Luther College Sesquicentennial Transformed by the Journey

Transcription

1 Luther College Sesquicentennial Transformed by the Journey Members of Luther's Student Philanthropy Council and Phonathon group proudly displaying giant thankyou cards at Bentdahl Commons. More than 700 Luther College students gathered to sign the cards and celebrate the generous giving of alumni, parents, and friends of the college. Class Agent Handbook

2 October 2011 Dear Class Agents, Thank you for your volunteer service to Luther! With your help, the college is able to stay connected with alumni, so thank you for assisting in this critical role. The Class Agent Handbook is designed to help you perform your duties. Please refer to it anytime you have a question about the class agent program its purpose, due dates, letter-writing tips, etc. Dates to remember are listed on page 7, but the fall and spring letter draft due dates are also listed here for your convenience: Fall 2011 letter Monday, October 31 Spring 2012 letter Thursday, March 1 We appreciate your efforts to support and promote Luther through your letters. Last year we changed our approach in how we ask for gifts with these letters, and we will again include a standardized give to Luther message in each class agent letter (see page 7 for a sample message). You may concentrate more on sharing Luther updates, reminiscences, and classmate news. Best wishes to you as we begin the class agent letter-writing season. Let us know if we can be of help to you, and thanks again for all you do for Luther. Sincerely, Sue (Franzen) Drilling 78 Tracy Elsbernd Class Agent Adviser Development Office Secretary Director of Special Programs (Fax) (Fax) elsbernd.tracy@luther.edu drillisu@luther.edu

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Class Agent Luncheon/Workshop Sessions... 2 Class Agent Recognition Class Agent Honor Rolls Dates to Remember/Class Agent Calendar... 6 The Class Agent Program Luther College Annual Fund... 7 Programs that Raise Funds... 8 Policies and Procedures How to Write the Class Agent Letter Helpful Hints Communicating with Classmates Sample Class Agent Letter Text Annual Giving Reports References Glossary of Fund-raising Terms Class Agent Roster Parents Council Roster Luther College Alumni Council Roster Luther College Annual Fund Council Luther College Alumni Events Your Class Reunion Preparing the Class Reunion Letter Sample Class Reunion Letters Reunion Giving Program Appendix: Class Reunion Letter Samples Staff Directory... 25

4 Class Agent Luncheon Friday, October 14, 2011 Noon-2:30 p.m. Peace Dining Room After lunch, the following speakers will share information. Feel free to incorporate this material into your class agent letter: Dr. Richard L. Torgerson, president Keley Smith-Keller, director of the career center Dr. Jim Martin-Schramm, professor of religion and research chair in ethics and public life Scot Schaeffer, vice president for enrollment management Keith Christensen, vice president for development When the luncheon program concludes, new class agents may attend the following break-out session: Class Agent Basics, for new agents or first-time luncheon/workshop attendees. Meet in Peace Dining Room. We ask all class agents to consider attending the Sesquicentennial History Walk (Saturday, Oct. 15, 11 a.m. or Sunday, Oct. 16, 12:15 p.m.), a Luther Sketches performance (Saturday, Oct. 15, 1 p.m. or 3 p.m.), or the Architectural Tour of Luther (Saturday, Oct. 15, 1:30 p.m.). You will find each performance to be entertaining, educational, and great material for your letters! See the Homecoming schedule of events for more details, or go to Class Agent Recognition Congratulations to all agents who are celebrating anniversaries of service to Luther. We thank these agents for their dedicated service and offer a special thank-you to those who are retiring. 20 Years Earl Vanderwalker Years Ami (Shoup) Hall 96 Erin Vanlaningham 96 retiring Ann (Edwards) Lee Years Laura (Ahlstrand) Bunch 01 Paul Hoyem 01 Mary (Kittelsland) Haaland 56 2

5 5 Years Chris Bellinder 06 Jamie Sue Schultz 06 Luther Koenig 96 Jessica (Kettles) Pearson 96 Carrie (Nelson) Romaine 91 retiring Sue (Burnap) Geier 91 retiring Mary Preus 63 retiring Jonathan Preus 61 retiring Robert Rosholt 51 With gratitude we also acknowledge these additional retiring agents. Kathy (Willi) Gregersen (3 years) Ray Rusek (2 ½ years) Wally Roach (8 years) Brian MacGregor (11 years) Shannon (Miller) Duval (15 years) Kate (Swenson) Cinnamo (8 years) Sarah (Gissel) Lundquist (5 years) LeeAnn Tegtmeier (10 years) Marguerite Abrahamson (1 year) Finally, let s give a hearty welcome to Luther s new class agents: Karin (Wolding) Abel 61, Minneapolis, Minn. Patricia (McCullough) Edwards 63, Menomonie, Wis. Len Bruce 68, Bettendorf, Iowa (back after a brief retirement) Mary Sundet Jones 81, Urbandale, Iowa Pat (Graetz) Jensen 81, Apple Valley, Minn. Gina Sauer 86, Chanhassen, Minn. Deb Jacobsen 88, Farmington, Minn. Brenda Brockman 91, Minnetonka, Minn. Jennifer (Hinman) Miller 91, McKinney, Texas Joanna Foy 95, Hickory Creek, Texas Jessica (Romens) Schouten 03, Brooklyn Park, Minn. Kate Ingber 05, Minneapolis, Minn. Jonathan Trullinger 05, Fort Mill, S.C. Kelsey Leppert 11, Grimes, Iowa Alex Ulfers 11, Kirksville, Mo. Kelsey Wauters 11, Elberon, Iowa CLASS AGENT HONOR ROLLS for Calendar Year 2010 The top ten achievers (classes and agents) are listed in each of the named categories. Congratulations! TOP TEN - TOTAL GIFTS ANNUAL FUND Rank Class Amount Class Agent(s) $99, Beth (Eide) Bird $40, Jonathan Preus $35, David Roslien, Walter Rugland $31, John Helgeland $31, Madelyn (Preus) & Thomas Lawrence $30, Kathleen (Walsh) Barham, Martha (Anderson) Looft $30, Susan (Ness) Johnson, Barbara (Estenson) Westre $29, Karen Julesberg $29, Kathryn (Willi) Gregersen, Raymond Rusek $29, Julie (Pederson) Knutson, Christine (Ericksen) Moore 3

