THE HALF-CENTURY CLUB
WHAT IS THE HALF-CENTURY CLUB?
The Half-Century Club, organized in 1992 by Phoenix College alumnus and Hall of Fame member Royal D. Marks '26, is a unique and vital group of over 1,200 alumni that either graduated or matriculated the college fifty or more years ago. The club is closely associated with the Phoenix College Alumni Association (PCAA). Its members are dedicated to supporting Phoenix College and the PCAA Scholarship Project through the Royal D. Marks/Half-Century Club Scholarship Fund as well as programs like the Phoenix College A.C.E. Program. A volunteer board of directors oversees the activities of the Half-Century Club. All PC alumni who were students fifty or more years ago are encouraged to become involved in our Half-Century Club.
MESSAGE FROM THE HALF-CENTURY CLUB PRESIDENT 
Welcome! After graduating in 1955, I journeyed to Northern California where I spent my adult life and did not return to Phoenix until 1999. I learned of the Alumni Association at PC and became involved as a way to return to my roots and invest time in an organization that will leave a positive legacy for the generations to come.
As the new school year starts at Phoenix College, so does a new year for the Half-Century Club. As your new president for 2008-2009, my goal for the year is to maintain the level of accomplishments exhibited in the past. I look forward to working with Alexis Walker our almost new Alumni Relations Coordinator, and members of the HCC Board. A number of upcoming events are in the planning stages for the coming year, i.e. Home Coming on November 8, Alumni Holiday Open House on December 11, The Eric Fischl Lecture Series in the spring.
Thanks to the continuing efforts of our past president, Agnes Phillips, we have had a very successful year locating a large number of “lost” Alumni and increasing our membership. She has devoted many, many hours to the HCC and we all owe her a debt of gratitude.
With a combined committee of PCAA and HCC members, the scholarship committee is hard at work interviewing potential scholarship recipients. This past semester there were 16 scholarship recipients. One way to become involved is by choosing to be a mentor for a scholarship student.
Our annual Hall of Fame dinner and auction is one of a number of fundraising events which contributes to our scholarship fund. If you have not made your reservations, please consider joining us for the evening and support our scholarship program.
One of the activities the HCC hosts is the Annual Spring Luncheon. Each year the class that reaches the 50-year status is inducted into the Half Century Club. This year the class of ’59 will be honored. The planning committee will be “searching” for members of the Class ’59. If you know someone from this class who is on our “missing” list on the following page, please contact Alexis Walker at the Alumni Office.
The Half Century Club extends a standing invitation to all Alumni to attend our general meetings. Become involved! Call the Alumni Office for times and dates.
Warmest Regards, Gen Martin Kriner ‘55
Every Spring, the Half-Century Club hosts the Spring Annual Meeting & Luncheon. The event serves as a reunion for Half-Century alumni and gives the group an opportunity to welcome a new class into membership in the Club every year.
OFFICERS
President: Gen Kriner '55
Past President: Agnes Phillips '55
President-Elect: Patty Stapley Norton '50
BOARD MEMBERS
Patricia Bingham '53
Joe Bousard '56
LaVerne Blair '41
Don Campbell '56
Gil Cruz '55
Dick Houser '51
Bob Howell '47
Carolyn Humphrey '49
Janet Kirkpatrick '56
Dick Norton '49
Ann Oehmke '53
Betty Pannkoke '46
Willis Peterson '47
Joanne Tessmer '57
PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES
Half-Century Club Spring Annual Meeting/ Luncheon
The event begins with a social hour and brief business meeting of the Half-Century Club board of directors. The election of board officers/members for the upcoming year and the official induction of the incoming class to the Half-Century Club are a few of the highlights. A keynote speaker follows and caps off the event. Among the past speakers have included TV news anchor Mary Jo West, Keven Wiley, Editor for The Arizona Republic, and KTAR news personality Pat McMahon, and Arizona State Historan and PC alumnus Marshall Trimble.
