CULVER MILITARY ACADEMY Class President`s Message

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...to Culver Days
June 2015
CULVER MILITARY ACADEMY
Class of 1955 60th Reunion Leadership
Bob Volkert
Monte Klein & Frank Philpot
George Posejpal
Class President
Reunion Co-Chairs
Honorary Reunion Chair
Phil Bock
Tom Sullivan
Larry Cutchin & Jim May
Dusty Henricks
Newsletter Editor
Reunion Gift Chair
Reunion Gift Co-Chairs
Band Unit Representative
Paul Weyand
Dick Fletemeyer
Bob Evans & Alki Scopelitis
Troop Unit Representative
Battery Unit Representative
Infantry Unit Representatives
Class President’s Message
(submitted May 21, 2015 following the 60th Reunion Weekend)
Greetings from sunny London, our mid-point to a Danube cruise for 12 days. Reflecting on our 60th gathering in Culver brings a smile to us as we recount the wonderful time spent with many old and new friends
who made a point to be in attendance last week. Culver holds a special meaning for each of us. For some it
was the first adventure on our own without parental guidance. Others are rewarded with the lifelong friendships that were initiated and continue today. Joan and I are grateful to all of you for sharing yourselves with
us. We hope we can renew that bond 5 years hence at our 65th and have the Saturday night dinner at our
new place in town.
I want to leave you with a thought. If Culver creates a good feeling with you for what it has brought you
over the years, consider a planned gift in your estate that will perpetuate you and allow Culver to continue
to grow and prosper for future generations. The Eppley Club is that vehicle. Contact Pam Christiansen in
the Development Office for information about the inclusion of Culver in your estate plans (574-842-8181/
pam.christiansen@culver.org).
Thanks to all of you who made the fundraising for our 60th so successful! We surpassed our goal, and it
was due to you. (See Tom Sullivan’s article with details and the list of donors to date.) And, thanks to all
who showed up for our 60th Reunion! I know Larry Cutchin (president-elect) will assemble a team for our
65th that will be very successful. See you soon.
Regards,
Bob and Joan
Bob Volkert
60th Reunion Fundraising Update
Thank you to those classmates listed below who have made a 60th Reunion gift to Culver.
Because of our collective giving efforts, we have exceeded our fundraising dollar and participation goals. For those of you who haven’t made a gift yet, there’s still time to do so prior
to the Academy’s June 30th fiscal year-end. Please join us in making a gift in honor our 60th
Reunion. We hope that you will consider a gift of $19.55 or whatever amount you choose to
honor our Class of 1955.*
Jim Acheson
Bill Bolton
Ben Benedum
Howard Chilton
Phil Bock
Bob Cook
Pete Crew
Tom Allen
Susan Campbell Fournier
Don Crow
Larry Cutchin
John DeVault
Jake Dyal
Bob Evans
John Gowan
Russ Harris
Jack Heiberger
Jim Hodgin
Monte Klein
Bob Kroll
John Lemen
Mike Lintner
Alex Marsh
Don Maunz
Jim May
Art Miller
George Mitchell
Jim Mitchell
Norm Morgens
Dudley Morrison
Hew Mulford
Scott Nettrour
Bob Oade
Jim Pfeifer
Frank Philpot
Hank Reed
Bob Rice
Sid Rosenheim
Jon Schonblom
Alki Scopelitis
Carson Smith
Dick Stanberry
Carl Stifel
Tom Sullivan
Bob Volkert
Paul Weyand
Don Wheeler
Bob Woodward
Ralph Zimmerman
Insert your name here.
Insert your name
here.
Insert your name
here.
Thank you!
Tom Sullivan, Reunion Gift Chair
We add our thanks to Tom’s and also want to thank him for the $15,000 challenge that has
been fulfilled by the increased giving by many of our classmates. Thank you to those who
gave over and beyond what they normally give on an annual basis to meet Tom’s challenge
for our 60th Reunion!
Larry Cutchin & Jim May, Gift Co-Chairs
*You may send a check made payable to “Culver Educational Foundation” to the address
below or make a credit card gift online via Culver’s secure website at www.culver.org/
makeagift.