6 TOP TEN - PERCENT OF PARTICIPATION ANNUAL FUND Rank Class Percent Class Agent(s) % Karen Julesberg % Director of Special Programs % Betty Rikansrud Nelson % Francis Peterson % Arlan Knutson % Frank Barth % Robert Rosholt % David Roslien, Walter Rugland % Alice (Michelson) Collings, Helene (Rowe) Furst % Leila (Hestenes) Gangstad % Wilfred Bunge % Norma (Quill) Fisher % Eugene Nordby % John Helgeland % Frieda (Mindrum) & Ronald Nowland % Earl Vanderwalker % Carlyle Haaland % Karen (Aaker) & Larry Chellevold % Director of Special Programs TOP TEN - NUMBER OF DONORS ANNUAL FUND Rank Class Percent Class Agent(s) Sarah (Quick) Olejniczak, Daniel Schmidt, Megan (St. Clair) Nelson Sarah Carnes, Cale Nelson, Ashley Solsrud Sarah (Gissel) Lundquist, Katherine Ingber Justin Madsen, Kate Roe, Erin Torkelson Carolyn (Peterson) & William Kobler Christopher Bellinder, Jamie Sue Schultz Karen Julesberg Director of Special Programs Paul & Sonja (Shatzer) Gibbs, Michele Minske Erica (Heath) Kennedy, Brian MacGregor Katie Hanson Susan (Ness) Johnson, Barbara (Estenson) Westre 4

7 TOP TEN - TOTAL GIFTS ALL FUNDS $276, Beth (Eide) Bird $275, David Roslien, Walter Rugland $184, Jonathan Preus $151, Susan (Ness) Johnson, Barbara (Estenson) Westre $150, Betty Rikansrud Nelson $139, Madelyn (Preus) & Thomas Lawrence $133, Richard Staff $131, Mary Preus $121, Director of Special Programs $119, Ranae (Keoppel) Gipp, Craig Hall TOP TEN - PERCENT OF PARTICIPATION ALL FUNDS % Karen Julesberg % Director of Special Programs % Francis Peterson % Betty Rikansrud Nelson % Director of Special Programs % Arlan Knutson % Robert Rosholt % Alice (Michelson) Collings, Helene (Rowe) Furst % Norma (Quill) Fisher % Eugene Nordby % Leila (Hestenes) Gangstad % Earl Vanderwalker % David Roslien, Walter Rugland % John Helgeland % Frank Barth % Carlyle Haaland % Wilfred Bunge % Jonathan Preus % Frieda (Mindrum) & Ronald Nowland % Mary Preus TOP TEN - NUMBER OF DONORS ALL FUNDS Sarah (Quick) Olejniczak, Daniel Schmidt, Megan (St. Clair) Nelson Sarah Carnes, Cale Nelson, Ashley Solsrud Sarah (Gissel) Lundquist, Katherine Ingber Justin Madsen, Kate Roe, Erin Torkelson Christopher Bellinder, Jamie Sue Schultz Karen Julesberg Carolyn (Peterson) & William Kobler Director of Special Programs Susan (Ness) Johnson, Barbara (Estenson) Westre Erica (Heath) Kennedy, Brian MacGregor Jennifer (Potter) Walker, Megan (Helling) Wildemuth Paul & Sonja (Shatzer) Gibbs, Michele Minske 5

8 DATES TO REMEMBER CLASS AGENT CALENDAR Class Agent Workshop October 14, 2011 Class Agent Handbooks sent to agents absent from workshop October 17, 2011 Write the Fall Class Agent Letter anytime between October 14 and October 31, 2011 Fall letter draft submission deadline October 31, 2011 Development Office sends letters October December 2011 Spring letter materials sent to Class Agents early February 2012 Write the Spring Class Agent Letter anytime between February 15 and March 1, 2012 Spring letter draft submission deadline March 1, 2012 Spring Class Agent letters sent from Development Office February May 2012 Class Reunion information sent from Alumni Office to agents with upcoming reunions May 2012 End of Luther s Fiscal Year May 31, 2012 Deadline for agents who plan to retire to notify Development Office July 31, 2012 End-of-Summer information regarding fall workshop mailed to agents late August 2012 Complimentary Christmas at Luther ticket details mailed to agents September 2012 Homecoming 2012 October 5-7,

