Siuslaw Alumni Association

Purpose

The Siuslaw Alumni Association is a nonprofit 501(c)(7) organization created to share pride in our alma mater and give forward to enhance the lives of our fellow graduates.

 

Our objectives are:

1. To  maintain and renew contact with past, present, and future student body members of SHS. 

2. To arrange an annual meeting for past graduates, attendees, teachers and associates of SHS.

3. Maintain a historical record of SHS. 

4. Collect donations to a scholarship fund for annual distribution to SHS graduates. 

5. Maintain a contact list, for non-commercial use only, of known graduates.

 

About Us/History

In the spring of 2000, Wanda Ziemer Hoberg contacted Zelda Sanborn Suniga asking for a meeting of the members of the class of 1950. Zelda then contacted Mary Lynn (Mimi) Cooper Smith, Darlene Strahm Rinard, Edna Wolf Jenson and Ivan Olson asking that they meet at the Valley River Inn in Eugene, Oregon.

 

These six members of the class of 1950 met and concluded that it was the duty of the 50-year class to sponsor a reunion open to other class years. In addition, the class of 1949, headed by Frank Suniga and Romona Meink Slocum had continued an annual reunion event by spearheading their 50-year reunion in Florence, in which they had an open invitation for other classes to join them.

 

The class of 1950 determined that there was a need for something more permanent rather than depending the class celebrating their 50-year reunion being the sponsor of an all school reunion.

 

The class of 1949 meet in 2000 at the Elks Lodge in Florence where Ivan Olson presented a draft Constitution and bylaws for a Siuslaw High School Alumni Association. These were adopted at a meeting in September of 2001 at the first Siuslaw Alumni Association meeting, which was held at the Elks Lodge in Florence. It was agreed that board members and officers have been responsible for their travel cost, thus allowing more funds to be focused on the interest of the association.

 

The first officers were: Ray Circle, president; Zane Ziemer, vice president; Betty Ryder Olson, secretary; Wanda Ziemer Hoberg, treasurer. Ivan Olson was named advisor to the board of directors.

 

Zane Ziemer was instrumental in obtaining a charter from the State of Oregon naming the association a nonprofit organization, thereby providing a tax deduction for contributions to the scholarship fund.

 

The first few years the annual meetings were held at the Elks Lodge in Florence with an attendance of about 65. Chuck Suniga a Siuslaw High graduate and professional musician and entertainer living in Portland, Oregon provided entertainment at two of the meetings. The number attendees continued to increase, outgrowing the facilities at the Elks Lodge and the annual meeting was moved to the Three Rivers Casino.

 

The line of presidents for the association are as follows: Ray Circle, Ivan Olson, Zane Ziemer, Andy Nordahl, Len Tabor, Wes Strahm, Lou Anne Woods Fore, Mike Bones.

 

As the primary focus of the association is to provide scholarships to graduates of Siuslaw High School, a scholarship committee was formed. The line of chairs for the committee were as follows: Betty Ryder Olson, Ramona Meink Slocum, and Sharon Gwynn Strahm. Funds for the scholarships are obtained from individual members contribution, and ticket sales for door prizes and a silent auction held at the annual meeting. Local individuals and merchants provide the products and services for the door prizes and silent auction.

 

In order to keep the association members informed a newsletter called “The Sands of Time” was developed and as of 2016 was being mailed to about 885 individuals. The first editors were Ivan and Betty Olson, followed by Andy and Evelyn Nordahl, Len Tabor, Carolyn Lockwood Nordahl, and currently Jennifer Archer.

 

In addition to the newsletter, the association has a Facebook page (Siuslaw Alums/Beth Meadows) and this website (www.siuslawalumni.org).

 

The association board of directors commonly meets three times each year; in the winter, spring and again the day of the annual reunion. These meetings are open to all members. Click to read the Articles and Bylaws.