Associates of Rochester College

Founded in 1959 to Provide Financial Support for Rochester College
associates@rc.edu 

Associates Newsletter
May 2008

Dear Associates, 

Another year is behind us, and now we must move forward with great resolve to raise money for Rochester College.  With the economy as it is we need to work harder to help the college through these tough times.  We shall not fail but move forward to help them. 

I would like to take this time to thank the Board for all they did for me while I was healing from my fall.  Lynne Stewart took over while I was out and did a great job.  The college has decided to not have a Fall Festival this year, but will instead concentrate on other events for the 50^th anniversary.  We will still have a Pioneer Spirit contest to raise money during the summer.  Those details are in another part of the newsletter. 

On May 3, 2008, Dr. Westerfield stepped down from the presidency of Rochester College to go back to full-time teaching.  The board of trustees appointed Dr. Rubel Shelly as interim president for one year, giving a search committee adequate time to find the right person to lead our dear college. 

Please join together and make this a very profitable year.  We will be working together on August 30^th at the Detroit Grand Prix, which should bring in about $1000. We will need volunteers for this project.  If you can think of other projects where we can join hands as Associates and not just as a chapter we can do much more.  There is strength (and money) in numbers!  Let’s make our 50th year our best year ever.

In Christian love,
Jeannette Schiele
President

Detroit Grand Prix

Remember the good old days when we used to make so much money working at the Silverdome?  We have a similar opportunity to participate with RC Student Development on a fundraiser over the Labor Day weekend,  selling programs at the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix on Saturday, August 30^th.   

We need at least 25 people to work 8-10 booths.  We will make about $1000 for our work that day.   

Please reply to this email if you are interested in helping with this fundraiser.  Also, please take it to your chapters to see if anyone who isn’t an Associate, or doesn’t receive the newsletter, is interested in helping with this.   

If we get more than 25 people, we can split the day into two shifts, otherwise we’ll probably be there from around 8 am until about 6-7 pm Saturday night.  I will get you more info as I receive it, but right now I’m just trying to get a head count.  Please contact me at jharper@rc.edu. 

Thanks,
Julie Harper
 

Spring Bulb Sale Successful Again!

By now, everyone who purchased bulbs and roots from our spring sale should have them.  They may not yet be planted, but I’m sure they will be soon! 

Thank you to the 7 chapters and two “non” chapters who participated this year: Downriver, Gladwin, Lansing, Livonia, Metro, Northeast, Brighton, Rochester, and South Lyon.  Our total sales this year netted $340 for Rochester College.  In addition, $345 was donated for flowers for the campus.  So, you raised and donated a total of $685. 

Congratulations to our Northeast chapter, who sold the most - $160.   A special thanks to Ann Luchsinger, who donated over $100 in Bordine’s gift cards to help beautify the campus. 

Brochures for our Fall Bulb sale will be available in August.  Look for information from your chapter contact.  If your chapter has not participated in our Bulb Sale before, please consider doing so this Fall. 

For more information, please contact Lynne Stewart.

Fall Festival Cancelled for this Fall 

Due to budgetary constraints and a shortage of campus volunteers for the festival, Rochester College has decided to cancel the Fall Festival for this year.   

However, we have many other events planned as we celebrate our 50th anniversary, beginning with “An Evening with Elie Wiesel” on August 21, 2008.  Visit www.rc.edu for a list of special events during the year of celebration.

Summer Fundraising Incentive – Pioneer Spirit Award! 

Over the years, the Associates have done the largest part of our fundraising during the summer.  For many years, we worked tirelessly for Queen’s Votes.  Two years ago, instead of a Queen’s race, we had the Summer Chapter Challenge.  Last summer, we initiated the PIONEER SPIRIT AWARD.  We would like to repeat this summer fundraiser with only a slight modification from last year. 

We would like to ask each chapter to raise money toward earning an honorary Pioneer Membership for one of their members.  We will award a Pioneer Pin to the top member who has the most funds raised.  Beginning May 15, 2008, chapters can begin having fundraisers and accepting donations to assure their candidate earns the Honorary Pioneer Pin.  As money is raised, turn it in to your chapter treasurer, who will turn it in as it is collected to Ann Luchsinger, Assistant Treasurer.  In subsequent summer Newsletters, we will publish the total raised to date.  However, we will not know the final total and who will earn that Pioneer Pin until our 50^th Anniversary Kick-Off Meeting on October 11th. 

