A SHORT HISTORY OF TIPON AND SUACONA
The dream of Silliman alumni and friends in North America uniting for common cause had been held by many for quite some time long before the first Tipon and the organization of SUACONA. There were many reasons for such a union. Fellowship was of course uppermost but a strong second consideration was financial. With the continuing decline of the mission support that had been a major source of revenue for nearly a hundred years, something was needed to take its place and it appeared that tapping the resources of the overseas alumni, a very large segment of which was based in North America, was part of the answer. In an article for the United Board newsletter entitled "Looking for Mr. Money Man," the late Dr. Paul Lauby graphically illustrated the positive impact on Silliman's financial health of united Silliman alumni by saying that if each North American Silliman alumnus would give even just $100 to Silliman, the aggregate sum would help improve Silliman's financial picture dramatically. The question, he posed, was how to rally the Silliman overseas alumni to such a cause and by whom.
Appropriately, Dr. Lauby was invited to be the keynote speaker for the very first international gathering of Silliman alumni that was held in San Francisco in July, 20-22, 1990 under the sponsorship of the Silliman University Alumni Association of Northern California. Highlighting the challenge facing the future, he spoke on the topic "Translating the Boundaries of a New Decade." The conference was attended by about 300 guests coming from New York, New Jersey, Texas, Florida, Vermont, Washington, Michigan, Hawaii, California, and the Philippines. Silliman University was represented by then Acting President Juan Escarda, then Chairman of the Board of Trustees Roman Yap, and several members of the Board. The success of that gathering stimulated a desire for regular and mission-driven gatherings for international Silliman alumni. Fast forward to 1998. That year, Pres. Agustin Pulido expressed a desire to have conversations with representatives of existing alumni chapters in North America with the purpose of exploring how they can work together to help their Alma Mater. At that time, preparations were starting for the 100th anniversary of the university, which was coming up in 2001 and Dr. Pulido thought it fitting to seek feedback from the overseas alumni. Accordingly, he sought the aid of Nan Hawkins in bringing representatives of the North American alumni associations together for conversations. That gathering took place on the final weekend of June, 1998 at the Presbyterian center at Stony Point, New York. In addressing the group, Dr. Pulido said: " Doris and I have come to be with you to share with you how the University is faring, to listen to your thoughts, comments, and insights and to bring to you the greetings of the Trustees, the Church, and the whole University Community, and to pray with you that God bless all of our endeavors for a great University whose life and mission is dedicated to the Lord." On June 28, 1998, the group signed the Stony Point Agreement, in which they declared: "We, as the North American Silliman University Alumni Associations, have been organized to support the Christian ideals, goals and mission of their Alma Mater, it would be appropriate for them to unite, organize, and join together in expressing their views, concerns, perspectives on certain issues, and/or collective judgments, and convey them to the University, Administration, Board of Trustees, as well as the Silliman University Foundation. It is hoped that, subsequent to the receipt of such collective judgments by the President, Trustees and Board, same could be evaluated and discussed during deliberations and contribute to the resolution of University problems. Such a union does not to any extent or degree impair or diminish the independence and autonomy of each member chapter." The Stony Point group broke up promising to try to convene a gathering of North American alumni in a year or two.
In late November, 1999, a number of alumni from New England and the Midwest, decided that it was time to pick up where Stony Point left off and carry out the mandate. They thought it opportune to have a Stateside gathering to coincide with the celebration of the Silliman Centennial which was coming in less than two years. Accordingly, one of them journeyed to Dumaguete in January 2000 to inform Dr. Pulido about the plans for a North American gathering, to seek his endorsement and ask for a favorable date so he can attend. Dr. Pulido enthusiastically welcomed the idea and asked that the date be set before the beginning of classes in the Philippines so he would present on campus at the beginning of classes on the Centennial year. Back in the States, the planning leaders agreed that a May date would be chosen and that an initial meeting would be held in April with leaders from the MOK (Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee), Ontario and Chicago chapters invited to attend. The meeting was held on April 29, 2000 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with members and officers of MOK chapter present along with one alumnus leader from Massachusetts and another from Ontario. Participating by conference call from New York was Nan Hawkins, director of alumni affairs of the United Board for Higher Education in Asia. It was decided that the Chicago chapter would be asked to host the May gathering and to make it more attractive to them, both MOK and Ontario would offer to co-sponsor the event. A delegation of three MOK members was designated to travel to Chicago to meet with officers of that chapter to obtain their consent at hosting the event, promising sponsorship help by MOK and Ontario. The three were able to convince Chicago and the third weekend of May was chosen for the date. The next planning session was held in Chicago on July 8, 2000 with members of the three sponsoring chapters and the lone representative from New England in attendance. At that meeting, it was decided to call the conference Tipon Silliman 2001. "Tipon" was favored over other Filipino words because it means "assembly or gathering" in several major Filipino languages. As a standing joke among those who attended that historic meeting, the story is told that when suggestions were solicited for a catchy name for the first conference, the first to be offered was "tapok," which is a Cebuano word for gathering. It was overruled when the presiding officer, who is Ilocano, pointed out that in his native language, "tapok" means "dust."
