Harding Alumni Association Update
July 2003

Susan & Roger Edwards

3124 Oak Hollow Road
Oklahoma City, OK 73120

Tel: (405) 752-9547
Fax: (405) 942-3889
roger-e@eese.com
s-edwards@worldnet.att.net

All-Class Harding High School Alumni Association

 

7 July 2003

 

Hello, Eagles!

 

Susan and I are 1963 Harding graduates.  We had our 40-year reunion about three weeks ago, and the events of this year surrounding Harding were prime topics of conversation.  The closing of Harding by Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS), our school's overnight resurrection as the new Independence Charter High School @ Harding (ICHS@H), and our efforts to secure Harding memorabilia have certainly made for an interesting year.

 

Every Harding graduate I've spoken to agrees that it's time to create an alumni association that spans all eleven graduating classes.  Each graduating class has kept track of its members, and that's great.  However, we need a central point to stay in touch and act, when necessary, as a monolithic group.  Here's why:

 

• Members of one class have no easy way to locate friends who graduated in another year. 

• It will take more clout than one graduating class to obtain and secure Harding memorabilia now warehoused (we hope) by OKCPS. Harding alumni can provide valuable assistance to our "New Eagles" who will begin as 9th graders this Fall and graduate from ICHS@H in 2007. 

• As our numbers diminish over the years, it may become more convenient to have periodic all-class festivities.

• With only eleven graduating classes, we are a small (dare I say) “select” group who should be easier to keep track of than the larger schools, and we have a unique opportunity to be of service to Harding. 

Please send an expression of your interest and any special features that you would desire from an alumni association.  Based on comments I've received from talking to other graduates, I envision HHSAA as a non-profit organization that will provide the following services:

 

·       With the able assistance of individual graduating class committees, create and maintain a database of all Harding graduates and faculty. 

·       Create and maintain a web site which will link to the "master" contact database, provide newsletter style information, and link to individual graduating class committees. 

·       Provide a mailing address and telephone number where classmates without internet access may update personal information and seek names/addresses of classmates they wish to contact. 

·       Serve as a focal point for interacting with OKCPS and other organizations or individuals to obtain and secure Harding memorabilia. OKCPS almost certainly won't release items to individuals, but may allow transfer of items to a bona fide alumni organization for secure storage and display.  Several individuals have Harding memorabilia they may wish to donate, and they might also be more comfortable transferring them to control of an alumni association. 

·       Serve as a focal point for support to ICHS@H and the Harding property. ICHS@H plans a major restoration/renovation of the Harding building and grounds, for which the alumni association could provide significant assistance.  For example, the old MAPS-for-Kids building evaluation prepared prior to the bond issue vote needs to be verified and updated, for which HHS graduates in the design / construction industry would be most helpful. 

·        Serve as a focal point for support to the ICHS@H students as they rise through the grades and begin graduating in 2007.  HHSAA should become their association, too.  ICHS@H very much wants alumni involvement to provide the students with a sense of tradition and support.  I envision our being able to help with the Center Hall Tradition Display, Career Days, tutoring/mentoring, and perhaps as occasional guest speakers at Assemblies.

 

In summary, we have a golden opportunity not only to keep in touch with each other, help preserve the Harding property, and help bring up a new crop of graduates who will maintain our tradition of excellence and to whom we can "pass the torch"

 

Do not hesitate to call, fax, or e-mail with your comments and suggestions.

 

Best Regards,

 

ROGER L EDWARDS

HHS ' 63

roger-e@eese.com