100 East 8th Street, Suite 270
Holland, MI 49423
(616) 395-7919
Number 288
Website: www.hope.edu/hasp
Date:
Time:
Place:
Program:
Monthly Bulletin
August 2012
Email: hasp@hope.edu
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
9:00 a.m. coffee, 9:20 announcements and program
Haworth Conference Center, Hope College
Don Luidens, “I Met a Traveler From an Antique Land”.
Following a sabbatical trek last spring to Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Egypt, Lebanon, and Israel/Palestine, Don
Luidens will look at some of the social and cultural changes which are behind the political changes ripping
through the Middle East. Despite the general impression of retrenchment which the media and our political
establishment give us of that part of the world, much is churning in the Middle East. Traditional cultural and
social customs are being bent and broken in many creative and intriguing ways. Our challenge is to get beyond
the preconceptions we have about the “Orient” and its presumed regression into militant fundamentalism.
Slides will accompany Don’s presentation.
Don Luidens (M.Div. Princeton Seminary; M.A. ‘74 and Ph.D. ‘78 Rutgers) has been on the faculty at Hope
College since 1977, serving as Sociology and Social Work Department chair from 1987 to 2002. His research
has focused on the mainline Protestant community, with special emphasis on the Reformed Church in America.
Among other research endeavors, Don represented the RCA in two Lilly funded projects, Faith Communities
Today (FACT) and the Organizing Religious Work (ORW), both under the auspices of the Hartford Institute for
Religion Research. He is co-author of Divided by a Common Heritage: The Christian Reformed Church and
the Reformed Church in America at the beginning of the New Millennium (Eerdmans), Vanishing Boundaries:
Religion of Mainline Protestant Baby Boomers (Westminster/John Knox) and co-editor of Rethinking
Secularization (University Press of America), Reformed Vitality: Continuity and Change in the Face of
Modernity (UPA), and Reformed Encounters with Modernity: Perspectives from Three Continents (MediaCom of South Africa); his articles have appeared in The Review of Religious Research, The Journal for the
Scientific Study of Religion, Sociology of Religion, as well as Church Herald, Perspectives, Christian Century,
and Reformed Review. Most recently, Don has studied the role of sports as a central factor in the identity of
American collegians. This has involved an NCAA-funded study of ex-athletes at many private colleges. During
the 2004-2005 academic year he worked at the Center of Inquiry in the Liberal Arts at Wabash College,
Crawfordsville, Indiana on a project looking at college athletic recruitment. Don is currently working on a book
based on his parents' 20 years of missionary service in the Middle East. In order to better understand the
context of their work, he spent six weeks traveling through the area during the spring of 2012.
MONTHLY MEETING PARKING:
Lot Z – behind Anderson-Werkman building is reserved for HASP members (marked
with orange cones), there are some available spaces in Lot U (for Haworth guests, behind the Kepple House by Dykstra Hall), Pillar
Church parking lot, street parking where available, and the lot behind New Holland Brewery and 84 East where available. The newer
downtown parking ramp is also a great option! If you live at Freedom Village, please consider taking their bus over.
MEMBERSHIP
HASP Annual Dues notices and renewal forms have been sent to you via mail in July. Our yearly membership
fee will again be $100.00 per member for the 2012-2013 fiscal year. Payment/renewal forms are due by August
15, 2012. Renewing members please remember to fill out the BACK of the renewal form as well! Thank you.
We welcome the following new member:
PETER WALSH
Profession:
Education:
Hobbies:
Mentor:
Manufacturing
Hope College
Music, history, gardening, golf
Linda Walsh
Our sympathy to the friends and family of Dale VanLente who died on July 17th, 2012. Dale was a member of
HASP since 1990 after retiring as an Insurance Executive and teacher at Hope College.
CURRICULUM
THANK YOU to Gerald VanWyngarden who has retired from Chair of our Science, Medicine and
Technology sub-committee. Additionally, THANK YOU to Judy Parr for her service as Humanities subcommittee chair. We welcome Norma Killilea and Sue Bohlander as their replacements!