Culver Academies
1300 Academy Rd. #153
Culver, IN 46511
The 60th Reunion
Twenty-five classmates were
represented at our 60th reunion,
many accompanied by spouses
or guests. They included: Phil
Bock, Bill Bolton, Bob Cook,
Larry Cutchin, Bob Evans, Dick
Fletemeyer, Russ Harris, Dusty
Henricks, Monte Klein, Jim
May, George Mitchell, Hew
Mulford, Frank Philpot, George
Posejpal, Ed Rice, Bill Sandifer,
John Schuyler, Alki Scopelitis,
Carl Stifel, Tom Sullivan, Bob
Volkert, Paul Weyand, Don
Wheeler, Bob Woodward
(represented by Barbara) and
Ralph Zimmerman. On the left
is what they look like:
Now let’s add a touch of beauty
to the picture…………
PAGE 4
The first ’55 event at this year’s reunion was a “no-host” dinner at Papa’s restaurant in Culver. We had
a crowd, as you can see. (Bob Volkert is welcoming everyone back to Culver.)
The next big event on the agenda was the Friday Head of Schools’ luncheon for the Class of ’65 and The
Old Guard Association. As part of the luncheon, the Culver Choir entertained the attendees, and invited
alumni who had sung at Culver to join them for several songs. See if you can pick out our ’55 members
in the picture!
Did you find them? Front row, from left to right – Carl Stifel, George Posejpal, Alki Scopelitis, someone from another class and Don Wheeler.
PAGE 5
Outside the Memorial Chapel waiting for Friday’s Class photo session……
Alki Scopelitis, Penny Nolting & Ralph Zimmerman
Bob Evans & Larry Cutchin
On Friday night, we gathered with all of the Reunion classes and guests for the “ONE Culver” reception and
dinner under a tent next to the Vaughn Equestrian Center. Although humid, the threatened rain held off and
we enjoyed a generous buffet and lots of good conversation.
Saturday morning started off with a class / spouse meeting at the Crisp Visual Arts Center. Bob Volkert led
a business meeting for attending classmates, during which Bob & Tom Sullivan thanked class members for
their support to this year’s fundraising efforts. Bob also shared with us the calls, emails and letters he had
received from classmates who would have liked to attend our reunion but were prevented from doing so because of health or other personal conflicts. In particular, he mentioned Bob Oade, who had been tireless in
encouraging other classmates to attend, and Fred Munn, who wrote a long letter about his past and current
life and inviting classmates to contact him through Skype at fred.munn1.
The next agenda item was election of class officers for the coming fiscal year. Larry Cutchin was elected
Class President, while Tom Sullivan and Phil Bock will continue as Fundraising Chair and Newsletter Editor, respectively. Tom briefed the attendees about the current status of the John & Phyllis Mars Scholarship
(begun by Tom and his family and Bob Woodward and supported by a number of ’55 classmates) and introduced Connor Merrill, CMA 2018, the most recent recipient of a Mars scholarship. Connor hails from
Nashville, and is a fourth classman in Battery A. Here are Barb Woodward and Sandy Sullivan talking with
Connor after our meeting.
PAGE 6
As part of the “changing of the guard,” Cathy Zurbrugg (our
current ’55 Culver Liaison) announced that she will be moving to a new assignment at the end of the current fiscal year
and will be replaced by Pam Christiansen. Here are both of
them at our Class of ’55 60th Reunion Reception & Dinner.
Cathy is on the left; Pam on the right. Thanks, Cathy, for all
your advice and support!
While we classmates were having our business meeting, our
spouses and guests were treated to time with CGA seniors
(l-r) Megan Yeager, Marlaina Parker, and Karen Zhu to learn
about their Culver experiences and the CGA Leadership System.
Below are the three CGA students:
Saturday afternoon an All-Class Memorial Service was held at the Memorial Chapel. In a moving service, one
or two representatives from each reunion class read the names of classmates
who had died in the five years since
their last reunion. For our class, the
list includes Robert A lbershardt,
Michael Bailie, Edward Brown,
Frederick Dickenson Jr., Gerald
Dolan, Ronald Don, Richard Hunt Jr.,
Leonard Kratz, Robart Long, Edward
Loring, Courtney Montgomery and
Gilbert Witsell.
PAGE 7
Then it was on to the Garrison Parade. Jim May was our Guidon Bearer; Tom Sullivan led us in the
parade. Here are pictures of your Class in action:
Getting ready…..
