Scholarship Update
For your information, Debra Bjurstrom Carlson, Bob Groene, and Jon Chapman recently benefited from a highly informative tour of the Area Career Center at UTHS in East Moline. About 40 MHS students attend this Center part-time to participate in a dozen vocational training programs including automotive, graphic design, machining, nursing, welding and more. Our tour was hosted by the center’s experienced and capable Director, Larry Shimmin.
Our objective was to understand the center's diverse activities to be better able to communicate our scholarship availability to its MHS participants. Will we be successful?
Stay tuned......
Jon
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$65,000 by the 55th Challenge
MHS 65 Classmates,
The clock keeps ticking! When we graduated in ‘65, I thought age 40 seemed old. Then, as 40 neared, I recalibrated to 50, then to 60, then 65. Now, at 72, it’s increasingly difficult to credibly deny that we’re in the autumn of our lives! Do you realize that, at 72, we’ve lived about 2.27 BILLION seconds! (Assuming that at 72, I can still do the math.)
Increasingly I find myself asking, “What have I accomplished? and What’s my legacy?” You may be pondering similar questions.
Your classmates who created our MHS 65 Scholarship--Steve Acord, Louis Ainsworth, Cheryl Anderson Lehew, Deb Bjurstrom Carlson, Barry Curtis, Marie Flatley, Bob Groene, Jeff Johnson, Rusty Hanneman, Marg Rosborough Duer, and Jon Chapman--and ALL who have contributed to our Scholarship believe it’s a fitting Legacy of our Class. THANK YOU!
As our 55th class reunion approaches (September 25-26, 2020), we’re closing in on our long-term objective of raising $65,000 (our fund balance is nearing $45,000 after having made 5 awards.) This year's program challenges ALL to help reach $65,000 by our 55th reunion, assuring we all have a notable lasting legacy.
To significantly help us toward $65,000, two gracious and generous classmates, Louis Ainsworth and Anonymous, have EACH pledged up to $5,000 via this challenge:
* ALL contributors will have their contribution matched by EACH challenger, up to their respective $5,000 cap. For example, a $200 contribution will yield a $200 match from EACH Challenger, resulting in a $600 Scholarship benefit!
* The effective period for this challenge is now through December 31, 2019.
Thank you Louis and Anonymous! Under this exciting program, $65,000 by the 55th is possibly achievable!
In this time of Thanksgiving and year-end tax planning, please join in both helping worthy MHS grads and securing our class legacy as helpful, caring individuals!
Please remember the tax efficiency of contributions via Qualified Charitable Distributions for those of us taking Required Minimum Distributions from eligible retirement accounts. Also, the Moline Foundation can accept credit card contributions; please call Claudia Meenan at 309 736 3800 for details.
You can send your contribution to:
Moline Foundation--MHS 65
1601 River Drive, Suite 210
Moline, Illinois 61265
Thank you, good luck to us, and best regards,
Jon Chapman
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Meet Morgan Hemmen, Our Scholarship Winner for 2019
Hi Class of '65,
My name is Morgan Hemmen. I am a freshman at Scott Community College and a goalkeeper on the women’s soccer team. I will obtain my associate's degree in pre-physical therapy and transfer to a university where I will pursue a doctorate degree in pediatric physical therapy.
Thank you for contributing to my future success and that of other graduates from Moline High School.
Morgan
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Our Foreign Exchange Student -- Nazek Fahmy Habib
It's been far too long (50+ years) since we've heard much from our class exchange student, Nazek Fahmy, but Mary Parsons Caisley, her Moline host, recently met up with her in Alexandria, Egypt. It looks like a joyous reunion. And we've been given the okay to post these pictures of them now. Hopefully we can get a little more information later.
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Join your classmates to enjoy a MHS '65 get together!
Jerry and Phyllis Miller, Bob Groene, Curt ANDERSON, Barry Curtis, and Ron VanDaele
HAFNERS — A Moline institution that time has changed very little--the interior is proof! Even their recent remodel was only to the kitchen and floor. But the food is is excellent and the fellowship even better--especially at lunchtime on the first Wednesday of the month when members of the MHS class of '65 gather. Conversation at times includes "Hafner stories of yesteryear"-- do you have one?
