Fall 2023 President’s Report
by Doug Whalley ‘63
Happy 100th Birthday!
On August 27, 2023, over 1,000 grads and guests gathered at the school to celebrate Roosevelt’s centennial. Former governor Dan Evans spoke, along with several honorees on the Wall of Honor. The event was sponsored by the Roosevelt Foundation. Golden Grads volunteers staffed a table with GG membership forms and copies of our newsletter. I was on the committee that selected members of the Roosevelt Wall of Honor, honoring outstanding graduates, teachers, and staff. (Not all my candidates were selected, so don’t blame me if your favorite was omitted.) Details of the event and the complete list of those selected are in this report, but I will mention one important honoree: Golden Grads founder Jeanne DeFriel Gardiner, class of 1930.
The 2023 Luncheon Was a Success
Our first luncheon in three years was successful, with a large turnout at the Nile Golf and Country Club. Please consider volunteering to be the luncheon chair for next year. Our longtime luncheon chair, Cindy Dack ’60, is retiring. She has done a great job and will be missed. Cindy and other board members are very familiar with what is required and will work with the new chair.
Roosevelt Athletic Boosters
Athletic Boosters published an impressive newsletter covering Roosevelt’s sports teams for 2022-2023. We previously emailed the link to members but if you missed it, just search for Roosevelt Athletic Boosters, and click on the picture of the Go Riders Athletic Newsletter. There is more information about Roosevelt sports in this issue of the Grapevine. Although newspapers rarely report on high school sports today, you will be glad to know that Roosevelt is doing exceptionally well.
Re-evaluating the Requirements for Scholarship Winners
The GG Scholarship Committee is reviewing our criteria for selecting winners. Although financial need has always been listed as a factor, members felt it was often overlooked. Many of our past scholarship winners attended expensive private colleges where a $3,000 scholarship is relatively insignificant in the total cost. The Committee agreed to place a new emphasis on a family’s income, with the hope that our scholarships will significantly increase a family’s ability to pay for college.
Roosevelt Memorabilia
Occasionally donations of Roosevelt memorabilia are given to Golden Grads. I currently have Roosevelt banners, green and gold cones and pom-poms, and table place cards. They are available for you to borrow for class reunions or any RHS alumni functions.