9 THE CLASS AGENT PROGRAM Luther's class agent program began in October 1974, empowering volunteers to pass on information to alumni about Luther and the lives of their classmates, and to encourage classmate gifts to the Annual Fund. As a class agent, you will be working to keep your classmates connected to Luther. The personal touch you provide the memories of shared Luther experiences lend greater meaning and purpose to the fund-raising appeal, which will be included in each letter. Each letter will include language about making a gift to the Annual Fund. Here s a sample: Don't forget your Annual Fund giving! Each year nearly 10,000 alumni, parents, and friends support the Annual Fund with gifts from $3 to $50,000. Strong support from alumni helps Luther secure additional funds from foundations and corporations, and your gift each year helps us reach our goal of 30% alumni giving to the Annual Fund. Here s how our class and surrounding classes did in 2010: Class of 1996 $24,698 from 19% of the class CLASS OF 1997 $26,894 FROM 17% OF THE CLASS Class of 1998 $19,828 from 18% of the class Your gift can boost our class impact on current students! Visit givenow.luther.edu to show your support THE LUTHER COLLEGE ANNUAL FUND The Luther College Annual Fund provides unrestricted, budget-relieving dollars through gifts from alumni, parents, friends, and corporations. It supports all areas of the college from programs and projects in the academic curriculum to extracurricular activities and student life. Since tuition, endowment income, and grants alone are not sufficient to meet all the needs of the college while providing the excellence we expect, the Annual Fund helps to make up the difference between those forms of revenue and what it actually costs to educate students. Annual giving and increased alumni participation are critical if we are to remain the best teaching and learning environment in the Midwest. All gifts, large or small, make a difference and have an important impact on Luther. Charitable foundations and corporations that support Luther, such as the Kresge Foundation, consider your annual gift a vote of confidence in your college. Your gift encourages their gifts. 7

10 PROGRAMS THAT RAISE FUNDS FOR THE LUTHER COLLEGE ANNUAL FUND Phonathon Over 300 students call alumni and parents for updates and support of the Annual Fund. Class Agents Over 100 class representatives serve as liaisons between their classmates and Luther. Agents write two letters per year, reporting news of the college and news of classmates. A message asking alumni to give to the Luther College Annual Fund on an annual basis is included in each letter. Agents serve renewable 5-year terms, often beginning and ending service in a reunion year. They plan and facilitate their reunion celebrations and meet for a luncheon and workshop each year at Homecoming. Senior Giving Campaign Luther s giving program for graduating seniors. It consists of peer-to-peer solicitation and matching gifts from alumni sponsors. Blue Pig Campaign Growing the roots of Luther s alumni giving programs, the Blue Pig Campaign starts with the first-year class and gives them an opportunity to see philanthropy in action. Mail Appeals Letters are sent to various groups of people at different times throughout the year, especially the fall appeal in September, the end-of-calendar year appeal in December, and the end-of-fiscal year appeal in April. Faculty Staff Campaign An on-campus campaign for current faculty and staff that asks for Annual Fund support through payroll deduction or an annual gift. Reunion Giving A program to solicit gifts in honor of a special class reunion. Currently the focus is on the 50-year, 25-year, and 10-year classes. Campaigns run for two years with emphasis on giving to the Annual Fund, but count all gifts in the total for each class. Plaques that display results for the 50-year and 25-year classes are located in the lobby of Loyalty Hall. Some class campaigns include challenge donors. Roots and Wings The campaign theme for current Luther parents. Two letters per year (from Luther s Parents Council) and the phonathon are the vehicles; parents are encouraged to include Luther among their gifts to organizations they believe in. Matching Gifts Donors are encouraged to seek matching-gift opportunities, as matching gifts can greatly increase our totals. Luther s website lists matching-gift information, and donors can search for their employers. Comprehensive Campaign As needs arise, Luther conducts comprehensive campaigns, with various fund-raising goals. However, development officers continue to solicit Annual Fund gifts from individual and corporate donors throughout the campaign period. 8

11 POLICIES AND PROCEDURES Term of Service The suggested term of service is 5 years, but this is only a guideline. Some agents prefer to serve more than 5 and some less, based on their individual situations. A proven method for passing the baton from agent to agent is to make the switch during a reunion year, so the retiring agent can be recognized and the new agent introduced at the class reunion. The new agent can assume class agent duties after Homecoming. For agents who wish to retire, please notify Sue Drilling before July 31. It would also be helpful if you could suggest names of new class agent candidates for her to contact. Classmate Updates Please forward to Luther (by mail, fax , or drillisu@luther.edu or alumni@luther.edu) all updated life information (name, address, telephone number, , career changes, births, marriages, etc.) that you receive from classmates. We will update our database and include a hard copy of the update in the alum s file. Thank you. When you receive your materials for writing the class agent letter, you will find pre-typed classmate update notes, if any were submitted from your class. The pre-typed notes are sent to you for review, but you don t need to do anything with them. We will automatically add them to your letter before it is printed. If you have received from your classmates additional updates that do not appear in the pre-typed notes, you may choose either of the following options: 1. add them to your letter yourself, (and be sure to forward a copy of the original update to us) or 2. send them on to us to be added to the NEXT class agent letter. You may receive feedback from your classmates asking why their notes weren t included. Please explain that their note may have missed the submission deadline, but assure them that their note will be in next time. (And then you may want to doublecheck that you sent it to us.) Notes that are submitted prior to mid-june are usually included in the fall letter, and notes submitted by mid-february are usually included in the spring letter. Faculty/Staff Updates Updates on alumni who are members of Luther s faculty or staff are not typically included in classmate update notes. Please check the Luther Alumni Magazine under Faculty/Staff News for updates on your classmates, which you will want to include in your letter. 9

