Garrett Alumni: Staying on track, together, through the decades
Carolyn S. Ridenour
“Staying on track, together, through the decades” Welcome to the tag line on your alumni association’s newly designed media! The phrase reflects the spirit of the 2018-2020 executive board; and we offer it as the mission of the association! You’ll begin to see it everywhere!
What have we, the new executive board of the Garrett Schools Alumni Association, been up to over the past four months since our induction? Following is a part of the agenda of an open meeting of Garrett alumni on the evening of November 14, 2018, at GHS.
We, the officers (listed below), enthusiastically reported on new opportunities for alumni to stay connected to their Garrett schools legacy, and, more importantly, to each other. Let me share a brief overview.
1. Under Bob Johoski’s (3rd VP) leadership, we have begun and made progress in completing the REVISION/UPDATING OF THE ASSOCIATION’S BYLAWS. Gaps in the current bylaws were revealed over the past two years. The future stability of the association mandated that we make this our top priority. We plan to finish this project before the 2019 annual alumni meeting. Thanks, too, to Kyle Branscum and Mark Claxton for being part of this important project.
2. Thank YOU, the Garrett alumni, for your past financial support to the association! Jacob Barnhart, Treasurer, has assumed the leadership of our treasury. Watch this blog for the stories we intend to tell about the beneficiaries of your financial support over the past few years!
3. Under Jenny Teders’s (1st VP) leadership, we have initiated several projects that will strengthen communication as well as foster a logo to be our association brand.
• Prior Facebook page has been revised into a NEW GARRETT SCHOOLS ALUMNI FACEBOOK page. We urge everyone to log on and follow ongoing news about the alumni association. You can find this by searching @GarrettSchoolsAlumni
• This BLOG has been created at garrettschoolsalumni.com. Still in its infancy, we urge you not only to subscribe, but to consider contributing your voice and your stories, to the editor a On the blog we plan to bring a variety of material to alumni, all with the intent of strengthening the sense of community across the generations of alumni, now located in diverse communities worldwide! If you are interested in contributing your voice and your stories, please email us at GarrettSchoolsAlumni@gmail.com
• How have you signed up for alumni weekend activities over the years? How have you signed up for membership? The alumni association has used the U.S. post office during the 35 years of its existence; and we’re not changing that. At the same time, we’re moving forward to build our database of ALUMNI EMAIL ADDRESSES. Email is fast becoming the predominant mode of connecting our shared news across all alums. Please help us by sending your email address or your classes email list to GarrettSchoolsAlumni@gmail.com
• See our NEW LOGO at the top of this page? Of about a dozen designs submitted by the students of Monica Cone, graphics design teacher at GHS, we chose one by Hunter Nodine, a senior. Working with Hunter, Jenny Teders requested revisions in his design a bit in back and forth communication, and completed this logo to brand our alumni association. It will soon be seen on sweatshirts, t-shirts, and hoodies in multiple combinations of maroon and blue. We have been working with MJS Apparel, in Garrett, to have these available for order soon!
4. Carrying on the tradition of linking our alumni association with the Garrett schools, we’ve strengthened the connections in at least two ways. First, Superintendent Weaver committed to providing a room for our monthly association meetings at Garrett High School (the second Wednesday of each month) and a permanent secure storage room for alumni materials and archives. Secondly, we’ve committed to support the important innovative GKB EDUCATION FOUNDATION RESOURCE ROOM http://www.foundation.gkb.k12.in.us/programs/resource_room . We began by asking alumni at our November 14 meeting to bring contributions for the resource room. Teachers choose items from this collection of classroom materials and personal care products for students in need.
5. We met with the director of the Garrett Public Library and the Mayor of Garrett to establish strong ties between those important community organizations and the alumni. We anticipate collaborating with them on future projects.
Executive Board: Carolyn Ridenour, President; Jenny Teders, 1st Vice President; Kasey Schulz, 2nd Vice President; Bob Johoski, 3rd Vice President; Amy Baker, Recording Secretary; Chris Smith, Corresponding Secretary; Jacob Barnhart, Treasurer, Kaleb Kelhan, Assistant Treasurer.