Past President's Message
Dear Colleagues,
In recognition of the Sixtieth Anniversary of Alpha Sigma Lambda, I have been asked to share a few memories of my term of service on the Board of Directors. So here goes
I did not know Dr. Rollin B. Posey. I am of another generation. But I can be reasonably sure than while on his way to the Association of Evening School Deans and Directors conference in 1946, he stopped for gas and paid no more than 12 cents per gallon for it. He probably pulled into a roadside diner, enjoyed a syrupy coke and a fatty burger for lunch, and got change from his quarter. When he arrived in Cincinnati , he stayed in the Hilton for less than nine dollars a night.
I became President of ASL in 1996 on the occasion of the Society's fiftieth anniversary. The celebration took place in Palm Desert, CA. I almost missed the event because of the air fare from my native Boston to California. On my way to the airport, I filled my car for a dollar a gallon. Well, 99.9 cents to be truthful. And my room cost more than one hundred times that amount per night. My salad and ice water with lemon that first evening set me back five dollars. But the trip was well worth the expense.
1996 was a real milestone for ASL in a number of ways. Not only was it the Society's fiftieth anniversary, it was also the year that the Home Office moved to Eastern Illinois University, and the culmination of an era of astounding growth under the leadership of Presidents Joseph Dougherty and Leo O'Hara. The actual celebration, which was principally choreographed by Paul Sable, featured a photographic display of the Society's history, an inspiring presentation on leadership by Terry Deal, and a standing room only reception.
Into this wonderland of celebration, tradition, innovation, accomplishment, and change wandered I. If ever there was a man who feltno, who knew he was in way over his head, I was that man. I met the new Home Office staff, Kaye Woodward, Pam Collins, and Shirley Melton. I knew our host at Eastern Illinois, Dean Will Hine, from earlier years. And I was very impressed with the enthusiasm they all shared for making ASL a unique vehicle for honoring and supporting talented adult students across the nation.
The last ten years of my professional life have been more extraordinary than I ever could have imagined. I have often said that my association with Alpha Sigma Lambda has been the most profound influence on my career. It has helped to focus my attention on what is really most important in our profession, our students. I know that ASL has impacted the success of thousands of nontraditional students. As a result, students who began their studies filled with self doubt are now honored for their scholarship and leadership at more than three hundred institutions in the United States.
Los Angeles 2006. It will be a hardship, but I will probably get a second mortgage and make the trip. Gas ought to be about $3.34.9, and I don't want to even think about air fare and rooms! But I am sure that I will be able to find an inexpensive restaurant in Los Angles where I can have lunch for under thirty dollars. Whatever it costs, I'll be there for the sixtieth. After all.someone has to plan for the next sixty years!
Happy Birthday ASL!
Sincerely,
George Rogers
Past President