As the news spread and the spirit caught on, more leaders from all over came in from other parts of the country to form the core planning group, some participating by email and phone. A multi-media communication network was set up to facilitate the promotion of the event. It was decided to send out two mailings, both to be underwritten by the United Board. A web page was also set up by a Silliman alumnus from Central Florida who was one of the signers of the Stony Point Agreement.. Two of the leaders set up a listserv on the Internet by soliciting email addresses from the chapters and from existing Silliman alumni lists. The list, called suana-tipon2001, was the forerunner of what is now Tipon-Silliman@yahoogroups.com. The first invitation was mailed to more than 2000 households in July, 2000 and the follow-up invitation in February, 2001. A couple of the leaders set out to prepare the directory of alumni and their addresses and souvenir program, respectively.
In the meantime, events transpired to stimulate a growing interest in Silliman and an awakening of the Silliman spirit among overseas alumni. With the Silliman Centennial looming ahead, individual alumni and their respective chapters were making plans on how best to participate in the celebrations, in many cases finding the opportunity to network for the first time in a long time with friends and colleagues. One of the seminal events in this period was the work of the Campus Choristers who had established an international reputation and were now invited to bring their repertoire to Filipino-American audiences in the United States. Barnstorming in 1999 and then again in 2001, they brought attention to Silliman through a sampling of its wealth of talent. In the words of Dr. Sylvester Almiron, who would later be inspired to become the first SUACONA chairman, the Campus Choristers "brought back Silliman into our consciousness and, .... helped prepare Sillimanians to embrace Suacona when it was organized." Many of those who attended the first Tipon were leaders of the chapters and churches that sponsored the two Campus Choristers tours. Tipon Silliman 2001 was held from May 16 to May 20, 2001, with Chicago’s Hyatt Regency O’Hare Hotel as the convention hall. The convention featured a golf tournament, a welcome party, breakfast meeting with Dr. Pulido and workshops on diverse topics including fundraising, retirement planning, growing up Filipino in America, and investment opportunities in the Philippines. The internationally renowned Silliman Choristers, who were concluding their second tour of the United States, were in town and they concertized during one of the evenings. Time was also spent in strategic planning by chapter representatives and the first set of officers elected to the umbrella organization, which was called SUACONA, an acronym for Silliman University Alumni Council of North America. On Saturday afternoon, there was a Lake Michigan cruise and a trolley tour of Chicago. The highlight of the conference was held on the evening of Saturday, May 19. That evening, a dinner/dance was held at which President Pulido addressed the convention, the Outstanding Sillimanian awardees in attendance were honored, and the newly-elected officers of SUACONA were inducted. The officers inducted were: Chair: Sylvester Almiron, Jr., Vice-chair: Renato Querubin, Secretary: Coleta Campanale, Treasurer: Pacita Flores, PRO: Lawrence Lacuesta, and Auditor: Paul Imperial. The concluding event of the convention was a worship service held on Sunday at the Chicago Filipino Presbyterian Church with Dr. Paul Lauby preaching. After the service, all gathered for a picnic dubbed “salu-salu sa paniudto.” Before the convention broke up, the chapter representatives voted that the New York/New Jersey chapter would host the next Tipon scheduled for July 3-6, 2003.
In the spring of 2003 a pall of gloom swept over preparations for Tipon II. On May 21, Dr. Paul Lauby died and in the words of SUACONA chairman Jun Almiron, a mighty oak had fallen. In more ways than one, Dr. Lauby had been the inspiration behind the birth and growth of Tipon and SUACONA and his loss was deeply felt, more so by Tipon II host New York/New Jersey chapter for whom Dr. Lauby was a resident retired Silliman dignitary and a frequent visitor and speaker at chapter gatherings. Responding to consensus received from all over, the SUACONA Executive committee decided to dedicate Tipon 2003 to the memory of Dr. Lauby. And in keeping with the chosen theme, “Honoring the Past, Building the Future,” a distinct feature of the convention program was the memorializing of Sillimanians who had died in the intervening period between Tipon I and Tipon II.