2012-2013 Curriculum Committee:
Judy Parr, Chair
John Buttrey, Social Studies
Barbara Stegink, Fine Arts
Sue Bohlander, Humanities
Norma Killilea, Science, Medicine and Technology
Your FALL 2012 Curriculum will be mailed the week of August 6th!
August Courses:
Reflections from Vietnam – Thursday, August 2
Contemporary Grandparenting – Monday, August 6
Choir of Men and Boys – Wednesday, August 8, 1:00 pm
*Writing Memoirs – Wednesday, August 8, 1:00 pm
(*indicates course meets in conference room)
SERVICE
The Service Committee of HASP has decided to accept the invitation of the Greater Ottawa United Way to
participate in the Day of Caring on Thursday, September 20th, 2012. This is a county wide effort for teams of
local volunteers to provide services for non-profits. It would involve less than 4 hours of service and we would
be assigned a project suitable for seniors, perhaps tutoring, a food bank, etc. Please consider joining our HASP
team of volunteers for this event. For further information or to put your name on the list please contact Janice
Fike, jfike9@gmail.com. THANKS!
SPECIAL EVENTS
Grand Rapids ArtPrize TOUR, Thursday, September 20 or 27, 2012
Join your HASP friends for a tour of ArtPrize 2012 and leave the driving and parking to us. We will travel via
the Hope bus to downtown Grand Rapids to walk among the downtown ArtPrize sites, travel from there to a
private lunch at Mangiamo’s, then again go by bus to view additional ArtPrize entries a the Grand Rapids Art
Museum and Grand Rapids Public Museum. The bus will depart Holland Municipal Stadium parking lot at
8:30 a.m. and return in the neighborhood of 5:00 p.m. The cost per person is $25.00 and is due with your
reservation. We hope you will join us!
REGISTRATION FORM FOR THIS EVENT IS ON THE LAST PAGE!
HASP Office News
We express our gratitude to everyone who contributed to the HASP Scholarship in memory of our friend Bill
Bloemendaal. Gifts in his memory, along with a $600 gift we received from Tulip Time for HASP members’
service as Trolley Guides, have amounted to over $3,000.00 added to the scholarship. THANK YOU!
THANK YOU to our 2012 Audit Committee: Jerry Mount, Don VanLare, and Betty Voskuil. This
committee conducted our annual audit on July 12th and has written a report to be distributed at our September
Board of Directors meeting for review. We are grateful for their expertise and service to the Academy.
Please note: The HASP office will be closed August 13-20, 2012. You may continue to mail or drop off
your course and special event registrations and we will process them upon our return. Thank you.
HASP 25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
2013 will be HASP’s 25th Anniversary! As you learned at our Annual Business meeting we will start our
monthly program meetings for the next year 10 minutes early to spend a little time remembering our
beginnings! Below is the history shared by former Provost, Jack Nyenhuis at our July 3, 2012 meeting in case
you missed it!
HOPE ACADEMY OF SENIOR PROFESSIONALS
CELEBRATING 25 YEARS
I consider it a privilege to lead off your celebration of your twenty-fifth anniversary with this first
monthly vignette of your history. As a representative of the college administration, I had the privilege of serving
as a charter member on the first Executive Committee of HASP—I believe that Vern Boersma and I are the sole
remaining members of the initial eight members of that committee. I am delighted at the tremendous growth of
HASP and the rich program of activities that you provide for each other throughout the year. Congratulations on
your significant achievements over the past quarter century!
It is fitting on this occasion to look back to the founding of your organization. That founding began with
an individual with a vision, who sought out another individual to help him realize that vision.
The Roman historian Tacitus in the late first century began his Agricola, the biography of his father-inlaw, with these words: clarorum virorum facta moresque posteris tradere, antiquitus usitatum—“The ancient
practice of recounting the deeds and the character of illustrious men…. [has not yet gone out of fashion].” Like
Tacitus, I am here to say a few words about illustrious men, the founders of this organization.
