The Trustees are pleased to announce the election of three individuals who have long-standing connections to Principia. The newly elected Trustees are:

Catherine Raffles of Lake Forest, Illinois, a 1981 graduate of Principia College. Cathy and her husband Mark (a 1978 graduate of the College) have two children -- John, a sophomore at Principia College and Andrea, who will be a freshman at Principia College in the Fall of 2007. Cathy presently serves as Chairman of the Trustees' Council, a volunteer group which is devoted to supporting Principia through contact with its donors. She is the owner and president of Creative Confections, Inc., a candy manufacturing company.

Robert Schwentker of Raleigh, North Carolina, a 1966 graduate of the Upper School and 1970 graduate of the College. Bob and his wife Joy (also a 1970 graduate of the College) have two sons, David and Andy, who are graduates of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University, respectively. Bob received his law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He serves as Senior Vice President and General Counsel for North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation. Joy Schwentker is a member of the Principia Alumni Board.

Scott Shivers of St. Louis, a 1986 graduate of the Upper School and 1990 graduate of Principia College. Scott and his wife Kimberly (also a 1986 graduate of the Upper School and 1990 graduate of the College) have two children -- Mackenzie, a Pre-School junior, and Natalie, who attends the Acorn Program. Scott is a Journal-listed Christian Science practitioner and was previously an auditor with Arthur Andersen.

These new Trustees will take office at the April 19, 2007 meeting. The delay in announcing the new Trustees was due to the time it took to contact and receive replies from those who were elected. Principia’s Bylaws call for a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 15 Trustees. The election of three new members raises the number of current Trustees to 13. Since three current Trustees plan to rotate off the Board in November, this will leave five positions to be filled at that time. Following the November election, a majority of the Board of Trustees will have been elected in 2007.

The basic qualifications for Trustees are included in Mrs. Morgan’s talk to the Trustees, "A Heart-to-Heart Talk," in Education at The Principia (page 148:2-13):

1. Commitment to the practice of Christian Science (including class instruction and active church membership)
2. Commitment to the Purpose and Policies of Principia
3. Success in their chosen field of endeavor

In addition, a Trustee must be willing to travel to Principia three or four times a year to attend 9-12 days of meetings as well as participate in teleconference meetings at other times throughout the year. The position receives no remuneration, but travel expenses are reimbursed upon request.

The Board’s Committee on Trusteeship serves as a nominating committee for Trustee elections. The Committee maintains an extensive list of individuals grouped in three categories: individuals who are considered current candidates for election, individuals who are on a near-term list, and individuals who are on a longer-term list. In order to be considered a current candidate, an individual’s qualifications must be well known and the individual must be personally known by some current Trustees. The Committee obtains names for nomination in various ways, including informal inquiries to members of the Principia community.

The Board would be pleased to receive suggestions for prospective Trustee names at any time and extends an invitation to everyone in the community to do so. We will soon be providing a link in the Board of Trustees section of the Principia website so that suggestions can be sent electronically. Alternatively, you may request a submission form from the Committee on Trusteeship by contacting Karen Eisenauer, Secretary to the Board.

We look forward to welcoming the new Board members in April and to receiving names at any time to be considered for future elections.