Marching, so to speak……..
While spouses & guests watched
from the bleachers……
PAGE 8
After we marched, a great vantage point to watch the parade…..
The day concluded with our 60th Reunion Reception & Dinner, held in the Heritage Room of the
Legion Memorial Building (which served as our library, back in the day). Here are some pictures:
Pete & Fran Crew
Joan & Bob Volkert
PAGE 9
Jan Klein, Marilyn & Bill Sandifer,
Monte Klein
Paul Weyand, Barb Woodward,
Sandy & Tom Sullivan
Deb & Dick Fletemeyer
Susan & Frank Philpot
Larry & Janice Cutchin
Mary Ann & Hew Mulford
PAGE 10
Helen & Bob Cook
George & Alma Posejpal
Mary Kay & George Mitchell
Judy & Jim May
Jan Klein, John Schuyler & Jo Ann Juliano
Carl & Barb Stifel
PAGE 11
Sunday morning a group of classmates and spouses gathered at Café Max for breakfast before heading
home. Here’s a picture of the group – and of George Posejpal’s uniform adorning the café wall…..
Thanks to all who submitted photos for this newsletter. We had almost 200 to select from!
Godspeed, until we meet again………
Taps
News of the deaths of two more classmates has been received by Culver. May they rest in peace.
Edward Sanborn Brown (Company A), Columbus, Ohio, passed away on October 9, 2014. After
graduating from Culver, Ed served on active duty in the U.S. Army, attended the University of Michigan
and Eastern Michigan University and graduated from Otterbein College.
He worked for 35 years as a computer field engineer with Burroughs, General Electric and Honeywell, including a two-year stint as a DoD contractor
installing military systems in Germany and England. Ed also spent three
years as a freelance photographer on the auto racing circuit, at Daytona,
Sebring, Watkins Glen, Indianapolis and other venues.
Ed was a pilot, a driving enthusiast and a two-time candidate for Representative in the U.S. Congress. A long-time soccer referee, he worked soccer at the high school, college and USSF levels; by his own estimate he
refereed between 5,000 and 7,000 games.
Janet Marie Logan, while divorced from Ed many years past, has remained
a friend every since and remained at Ed’s side as his health declined. In
addition to Janet, Ed was survived by his only living relative, his sister
Catherine Brown.
PAGE 12
Edward Robbins Loring (Troop B), Basel, Switzer land, passed away on
March 9, 2015. Ed travelled the world after Culver, acquiring a deep interest in
history, linguistics and Egyptology. This led to studies at universities in Graz
(Austria), Athens (Greece) and Basel (Switzerland) and a passion for applying
information technologies to archeology.
Because of his interests and skills, Ed was asked by the Russian Academy of
Sciences (RAS) to create a “Databank of Eastern European Egyptology”, and
he continued his relationship with this organization for the remainder of his life.
Here is a photo of Ed photographing the leather funeral canopy of Princess
Isetemkheb at the Cairo
Museum in 2005…..
For more details about Ed’s work with the RAS,
see a Facebook posting by a colleague at
https://www.facebook.com/
EgyptologyNewsGossip/posts/416154615220018.
Ed is survived by his loving wife, Dr. Maya U.
Müller, who reported his passing to the Academy.
~Culver Club Events ~
Culver Club of Cincinnati-June 4, 2015 –Happy Hour (Rhinegeist Brewery)
Culver Clubs of Indiana: Friday, June 19 South Bend Cubs - Friday Night Fireworks
Culver Club of Indianapolis-Friday, June 26, 2015 TBD-Hickory Hall Polo Club Tailgate
Culver Club of Tampa/St. Petersburg-Friday, June 26, 2015-Happy Hour @ The Canopy Rooftop Lounge
at The Birchwood Hotel, St. Petersburg
Culver Club of Chicago- Sunday, June 28, 2015 – Chicago Botanic Garden
Culver Club of Indianapolis-Wednesday, July 8, 2015- Rathskeller Beer Garden 6-8
For more information contact Maria Benner at maria.benner@culver.org
For more information on any of these events, please visit our website www.culver.org/alumni or contact:
Maria Benner, Culver Clubs Coordinator maria.benner@culver.org 574-842-8321