Note to Classmates: All reunion correspondence is being sent via email. If you did not receive this November 20, 2024 email be sure to update your email on file with the Alumni Association by emailing ashley.twombly@maine.edu.
Class of 1963 mini-reunion Sept 25 and 26 in Freeport, Maine
We had a nice turnout of 30 or so, starting with a narrated tour by boat down the Kennebec River from Bath. The tour left from the Maine Maritime Museum which was worth a visit on its own.
Dinner was a very leisurely affair at the Hilton Garden Inn in Freeport, as there was limited wait and kitchen staff, but we all survived. The next day we started (not counting lobby visiting and LL Bean visits) with greetings and introductions of attendees and lunch in a private meeting room.
The day’s first highlight was a presentation by former Dean of Engineering, Dana Humphrey, who has become a fabulous photographer as he showed his work in East Greenland featuring icebergs, glaciers, mountains, and cold water swimming. Beautiful and entertaining.
Pat Cummings (UMaine Foundation) brought greetings from Orono and some UMaine highlights including record-setting giving to the University of Maine Foundation and significant construction and renovation going on in Orono, thanks to a matching challenge from the Harold Alfond Foundation for Black Bear Athletics, the Maine College of Engineering and Computing, Student Success (scholarships and advising) and the Maine Center at 300 Fore St in Portland (the home of the Maine Law School and the Maine MBA program).
Ashley Twombly (UMaine Alumni Association) presented Gina Grogean ’63 with a Block M Award in recognition of Gina’s extensive service to our class, the UMaine Alumni Association, and her community.
The other highlight was class members recounting fascinating life events including stroke lessons, plane crashes, and personal life awakenings even at our advanced ages. We also read the names of class members who have died since last year’s reunion. See list attached. This list contains deaths the Alumni Association has received notice of this past year.
Overall there was a lot of visiting in the hotel lobby, at meals and around events. Dinner for those who stayed over was at Linda Beans, walking distance from the hotel in Freeport. A general consensus was for a repeat next year, likely very similar in time and location. Stay tuned. Class officers are unchanged. Elaine Murphy Burnham is our class correspondent and would like to receive updates from class members. Her email is elaine.burnham@gmail.com.
The status of the Class Fund, Class Scholarship Fund and Kenneth W. Allen Scholarship Fund (initiated by the Class to honor Jim Goff) follows:
Class Fund – used to cover communications, reunion fees, and support UMaine activities. Current balance is $4000 with $2000 in donations added in the last year. Much of this support has gone to building projects, student aid and the two scholarships above.
Class Scholarship Fund endowment is $126,715 based on $93,826 in contributions since the fund was started back in 1963. Contributions in the last year totaled $1,475. Current scholarship distribution is about $3,600 annually and the total since inception is $42,280. Preference is given to applicants who have mental or physical challenges.
Kenneth Allen Scholarship (Ken was a UMaine Dean and acting president and is Jim’s father in law) was started in 2020. The endowment is $16,392 based on contributions of $12,500. Annual scholarship distribution is about $500 and $2,132 has been distributed since inception. Class of 1963 lifetime giving is $8,004,962 across all UMaine functions. Year to date 2024 donations from 1963 class members is $187,988 through October 31, again to all UMaine functions.
Note that the UMaine Foundation currently has some $500,000 from an estate that is available for a 25% match for new or increased scholarship donations.
At a post-reunion meeting in November, the class leadership committee voted to move some of our excess class fund money into the scholarship funds that we support: $1,000 to our Class of 1963 Scholarship Fund and $1,000 to the Kenneth Allen Scholarship.
See list of reunion attendees here and photos from reunion here.