The Retirees' Newsletter
Faculty and Librarian Retirees' Association, University of Windsor

June, 1995, Issue #13

THE PRESIDENT'S REPORT

Following is President Habib's Report to the Membership.

Pension Fund

LAST YEAR the fund manager Jarislowsky-Fraser was replaced by Sceptre and, as to be expected when a new fund manager is appointed, that portion of the fund did not do well. It takes some time for a new manager to change the portfolio to his investment strategy. However, the fund as a whole did better in the first quarter this year. If the market continues to rally, the overall performance at the end of June should exceed last year's.

Pension and Benefits

HOW MANY PENSION COMMITTEEs are there? You will be surprised to learn that there are four:

The Faculty Association Pension and Benefits Committee
The Retirees and Administration Pension Committee
The Voluntary Early Retirement Committee
The Board of Governors Pension Committee.

Each Committee performs a specific task but all have the same goal, that of providing an adequate pension for retired faculty members and librarians.

Recreational Facilities at St. Denis Centre

AT THE REQUEST OF THE MEMBERSHIP I wrote a letter to President Ianni expressing the concern of retirees regarding the recommendation in "The Strategic Planning Task Force..." that retirees be charged for the use of recreational facilities in St. Denis Centre. A similar letter was sent to the President of the Faculty Association.

Edwin Habib, President

ON MAY 7TH, 1945, our corvette was completing convoy escort duty from Londonderry, Ireland to St. John's Nfld. The crew was asked to choose between volunteering to join the battle against Japan or, depending on seniority, taking a FIFO (First in, First Out) demobilization option. At 20, with almost four years of service and over 30 North Atlantic tours on corvettes, my choice was easy. I went for option two.

THAT DAY BECAME FOR ME, "THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF MY LIFE". I had already given thought to my future career and personal goals. But the formalization and priorities needed more work. Finish formal education at the highest possible level; share my time and talents with my country and community; marry the right lady and raise a family I can be proud of and enjoy. After 50 years, six of which are retirement years, I look back and thank God, family, the DVA, and Lady Luck for the blessings I've had. RALPH K. COWAN,

[Ed. Note: I taught Ralph his first class in Economics at the old Assumption College in the fall of 1950. He did his doctorate at the University of Michigan. Then he came back to teach at Windsor, first in Economics, then in Bus. Ad., separated by a ten-year stint with Chrysler in Detroit. Clearly, his goals on D-day have been more than fully achieved. Congratulations, Ralph.

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