Newsletters

July 2009

From our President's Desk

It is not new news… We are living in turbulent and unpredictable times. If one likes to be safe, predictable, and orderly, one usually depends upon building routines and habits. Our Flagship University (an institution too large to fail) survived the legislative budget process in which they will receive funding equivalent to the previous year with the University commitment to hold tuition at current levels. The lack of predictability resulted in a disappointing delay of construction of the Ellis Fischel Cancer Hospital and the societal benefits of construction jobs, building materials sales and ultimately improved and more convenient health care.

If you are an adventurous person and have learned risk assessment you can see challenge and opportunity in this rapidly changing world. Your MURA organization will pursue these challenges, always being mindful that our Association will strive to represent, promote and protect the interests of the retirees and our University.

Under the leadership of President Kee Groshong and Past President Jo Behymer our MURA membership has enjoyed sustained growth. The extraordinary leadership of Roger Mitchell and Ernest Hilderbrand, Co-chairs of our Membership Committee, along with the efforts of the committee, resulted in this achievement.

Our informational sessions and our social functions had reasonable attendance and were enjoyed by most. I am pleased to report that all these events, save one, will be held at the Reynolds Alumni Center next year. The easy garage access and our familiarity with the building make this a great location for MURA gatherings.

Please refer to the events listing in the newsletter for the dates and locations and please find a way to attend. Your presence, comments, and questions can only improve the effectiveness of MURA.

Please express your appreciation to Kee Groshong, Jo Behymer, members of our board, and members of our various committees for their productive work last year. If you have ideas, suggestions or criticisms please bring them to my attention or to the attention of any member of the Board as we would like to be responsive to your interests.

J. Barton Boyle

About membership dues

by Ernest Hilderbrand

Please check your membership status and email address by looking below the return address on this newsletter. If it says ‘Dues are due,’ please pay your 2009 MURA dues. A lifetime membership makes it easier for everyone as concerns dues. If your email address is missing or incorrect, please send your correct email address to HilderbrandE@missouri.edu or some other MURA officer.

Celebrating MU loyalty

Text taken from Mizzou Weekly 4/30/09

There were hugs and handshakes when MU retirees gathered April 28 in the Hearnes Center for the Chancellor’s annual Retirees Luncheon. If one were to sum the many years of service to MU contributed by the more than 250 in attendance, it would surely represent several millennia of campus loyalty and devotion.

Chancellor Brady Deaton congratulated retirees for their continuing contributions to MU and to our Columbia community, pointing out that numerous faculty and staff retirees remain active in teaching and research. “I look around this university and see many retirees so involved in leadership roles,” Deaton said. He urged retirees to “stay aware of what’s happening in the civic affairs of this state and make sure your voice is heard.” The chancellor described the annual luncheon as “a celebration of loyalty.”

Kee Groshong, Vice Chancellor Emeritus for Administrative Services and current president of our MU Retirees Association, enumerated contributions made by retirees. For example, retirees give generously to our United Way campaigns.

When For All We Call Mizzou campaign concluded in late 2008, retirees had donated $29.7 million to the drive, which amounted to 78 percent of total dollars contributed by faculty, staff, and retirees. Groshong urged those retirees who are not already members of MURA to consider joining.

Our annual luncheon provides the occasion in which to recognize particular MU retirees for their contributions to our larger community. A Retiree of the Year Award is presented each year to one retired faculty member and one retired staff member. This award recognizes continuing contributions made during five or more years since retirement. The faculty award recipient this year is James Creed, Professor Emeritus of Veterinary Medicine, and the staff retiree award recipient for 2009 is Ernest Hilderbrand, who retired from the Department of Computing Services.

Creed, who retired in 1992, continues to be involved in veterinary medical organizations, such as the committee for the Western States Veterinary Conference. He has also chaired the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Conference.

He is also active in the local Optimist Club, where he has held every office in that service organization. He also sits on the High Council of the Mormon Church. Other good deeds include his work with Boy Scouts, in which he assists young men pursuing Eagle Scout achievement. He also often speaks to youth groups about care of their pets.

Hilderbrand retired from Computing Services in 2000. Since then, he has put his expertise to good use, leading our MU Retirees Association in the development and maintenance of our membership and mail databases critical to our group’s outreach and efficiency. His work with the Kiwanis Club, Habitat for Humanity, and Cleanup Columbia is widely recognized.

A special project of Hilderbrand’s in recent years has been his work with the Midwest Wood Workers Association, in which he is chair of the Toy Project. This past year, he and fellow members built and assembled 2,500 toys that were given to day care centers, the Ronald McDonald House, and other children’s service organizations.

UM benefits news

by Mike Paden

We announce the availability of the MyHR system for University retirees. MyHR is a secure website that has been developed to allow University retirees to access their benefits and certain personal information at the University. Access to MyHR is available at https://myhr.umsystem.edu. A tutorial on how to use MyHR is available at http://www.umsystem.edu/ums/departments/hr/myhr/.

