Janie Ausburn Harmon.
Dear MURA Members,
Happy New Year! Here it is mid-summer, and we’re celebrating the new year. The MURA fiscal year begins each July and with it comes leadership transitions. I feel honored to serve as MURA president. I highly value MURA’s purpose “to represent, promote and protect the interests of the retirees and to promote the welfare of the University of Missouri.” Because there is no dress rehearsal for serving as president, the former 4-Her in me remembers the slogan, “Learn by Doing,” which rings true for me as I begin this term. We are grateful for the hours of commitment Mary Leuci, past president, devoted to MURA while she served. I will try to stand tall to measure up to her many accomplishments. Please read MURA successes under Mary’s leadership in the Past President’s Report. The spring social pictures include the MURA Kitty Dickerson Scholarship recipients who attended the MURA spring social hosted by President Mun Choi on April 7. This year eight students, who are dependents of staff, receive $1,800 each. These outstanding students juggle academics, jobs, extracurricular activities, and service to our community. It was meaningful for me to meet the remarkable recipients and their families. The MURA Kitty Dickerson Scholarships are possible due to your support directly to the endowment fund, raffles at MURA events, volunteering at the Mizzou Store, and support from President Choi. One of MURA’s objectives is to provide educational and social activities for retirees. Looking ahead, the year’s breakfast programs are formulating into an interesting lineup. We will kick off the breakfast programs on September 1 with “When the Beatles Came to Town.” Details are provided in the September Breakfast article. (Who knew the Beatles spent a weekend in southern Missouri?) If you have never attended a MURA breakfast, now is the time to do so. You’ll find friendly familiar faces, a welcoming community of retired MU faculty and staff, convenient parking, casual conversation, and a hot buffet breakfast plus an educational and entertaining program. The breakfast buffet opens at 8 a.m.; the program begins at 8:30 a.m.; and the program ends no later than 9:30 a.m. The table of upcoming events lists the programs scheduled for September through December. I hope you will register for as many of them as possible. Simply click here to register for in-person or Zoom. The MURA Board met on July 9, and we had energetic discussion about the new year’s goals to elevate MURA’s visibility, emphasize MURA’s vibrance, encourage new memberships, and increase the number of individuals who participate. Board members are dedicated to engaging with potential and new members and are enthusiastic about the upcoming year. In closing, if your first full-size homegrown tomato ripened by the 4th of July, you are a better gardener than I am! So please send me a message and a picture!
Janie Ausburn Harmon
harmonj@missouri.edu
573.864.4303