12 Social Media Using social media is another way to stay connected with Luther s campus. Go to for links to Facebook, YouTube, Flicker, Twitter, etc. Luther News Luther News is a weekly electronic publication aimed at keeping alumni, the Luther and Decorah communities, parents, and friends of the college updated on Luther's current events. Check it out for information on what s happening on campus Delivery Methods vs. U.S. Postal Mail Sending Class Agent letters by instead of U.S. postal mail conserves resources, is good for the environment, and saves the college a good deal of money. However, not all Luther alumni have , so we will employ both delivery methods in the fall and U.S. mail in the spring for most classes and just by U.S. mail for some classes. Luther alumni are able to view their fall and spring class agent letters on Luther s Web site ( and we will continue to encourage alumni to send us their addresses, so they don t miss out on e-communications from Luther. Agents, please Tracy or Sue a photo of yourself (sent in jpeg, tif, or png ) to add to your letter. Tuesday The most recent edition of Tuesday is available for viewing on the Luther College Web site via the office of public information home page. The address for viewing Tuesday is If you would prefer to subscribe to Tuesday as a weekly , send a two-line message to tuesdaylist-request@luther.edu, which says, subscribe end Class Reunions Class agents from the classes of 1937, 1942, 1947, 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, and 2007 will be contacted by the Alumni Office in May They will be given details about their upcoming class reunions and asked to write a letter inviting their classmates to attend. (See Preparing the Class Reunion Letter, p. 21.) Class agents are also asked to emcee their class reunions or to assist the Alumni Office with finding another classmate to do it. Deadlines Alumni enjoy receiving class agent communications on a regular basis. If something has happened in your life that makes writing a letter difficult or impossible by the deadline, please contact one of us and we will make arrangements for a later date, send a more generic letter directly from our office, or work with you to find a solution. Thank you for your cooperation. Sue Drilling Tracy Elsbernd Director of Special Programs Development Office Secretary (563) (563) (800) (800) drillisu@luther.edu elsbernd.tracy@luther.edu 10

13 HOW TO WRITE THE CLASS AGENT LETTER 1.) Use the information you received at the Class Agent/Alumni Council luncheon to assist in drafting your class letter. You may also want to visit Luther s website for college news to write about. Your letter doesn t have to be lengthy; shorter is actually better. Letters that are too long don t get read. 2.) Send us your signature (first name only, in black ink) if you haven t provided it already on the Class Agent Profile sheet. We will reproduce your signature on the letters. If you have a small class and wish to sign the letters yourself, let us know when you submit your letter. 3.) Send your letter draft to Sue or Tracy before the due date. You may , fax, send on a computer disk, type, or handwrite your letter. If you want to include graphics, please understand that we can reproduce them in black and white only, due to the high cost of color reproduction. If you plan to send your letter as an attachment, please save your letter as a Microsoft Word 6.0 (or less) document. Do not save in PDF format. Most computers give you the option to save it in various ways. Development Office staff will format, proof, and publish your letter. We try to not change the style or content of your letter, but please remember that your letters represent Luther College and its mission. Your letters will be mailed, or e- mailed, to your classmates ASAP. (If there are 250 or more classmates, we will mail at bulk rate. For classes with less than 250, you may choose to have the letters and postage sent to you for your signature and PS., or we will reproduce the letter with your signature and mail them from the college.) Remember, sending letters to 80 classes of alumni takes time. Please realize that it may take four to six weeks, or longer, from when you submit your letter to us until it is sent to your classmates. For best results and quicker turn-around time, please submit your letter within the fall and spring deadline dates. As more letters are being sent by , please encourage your classmates to check their spam filters and boxes in case their letters accidently get deposited there. HELPFUL HINTS Here are some tips and suggestions to make it easier for you to write a terrific letter. 1.) Write to an individual classmate, not the entire group. For example, write Dear Classmate, or Dear Friend, and think about your audience being just one classmate rather than the entire class. 2.) Talk about your Luther experience, or incidents that your entire class might have shared, or a current student. 3.) Show your enthusiasm and be positive! Be a fanatic about Luther's excellent reputation, facilities, and students. Believe in what you're doing. 4.) Consider your own convictions. Why do you feel good about Luther? Chances are your classmates share many of your views. 5.) Say thank you for your classmate s support. 6.) Just the facts, please. Please don t announce engagements or impending births; it s better if those items are published after the events have occurred. Refrain from gossip or second-hand information, too; it s best to pass along only information that the alum has released to you, or us. (And please remember to send any information you receive from classmates to us for updating our records. Please mail, fax, or the news to us so we have a hard copy for the classmate s file.) Also, please note that street addresses, phone numbers, and addresses of alums are generally not printed in letters. Alumni can contact the Alumni Office for this information, or view it in the online directory. 7.) Have fun with this! Relax, and enjoy this opportunity to correspond with old friends. You'll be surprised at the many positive comments you will receive. 11