Held at the Glenpointe Marriott Hotel in Teaneck, New Jersey, Tipon 2003 exceeded attendance projections, prompting organizers to seek additional housing at nearby hotels. As a measure of Tipon’s growth and increased visibility, several dignitaries from Silliman University came to the convention. President Pulido was joined by Board of Trustees chair Prof. Leonor Briones and trustees Ricardo Balbido, Jr., Antonio Villamor, Julio Sy, Sr. and Noel Tan. Headed by Prof. Briones, who gave the keynote speech, the trustees were on hand as resource persons in the discussions on creative financing. Also on hand was former president Cicero Calderon who presented in behalf of the Silliman University Foundation, Inc. Seminar topics included topics like “Where Will All Your Millions Go,” “This Amazing Thing Called Money,” “Road Map for the Future,” and “Growing Up Filipino in America,” a sequel to the one in Tipon I. One new feature was time given for class reunions. On July 4th, conventioneers boarded a Manhattan boat for the annual fireworks, featuring a live band and dinner. The choral group, Ating Pamana (Our Heritage) which succeeded the Silliman Choristers, performed on Saturday afternoon. That evening, the Presidents Ball was held honoring chapter presidents and the Silliman Board of Trustees. Mr. Michael Dadap, internationally renowned concert guitarist, provided the entertainment. The final event, held on Sunday morning, was a communion service in honor of Dr. Paul T. Lauby with Mrs. Edna Lauby and their daughter Jennifer in attendance.
During the meeting of representatives to SUACONA on Saturday, the officers for the next two years were elected. The new slate consisted of the following: Chair: Sylvester Almiron, Jr. (reelected), Vice-chair: Renato Querubin (reelected), Secretary: Gideon Alegado, Treasurer: Zenaida Duran Bennett, PRO: Joel Pal, and Auditor: Paul Imperial (reelected). Two positions were added to the set of officers, namely Nan Hawkins, advisor for the UBCHEA and Federico Agnir, advisor on communications. Also at the same meeting, Southern California was asked to be the site for the next Tipon in 2005. A few weeks later, the glad news reached the SUACONA leadership that Southern California had accepted.
Tipon Silliman 2005 was held on May 5-8, 2005 at the Orange County Hyatt Regency Hotel in Garden Grove, California. The convention turned out to be the biggest assemblage yet of Sillimanians outside Dumaguete.
The ‘great togetherness’ was graced by the presence of several dignitaries from Silliman University. President & Mrs. Agustin Pulido came with several members of the SU Board of Trustees: Chairperson Prof. Leonor Briones, Vice Chair Noel Tan, Trustee Antonio Villamor and Trustee Roselyn Griño-Delloso. College of Nursing & Allied Health Sciences Dean Dr. Teresita Sinda also came, much to the delight of her former classmates and students. Also present in a very important role were officers from the SAAI (Silliman Alumni Association, Inc.): Judge Candelario Gonzalez, president; Judge Crescencio Tan, Jr., vice president; and Yolanda Valente-Maxino, executive director. Almost all of the alumni chapters in North America were represented, including the newest chapter, Alaska. This brought the total chapters under SUACONA to 21.
Reunioning classes made up the bulk of the attendees: SUCN alumni, Divinity School alumni, SUHS Class 1970 and others. There was also a reunion of dormitory residents. Former residents of Sampaguita Cottage and Occidental Hall came to meet up with their dorm mates , some of the latter coming all the way from Germany.
In their presentations during the plenary session, President Pulido, BOT Chair Briones and the rest of the SU delegation updated the attendees on recent developments in the University, and challenged everyone to be an active participant in pursuing Silliman University’s vision. Nan Hawkins of the United Board also spoke about her agency’s programs and how it helps SU and its alumni.
Tipon 2005 continued the practice started in Tipon 2003 of having daily morning devotionals, each of which had their own emphasis. The Friday service was a tribute to mothers. On Saturday, there were poignant moments when everyone paused to honor those alumni who died in the last two years. A candle was lit for every departed alumnus in the morning devotion on May 7. The following day, May 8, the Sunday Worship Service that culminated Tipon Silliman 2005 was held in honor of Dr. Cicero D. Calderon. A new convention feature was the setting up of a Tipon choir composed of conferees organized just for the event. While the choir's main function was to sing at devotionals, they also presented a mini-concert on Thursday night.
A new and distinct feature introduced by Tipon Silliman 2005 was a number of performances by local talent drawn from the membership of the host chapter. Several Southern California residents who were alumni of the Silliman Men's Glee Club formed the core of a men's chorus that performed at the welcoming reception as well as at the Saturday night gala. A stellar performance called "Shall We Dance" was given by the SUAASC dancing troupe that was organized just for the event. Aside from the fellowship, Tipon Silliman was an opportunity to talk about SUACONA’s business. A new set of officers were elected on May 7 and were inducted into office during the Gala Dinner-Dance: Dr. Renato Querubin, chairperson; Dr. Gideon Alegado, vice chairperson; Dr. Aurora P. Montaño, secretary; Jocelyn Gerenia-Pajares, treasurer; Zenaida Duran-Bennett, auditor; Joel Pal, public relations officer. Advisers are Nan Hawkins and Dr. Sylvester Almiron Jr. A new position of executive director was created, and appointed to fill this post was Dr. Federico Agnir.
Also at the Saturday business meeting Ontario chapter in Canada was chosen to host the next Tipon in 2007. Chapter four of the saga of SUACONA/Tipon Silliman had just begun.
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