The person with the vision was Dr. John Hollenbach. He came to Hope College as Professor of English
in 1945, in the first year of the presidency of Dr. Irwin Lubbers. From 1947 to 1955 he served as Dean of
Faculty, and from 1957 to 1965 he was Vice President for Academic Affairs. During the intervening two years
he had served as dean of the faculty of arts and sciences at the American University in Cairo, Egypt. He
returned to the Middle East in 1965-66 to serve as visiting professor at the American University in Beirut,
Lebanon. He fulfilled all these positions with great distinction.
He returned to Hope in 1967 to chair the English Department for the next six years. When I arrived at
Hope in 1975 as Professor of Classics and Dean for the Humanities, John was back where he began thirty years
earlier, in the classroom, teaching English. He retired in 1978, but was twice called out of retirement to help the
college in time of need. The first was in April 1980, immediately after fire had destroyed Van Raalte Hall. John
undertook the arduous task of overseeing the recovery of documents that had been damaged by the fire. The
next time was in 1986, when he was asked to serve as Executive Secretary of the Presidential Search
Committee. He therefore had been actively involved in the process that brought Dr. John H. Jacobson to Hope
College as the tenth president. John Hollenbach passed away on April 19, 1998, at age 85.
The idea for the program originated in the mid-1970s, when John Hollenbach was approaching
retirement. He had some anxieties about how he and his colleagues would maintain intellectual stimulation after
retirement. In a later account, he reported that his vision for HASP originated when he started to receive
brochures from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. As he read the description of an organization which
was dedicated to lifelong learning for retired professionals, he began to entertain the idea of developing such a
program at Hope College. Nearly a decade later he finally presented his proposal for a “Learning in Retirement
Society,” which he described as “basically planned and run by its members, but under the broad aegis of the
college.”1 He presented his proposal in a memorandum to President Jacobson on November 5, 1987, on the
topic “Thoughts on Developing a ‘Hope Academy of Senior Professionals.’”2
Dr. Jacobson served as president from July 1, 1987, until June 30, 1999. A 1954 graduate of Swarthmore
College, he received his PhD in philosophy from Yale University three years later, at the age of twenty-three.
He began his teaching career at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, in 1957. Two years later he joined the
faculty of Florida Presbyterian College in St. Petersburg. He began his career in academic administration in
1968, when he was appointed Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty of Florida
Presbyterian College. In 1972 he left FPC to become Dean of the Rochester Center of Empire State College,
State University of New York. Over the next fifteen years he served in various positions of increasing
responsibility, first as Vice President for Academic Affairs, then Provost, and twice as Acting President.
President Jacobson came with a vision for building upon a solid foundation laid by his predecessor, Dr.
Gordon J. Van Wylen. Jacobson’s vision was to add further strength to the academic quality and the Christian
character of the college. He also sought to enhance the national reputation of the college, for he believed that it
was indeed worthy of higher stature than it then enjoyed.
By the time that John Jacobson arrived at Hope College in 1987, Florida Presbyterian had been renamed
Eckerd College, in honor of the head of a chain of pharmacies in Florida. Therefore, when John Hollenbach
came to him with a proposal for a program modeled after the Academy of Senior Professionals at Eckerd
College (ASPEC), Dr. Jacobson was already familiar with the institution. After some conversation on the topic,
the two of them traveled to Florida on February 9, 1988, to meet with Dr. Leo Nussbaum, executive director of
ASPEC. Jacobson and Hollenbach again conferred on February 16, at which time they agreed to explore the
proposal with me in my role as provost and the academic divisional deans, as well as with other potentially
interested retirees.
There was an initial meeting of interested parties on March 25, 1988, with John Hollenbach presiding
and Lars Granberg serving as recorder pro tempore. The official organization of HASP took place at a meeting
on May 31, 1988, with thirty-seven retirees present, along with President Jacobson and me.
Whereas the Eckerd Academy had fundraising for the college as one of its major goals, with an initiation
fee of $1,000 and a monthly fee of $60, we chose not to use that dimension of ASPEC as our model for a
program at Hope College, and set an annual fee of only $25.
It may seem a modest beginning, but what a wonderful organization has been produced as a result of the
initial vision! May HASP continue to flourish for many years to come!
