Things We Have Done Over The Years

Here are a few of the things we have done over the years:

- Established a strong Board of Governors. We have about 12 members, most of whom have been on the board now for 30 to 35 years.

- Have had reunions at West Point every 5-year mark since graduation.

- Developed class parties and other activities when a number of the class were in one area, such as branch schools, C&GSC, War College. Some even had a social group at grad school when four or five were there.

- We began Mini Reunions each year starting in 1986. Actually or first was at USAFA, when a classmate was the Supe there. We had over 250 attendees. We missed only one year until 2012, when we ended the program. We did not have minis in Reunion years.

- We established a database of grads and their spouses early on, including addresses and emails (when those became available).

- We have had a class scribe since graduation. He wrote the class columns and now the Class Notes with as much info as possible on the class and its members.

- We have published a class newsletter each year for over thirty years (and wish we had started sooner.) Included were items of interest to the class, such as reunions, minis, deaths (we had 41 in Korea alone), class projects, etc. We have included a roster of the class with the newsletter.

- We made sure widows of classmates were firmly a part of the class, including having a widow on the board.

- We undertook a class project early (the classes of our era), the restoration of the Thayer Collection of books. Then when Margin of Excellence programs became available, we had an extensive study of what we wanted to do and then a major campaign to come up with the funds needed.

- After the thirty year mark, we identified outstanding classmates for nomination as Distinguished Grads. We currently hold the record of the most selected.

- We have a central point of contact for deaths of classmates, wives, and widows. (Me - Bill deGraff) I publish on email all those deaths to the class, including widows. I also write a note of sympathy to a surviving spouse from the whole class.

- We established class activities in locals, such as DC or LA, with a fair number of the class. These include monthly lunches, parties, monthly bridge and special events.

All these were intended to draw the class together, including widows. I think it has been rather successful for the Class of 1950.