Retirees are now able to view the following information:

Address
Benefit enrollment status
Current Federal and State income tax withholdings
Direct deposit arrangements for retirement benefits. Every retiree will be able to make online changes at MyHR to his/her:
- Address
- Federal income tax withholdings
- Direct Deposit of your monthly benefit payment (aka pension) to your bank account

At MyHR, we’ve included a section that allows a retiree to provide (and change as needed) his/her current e-mail address that UM will be able to use in communicating with retirees, which will allow for more timely distribution of information at a lower cost to the University. In addition, this ability to maintain e-mail addresses for retirees will be useful to MURA as it communicates with its members. We encourage MURA membership to take advantage of this new provision.

UM Benefits Office:573-884-3222

The aging front

by Ann Gowans

I hope you are all having a wonderful summer and are looking forward to a change of season.

At this writing our state legislature has begun their break, and the folks who represent us are looking toward the upcoming challenges of funding senior needs next year. You all need to stay in touch with your representatives in the House, Senate, and Governor’s office and let them know your thoughts concerning senior interests. What we of the Aging Front want and need is important.

Something I thought you might be interested in is hearing of the latest award for the Lifelong Learning/Third Age Educational Program conferred by the Mind Alert section of the American Society on Aging. This honor went to the Senior Center Without Walls in Oakland, California. This program of Senior Resources offers activities, friendly conversation, and an assortment of classes and support groups to home bound elders and those who find it difficult to travel to a community senior center or lifelong learning facility.

Senior Center Without Walls is available to seniors in Northern California who have difficulty getting out to community activities. These might include disability, illness, transportation challenges, care giving responsibilities, and other hindrances. All of the activities take place on the telephone, with participants calling in from their own homes. The program also provides for volunteers who make friendly reminder calls to participants who wish to be called on the days of activities scheduled with the service. This program is something that our MURA members might be interested in exploring.

The Mind Alert Program is also doing ongoing studies on cognitive functioning. Their latest results show that regular exercise is one of the best methods for maintaining your mental acuity. Exercises should involve problem solving, playing games—with or without a computer—or old fashioned crossword puzzles. Believe me, it works. Take good care of yourself and have a great summer. I’ll be back with you in our October MURA Newsletter.

Retirement, Health, and Other Benefits Advisory Committee—Report

by Al Hahn

Our committee had an interesting academic year. (Minutes are posted at http://mura.missouri.edu/benefits-committee/.) We met in February with new VP for Human Resources, Betsy Rodriquez, from whom we heard details of the state of our UM retirement fund. Perhaps you have already heard that the fund has lost value during the current recession, enough so that actuarial projections required additional infusions from our UM budget. Thus, UM System decided to institute a mandatory contribution from active, full-time employees, based on annual salary. (This adjustment does not affect retirees.) However, the fund does appear to have fared economic reversals reasonably well, with no effect on retiree pensions.

Other items discussed included the proposed closing of The Health Connection (THC) in the School of Health Professions. In April our committee met with Dean Richard Oliver, who made clear the financial crisis facing the School, but our committee urged that THC be saved. At a later meeting with an ad hoc committee dealing with THC, Dean Oliver, in early May, decided to continue the program, provided that recommendations made by that ad hoc committee were implemented. (Editor’s note: See Vicki Curby’s article about THC.)

If you wish to learn more about our Committee, go to: http://committees.missouri.edu/retiree-benefits/index.php. And, you can see the current members at http://committees.missouri.edu/retireebenefits/members.php. Current retired Committee members include myself, John Bauman, Doris Littrell, and Marge Leavene. I can be reached via my e-mail at hahna@missuri.edu.

Health Connection remains open

by Vicki Curby

MURA was instrumental in keeping The Health Connection (THC) open, arguing that it is a health and fitness facility designed for those wishing to improve wellness through a variety of programs.

In addition to cardiovascular and strength equipment, group fitness classes include aerobics, chair classes, Pilates, Tai Chi, toning, fitness over 50, and yoga. Instructors, who are specialists in working with seniors, adjust class activities for both beginners and advanced exercisers.

THC is in Hillcrest Hall on Stephens College Campus at the corner of William and Walnut (next to Boone Medical Plaza) ph. 882-1718. Web address: http://www.muhealth.org/body.cfm?id=239

Breakfast lectures continuing - fall 2009

by John Parker

Attendance at MURA breakfast programs continues to be impressive, as do the speakers. Jack’s Gourmet Restaurant provides a cozy meeting facility, hot breakfast, spacious parking, and stimulating presentations. Consider attending MURA breakfast programs during this coming fall term.

You may make reservations for programs by contacting me directly at JParkerok@aol.com, or by phoning me at 573-442-5215, or by mailing your reservation request to me at 2503 Mallard Court, Columbia, MO 65203.

(Cost continues to be an affordable $8.00, payable at the door.)

Anyone wish to lend a hand to students moving into residence halls in August?

From Dick Otto

Faculty, staff, and retirees will gather on Wednesday, August 19 at 12:15 p.m. in the lobby of the Reynolds Alumni Center. From there we will go to residence halls.

Volunteers will receive a commemorative T-shirt. Our day will end no later than 4:30 p.m., but we usually run out of students before then. I will assist with assembling our group and guiding volunteers to the proper locations.

Let me know at OttoR@missouri.edu if you need more information. Last year helpers included MURA members Kee Groshong, Gary Smith, and Barton and Charmian Boyle.