Jacob E. Nyenhuis
Professor of Classics and Provost, Emeritus
Director, A. C. Van Raalte Institute
Hope College
1
John Hollenbach, “Hope College—HASP Relationship: The Camel’s Nose,” undated manuscript, but internal evidence suggests a
date of or near 1996.
2
At a meeting of the American Council for Higher Education on April 28, 1994, John Hollenbach presented a paper, “Hope College’s
Institute for Learning in Retirement.” In it, he stated that the impetus for the proposal came from a group of retirees, including three
professors emeriti from Hope College (himself included), a minister, and a doctor.
HASP ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING MINUTES
HAWORTH INN AND CONFERENCE CENTER
JUNE 5, 2012
President Margaret VanGrouw opened by greeting HASP members and thanked Mike VanDoornik for playing
the piano for our enjoyment as guests arrived. She then welcomed special guests President and Mrs. James
Bultman, Mary Remenschneider, Hope Liaison, and Roger Nemeth, Hope Liaison.
President VanGrouw reminded members that the 2012 issue of the HASP Review was available at the tables in
the atrium, one per household. She thanked the Communications Committee for their work on another
memorable issue as well as all those who contributed their writings. President VanGrouw also recognized
members of HASP’s 25 year Anniversary Committee: Elton Bruins, Trudy VanderHaar, Jerrald Redeker, Jack
Hyde, Jan VerHelst, and Executive Director Kim Mendels. This committee continues to meet and plan for our
celebration in 2013.
President VanGrouw then invited HASP member Elton Bruins forward to deliver our invocation.
Lunch was served and a scrolling PowerPoint of pictures of events from the last year was shown.
2012 Business Meeting Minutes
President VanGrouw called the meeting to order. Minutes of the June 7, 2011 meeting were printed in the
August 2011 bulletin and a copy was made available on each table. There was a motion to accept the June 2011
minutes, it was supported and the motion was carried.
The Treasurer’s financial report, along with a written annual report, was provided in the June 2012 monthly
bulletin. President VanGrouw asked if there were any questions regarding the financial reports and there were
none. The report will be filed for audit. President VanGrouw reported that the audit will be conducted on July
12, 2012 by members Jerry Mount, Betty Voskuil and Don VanLare.
The six standing committees Annual Reports were also included in the June 2012 monthly bulletin for review.
President VanGrouw asked if there were any questions to come before the committee chairs and there were
none.
President VanGrouw then asked the membership to join her in a time of silence as we remembered the HASP
members who have died this last year. We fondly remember their contributions to the Academy and their
friendship. She read each of their names as Kim Mendels lit a candle for each deceased member:
Burrell Pennings
Marian Woodby
Richard Fenske
Mary Vivian
Louis DiGuiseppe
Trudy Stewart
Joy Batchelder
James Thomas
Edward Pierson
William Bloemendaal
The candles remained lit for the duration of the business meeting.
Retiring Board members were then called forward for thanks and recognition:
Mary Ellen Lunderberg – Member at Large
Judy Parr – Member at Large
Tom TenHoeve – Curriculum Chair (absent)
Mary deForest – Membership Chair
President VanGrouw thanked them for their faithful service to the Academy and Board. Kim Mendels
presented them with a parting gift and they returned to their seats.
Executive Director Kim Mendels then came to the podium to give the 2012 Nominating Committee Report.
She thanked Harley Brown, Gloria South, Mary Ellen Lunderberg, Judy Parr, and Gene Jekel for their work on
this committee. The following slate was then presented to the membership for election:
President:
Phil VanEyl
Vice President:
Ed Anderson
Member at Large:
Terri Holden
Member at Large:
Doug Walvoord
President VanGrouw then asked the membership if there were any nominations from the floor. Hearing none
she received a motion that the slate be accepted as presented, it was supported and the motion was carried.
