This Class Notes column starts the coverage of 1959s who are “giving back” since retiring from their “day job.” Keep the news coming!


Howard Greene has an extensive list of board positions at private independent schools and other nonprofit organizations and says that the 10-year period that he served as vice chairman of the board of A Better Chance was deeply rewarding and humbling. To indirectly help the many talented disadvantaged youngsters gain a first-rate education in our top independent and public schools, and to witness their motivation and risk taking into unknown environments was a joy for Howard. He notes that Judith Griffin, the president of ABC is married to Gil Griffin.


A friend of David Porter suggested he look into volunteer work with AARP. He now helps the elderly prepare their income taxes. He says they are very grateful. He feels it reinforces how lucky we are to be semi-computer-literate. It is sometimes painful to tell someone they owe a couple hundred dollars to the IRS, but when an unexpected refund occurs, that makes up for it. Randy Malin also is involved with the AARP tax-aide program. He is in charge of training 130 volunteer tax-preparers in Southern California.


Reported in an earlier Class Notes column was the involvement of Charlie Pinkerton and Ray Becker in local SCORE chapters. Kent Neilson headed up the Winona, Minnesota, SCORE chapter for several years. Upon relocating to Florida, Kent volunteers in the Senior Medical Patrol (SMP). He helps educate and create awareness among Medicare recipients about criminal abuses that bilk the Medicare system of billions of dollars annually. SMP’s role is to help, especially the elderly, recognize the accuracy of claims they receive from Medicare. He encourages classmates to look into SMP programs in their locales. 


Many of our classmates are using their career experiences to teach others. John Ferries’ career was in advertising and media and required him to go to a different continent almost weekly. In retirement John is in his sixth year teaching advertising, consumer behavior and market research at Colby-Sawyer College (formerly Colby Junior College) in New London, New Hampshire. He also is teaching adult education courses in conjunction with Adventures in Learning (Colby Sawyer) and Institute for Lifelong Education at Dartmouth (ILEAD). 


After a career in the telephone business, Jim Wooster has been co-leader for 11 years of the “Great Decisions” course for ILEAD. This past spring he co-taught on eight current foreign policy topics. In addition to being involved teaching for AARP, Randy Malin also teaches classical music appreciation at two senior centers. While not a career experience, he says he makes it work by staying just one week ahead of the class.


Emily and Al Ziegler are teaching an important subject: marriage preparation. They mentor prospective brides and grooms through a four-session curriculum each year. More to come on Al’s many ways of giving back.


In my last column I had Alan Hurlbut’s name misspelled. Sorry, Alan.


—Allan Munro, 675 Main St., New London, NH 03257; (603) 526-2176; amunro1@comcast.net