14 COMMUNICATING WITH CLASSMATES SAMPLE CLASS AGENT LETTER TEXT The enclosed class agent letters may give you some ideas for your letter. You can also view letters at If you have any questions about preparing your letter, just let us know. We re happy to help. Fall 2010 Dear Luther College Classmates of 1953, I am writing this the day following a splendid Homecoming weekend. The weather was superb some young men came to Sunday morning worship in shorts. Sitting there in my suit and tie, I pondered why so many social inhibitions came to rest on my shoulders. No easy answer, except that my suit is already twelve years old and in perfect condition. If not now, when? We gathered for the alumni dinner on Friday evening in the transformed student dining room of Dahl Centennial Union. The room acquired a striking new décor over the summer, along with smaller, more intimate dining spaces through the use of partial wall dividers. Following dinner, we moved to the Center for Faith and Life for a short recital by the Jazz Orchestra and the granting of Distinguished Service Awards. There is nothing quite like jazz to display the skill of student musicians. Their virtuosity, however, was well-matched by the accomplishments of eight graduates. Two of the honorees, Norm Rosholt 50 and Scott Hanson 80, have distinguished themselves in military service for our country. Norm Rosholt served in the Army Air Corps during World War II and Scott Hanson is currently serving in the Air Force in Baghdad, Iraq, as a brigadier general. It is good to recognize the sacrifices of few for the benefit of us all. The football team won a match with Cornell College on Saturday. Sunday afternoon began with the dedication of the Bentdahl Commons, a landscape project fronting the Center for Faith and Life and Dahl Centennial Union. It provides an amphitheater for outdoor gatherings, with a pergola as the visual focus serving as the backdrop for the performance area. Add pergola to your vocabulary; I had to look it up, despite its origins as an ancient Latin word. The dictionary provides the following definition: an open-work arch or covering for a walk or passage-way over which climbing plants are trained. There are lots of new plants around it; no evidence of climbing. To the east of Bentdahl Commons, what used to be the library lawn now bears the name Farwell Clearing. Friends provided funds to create new limestone walls in front of the library and add a lot of plantings trees, bushes, flowers in the area. Both of these projects are in keeping with the 1911 Jens Jensen landscape plan for the Luther College campus. The Chicago Luther College Club financed the Jensen landscape plan in connection with the observance of the 50 th anniversary of the college a hundred years ago. Jensen was a distinguished landscape architect who designed the Chicago park system. He emphasized close attention to the patterns of nature, its contours, and the plants native to a particular place. Luther College was headed toward an urban campus design early on an avenue of elms extended from the entrance of Main to High Street to the east. Jensen changed that. You will hear a lot about him in connection with Luther s sesquicentennial, a perfect fit with the renewed attention to the environment in our world. As we gathered on Sunday afternoon to listen to the Symphony Orchestra, Nordic Choir, and the Concert Band, several hundred Nordic Choir alumni were especially alert to the performance of Nordic under its new director, Allen Hightower. The applause clearly signaled approval. Can a Texan Baptist do Midwestern Lutheran, we wondered. Clearly he can, we learned. The best of our music tradition belongs to everyone. We should have known that after 57 years with a conductor who never completely shed his Free Methodist origins. Of course Weston did set aside some Free Methodist taboos, for example, the aversion to the use of musical instruments in worship. He adapted even to loud-sounding cymbals. The senior students of our freshman year at Luther observed their 60 th anniversary this year. We had quite an age spread in the student body then. There were still some World War II veterans in the class of 1950, including Norm Rosholt who was honored this year. What I remember about that long-ago Luther College is how small and simple the whole operation was in comparison with the Luther of today. You will recall Tom Rossing of the class of 1950 physics major, sang tenor in Nordic Choir. He was back for the dedication of his gift to Luther, the Rossing Physics Exploration Center, a physics library and study room in the renovated Valders Hall of Science. Tom gave a lecture on the physics of acoustics, his specialty. He has had a distinguished career in teaching, research, and publication, and is now, in his 80s, a visiting professor in the music department at Stanford. Tom took his first physics course as a sophomore at Luther and Emil Miller persuaded him that physics was a good fit for him. 12

15 As I recall, Emil Miller was the single teacher of physics back then; now we have four. Physics shared facilities with biology in the basement of Larsen Hall. It was a different world. How will the world of today look 60 years from now? Different, for sure. My advice to current Luther students: take a good look around. These will one day be your Olden Days. Jerry Mathre and Lola have finally settled down, after fifteen years of trailering around the country. They are in Pine Island, Minnesota. We trust that they chose high ground, since Pine Island was recently a lake, following torrential rains. We are sorry to report that two of our number died in January, Donald Gunderson of Owatonna, Minnesota, and Frank Mossman of St. Paul, Minnesota. Blessed be their memory! We ll enjoy our 60 th in In the meantime, consider coming back sometime during the sesquicentennial year. You will be hearing about special occasions. Those of you within driving distance of Minneapolis will want to consider the April 17 Palm Sunday Orchestra Hall concert of our major music organizations, with the premiere performance by the orchestra and Nordic Choir of a major composition by Stephen Paulus, commissioned for the sesquicentennial. Homecoming 2011 will also be super special. Come if you can. Best wishes! Wilfred F. Bunge Spring 2011 Dear Classmates, *************************************************************** A couple of weeks ago, our youth group at church made care packages for our members in college. Since I live in such a small town, I extended our list to friends and family to get more addresses. When I was given the addresses, the person always said, Oh, I ll have to them to check their mailbox, they never get any mail. I was aghast! I remember my life revolving around the sacred SPO, even if it was another credit card application it was MAIL. We met at the SPOs, we stood in line at the SPOs, and now it seems to be a passing fancy. I still remember my number 783. I bet you do too. Life at Luther continues to be packed with education, sports, and student life. The men s basketball team is the IIAC Champ! The Nobel Peace Prize Forum is March 4-5. I m sure everyone there is counting the days to spring break and a chance to lie out on the library lawn! We are excited to learn about what is happening in your life. Do you have a new job? New family member? New exciting trip or hobby? Please share it with us so we can share it with others. We are thankful for the gifts to Luther and participation percentage we have achieved this year. I hope we can eventually get to 20 percent participation. So much of what we do as alumni helps the future of Luther and its students. If you haven t done so already, be sure to find Luther College on Facebook, to hear about upcoming events, sports, and music coming to your area. I know when the choirs, orchestra, and bands visit other areas, they are always looking for a place to stay; what better than to stay with a Luther Alum!! Think spring! We hope you are all doing well! Blessings Kristin (Olson) Elerding Konrad Urberg Pastor Scott Searl 13

