|
|
|
|
Subj: Alumni Association Leadership Update; October 2005 Refer to: Central Region Letter 19-05; October 31,
2005 **** George Watt, President of the Alumni Association, issued this Leadership Update which I am passing on to you verbatim:
Leadership Update
20 October 2005
Last July’s Leadership Update reported the recent loss of recipients of the Alumni Association’s Distinguished Graduate Award (DGA). Unfortunately, we must report the loss of another: Dr. John “Mac” McMullen. And, my predecessor of 23 years, Captain Bill Busik passed away in Annapolis on Sunday October 16 with his family by his side. Both of these graduates distinguished themselves by emulating what honor, courage, and commitment are all about in their daily lives. We will miss the tremendous contributions they made to make the Naval Academy even better for today’s Brigade of Midshipmen and for those who will follow them.
This edition will provide you an update on the Leaders to Serve the Nation Campaign along with a status of the A&SP strategic planning process, and a brief overview of financial performance. You will also have an update on Alumni Association membership and the nomination process for the 2006 Distinguished Graduate Award. Additionally, we continue to celebrate USNA Founder’s Day around the world; we re-dedicated Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium; we had the opportunity to honor VADM Jim Calvert ’43 and VADM Bill Lawrence ’51; and, we continue with our “routine” fall reunion operations. Pick your favorite topic or read on for all of the details.
Leaders to Serve the Nation Campaign Update
I am delighted to report that since last spring’s board meeting, we have now surpassed our revised campaign goal of $225 million in total commitments! As of the end of September, our documented commitments exceed $241 million. Although we are well beyond the public goal, the staff and the Campaign Executive Committee remain focused on the strategic priorities established for the comprehensive campaign. Where we finish at the end of the year (and therefore the official end of the campaign) is anyone’s guess, but we can all be very proud of our results.
In looking at calendar year 2005, as of 30 September, we have registered $22.2 million in gift receipts. As always, one our highest priorities is the Naval Academy Annual Fund. Currently, we are on last year’s pace, with $4.3 million in unrestricted receipts to date, and approximately $2.3 million in unrestricted pledges due by year’s end. To meet our goal of $6.8 million in unrestricted gifts during this calendar year, our development team continues to pursue past donors, identify new prospects and encourage everyone to pay their pledges before the December 31 deadline. November and December tend to be our best months in terms of gift receipts, so I am confident that Dick Johnson and his development professionals will again reach the goal.
Athletic and Scholarship Programs
The ASP division of the Foundation is completing a year-long effort in updating their strategic plan. This plan will complement the broader strategic efforts underway at the Naval Academy and the NAAA. It is also an excellent baseline for the overall strategic map of the Naval Academy Foundation as a whole. The plan will soon be reviewed by the ASP Executive Committee and voted upon by the Trustee membership at the upcoming Fall Trustees’ meeting on 18 November. The coordinated efforts of all concerned should improve the Foundation’s preparatory school program as well as the amount and the impact of financial support provided to Athletic Excellence.
Financial Performance
The end of our fiscal year in June (FY05) was characterized by strong, steady financial performance reflected in the continued growth in our net asset base. Direct comparison to our FY04 data is a bit difficult, given the extraordinary boost that our gift totals in the previous period received from a single $10 million gift, several large gifts-in-kind projects and a peak in support for the renovation of Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Nevertheless, our financial position remains very strong: our assets have increased to $172 million (up from $160 million in FY04), and our total net assets have risen to $134 million (up from $124 million). We believe that FY05 was a more representative year in total financial performance and expectations. We now view the current fiscal year as a transition period as we move from campaign mode to a sustaining position of philanthropic support for the Naval Academy.
As we begin to navigate new financial and fund-raising waters, we do so with complete confidence in our financial position and balance sheet. The FY05 audit is complete. Our new audit firm, McGladrey & Pullen, LLP, will present the results to the Joint Finance & Audit Committee on 30 November. We know that we will receive an unqualified opinion (and in “audit-speak” that’s as good as it gets!). Additionally, for the first time in the memory of anyone on the boards or the senior staff, there will be no management letter. A very hearty BRAVO ZULU to the treasury team!
Alumni Association Operations
Membership
With the scheduled activation of the Class of 2007 this past month, our mid-October membership total is at 50,603. Therefore we have officially crossed the 50,000 membership barrier again. This time we need to keep growing.
Our Association membership team, including volunteer leader Dan Lear’s Membership Committee, continues its focus on graduate lapsed members, some 4200 in number. Another 5000 graduates have never been members (frankly, hard to believe and for some around here, hard to accept!). While this data indicates a large pool of potential targets, it has proven very hard work for our membership staff to persuade these grads to become or to remain members. The support of class leaders in both efforts is absolutely essential due to the leverage classmates bring to this vital membership challenge. The continued work of class officers, particularly those leaders from the late 70s and senior, will make a difference as we pull together to achieve our stated membership goal of at least 75 percent per class. Our reunion membership drives this year have netted 337 upgraded memberships, but we must grow membership more quickly to attain our long range goals.