All are welcome--join in on Wednesday, December 4th, at 11:30-ish this month and every first Wednesday of the month in the future.
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September 25-27, 2020
for our 55th Reunion
Both the casual Friday and the Saturday dinner will be at Jumers, Rock Island. Check back here for the PROMO CODE for discounted room rates. Sunday brunch will be at The Lodge at the Conservancy thanks to Joyce McMinn Strach’s generosity.
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Scholarship for the Trades
As you consider helping the next generation by donating to our class scholarship, please remember that since its inception our scholarship has been available to those choosing a career in the trades. And the evidence is mounting that it’s a good option for many especially in this high tech environment.
Here are a few more stats to support giving these kinds if scholarships.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/decades-pushing-bachelors-degrees-u-s-needs-tradespeople
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February 18, 2019
Challenge Success!
With the participation of 19 kind-hearted individuals, our year-end MHS 65 Scholarship fundraising challenge resulted in our largest fundraising effort to date. We raised $10,605—including full payout of the Chapman Challenge--for the benefit of worthy MHS grads in perpetuity!
Five first-time contributors believed sufficiently in our efforts to give $900, which was tripled to yield a $2,700 scholarship benefit. Thank you Sue Fusselman Ferrell & Steve, Richard & Ellen Miller, Connie Springer Nehlsen, Dave Warren, and Jack Gabelhausen, in memory of our friend Judy Myers Gabelhausen.
Further, 14 repeat contributors reaffirmed their support to give $7,905, including matches. Thank you, thank you: Steve Acord*, Louis & Sue Ainsworth*, Cheryl Anderson Lehew*, Norm Anderson, Debra Bjurstrom Carlson*, Suzee Carson Branch & Steve, Marie Flatley*, Rusty & Sonja Hanneman*, Perry Hansen, Carl & Charlene Jensen, J. Pierce Myers, Pam Peterson Verhille, Marg Rosborough Duer*, and Jon Chapman*.
*indicate Scholarship Leadership member, who also give their time and talents.
Also, an anonymous individual (named above) agreed to match $1,000 of contributions, resulting in a total match of $6,000 (Chapman plus anonymous). His/ her stated hope and challenge to us all is that in 2019 or after someone will also become a new Challenger/Matching contributor!
If you’re considering participating in the future--either periodically or as an end-of-life bequest--thank you! Good luck to us in leaving a wonderful legacy of our Class of Caring Individuals!
Best personal regards,
Jon Chapman
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More photos. . .
If you'd like to post photos, just let us know or just add to the albums already available under the section called Photos: Then and Now. Two more albums were added recently for the 30th and 35th reunions. Please feel free to include your photos in them. You never know when they might put a smile on someone's face.
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Legacy Project Update
Scholarship Success—Part 1
You will be pleased to learn that our Class of ’65 has reached our near-term goal of perpetually funding one, $1,000 annual scholarship!
Thanks to all who have contributed, our scholarship fund balance is about $29,000 after having made three awards! You’ll see the names of contributors at our MHS 65 website under Scholarship Contributors.
Now it’s on toward our longer-term goal of reaching $65,000, which will enable multiple perpetual awards to worthy young MHS grads--a fabulous legacy of our Class!
Please note that even with recent tax law changes, your scholarship contributions can be tax efficient. For example, if you are required to take minimum distributions from qualified retirement accounts (RMDs), your plan custodian can send a portion of your RMD to a qualified charity such as the MHS 65 Scholarship. This is called a Qualified Charitable Distribution; it counts toward your RMD, and, importantly, is NOT taxable income to you.
Other tax efficient gifting techniques are shown at the Scholarship page of our MHS 65 website under the Tax Efficient Gifting tab.
Reaching higher—Part 2
Please join the class today in helping worthy young MHS grads become the best they can be.
Your donation can be made to:
MHS 65 Scholarship
% The Moline Foundation
1601 River Drive Suite 210
Moline, Illinois 61265
—Jon Chapman and your MHS 65 Scholarship Group
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