of CSF Funding Chair JEFF MARSTON and Special Gifts Chair RICK KITTO a focused expansion program is about to kick off with the objective of making PICS even more of a multi-class, multi-generation institution than it has already become, something we can all be very proud of. For more detail, see the press release on the new partnership posted on the Class website.

Other Soldiers and Heroes (Plus a Heroine)

Our objective of enhancing the use of the Class website as a part of Class communication strategy took a big step forward when the team of JEFF KAPLAN, BROOKE STODDARD AND BILL HARDY agreed to take this project aboard. They will be looking at structural issues and technical capabilities, but more importantly at how to drive timely and relevant content through the site.

BRENT HENRY was recently elected to a further ten year term as a charter trustee of the University, continuing to serve with classmate MICHAEL PORTER and with BOB DURKEE watching over them as Secretary. Bob chaired the task force on the University’s relationship with the eating clubs which produced a thoughtful report that will hopefully lead to more effective recognition of what the clubs have to offer to Princeton today. He was also particularly helpful in guiding us in the negotiation of the new CSF agreement with the University.

DAVID FISHER is doing super work as head of the Princeton Alumni Association of Germany and the Princeton German Summer Work Program. JEFF PEEK continues to head the advisory board of the Bendheim Center for Finance. DON DIXON, RANDY HACK, BRENT HENRY, JAY WILSON AND DOUG YEAGER are all playing important roles in the top-level guidance and execution of the Aspire campaign for Princeton.

And in yet another generous and strikingly innovative initiative, LYNN SHOSTACK GARDNER has created Project X in honor of DAVID, providing the ultimate in streamlined grants for the pursuit by Princeton faculty of hunches and unconventional ideas that may be outside their primary expertise. But the goals are eminently practical, things like improved hospital room sterilization and better heart-lung machines.

The Calendar

Here are the main events scheduled so far for this year. Mark your calendars and watch your e-mail for details of these and other regional events.

· September 17-25, 2010 – Mini-reunion in Paris/Normandy.

· October 23, 2010 – Harvard game weekend, Class Steering Committee Meeting and Class dinner in Princeton.

· February 26, 2011 – Alumni Day, Service of Remembrance and Class dinner in Princeton.

· May 26-29, 2011 – 42^nd Reunion in Princeton.

Warm regards to all,

J. William Charrier