16 Annual Giving Report B.A./C.E./Study January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2010 # Living Class Members (B.A./C.E./STUDY # Donor s # Donor s % of Annual % of Class All Funds Participation Fund Participation $ % $ % $ % $ % $ % $ % $ % $ % $1, % $1, % $11, % $1, % $5, % $3, % $2, % $2, % $23, % $1, % $1, % $1, % $20, % $6, % $8, % $3, % $68, % $1, % $82, % $6, % $4, % $2, % $64, % $7, % $24, % $11, % $25, % $14, % $48, % $13, % $13, % $11, % $40, % $12, % $70, % $18, % $42, % $8, % $34, % $12, % $150, % $21, % $47, % $19, % $275, % $35, % $55, % $29, % $184, % $40, % $53, % $31, % $131, % $24, % $139, % $31, % $78, % $14, % $57, % $16, % $31, % $14, % $121, % $26, % $133, % $19, % $103, % $27, % 14

17 Annual Giving Report B.A./C.E./Study January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2010 # Living Class Members (B.A./C.E./STUDY # Donor s % of Participatio n # Donor s % of Participatio n Class All Funds Annual Fund $86, % $25, % $52, % $25, % $119, % $28, % $151, % $30, % $33, % $16, % $59, % $29, % $39, % $16, % $43, % $20, % $54, % $17, % $276, % $99, % $95, % $29, % $54, % $24, % $63, % $30, % $87, % $29, % $87, % $26, % $47, % $15, % $25, % $16, % $89, % $24, % $32, % $18, % $47, % $15, % $27, % $15, % $25, % $11, % $15, % $11, % $59, % $24, % $22, % $14, % $24, % $14, % $26, % $13, % $19, % $10, % $26, % $10, % $17, % $12, % $14, % $10, % $11, % $9, % $12, % $9, % $11, % $6, % $10, % $6, % $11, % $6, % $9, % $7, % $8, % $5, % $7, % $5, % $1, % $ % Grand Total 24,466 $4,074, , % $1,244, , % 15

18 Annual Fund Gifts by Appeal 01/01/ /31/2010 Annual Giving Three-Year History CY '08 CY '09 CY '10 Total Alumni Donors 5,787 6,043 5,974 Percent Participation 25% 25% 24% 16

19 GLOSSARY OF TERMS Alumna Alumnae Alumnus or Alum Alumni Annual Fund Capital Campaign Gifts Planned Gifts Endowment The Luther Loyalty Society The Leadership Trust A female who attended Luther for one semester or more. Plural of alumna. A person male or female who attended Luther for one semester or more. Plural of alumnus. Unrestricted dollars used for budget relief. The Annual fund enhances teaching, learning, and living at Luther. Designated funds, or pledges fulfilled over a period of years, for specific projects such as buildings, renovations, or endowments. Luther encourages capital campaign gifts to be above and beyond giving to the Annual Fund. Typically, gifts made to Luther in an effort to build an endowment for the college. Planned gifts are arrangements that take into consideration the effect the gift will have on the donor s income, assets, and tax liabilities. Examples include will bequests, life insurance, charitable remainder trusts, gift annuities, and retirement plans. A portion of Luther's assets held in "savings" to generate income forever. Only a percentage of the earnings of these funds are used by the college. Luther's current endowment is $117,581,196 (fair market value as of 5/31/11), or $47,584 per full-time student (based on student FTE of 2,471). This society recognizes consecutive years of giving to the Luther College Annual Fund. Support each and every year allows the college to sustain teaching, learning, and living at Luther and maintain the level of alumni participation. Those who make gifts of any size to the Annual Fund in 5 or more consecutive years become members of this society, begun in 2006 to recognize Luther's most loyal donors. This giving society recognizes leadership gifts of $1,000 or more in a given year to the Luther College Annual Fund. This group accounted for nearly 50 percent of the total dollars contributed in Leadership Trust Giving Levels: Benefactor Titanium $25,000 or more Platinum $10,000 to $24,999 Gold $5,000 to $9,999 Silver $2,500 to $4,999 Bronze $1,000 to $2,499 Donors at Benefactor levels of the Leadership Trust become members of the President s Council, a giving society that recognizes those who give $1,000 or more in a calendar year to any Luther program or project. 17

