Sharks are as tough as those football fans who take their shirts off during games in Chicago in January, only more intelligent.
Dave Barry “

For last year’s words belong to last year’s language. And next year’s words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning. (from T.S. Eliot's famous poem "Little Gidding," the final part of his Four Quartets)

January seems to be a month of mixed feelings. Some despise January while some celebrate it as a chance for new beginnings. I thought a little Dave Barry humor might help those who despise January muddle through the month and, for those who see a chance for a new beginning, T.S. Eliot is singing your song.

January Board Meeting

After a month off the Board members had much bottled up and there were a number of interesting reports and discussions.

• Ex-officio member Myles Lynk, Dean of the Emeritus College, expressed the College’s desire that our members be aware of the various Emeritus College events, especially their colloquia. The next is coming up in mid-February. These are wonderful talks and the parking in the Fulton Center will be validated. You can always check out the Emeritus College events on our Affiliated ASU events page.
• Several members on the Board have expressed some concern about our long-term financial stability. I reported, as Chair of the Finance Committee, that I was in the final stages of collecting the data I want to present to the committee when we have our discussion of the issue. Stay tuned.
• Paul Skiera, Vice President and Chair of the Membership Committee, led a long discussion of what we can do to better entice Introductory Members to renew. There are a variety of reasons for the lack of joining after the free membership expires. The discussion settled on how we can make more contact during the Introductory period. We do have Introductory Members attend our events but we don’t do enough to recognize them (and get them onto one of our committees!). Should we have a “tea” for these members, special invites to our events, etc.? If you’re an Introductory Member and have some thoughts on the issue, the Board would welcome your input.

Announcements

• Ginny Sylvester, Adopt-A-Family chair, received a thank you note from Paige Jones Wells, Project Coordinator Office of ASU Staff Council. Ginny and her committee have again done a wonderful job with our two adopted families. Our ASU student family was one of the 25 families and 96 individuals in this year’s University wide program which was the highest number of families served by the program since its inception. Thanks to all of you who have contributed to ASURA’s Adopt-A-Family program.
• Jan Shore, co-chair of the Scholarship Committee, reported that we currently have sixty applications for next year’s scholarship. The submission deadline is in March and she expects many more. Evaluating these applications is a big effort and Jan is looking for more help. If you are interested in becoming more involved in ASURA in a meaningful way, consider joining the Scholarship Committee. From March 15-April 15, the committee reviews applicants for the ASURA $10,000 Scholarship. For more information contact Jan Shore at, [email protected]
• The Travel Committee has been hard at work developing a survey to help guide their event selection. Look for this survey in your inbox in the next two or three weeks.

Social Security Webinar

Jack Burns, Public Affairs specialist for Arizona, Social Security Administration, forwarded the following information about a Social Security Administration webinar you might be interested in.

We are teaming up with the Federal Trade Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission to host a free webinar to discuss the most common government imposter scams. Please join us on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. ET to learn more.

During the session, we will cover:

• How to spot and avoid government imposter scams
• Data and trends
• Free resources to help you protect yourself and your clients

In 2024, Americans lost nearly $13 billion to fraud, with imposter scams being the most frequently reported. Don’t miss this opportunity to safeguard yourself and your community.

For more information, please visit the event page.

We look forward to your participation!

Nick Perrine
Chief Communications Officer
[email protected]

Upcoming Events

We have a variety of new voices for you to hear:

• Music Jimmy Buffett Tribute Music
• Culture The Magic of Mata Ortiz: A Journey into Mexico’s Art and Culture
• Nature Introduction to Bonsai
• Health The Power of Mindfulness
• Culture Northern Spain and Portugal
• Theater Bringing Scholarship into the Rehearsal Room

Enjoy the rest of January, even if you are a curmudgeon, and try listening for some new voices. See you in February.

Barry McNeill
E-News Editor