2022, The Year in Review
Greetings, Centralinos!
This is one of the most difficult addresses to give. As we wish you and yours a wonderful New Year, and the most Blessed Christmas, it is my last Christmas address and a time to reflect.
2022 was another great year for the MCUMAFAA.
We unveiled a new logo over the Summer. This logo has a new look, is clear and easily identifiable. It dovetails with the modern logos of our Alma Mater and prints well. It has been well received by young and old alike. We thank Mr. Benjamin Roman for his talent and time, making the effort which we all knew needed to happen to bring our organization out of the 20th century. Thank you for the wonderful logo!
Finally, we’ve built a website. It is functional, stable, and should take us into the 21st century well. It is new, with a launch only 3 months ago. The website will be our interface with the public and allow them to learn about the work we do. We should maintain it well. It is one of our major accomplishments, and a source of pride and joy.
One of the requirements we had for this new website was the ability to accept payments and donations. This is paramount if we are to survive with our dwindling membership. Again, a big thanks is due to Mr. Benjamin Roman for engineering a site with this capability. Although we haven’t seen the benefit yet, with time the wisdom of including this tool should become apparent. We look forward to the day when strangers donate to our noble cause via the website!
Document, document, document. 2022 has been another year of documentation.
We conduct monthly meetings and take Minutes. On top of that, we videotape each meeting and maintain records of everything we do in a spirit of transparency. Your officers stand shoulder to shoulder, willing and able to provide you with documentation of our efforts to provide MCU College of Medicine with the support it deserves and desires. Please consider the efforts of our officers during the election in 2023. One hour a month isn’t too much to ask for the benefits you have received because of your graduation from our beloved institution.
The Officers and Board of Directors hope you will now make an effort to become involved in the MCUMAFAA and succeed in running for the office of your choice.
This is the way to improve our organization. Follow the Constitution and make sure your voice is heard. Tell your friends to vote for you. Prepare for the upcoming Convention and bring your skill set to the table. Make a difference. Effect change in a legal, moral, and ethical manner, improving the organization and helping MCU COM in your particular way. There is nothing I would like better than to see your name on our CHAR 410 form here:
Life is short; go for it!
As you know, our Convention is scheduled on September 23, 2023.
Now is the time to plan your attendance. Simply by attending, you support our College of Medicine. Planning in advance can save you considerable money. We are letting you know well in advance. Don’t procrastinate; book a room, book a flight, bring your friends, and let’s have one day of meetings and a grand ball. Purposely, we gave you free days earlier in the week and have allowed you time to visit the sites surrounding Las Vegas. Bring the kids, grandkids, friends. This is a time to gather en masse and in groups of your choosing.
Part of the event is Continuing Medical Education. Your registration fee includes it, and we take this time to thank Drs Bouffard, Calimaran, Chang, McDermott, and Zafra for accepting the challenge to rise to the occasion and give a brief educational session on a subject comfortable to them. We are a willing audience, and as physicians we are perennial students. We are quite proud of these special alumni and encourage all to attend this morning session. Vice President Magno is coordinating the event, and it promises to be one of education, entrees, and enjoyment. Show them our support; plan to attend our modest CME session.
Diamond Jubilarians!
When I graduated, there were no Diamond Jubilarians. Now, we have the pleasure of honoring those who have lived according to the direction of our College of Medicine for over 50 years. Each year we acknowledge the passing of a 5-year mark and confer congratulatory medals for those who have passed the 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, etc. marks. It is our small way to remember the achievements of our fellow alumni but is a serious achievement. Can you imagine that there will be sexagenarian alumni in attendance for our 2023 Convention? The Classes of 1962 & 1963 will be making special efforts to attend this one-day event. Please consider coming to honor them as well. Maybe someday you will be a sexagenarian alumnus or alumna!
Finances:
In 2022 the MCUMAFAA became more stable and was able to overcome the losses in the stock market. It was difficult to see our investment account drop due to external forces, and we have not touched the investment account. A monthly accounting of its balance is included in each set of Minutes. $153,589 is the net worth reported in your December financial report. We have not touched the investment fund to bring you our yearly Convention, and traditionally this fund has grown as the stock market does well.
A new checking account was opened and now has $6021. This is money loaned to the MCUMAFAA by generous Officers and Board Members. Together, there is little we cannot do in a spirit of respect and decency. Each of these people has donated thousands of dollars of their personal money to ensure that you have an organization which persists into the future. This shows the highest respect to our Alma Mater.
Mentoring:
2023 will be a time of sharing as well as donating. Under the auspices of Dr McDermott, we have a team of physicians who are willing to donate their time to embolden the fledgling doctors of MCU. Our USA physicians will participate in virtual educational programs to strengthen the resolve of residents and interns abroad. In this way, they can achieve the dreams they envisioned when entering MCU College of Medicine. In this way, we can give back some of the joy that we received from the College of Medicine. Consider helping our mentoring program.
It requires only a little of your time and means so much to struggling students.
Rounding out our organizational efforts, the History and member Directory continue to be updated and the History will be published when a suitable copy is available. Just know that your members are working on every aspect of this organization to make it better for the generations to follow.
And so, I come to the final Christmas greeting of my term as President. It is difficult to put into words the emotions I have of love and thanks to so many of you who have come forward to make this MCUMAFAA a strong and healthy organization of caring and loving physicians and former students of the MCU College of Medicine. I am grateful to you for coming forward and supporting the organization, putting your best foot forward, and bringing a cheerful smile to our gatherings. Your well wishes are now reciprocated as I joyfully and tearfully wish you the last “Merry Christmas” as your dutiful President. You have been patient with me, cried with me, laughed with me, and cheered us on as we fought to put our best foot forward. This experience has been one of the most challenging of my life. I had a wonderful time as your President and would not change it for the world. Everything in life worthwhile is a challenge, and being your dutiful officer is no exception. Perhaps being married, raising a family, and graduating from the MCU College of Medicine are the only things that are more difficult.
From the Officers and Members of the Board of Directors, we wish you the most Blessed Christmas and the Happiest New Year of your life. May God continue to Bless you with good health, and great wealth in the coming year. May the Holy Child watch over you as you go about your daily chores and trips. May the Heavens reveal God’s Greatness in everything you do and see. And may the Love of the Risen Lord shine brightly in you and all your family.
Comments