20 2011 Fall Class Agent Roster YEAR CLASS AGENT Dr. Eugene J. Nordby 1940 Dr. Frank R. Barth 1941 Capt. E.C. Vanderwalker 1943 Dr. David W. Preus 1947 Mrs. Norma (Quill) Fisher 1948 Mrs. Alice (Michelson) Collings 1948 Mrs. Helene (Rowe) Furst 1949 Mr. Francis Peterson 1950 Mr. Arlan C. Knutson 1951 Dr. Robert L. Rosholt 1953 Dr. Wilfred F. Bunge 1954 Rev. Ronald & Mrs. Frieda (Mindrum) Nowland 1955 Dr. C. Carlyle Haaland 1956 Mrs. Mary (Kittelsland) Haaland 1957 Betty Rikansrud Nelson 1958 Mrs. Leila (Hestenes) Gangstad 1959 Dr. David Roslien 1959 Mr. Walter S. Rugland 1960 Ms. Karen Julesberg 1961 Mrs. Karin (Wolding Abel 1962 Dr. John A. Helgeland 1963 Patricia (McCullough) Edwards 1964 Mr. Thomas & Mrs. Madelyn (Preus) Lawrence 1965 Mr. Larry Mrs. Karen (Aaker) Chellevold 1966 Mr. David M. Rovang 1967 Mr. Arthur A. Johnson 1968 Mr. Leonard G. Bruce 1969 Mr. Richard J. Staff 1970 Dr. William & Mrs. Carolyn (Peterson) Kobler 1971 Mr. James Mrs. Diane (Vlahovich) Hinrichs 1972 Ms. Carol Solheim 1973 Mrs. Ranae (Keoppel) Gipp 1973 Mr. Craig L. Hall 1974 Mrs. Susan (Ness) Johnson 1974 Mrs. Barbara (Estenson) Westre 1975 Rev. Chris Lee-Thompson 1976 Mrs. Julie (Pederson) Knutson 1976 Ms. Christine (Ericksen) Moore 1977 Dr. William & Mrs. Kris (Skeate) Osterbur 1978 Dr. John Mrs. Julie (Johnson) Nelson 1979 Mr. Keith M. Ellingson 1980 Mrs. Beth (Eide) Bird 1981 Mrs. Patricia (Graetz) Jensen 1981 Mrs. Mary Sundet Jones 1982 Ms. Katie L. Hanson 1983 Ms. Kathleen (Walsh) Barham 1983 Mrs. Martha (Anderson) Looft 1984 Mr. Paul & Mrs. Sonja (Shatzer) Gibbs 1984 Miss Michele P. Minske 1985 Ms. Sheryl (Mosebach) Barker 1985 Mr. Charles D. Hoven 1985 Mrs. Cynthia A. Zautcke 1986 Ms. Gina Sauer 1987 Ms. Barbara A. Clauson 1987 Dr. Dean A. Pribbenow 1988 Ms. Deborah Jacobsen 1988 Rev. Erica (Heath) Kennedy 18

21 2011 Fall Class Agent Roster YEAR CLASS AGENT Ms. Laura (Charlson) Frazier 1989 Mr. Christopher D. Hubbs 1989 Mrs. Maria (Spieker) Mickelson 1989 Ms. Kari Christen Richards 1990 Ms. Ann (Edwards) Lee 1990 Ms. Sarah (Peterson) Thomson 1991 Dr. Brenda Brockman 1991 Ms. Jennifer (Hinman) Miller 1992 Craig A. Rabe 1993 Mr. Leif Stoa 1993 Ms. Joellyn (Kilburn) Veninga 1994 Ms. Kristin (Olson) Elerding 1994 Rev. Scott H. Searl 1994 Mr. Konrad M. Urberg 1995 Dr. Joanna Foy 1995 Mr. Brian R. Juchems 1996 Ms. Ami (Shoup) Hall 1996 Mr. Luther M. Koenig 1996 Ms. Jessica (Kettles) Pearson 1997 Ms. Annette (Younes) Baltes 1997 Mrs. Sara E. Isbell Cunningham 1997 Ms. Jodi (Nelsen) Dettmann 1997 Mr. Geoffrey T. Pesanka 1998 Ms. Sarah (Kipling) Lightner 1998 Ms. Kyra (Rusch) McCool 1999 Ms. Jennifer (Larsen) Newburg 1999 Ms. Sarah L. Tofte 2000 Ms. Jennifer (Potter) Walker 2000 Ms. Megan (Helling) Wildemuth 2001 Ms. Laura (Ahlstrand) Bunch 2001 Mr. Paul N. Hoyem 2001 Ms. Joy (Christian) Stevens 2002 Ms. Sarah (Strandjord) McLaren 2002 Ms. Devon M. Wendler Alvord 2003 Ms. Jessica (Romens) Schouten 2003 Mr. Joel Sommers 2004 Ms. Berit I. Griffin 2004 Ms. Lindsay (Hagen) Riebe 2005 Ms. Katherine R. Ingber 2005 Mr. Jonathan A. Trullinger 2006 Mr. Christopher F. Bellinder 2006 Ms. Jamie Sue Schultz 2007 Ms. Megan (St. Clair) Nelson 2007 Ms. Sarah (Quick) Olejniczak 2007 Mr. Daniel M. Schmidt 2008 Ms. Sarah M. Carnes 2008 Mr. Cale A. Nelson 2008 Ms. Ashley M. Solsrud 2009 Mr. Justin T. Madsen 2009 Ms. Kate A. Roe 2009 Ms. Erin L. Torkelson 2010 Mr. Robert J. Anderson 2010 Ms. Stephanie A. Conant 2010 Mr. Paul G. Scholtz 2011 Ms. Kelsey R. Leppert 2011 Mr. Alexander K. Ulfers 2011 Ms. Kelsey L. Wauters 19

