Summer Retreat Redux

By Neely Woods Hunter

Part business, part social gathering, and always a hefty dose of camaraderie, board meetings for Mississippi’s First Alumnae Association always prove to be worthwhile gatherings for W alums.

The MFAeA Summer Board W-retreat was held July 10-11, 2009 in Columbus. The weekend began with an Executive Committee (and friends!) luncheon at The Back Door. MFAeA President Rev. M. Anghaarad Teague Dees ’95, outlined her agenda for the weekend. Small committee meetings were held Friday afternoon. The majority of the board met for dinner at Proffitt’s Porch Friday evening where President Dees asked the group to focus their upcoming committee meetings and small group planning on three areas: visibility, membership, and support. After dinner, the board and MFAeA members met in the Holiday Inn Lobby, broke into small groups varied by age and committee representatives, and brainstormed on the three areas of focus.

The Retreat continued Saturday morning at the Wesley Foundation where all those present met to report on their small group sessions from the night before and break into committees for the remainder of the morning. A boxed lunch from Zachary’s was arranged to allow the committees ample time to meet.

The official Summer Board Meeting of the MFAeA convened at 1:00 p.m.. The first official order of business was to have the newly elected board draw straws for length of terms to initiate the rotation of the board. Board members drawing one-year terms were Jane Dearing Dennis ’80, Ricki Rayner Garrett ’73, and Barbara Austin ’63. Board members drawing two-year terms were Jimmie Meese Moomaw ’58, Del Oehms Hamilton ’84, and Lenore Shields Griffin ’70. Board members drawing three-year terms were Gus Argrett ’01, Kimberly Griffin ’93, and Mack Spencer ’97.

Each committee gave a report and plan that fit the visibility, membership & support model proposed by President Dees. Chapter Development reported great strides in implementing the new chapter models (traditional, informal, and e-chapters); the Membership, Elections & Tech committees moved to acquire new software and programming to facilitate greater ease of membership and elections management. The PR committee helped inform all members and committee chairs about the ways that PR can assist with committee activities. The Special Events committee began planning events related to future board meetings, homecoming, and special events supporting MUW faculty, students and alums. The newly formed Ways & Means committee presented great ideas to begin to rebuild, strengthen, and recommit the organization to supporting MUW and its alums.

The next board meeting of the MFAeA will be held the weekend of the MUW Welty Writer’s Symposium, October 22-24, 2009. All members of the MFAeA are invited to attend. Complete details may be found at www.msfirstalumnae.com or the MFAeA Facebook page.