Distinguished Graduate Award (DGA)
There is still time to submit nominations for the 2006 DGA (16 November). The selection committee will meet 20 January 2006 to select the next “class,” and the recipients will be formally recognized Friday, 31 March 2006 at the Naval Academy. There is a wealth of information on our site at http://usna.com/History/dga/facts.htm . If you would like to nominate someone (and it must be a living graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy), please contact Andrea Campbell at andrea.campbell@usna.com.
Chapters and Clubs Founders Day
For the first time, we produced and distributed a Founder’s Day DVD for our Chapters and Clubs to help kick off their Founder’s Day activities. This is a 3-minute video produced by our communications team and a local company. We would like your feedback on how you used it and if you found it beneficial. Your input will help us decide if and how we will proceed in this media. Class officers have also been encouraged to use the DVD for commemorative class events during the course of the year. We continue to work to bring the founding of the Naval Academy on10 Oct 1845, fully to life, and we expect the numbers of chapters and clubs recognizing this important event will grow again this year. If you would like a copy of the DVD, please contact Jodie Collins jodie.collins@usna.com.
An area in which we continue to realize growth in interest and numbers is in Chapter Academy Awareness Reps (AARs). There are now 72 of them and in a related development, some 52% of Blue & Gold Officers (BGOs) are USNA Alumni. When I first came on board over 5 years ago, barely one third of the BGOs were Alumni and less than a handful of chapters were engaged in the awareness and admissions portion of our mission. Thanks to chapter and parent club leadership for making this a focus item among our volunteers.
And, speaking of parent clubs, we’ve recently “revived” Pensacola and East Tennessee, thus bringing our total to 84 clubs nationwide.
Events Past and Coming Up
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium was rededicated prior to the Air Force game on 8 October (Navy 27 – Air Force 24). The evening before the game, we had the opportunity to recognize those donors and volunteer leaders who made the upgraded stadium a reality, but most importantly, it was a time to reflect on those who have served, those who are currently serving, and those who will serve in the future. Many outside of the USNA family tend to focus on the structure and the fan experience at NMCMS, and therefore lose sight of the fact that the stadium is a unique memorial to those who have gone before, as well as a place where everyone can learn the history of the Navy and the Marine Corps since 1775. And, yes, we also happen to play football, lacrosse and soccer there too.
Last Saturday, on 15 October, prior to the home football game versus Kent State (Navy 34 – Kent Sate 31), we dedicated two important stadium facilities to distinguished former Superintendents. The Flag Bridge (Superintendent’s suite) was dedicated to Vice Admiral Jim Calvert ’43, and the new N* Room was dedicated to Vice Admiral Bill Lawrence ’51.
Our annual celebration with President’s Circle donors will take place from 20-22 October, while Homecoming is set for 5 November. We will also conduct alumni events in conjunction with our away games at Rice and Notre Dame (in Chicago and South Bend), as well as our usual lineup for Army-Navy in Philadelphia in early December.
Hurricane Impact
Finally, the Alumni Association & Foundation took several steps to aid our shipmates, midshipman families and fellow citizens in those areas impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Immediately following Katrina, we sent a broadcast email to nearly 40,000 of our constituency encouraging charitable donations to the American Red Cross and/or the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society. We immediately suspended all fundraising calls and mailings into the affected areas for an indefinite period. Just last Tuesday I had the pleasure of presenting ADM Steve Abbot, USN (Ret.) ’66, President and CEO of the Navy and Marine Corps Relief Society a check for $21,000 on behalf of Alumni Association and Foundation staff who voluntarily donated the dollar equivalent of earned leave days to the relief effort.
It’s too early to tell what impact that charitable giving to relief efforts will have on other established charities and foundations, but we are confident that the bulk of our donors will step up and help their fellow Americans while also providing sustained support to the alma mater through the Foundation. CFO/Treasurer Hank Sanford and I will watch this closely and if we see an adverse impact to our operating budget, our joint finance committee will be informed.
Summary
In closing, this is a busy time of year for us with the football season and several other worthwhile activities helping us bring our Alumni together. In particular, the Council of Class Presidents meeting, our first Corresponding Secretaries meeting, the fall board meeting and Army-Navy Classic festivities are just around the corner. We will enter uncharted waters in January as we close the most successful and comprehensive fund-raising campaign in Naval Academy and Alumni Association-Foundation history. Rest assured we will remain true to our mission and purpose and we will continue to seek the support of the entire Extended Brigade as we in turn support the alma mater.
Thank you, as always for your efforts and for what I know you will continue to do. I look forward to seeing many of you around the Yard.
Go Navy !!!
George
G.P. Watt, Jr. President and Chief Executive Officer
|
|
**************************************** |
|
|
*** Central Region: |