Executive Director Kim Mendels then announced Committee Chairs who were recommended by the
Nominating Committee to the Board of Directors and approved at their March 2012 meeting:
Newly appointed Chairs:
Curriculum:
Judy Parr
Membership:
Bonnie Cowie
Reappointed Chairs:
Monthly Program:
Service:
Special Events:
Communications:
Paul Kleinheksel
Gordon Stegink
Ron South
Chris Broersma
Members of the 2012-2013 HASP Board of Directors were then asked to come forward:
President:
Phil VanEyl
Vice President:
Ed Anderson
Treasurer:
Jeanne Gerow
Member at Large:
Elaine Bruins (2013)
Member at Large:
Don Williams (2013)
Member at Large:
Jim Chamness (2014)
Member at Large:
Tom Wolterink (2014)
Member at Large:
Terri Holden (2015)
Member at Large:
Doug Walvoord (2015)
Communications:
Chris Broersma
Curriculum:
Judy Parr
Membership:
Bonnie Cowie
Monthly Program:
Paul Kleinheksel
Service:
Gordon Stegink
Special Events:
Ron South
Hope Liaison:
Mary Remenschneider
Hope Liaison:
Roger Nemeth
Executive Director: Kim Mendels
President VanGrouw then introduced President elect Phil VanEyl and he came forward to give his remarks. He
thanked the membership for this opportunity to serve the Academy which he described as a “vibrant,
meaningful organization” and expressed his desire to work together to share our experiences and wisdom. He
has been appreciative of the organization from the very beginning and was invited all those years ago to
participate in a discussion about the formation of HASP. Our membership has obviously largely increased and
the format has had to change some, but almost 25 years later HASP is still very strong. He encouraged
members to model eager participation and mind stretching experiences. He then thanked President VanGrouw
for her extraordinary service, referencing her superb communication skills, efficiency and sensitivity as well as
her honesty, industry, diligence, grace, compassion and love for HASP. He stated, “President VanGrouw came
prepared with the right motive and we thank you for all you’ve done”. He then presented her with the
Presidents pin.
President VanGrouw then delivered her parting remarks. She stated that it has been a great year of happy
memories and that it is a time to mourn but also a time to celebrate in a number of ways. One of those
celebrations is to honor the Bultmans – for all they have meant to the college and to HASP. Although their
retirement has been “delayed”, Peg collaborated with member Mike VanDoornik to prepare a musical tribute to
recognize these two important people. Some time ago President VanGrouw asked Mike how it was
coming…Mike reported it was all done…and that it was a surprise! She then turned things over to Mike
VanDoornik.
Mike VanDoornik came forward to the piano and expressed the Academy’s appreciation to the Bultmans and
led us in a musical medley of nine songs for which the words were printed in our programs. Mike also offered
wonderful commentary for each tune and it’s meaning to the Bultmans service to Hope College.
At the conclusion President VanGrouw presented the Bultmans with Honorary/Lifetime membership
certificates to HASP. The Bultmans came forward and thanked the Academy for this tribute and gift stating
that HASP is a “tremendous asset to Hope, and an exceptional partnership for which the college is grateful”.
President VanGrouw then thanked the full membership for their support in this last year and expressed her
appreciation for this opportunity to serve the Academy. She thanked members for coming and the meeting was
adjourned.
Respectfully submitted,
Kimberly Mendels, Executive Director
RESERVATION FORM
GRAND RAPIDS ArtPrize TOUR
Thursday, September 20 or 27, 2012
$25.00 per person
Indicate your tour preference date:
Thursday, September 20: _____________________
Thursday, September 27: _____________________
Name(s): ___________________________________________________________________________
No. of people: ____________
Total Enclosed: ____________
Email address/Phone: __________________________________________________________________
Emergency contact name and phone: ______________________________________________________
Menu choice(s):
____________ Turkey Sammy – smoked bacon, swiss, tomato, red onions, baby spinach, roasted garlic
mayonnaise, ciabatta bun, served w/chips.
____________ Chicken Fettucine – creamy alfredo sauce, shaved parmesan with wood-grilled chicken
breast.
____________ Mangiamo Chicken Caesar – radicchio, romaine hearts, garlic croutons, fresh shaved
parmesan with homemade Caesar dressing.
All entrees include bread with herbed olive oil and soda, coffee or tea.
Please indicate any special dietary needs: ___________________________________________________
Note: beer, wine and dessert are not included but may be purchased separately.