22 LUTHER COLLEGE PARENTS COUNCIL SENIOR REPRESENTATIVES John 82 and Sheri Bradley James and Irene Cooley Thomas and Marjorie Czechowicz Jeffrey 80 and Joni Dotseth James 85 and Martha (Anderson) Looft 83 Stephen 81 and Kari Noltner Harry and Sharon Ritter JUNIOR REPRESENTATIVES Mark and Regan Allen Raymond 80 and Carrie (Phipps) Harney 82 Linda (Larson) 84 and Todd Kluge Cary and Mary Lewis Mark and Shari Schultz Carter 83 and Michele (Mertens) Stevens 83 Mark and Paula Voss SOPHOMORE REPRESENTATIVES Timothy and Pamela Alpers Peter and Sandra Cochrane Kevin 79 and Kristi (Wahlberg) Jospehson 79 Chris and Jean Nolte Alicia (Reitz) Anderson 86 and Bob Skelly Onyebuchi and Chinyere Ukabiala FIRST-YEAR REPRESENTATIVES Jeffrey 84 and MaryEllen (Palmquist) Anderson 84 Susan Anderson-Nelson Leofwin and JoBeth Clark Tracey Hirst Mary Ann Kliethermes Michael 77 and Linda Norderhaug Richard 74 and Mary (Edwards) Steinberg LUTHER COLLEGE ALUMNI COUNCIL OFFICERS President Gregg A. Luther 90 Recording Secretary James (Jim) K. Kowitz 03 ADVISORS Michael (Mike) Kust 78 NOMINATING COMMITTEE Erik A. Kaaya 91 Jeff M. McCarty 84 Lisa J. Schneider Strube 87 LUTHER COLLEGE ALUMNI COUNCIL MEMBERS Duane Amhof 83 Maynard Anderson Kathryn P. Armstrong 05 Ann L. Birdsall Beasley 71 Gordon Christianson 49 Lori Beckman Conway '83 Denise M. Davismckennie '82 Willie D. Davismckennie '84 Matt Evans `98 Tim Fleming Sr. `67 Andrew J. Gray '92 Kathryn (Kathy) J. Willi Gregersen '81 Kristopher (Kris) A. Gregersen '82 Julie A. Gangstad Grotnes '85 Jay W. Kautt 98 David Kruse 00 Joseph (Joe) L. Lindsay 75 David (Dave) O. Lomen 59 Joy E. Halverson Peterson 00 Jonathan (Jon) Pipho 97 Lisa Small Steinbauer 88 Jennifer (Jenna) Gavle Steffensmeier 99 Rev. Carol Tommer 79 Thomas Vaaler 62 STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES TBA LUTHER COLLEGE ANNUAL FUND COUNCIL Heather Clefisch 94, chairman Kimberly (Carlson) Bonnet '02 Janeen (Fowler) Christy '93 Michael Dorner '86 Gregory Dotseth '61 Shannon (Miller) Duval 95 Ryan Gjerde '99 Chris Hubbs 89 Justin Madsen '09 Cale Nelson 08 Megan (St. Clair) Nelson 07 Jackson Ode 93 Cara Kennedy-Ode 94 David Peterson 75 Kristin (Silseth) Peterson 75 David Schweizer '77 Dawn (Hovden) Schweizer '78 Daniel Tresemer '97 Thomas Vaaler '62 Amanda Wubben '09 20

23 Alumni Events and Travel Opportunities Luther's Alumni Office plans events in the Decorah area, across the country, and around the world. Events include Luther music group tours, special alumni tours abroad, Christmas at Luther weekend, Homecoming, Lutherlag, regional social gatherings, pregame tailgaters, and other fun events. For a listing of Luther alumni events, go to or call the Alumni Office at (800) The online calendar is updated frequently; some event registration forms are also available online. PREPARING THE CLASS REUNION LETTER In late May the Alumni Office will send a letter with class reunion information to all agents with an upcoming reunion. The letter will include the date, time, and location of your class-reunion celebration; cost; and reservation details. (A lodging brochure, or a link to the lodging website, will be sent to all classmates about a year ahead of time.) Class Agents will be asked to Write a letter of invitation. Encourage attendance and mention special details that apply to your class reunion, such as the homecoming parade for the 50-year reunion class, classmates receiving Athletic Hall of Fame or Distinguished Service awards, or other special events. Plan and emcee the reunion dinner program, or suggest other classmates for this job. Also, recruit a classmate to say the prayer before dinner. The Alumni Office will make arrangements for the reception and dinner. Please let the Alumni Office know at least six weeks in advance if you have any special requests such as special programs, printed materials, decorations, music, or menu selections, etc. Please note that other than a microphone for the program, audio visual equipment is not available at most of the area hotels, restaurants, and country clubs. The Alumni Office will provide door prizes, a cashier, and a campus representative to give a brief college greeting and update. The Alumni Office mails class reunion letters in early July, so they would like your draft returned to them by June 15, at the latest. An invitation reminder will be sent out in late August. If you have questions about the reunion letter, please feel free to contact Sherry Alcock. She will be happy to assist you. Sherry (Braun) Alcock `82 Executive Director of Alumni Relations and Development Services (563) (800) alcock@luther.edu 21

24 SAMPLE CLASS REUNION LETTERS The appendix contains samples of class reunion letters written by class agents. You can also view letters at Feel free to incorporate ideas from these letters into your own. If you have questions about preparing your class reunion letter, just let the Alumni Office know; they will be happy to help. (See Appendix) REUNION GIVING PROGRAM Luther s reunion giving program is a central part of our fundraising efforts. Reunions give us an excellent opportunity to encourage giving, and reunions can increase participation as well. Thanks to the following classes, their class agents, and committees who completed their two-year campaigns on May 31, 2011: Class of 1960 raised $391,075 with 64 percent participation. Class of raised $214,696 with 31 percent participation. Class of 2000 conducted a reunion campaign for participation. This resulted in a total of $54,679 and 29 percent participation. Current class activity: Classes of 1961 and 1962 are working on their Golden Anniversary gift campaigns. Class of 1986 campaign continues, and efforts with the Class of 1987 will begin soon. The ten-year reunion class of 2001 has a reunion campaign that encourages participation. Other classes have already begun creative planning for future reunion campaigns. Campaigns include mail, phone, , and/or personal contacts by volunteers in an effort to outdo the preceding class in three areas: 1) increased attendance at the reunion, 2) increased support of the Luther College Annual Fund (LCAF), and 3) a record percentage of alumni giving from their class. Great connections have taken place, and classmates are excited to return to campus. Thank you, class agents, for your part in encouraging giving through your focus on participation. For more information on reunion giving, contact Maria Smith 95, director of annual giving, at or smithmar@luther.edu. Toll free number is