SUNY Potdam

Fran and Otis Van Horne – Super SOARers 2009

Fran, our "Queen of SOAR" has delivered a number of popular courses on the Royalty of Europe and the First Ladies of the United States. As "Queen of SOAR" she has solicited other instructors to teach SOAR classes, served many years as an active Board member, helps plan and organize SOAR trips. Fran also makes beautiful quilted pieces which she shares with others, including SOAR.

Otis, our "Financial Wizard," gives wise counsel for a steady, balanced approach to budget and personnel. It is largely due to his endeavors that money has been saved and members' dues have been kept so low. We continue to count on him to present a budget with sound accounting each month; he keeps us on track with expenditures and future needs. Being the SOAR financial wizard is an important commitment which he handles with ease and a sense of humor. He also shares his creative side with SOAR members as teacher of the stained glass craft.

Peggy and Dick Mooers - Super SOARers, 2008

Dick and Peggy Mooers (on the left) were both instrumental in the initial formation of the organization. They served as board members and officers of SOAR; they also have chaired committees and taught many classes. Peggy helped establish the Trips and Performances Committee. She organized a very successful mystery theatre event, which was open to the general public. Peggy has spoken to many community groups about SOAR, and she has served as Mistress of Ceremonies at SOAR luncheons. Dick has been a planner, organizer, leader and administrator. Dick initiated the agreement between SUNY Potsdam and SOAR. In the early years of SOAR he served as Chairman of the Board. His contributions include working on the bylaws and developing a Policies and Procedures Handbook. Both Peggy and Dick have willingly volunteered wherever and whenever they knew their efforts were needed

Neil Johnson - Outstanding Contribution to SOAR, 2008

Neil Johnson (on the right in the photo above) is a founding father and a former SOAR Chairman of the Board. He continues to this day to make an exceptional impact on the organization. He has chaired and served on several committees. He has also served on the Board for many years, often working behind the scenes with SUNY Potsdam faculty and the administration to the benefit of SOAR. He has had a very positive influence on SOAR members, inspiring the best in people and quietly calming the troubled waters he encountered. Most of all Neil has been a facilitator, helping SOAR grow and evolve into a strong organization. He attended several national lifelong learning conferences and brought back news to share and fresh ideas to try; in 2007 he helped organize a regional conference of lifelong learning groups hosted by SOAR and SUNY Potsdam. Neil is a visionary who understands the big picture of what SOAR is all about and what SOAR can be in the future.

Jean Theobald and Ruth Kreuzer – Super SOARers, 2007

Not one, but two “Super SOARer” awards were handed out at this Spring’s SOAR luncheon. Jean Theobald and Ruth Kreuzer (dubbed by SOAR chair Barbara Trerise as “a pair of Energizer Bunnies who just keep going, and going, and going”) were singled out for their generous volunteer work with SOAR.

SOAR registrar Jean Theobald works tirelessly behind the scenes, running the registration operation and interacting, as needed, with the rest of the SUNY Potsdam campus.In the most recent SOAR newsletter, with great wit, Jean likened the registration process to assembling and baking a chocolate chip cookie: you gather the course offerings (the “sweet chips”)and mix in the instructors’ requests, stack up the calendar, measure out the classrooms, stir in some publicity, sprinkle everything with good humor as you prepare the mailings, and finally you process the data - i.e. pop it all into the “oven” (which looks like a computer!).

Over the last two years, as Chair of the Outreach and Publicity Committee, Ruth Kreuzer has provided much of the public face for SOAR. Besides doing general publicity, Ruth manages the SOAR web site; she also creates the brochures, flyers and course catalogs for SOAR. Ruth is a frequent course presenter. She also supports other instructors by providing them assistance with using technology in their classes.

Jim Barry, Super SOARer, 2006

Jim Barry has been a SOAR member since the first term, a teacher of stimulating science courses, and a Board Member for four of the five years of SOAR's existence. Jim took over the leadership of the Curriculum Committee from Bill Cullen and had served as Chair for the three prior years. Jim has worked hard to expand the class offerings from fifteen to over thirty-six per term. The quality of instruction and the variety of SOAR's courses have also improved. The curriculum and its development is the most important part and the most time-consuming duty of the SOAR operation.

In addition, Jim has been instrumental in marketing SOAR through helping to improve the course booklets and brochure (and delivering them around the community), following up via phone calls to individuals who did not register for classes the next term - which has led to re-establishing the Membership Committee, this time with the tasks of welcoming new members, promoting social interaction, etc. Jim also is responsible for starting the Super SOARer Award and the "Mugs Program" to reward presenters.

Bill Lewis, Super SOARer, 2005

Bill is well known for his course: "Computers for Chickens, or, Starting From Scratch" which he has taught many times. Bill has served on the Board of Directors. Super SOARer, Spring, 2005.

Leon LeBeau, Super SOARer, 2004

Leon has taught such courses as: "You Can Draw - Better," "Contract Bridge a la Goren," "Watercolors," and "Art Workshop." Leon has served on the Board of Directors. Super SOARer, Spring, 2004.