Retirees' Newsletter

Faculty and Librarian Retirees' Association, University of Windsor,

April, 1995. #12

SOME MONTHS AGO we relayed reports from Walt Romanow, now of Edmonton, concerning efforts to find out the reactions of retirees' associations across Canada, toward the idea of a nation-wide association of retired professors and librarians.. (See Issue #8, June, 1994, p.1).

A 5-MEMBER COMMITTEE had been assigned the task of doing a questionnaire survey and preparing a report for presentation at a meeting on June 1st at the meetings of the Learned Societies in Montreal. The Committee prepared a questionnaire and sent it out.

IN HIS REPORT to the Spring Meeting, Bill Phillips, then Secretary-Treasurer, explained that there was a serious delay in our receiving the questionnaire, the return of which had been asked for by FEBRUARY 14TH. We had not received a copy by the time of the Spring meeting on MARCH 23RD.

WALT ROMANOW later explained by letter to Bill Phillips that the Survey Committee,

...(in view of) the great variety of structures of University retirees' associations...decided that they would forward the materials to University Presidents, asking them to send on the questionnaires to appropriate persons...

FOR WHATEVER REASON, the one destined for us did not reach us; and, following a phone call from Phillips, Romanow kindly arranged that a second copy be sent, this time directly to the Association. It arrived a few days after the March meeting. Currently the questionnaire is being considered by our Executive Committee, with a view to getting a response to the chairperson of the exploratory group in Vancouver a.s.a.p.

THE LAST NEWSLETTER carried the date, but not the time and place of the Spring Meeting. On the Sunday prior, Bill Phillips, then Secretary-Treasurer, organized a phone-blitz to try to contact all members living in Windsor and the county to advise that the time and place were the usual ones. Most were contacted Apologies for any inconvenience that was caused by this.

THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS signed the attendance sheet at the meeting of March 23:

(J. Skinner), Z.M. Fallenbuchl, L. Krause, C. Vincent, B. Howell, John La Gaipa., Ronold S. Pazik, Joseph Habowsky, Bob Billinghurst, Miriam Bunt, Ida Rappé, Anna Gupta, Linda Long, Stuart Nease, Peter Wilkinson, Ed Crowley, Bill Libby, Bob Whitehurst, Aranka Kovacs, Frank Holuj, Joan Hackett, Edwin Habib, Win Benedict, Ed Rosenbaum, Jan T. Laba, Norm Shklov, Bill Phillips, Pat Galasso (added by Sec-Treas), N.J. Taylor (request for info sent by E-mail, and Association apologized for its late response).

IN HIS FINAL REPORT before leaving office, Sec.-Treasurer Bill Phillips presented a financial overview of the Association's first five years. The story, he said, has been one of "exceptionally low-cost operation" by the Association. The financial overview, showing the major categories of total income and total expenditures for the 5-year period is included below on page 4.

PHILLIPS ALSO REVIEWED some historical highlights of the Association's first five years, emphasizing its evolution over the period. The Association showed its maturity, he said, "when it broadened its scope to include concern not only for its own members but for the welfare of the University itself and the students", especially citing the Bursary Fund, now near $5,000.00.

In a further development on the above report, the Association's Executive decided at a meeting held on Thursday, April 13th, to ask Norm Shklov and Bill Phillips, the two former officers of the Association, to take over the matter of replying to the questionnaire on behalf of the Executive. The Committee noted the long delay in delivery, as reported above, and asked the two to draft a reply and get it back to the exploratory committee at the earliest possible. They drafted a reply over the Easter weekend, indicating support for the proposal, with some cautionary comment, and sent it to Vancouver by courier. A continuing follow-up report on this matter will be included in the June issue of The Newsletter.

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