The last time we had a Queen’s race, we raised $14,000 (with one candidate).  In 2006, in the Summer Chapter Challenge, we raised $11,000.  In last year’s Pioneer Spirit contest, we raised $11,000.  I know we can do better!  Our GOAL for this PIONEER SPIRIT summer is $15,000.  If we did that, we could pay our entire pledge for the Athletic Center in October.  That would give us the rest of the year to work on scholarships and endowment!   

If you are not currently associated with a local chapter but would like to contribute to help someone win a Pioneer Pin, just send your funds to Ann Luchsinger and specify the person to receive the credit for your contribution.  Those of you who currently live in far off lands like Florida, Missouri, and Arizona used to belong to a chapter here in Michigan or Ohio.  Please consider having a fundraiser or two this summer and sending the proceeds to help your former chapter’s Pioneer Candidate.  If you would rather, we would love to have you nominate someone from your out-of-state-group to win the Pioneer Pin! 

Last year, five chapters nominated a candidate.  We would like to suggest this year maybe two or three chapters could combine efforts to insure that their nominee is in the running!  The more nominees, the more money we raise!  Please submit your PIONEER SPIRIT nominee to Lynne Stewart by June 15, 2008 at lestewart@rc.edu or to Lynne Stewart, Rochester College, 800 West Avon Road, Rochester Hills, MI  48307.  Your candidate must raise at least $1000 to qualify, double the price of a Pioneer Membership. 

Please turn in all PIONEER SPIRIT money to Ann Luchsinger, 1830 Washington Road, Rochester Hills, MI  48306. 

Start working NOW!  The PIONEER SPIRIT contest begins May 15, 2008 and ends October 1, 2008. 

Be a part of the PIONEER SPIRIT!

Attention all Associates!  Mark your Calendar!  Save the Date! 
Associates 50^th Anniversary Kick-Off Meeting – October 11, 2008 

As part of the 50^th Anniversary celebration of Rochester College, the Associates are trying something NEW!  We would like to make our first meeting of the school year a very special one!  Our October meeting, the first meeting of the year, is on a Saturday so that our chapter members who are far away can come and still get home before dark.  We are making this a very special day, with food, fun, business, and inspiration all rolled into one.  Our hope is that EVERY chapter will attend, as well as Associates who are not currently associated with a chapter.  Please mark the date and reserve this day for the associates.   

Our day will take place in the beautiful Rochester College Theatre.  The day will look something like this: 

11:00 am          Welcome

11:05 am          Devotional

11:30 am          Pot-Luck Lunch

12:30 pm          Business Meeting

1:00 pm            Inspirational Message - Sherri Cummins, Brighton Associates
                                    Author of Diva’s Devotions to Go and Pink Ribbon Devotions to Go

1:30 pm            Associate’s Endowed Scholarship Fund – Elton Albright, Development Office

1:50 pm            Break

2:00 pm            Presentation of First Associates Hall of Honor Recipients

2:15 pm            Sharing of successful fundraising ideas from chapter representatives

3:00 pm            Dismissal

Please Plan to Attend! 

Associates Hall of Honor 

As part of the College’s 50^th Anniversary celebration, the Associates will initiate the Associates Hall of Honor. Please consider nominating an Associate who you believe exemplifies those qualities befitting this honor.  We will announce the charter recipients at the October 50^th Anniversary Kick-off Meeting.  The number we initially induct into the Hall of Honor will be determined by the number of nominees.  We want to make this an annual event, and thought it appropriate to initiate it at the beginning of our 50^th year. Attached is a nomination form.  Please return completed nomination forms to Lynne Stewart via email at lestewart@rc.edu, or by mail to Lynne Stewart, 800 West Avon Road, Rochester Hills, MI  48307. 

Pictorial Quilt 

In honor of Rochester College’s 50th year anniversary, the South Lyon chapter of the Associates of Rochester College is creating a “Pictorial Quilt” commemorating 50 years of commitment to faith and learning.  We invite you to send good quality photographs of events, clubs, past and present college supporters, favorite campus settings, buildings, ceremonies, etc. that you would love to see memorialized in this personalized one-of-a-kind quilt.  This will be on display on campus during our year long celebration and will be available for auction in the fall of 2009. 

Please submit a good quality black and white or color photo of any size with pertinent identifying information regarding the photo subject by July 15, 2008 to:  

RC 50^th Anniversary Pictorial Quilt
c/o Joanne Duncan
60440 Eleven Mile Rd.
South Lyon, MI  48178

(If you want the photo returned, please send a self addressed return envelope).  To cover expenses and fundraising efforts, there is a charge of $50 per photo to have your photo included in this special quilt.  Checks should be payable to “Associates of Rochester College.”