President’s Report for Spring 2021

By GG President Doug Whalley (’63)

RARE

The Roosevelt Alumni for Racial Equity (RARE), that was started in 2020 by a group of 1971 grads, is off to a fast start establishing a scholarship endowment fund for Roosevelt graduates of color. They will invest their funds with Golden Grads as a separate account in the Golden Grads’ investment portfolio. Our Special Scholarship Chair Jeri Mortensen Kronmal will assist them with funds to the schools. Most of their committee members have joined Golden Grads, several as life members. The RARE members who will help select the student winners and coordinate the scholarship payments with Golden Grads will all be GG members. Read more about RARE on this page. It is an impressive group.

No Luncheon This June

Once again we are forced to cancel our Spring Luncheon. Although many of us will be vaccinated by then, the Board of Directors believed that it would be too early to expect our members to enjoy a large gathering.

The Dictatorship Continues

Last year because the luncheon was cancelled, we were not able to hold an election of officers or approve the budget. I solicitated candidates and offered to hold a mail-in vote, but nobody requested a vote. This year, we are faced with the same problem. If you would like to run for a position or ask a question about the proposed budget, please let me know. Otherwise, the current officers will remain (I “forgot” to ask them if they wanted to), and the financial statement published in this issue will be considered when the GG Executive Board approves a budget in June.

Some Good News: A Major Donation to the Golden Grads

Last Fall I was contacted by Diane Cain Fiduccia, Class of 1962. She is a trustee of the James and Grace Cain Charitable Foundation established by her parents. Diane announced a $10,000 donation to Golden Grads from their Foundation, which will allow us to grant two additional college scholarships this year, for a total of twelve. Thank you, Diane! The process of selecting students and awarding the scholarships this year is impacted by the school closure, but Scholarship Chair Antonia Filigno Clark ’53 has stayed in contact with school counselors and her committee is working to keep the scholarship program on track.

Thank You Antonia Filigno Clark ’53

Tonia has been our Merit Scholarship Chair for many years, a job that requires a major commitment of time and energy. She has performed it flawlessly, recruiting committee members, coordinating with the school, and interviewing prospective recipients. She did not miss a beat with the school being closed last Spring and this year – all scholarships were still awarded. We will miss her as chair, but she has agreed to remain on the committee. She also recruited a great replacement, committee member Judy Crosset Cromwell ’60, who has agreed to take over next school year.

Principal Kristina Anderson Rogers

Just a note to say how lucky we are to have Kristina as principal during this difficult time for Roosevelt. She has been successful in working with students, teachers, and parents. She is very supportive of Golden Grads and grateful for our financial assistance. She is not the first principal to have attended Roosevelt as a student, but undoubtedly the first one whose parents attended Roosevelt High School as well. Bill Anderson ’65 and Nancy Ford Anderson ’64 are Golden Grad members.

Welcome Amy Hall

I am pleased to announce that Amy Hall has accepted the Board’s offer to assist Golden Grads. Amy is the long-time part-time administrative assistant for the Roosevelt Foundation. She has agreed to also work part-time for Golden Grads to help in several areas: recruitment and retention of members, especially recent classes; social media and website enhancements; increasing membership benefits; online payment options; and other areas of our organization that need updating.