1949

Back in the November issue, we reported on a significant national honor bestowed on Jim Zafris by the U.S. Small Business Administration: Financial Services Advocate of the Year. Two weeks after the deadline for that November column Jim received an even more significant honor at our fall mini: The Gold Pick Axe Award of the class of 1949. Complete details are in Skip Ungar's newsletter which, incidentally, boasts a new masthead (the donkey, like quite a few other '49ers, has retired). Skip also has details of the recent Alumni Fund citation for Irl Marshall's "consistent and dedicated work" as '49 head agent. One might say record-setting work.

At the executive committee meeting held during the mini weekend Paul Bjorklund accepted President John Stearns's entreaty to take over the head agent slot for the next two years. Paul, in turn, signed up LukeSoule as leadership-giving coordinator and Geoff Farnum as matching-gifts coordinator. We owe them all our thanks for taking on thankless tasks.

And thanks to you, too, for realizing a class participation rate for last year's Alumni Fund that was 67 percent of our "scoring base." That was the highest of any 45-year class reunion, and well above the 55-percent average of all reuning classes.

A few other decisions were taken by the executive committee. Because of a bank balance described as "threadbare," a $5 increase in class dues to $35 was voted, the equivalent of a balanced budget amendment. May fiscal sanity carry us to our 50th. And next year's mini will coincide with the Cornell game, September 29-30. But even before that there will be another Florida get-together next month, March 15-17, at the Greneleaf resort just south of Orlando, home of the mouse. Don't wait another moment; call Gordon"Hurricane" Thomas now for details at (802) 649-2100. He'll tell you about the free banquet that's part of the package.

Having already traveled extensively in Europe, Canada, and Mexico, Bob Barnaby has decided to see the U.S.A. in his new Dodge diesel truck and fifth-wheel trailer rig. On February 1 he hauled as easy as anything out of Alpharetta, Ga., beginning a flexible, two-to-three-year itinerary destined to touch all 50 states, even Hawaii. He has a list with the name and address and telephone number of each of you, and he wants you to know that when he calls there is no implied request for a parking space in your front yard. He wants to stay in touch and get people thinking about writing something for our 5Oth Reunion book. T raveling a sort of information highway, Bob will also feed news bites about you to Skip Ungar and me. Inquiring minds want to know. Incidentally, he says he doesn't expect to have any trouble backing that damn thing up.

Belatedly, a tip of the hat to Sen. Slade Gorton (R, Wash.), who, with 55 percent of the vote, is enjoying another six-year term in D.C. You may have heard that Slade had a mild heart attack in December. But after a little medicine and angioplasty he's as right as, well, the rest of the guys.

RR #1, Box 215 A, Fairlee, VT 05044