| Spring 2009 Newsletter
Dear Cousins, This is my first spring newsletter and the first thing I would like to report on is the upcoming reunion being held in Seaside, OR in June. The registration forms and schedule should have been received. If you are planning on attending you should get the registration form and fees mailed in. Also your reservations at the motel should be made, pronto. I personally checked with the Seaside Inn on March 22nd and found they have only 15 rooms left. Instead of using their 800 telephone service I suggest you call the Inn (503-738-9571) and speak to Karen directly. She is handling the WFA reunion. Make sure you request the WFA rates. This reunion promises to be a big affair. Almost all the Wing cousins from the West are planning on attending, many for the first time as well as several from the east. I expect to see the attendance surpass that of the 2007 Reunion held in Ohio. I want to mention an interesting concept that I wish others would try in their districts. Recently two of the cousins here in District 4, decided to hold a mini-Florida reunion. Thanks to the efforts of cousins Robin Frazier and Darlene Sprincis organized a group of twenty Florida residents and a couple of snowbirds for a gathering in Grand Island, FL. My wife, Shirley and I had the pleasure of attending. The event was a huge success and plans are to expand the invitations to other Florida members and snowbirds for another mini-reunion next year. I urge anyone interested to contact me and I will forward your information to Robin and Darlene. Several topics were discussed at the spring board meeting. The first was the Treasurer’s report that he estimates we will have a deficit this year and next without some improvement in funds received. The primary reason is because of declining membership dues receipts and increases in operating costs of printing, mailing, insurance coverage, and utilities. Increases in the dues structure were discussed, no changes were made, and the matter was tabled at this time. During the discussion it was pointed out some confusion exists about the subject among some members. It became apparent board members were also confused. The following explanation is offered to clarify the subject. 1) Payment of annual members is due yearly. This includes a subscription to the Owl printed each year. Dues payments should be made by June 1st each year. 2) The membership year begins July 1st and ends June 30th of the next year. The “current” membership year, 2009, begins July 1. 3) Notices for renewal are generally mailed to members in the March – April time frame. They will be combined with the national reunion registration information and/or the spring newsletter to reduce expenses. Additional items to reduce our operating expenses where possible were discussed and adopted. They include: 1) Offering a membership for multiple years, 1, 2, or 3 year periods, similar to a magazine subscription. This will be implemented starting with the 2010 membership year. 2) Implementation of an electronic option for members to receive newsletters, dues notices, reunion registrations announcements and forms, etc. via the Internet (paperless) instead of regular printed material and mail. Members that have Internet capabilities should send an email note to Toni, our Corresponding Secretary, at tnash74528@aol.com indicating your acceptance of this option. We plan on implementing this option starting with the spring 2010. Acceptance of this option will help to reduce our operating costs. Mailing will be retained for members who don’t have Internet capabilities. Another idea, recently suggested to me, was asking the membership to actively recruit new members among their immediate family, siblings, children, aunts and uncles, etc. Membership forms are readily downloadable from the website, www.wingfamily.org or they can be obtained by writing to me or Toni. In other board action: The site of the 2010 Reunion on Cape Cod, at the Cape Codder and the Fort House was confirmed. Chairman for this reunion will be Richard M. Wing Sr. srwing2@comcast.net The tentative site for the 2011 Reunion is someplace in District 6, (Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana) hosted by District representative, William H. “Bill” Wing. A final decision will be made in June at the summer board meeting. The completion of the re-singling project on the Fort House was approved for the contractor to start in April of this year and finish before the opening in June. Phases 2 and 3 as previously described will be completed beginning in April this year. This will complete the major maintenance of the siding of the house. The Treasurer reported that through the fund raising efforts and an endowment from the Dodge Trust sufficient funds have accumulated to finish this project. Thanks is extended to all those that responded to the funds raising requests. The nominating committee to select candidates for next year’s officers has been appointed. The committee will be chaired by past president, Jeffery T. Miller. Lois Wing Smith and another member selected by them will select a list of candidates for the elected officers and recommend to the president, the appointed positions. Members wishing to serve the family are urged to contact the committee with your interests. (Jeff Miller snilr@att.net or Lois Smith smithDKtx@aol.com) Mailing addresses for individuals mentioned above can be found in the masthead of the 2008 Owl. Finally, I would like to express the family’s gratitude and thanks to the officers, who because of term limits, Stephen Button, Treasurer, Helen Piersons, Western District Head, and Richard M. Wing, Eastern District Head, for their dedicated and loyal service to the WFA for the past five years. We hope they will stay involved with the family in other capacities. Hope to see you all in Oregon. Cousin Prez, Halford Wing |
