2 President’s Message APS has gotten off to a busy start this September, with multiple projects underway. The big news is that the first RAPS scholarship will be awarded this fall to a student whose focus of study is gerontology. Planning for this scholarship has been going on for more than two years. We have had a wine raffle at many of our meetings to raise money for the scholarship, and last fall Robert Vogelsang hosted a wonderful musical evening as a fundraiser. Additionally, there have been gifts made directly to the scholarship fund. Soon we will begin more focused fundraising efforts with the help of RAPS members and the Development Office of Portland State. The speaker at the October RAPS Program will provide an overview of PSU initiatives, and parts of her presentation may provide ideas about fundraising. We may also have a board member taking a class on the topic. So the RAPS scholarship, thanks to the hard work of board members and the generosity of RAPS members, is underway. This is, of course, just the beginning of the project. If we are to give a scholarship every year, we will all have to be involved in funding it. A second major project starting this fall is the rebuilding of the RAPS archive. As reported in the September RAPS Sheet, an accident to the RAPS computer meant that we lost much material. With the help of a committee chaired by Steve Brannan, it seems that we are going to turn this catastrophe into an opportunity. He is going to lead an effort to rebuild the RAPS archive in such a way that major documents are preserved and organized for easy retrieval. He plans to consult the University archivist about organizational and back-up options. At the end of the committee’s work we will have a well developed system for recording the history of RAPS. Additionally, you should know that a committee is forming to do the planning for the 2013 Northwest Regional Retirement Association conference, which will be held at Portland State. The book group, the hikers, and the bridge group continue their monthly activities. President-Elect Dave Krug is planning monthly programs that sound fascinating. RAPS is indeed a dynamic organization. I hope you will join in the fellowship. --Joan Shireman Contact information sought for updated RAPS directory he RAPS database is being updated in preparation for publication of a new RAPS directory. According to Larry Sawyer, 2010-11 membership chair, who is leading the effort, few changes have been reported thus far. Information collected for the directory includes the retiree’s name, spouse name (if applicable), home address, phone number, and email address. Members can choose to opt out of any of the categories. “If we don’t hear from you,” says Larry, “we will assume that you have opted out and publish only your name.” Even if the listing in the current directory is correct, every RAPS member is encouraged to send an email to raps@pdx.edu or call the RAPS Office at 503-725-3447. This ensures that the database information is current and that RAPSters won’t unwittingly have their contact information eliminated from the directory by failing to get in touch with the organization. To confirm that your listing in the current directory is correct, update your information or instruct RAPS to withhold certain information, please send an email to raps@pdx.edu or call the RAPS Office, 503-725-3447. Questions? Please contact Larry Sawyer, 503-7711616 or larry_sawyer@comcast.net. RAPS members tour Lincoln Hall wenty RAPS members enjoyed a memorable tour of Lincoln Hall Sept. 15, guided by Barbara Sestak, Dean of the School of Fine and Performing Arts. Seismic upgrades, better acoustics, and comfortable new seats in the auditoriums are just part of the story on improvements to the nearly 100-year-old building, the first on campus to receive the coveted LEED Platinum Certification. If you missed the guided tour, it’s worth taking a walk through on your own. --Dave Krug R T T
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