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West Point Class of 1958

Executive Committee

Subject: Minutes of two meetings of the Executive Committee 10/16/02 and 12/9/02

Palmer McGrew called the first meeting to order at 1300 in the Army-Navy Club

E.C. members present:

Bill Serchak Alan Salisbury

John Herren Palmer McGrew

Jack Downing Jerry Mitchell

E.C. members absent:

Andy Andreson

John Nun

Other classmates present:

George Sibert

Palmer McGrew called the second meeting to order at 10:00 in the Army-Navy Club-Fairfax.

E.C. members present:

Palmer McGrew Andy Andreson

John Nun John Herren

Jack Downing Jerry Mitchell

E.C. members absent

Bill Serchak Alan Salisbury

Other classmates present:

George Sibert Ed Weckel Garry Roosma

1. Minutes

The EC approved the minutes of the meeting of 6/6/02 as written.

2. Policies

The E.C. acknowledged the work of George Lawton in organizing the E.C. files and thanks him for the effort. The policy section will be reviewed.

Action: P. McGrew and J. Downing review the policy section of the files.

3. Class widows

The Committee considered whether to formalize the current arrangement of having a class widow serve ex-officio on the committee as an advisor. The decision was to continue the practice without any further administrative action.

4. Memorials

The E.C. discussed the disposition of memorial awards associated with the class and concluded the following:

Capelle Award consists of an annual pizza party and a small nameplate for the plaque at a cost of about $200. Designated funds are in the class checking account. The AOG indicated that it would accept an endowment of $5800 to fund the award in perpetuity. Also, other members of the class killed in Viet Nam who were USMAPS graduates, Dave Nidever and Ralph Wensinger, should be mentioned during the ceremony if convenient. (Discussion on this topic continued well after the EC meeting. The secretary has copies of the pertinent comments.)

Capelle Award Action: A. Andreson to arrange the transfer of $5800 from the class gift fund to the AOG for the purpose of endowing the Capelle Award.

Malone award at Georgetown Univ. has an annual cost of about $120. Designated funds are in the class checking account.

Action: None-- the award will continue to be funded as long as Georgetown Univ. ROTC has a Ranger Company and there are operating class funds to finance it. The class will continue to provide representatives to present the award at the annual ROTC Military Ball.

The Walker award is currently endowed through the AOG.

Action: None needed.

5. First Class Club (FCC)

Palmer McGrew reported that in the process of installing the air conditioner in the FCC, engineers found the roof to be dangerously deteriorated. West Point is repairing the roof and the FCC has temporarily been relocated. The Cadet Activities Officer has told us that the air conditioning will be installed either over Christmas or Spring Break. (Since the meeting, the repairs to the First Class Club have been completed.)

6. Semi-centennial class (2008)

Discussion centered on the class association with our adopted “semi-centennial” class of 2008. The EC agreed that the following activities would be considered for interaction between the classes.

Plebe year

-Swearing-in ceremony

- Plebe march-back

- Acceptance Parade at the end of Beast Barracks

- presentation of a distinctive shoulder patch to be worn on the gray jacket

Yearling year

- presentation of class flag at Camp Buckner

- Run-back from Buckner

Cow year

- Commitment ceremony

First class year

- FCC turnover

- Graduation

- ‘58 reunion

- presentation of 2d Lt bars

Action: Salisbury Plan for class interaction and determine probable expenses.

7. Special Initiatives

Bill Serchak has posted information on the '58 website about the first two Special Initiatives.

1. Social Security Benefits-Receiving Credit for Your Service Academy Years

2. Essential Elements of Information (EEI) for Military Veterans and Next-of-Kin

ACTION: Bill Serchak to prepare and mail letters containing a copy of

both items to all classmates, widows, and family members not listed on

the <USMA1958@West-Point.org> e-mail roster. Bill Serchak will be

reimbursed for the cost of copying and mailing these two documents.

8. E.C. vice chairman

We currently do not have a vice chair of the Executive Committee as specified by the class bylaws, nor do we have a person designated Secretary/Treasurer. The EC considered remedies to this situation by either changing the bylaws or the offices filled, and decided that it was unnecessary to make any changes. The current structure will continue, although technically not in exact agreement with the bylaws. It was felt that no harm was being done and no one had voiced any objection.

9. Eventual disposition of class operating funds

The EC recommends to the class that at the 65th anniversary of the class graduation, the class will consider shutting down the operating fund (no more memorials, etc.) and donating any remaining funds to the Perpetual Endowment Fund. This will be put to the class at the 45th Reunion.

Action: J. Nun to draft a resolution on a change to the class constitution that will transfer the class operating funds to the Perpetual Endowment Fund.

10. Backup signatory to class fund accounts

The EC decided that P. McGrew should be a backup signatory to the class fund accounts.

Action: J. Nun obtain paperwork to add P. McGrew to class fund account authorized users.

11. 45th reunion

Garry Roosma briefed the EC on preliminary plans for the 45th reunion.

The class will consider financial assistance to any classmate who wants to attend but cannot afford it.

Action: Jerry Mitchell to have the CCQs determine if any classmate needs financial assistance to attend the 45th reunion.

12. AOG trustee nominees

The EC agreed to renominate A. Salisbury and nominate L. Jones to the position of AOG trustee.

Action: J. Downing prepare nomination packages for A. Salisbury and L. Jones to the position of AOG trustee.

13. Perpetual Endowment Fund

Ed Weckel briefed the EC on suggestions to reach the goal of a fund of $580,000 by the 50th reunion. The EC endorsed all suggestions except #4.

1. Place a reminder on all Class WP-org messages.

2. Meg Roosma to give presentation on the Perpetual Fund at the 45th reunion.

3. Prepare handout at 45th reunion to include instructions for including the endowment fund in wills.

4. Get CCQs involved in telephoning classmates on behalf of the fund

5. Continue Jack Downing’s initiative to encourage donations to the fund in memory of deceased classmates.

6. At class functions, the ‘host” should make a low-key reference to the fund.

7. Encourage one-on-one talks with classmates about the fund when appropriate.

8. Use every opportunity to pass the low-key message of the fund to the class.

9. Prepare a large sized faux check (2’X4’) for $6,800,000 dated 4 June 2058

10. Do not become complacent.

14. Descendents database

The EC decided that a database containing the data on descendents of the members of the class of 1958 would be of use to the executors of the Perpetual Endowment Fund as well as to those who want to maintain the memory and heritage of the class. (After the meeting, A. Salisbury stated that the information on descendents would be collected as part of the class history project. He agreed that a volunteer to create and maintain a database would be useful.)

Action: J. Downing to seek a volunteer among the class to create and maintain a database of the descendents of the class of 1958.