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The Retirees' Newsletter
The Faculty and Librarian Retirees' Association, University of Windsor, Windsor, Canada
Issue #19 -- October, 1996
The following was written by Robert Bramson, and forwarded to us by Gordon Hodgson,
University of Calgary.
Three years ago at the meetings of the Learned Societies in Calgary a group of
some sixty retired or about-to-be-retired professors met to discuss the possibility of
forming a Canadian federation of retirees and of their associations. An ad hoc task
force was appointed to enquire further into this possibility.
In May 1965 at the University of Quebec in Montreal the task force reported to a group of
retirees on the results of a questionnaire that it had devised and circulated widely during the
year. Replies to the questionnaire showed that one of the principal desired purposes of a
federation would be the exchange of information.
For this reason, the task force recommended the establishing of a web site on the
Internet.and also suggested as a possibility the founding of a more conventional organization
that would have its own office, produce a newsletter, and arrange at least one annual meeting
for members to coincide with the meetings of the Learned Societies.
The meeting in Montreal approved this suggestion, particularly as it might promote
personal, face-to-face contacts between members. Consequently, it appointed a second
committee that included two members of the original task force to enquire into the
establishing of a federation of this more conventional kind, and to take any steps it might
think sensible that could facilitate the founding of it. This second task force was to report at
the next meetings the Learned Societies in 1996 at Brock University.
Immediately, this committee faced two related questions - where would the central office be,
and what local organization might undertake to equip and man it, at least at the outset?
Letters to a number of well-established associations somewhere (vaguely) centrally placed in
the country, asking whether they might consider undertaking such a task produced only
negative answers - if answers at all!
Yet one ray of hope remained - CAUT, which had been represented at meetings in Calgary
and UQAM and was to be represented again at Brock by Don Savage, executive director of
CAUT. Meanwhile, in May 1996 Don Savage had produced for his committee a Report.
Here, apparently, was some coincidence of interests sufficient to encourage the thought that
some form of cooperation between the two parties might be possible. Following discussion of
this prospect at the meeting in Brock, the chairman of the task force spent a day at CAUT
headquarters, and the two parties have agreed to pursue likely lines of development.
James Gibson, former president of Brock University, who will be visiting Ottawa at the time, has been invited to attend the meeting of the CAUT executive committee that is scheduled for November. He will be an observer for the task force.
Next May at the Learned Societies meetings in Memorial University, the task force will
report again - and, it is greatly to be hoped! - with definite and final proposals.
INTERVIEW WITHLEONARD KROON
A fascinating interview with Leonard Kroon, a member of the Association, was carried on CBC Windsor recently. Leonard is remembered with affection by his many friends here for his combination of unorthodoxy in his life approach and his pure dedication to anthropological pursuits while a member of the Sociology and Anthropology Department. This led him to amass impressive collections of artefacts, some local and some from as far away as the Amazon. The interview took place at Leonard's home on Walpole Island, where stands the most impressive of all his collection feats, his home, eclectically constructed in its entirely, and over considerable time, from sources patiently sought out. According to CBC's Bob Steele the result is a delight, attractive and tasteful. Indeed, it sounds well worth a visit if you're near the Island. Alternately maybe Leonard would send us a picture Congratulations, Leonard!
CORMAC SMITH CHAIR OF BURSARY FUND
The Executive Committee recently appointed Cormac Smith to head up the Bursary Committee. His aim will be twofold: to encourage our members to give to the University Annual Giving Program, and to encourage that they designate their gifts to the Retirees' Bursary Fund. The Fund is now at the level of $12,000. And the objective this fall is to raise it to at least $15,000., at which level we can consider making our first bursary payments to students. "The Fund attests to our bona fides as an organization on campus" said President Habib. The other active member of the Committee is Alan Brown, David Booth having taken on other duties. More members are needed. If you would like to serve, call Cormac Smith at 969-8921.
MORE FACTS ON THE ASSOCIATION
134 copies of the current issue #19 of The Newsletter are being sent out. Of these, quite a number will be going to members whose dues have not been paid, perhaps for a year or more. Most of these are no doubt oversights and in the past we have been very accepting of such situations. In addition to the 134 to members, we send (complimentary) to a number of other universities and to top administration here. So in all we will be printing about 160. You have seen in this edition the costs of doing The Newsletter. Clearly we cannot much longer continue to send copies to members whose dues have not been paid. This sounds harsh and we are very hesitant but it may have to be.
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