Alumni look forward to this event each year, as it brings them back to campus to reminiscence with former classmates about their PC years as they gather to enjoy an entertaining afternoon
Details about the 2010 Luncheon are as follows:
Date: March 12th or 26th
Location: Phoenix College Osborn Center Culinary Cafe (located between 10th and 11th avenues, on the south courtyard of the Osborn property)
10:30 a.m. - Social Hour and Annual Meeting in the Bob Howell Alumni Center.
11:30: Annual Meeting: Election of Board of Directors.
12 Noon - Luncheon featuring: Induction of the Class of 1960 and keynote speaker.
We are currently seeking alumni from the Class of 1960 for their 50th Anniversary Reunion at the 2010 Luncheon. Join the Planning Committee for the 2010 Luncheon! We need help in the following areas:
• Locating lost alumni from 1960, as well as alumni from 1920-1960
• Planning the Luncheon
• Participating as a Greeter on the day of the Luncheon
Please contact the Office of Alumni and Development at (602) 285-7337 to express your interest! Or you may email Barbara.stratton@pcmail.maricopa.edu to RSVP.
PCAA Scholarship Project
Since 1992, Half-Century alumni have made it possible for financially deserving students to go to college by providing scholarship support.
The signature program of the alumni association is the PCAA Scholarship Project. Established in 1992, this program helps deserving students in need of financial assistance to realize their educational goals at Phoenix College. Thanks to the generous support every year of our Half-Century Club donors who contribute to the PCAA's annual fund campaign "Opening Doors at Phoenix College" through the Royal D. Marks/Half-Century Club Scholarship Fund, as well as other fundraising activities, the program continues to meet with much success. In fact, in the past fifteen years, alumni have contributed and raised nearly $500,000 to support student scholarships.
PCAA scholarship recipients, known as "Alumni Bear Scholars", are reflective of the rich diversity of PC and its students. Alumni Bear Scholars come from all walks of life. Whether they are incoming freshman, adults returning to college in an effort to better their lives, or individuals who find themselves facing a career change, the PCAA Scholarship Project removes the financial barrier of paying for school for students who are determined to obtain a college education. PCAA Scholarships are distinctive in that they:
· Are renewable each semester, provided students maintain satisfactory performance in their classes
· Fund up to $600 in tuition fees each semester
· Are open to part-time and full-time students
· Provide a two-level support system to students through (a) the financial assistance provided by the scholarship and (b) the guidance, friendship, and support of an Alumni Mentor
The Selection Process
Each Spring, incoming and continuing students are invited to submit a scholarship application for consideration. The first phase of the selection process occurs after the application deadline (usually in early Summer) when all submissions are collected and forwarded to the PCAA Scholarship Committee for scoring. Once all applications have been scored, they collected from the committee and each one is totaled for a cumulative score then ranked from highest to lowest score.
During the second phase of the selection process, the top ten to fifteen applicants with the highest cumulative scores from the first phase of the processs are invited to interview with the scholarship committee. Following the interviews, each applicant is scored on his/her performance during the interview. Interview scores are again totaled for a cumulative score. Cumulative scores on each applicant from phase one and two are then combined for an overall score, then ranked from highest to lowest score one last time. Final recipients are then chosen according to the amount of funds that are available for awarding; scholarships then take effect in the Fall semester.
How can I be an Alumni Mentor?
Alumni Mentors are volunteers from among the PCAA membership. Alumni Bear Scholars are paired with a mentor at the time they are awarded their scholarship. Mentor go through a brief training and then are invited to meet their Bear Scholars.
Alumni Mentors . . .
· Maintain contact with Alumni Bear Scholars and ask for self-reports on their progress: This may be done via e-mail, telephone, US mail, or in person, depending on what works best for the student and mentor. A minimum of two communications each semester is recommended.
· Link recipients to school or community resources as needed to held them succeed: PCAA staff may provide assistance in this area.
· Make recommendations regarding renewal of scholarhsips for the succeeding semester.
· Keep PCAA Scholarship Committee/PCAA Staff informed of students' academic progress: PCAA staff will mail progress report forms to mentors each semester asking them to complete and return to the office.
· Encourage students to follow up with appropriate acknowledgements to donors.
If you are interested in being an Alumni Mentor, or making a scholarship donation, please contact the Office of Alumni and Development.
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