Alumni Magazine: Alumni Council

The Alumni Council's New Year

The Alumni Council -- "Your Bates Connection" -- kicks off what is sure to be another very productive year!

Our working committees strive to bring you the best alumni programming throughout the year. Some of our new and ongoing projects include the alumni pages on the Bates Web site (www.bates.edu), the second annual Alumni-in-Residence program that will take place January 30-31, young-alumni welcoming events in the fall, and the Alumni Trustee election process. In addition, the council-sponsored handbook, Life After Bates, goes to the newest members of the alumni community each fall, helping them to stay connected to Bates. These projects, along with many other issues, publications, and activities, keep your Alumni Council very busy throughout the year.

Welcome Aboard

Each fall, we welcome new members to the council. Thelma Pierce '56, recently retired from Aetna, co-chairs the Hartford Bates Club and served as class secretary. Mary Raftery '79 is former class officer and Reunion volunteer who serves as director of athletics at Pine Point School in Stonington, Conn. Neil Jamieson '82, a lawyer in Saco, has served as a class officer, Annual Fund class agent, and Reunion Gift Committee volunteer. He also participated in last fall's inaugural Alumni-in-Residence Program. Paula Colahan '87, class president, has served as a leader of the Boston Bates Club; she works at Genzyme Corp. in Cambridge, Mass. For the first time, the council will also have a student representative, to be appointed this fall.

Award for Service

At our May meeting, the Council approved creation of a new award, the Alumni Community Service Award, to recognize Bates alumni who have exhibited outstanding leadership and commitment to serving the community in which they live or work. This award is designed to recognize the values of service and civic responsibility that are fundamental to the Bates experience. Service to the College would not be a major factor in determining the merits of a candidate's qualifications for the award, but could be a component of the overall record of service. The award will be presented annually at Reunion, beginning in 1999.

Use Your Alumni Voice

Fall is the time when the council's Nominating Committee begins gathering names for Alumni Trustee, Alumni Council, and the four alumni awards: the Benjamin Elijah Mays Award, the Alumni Distinguished Service Award, the Distinguished Young Alumni Award, and the new Alumni Community Service Award. If you know of someone that would be a candidate for these positions and awards, use your alumni voice and let us know who these deserving people are by sending your nominations by postal mail to the Alumni Office (Alumni House, 67 Campus Ave., Lewiston, ME 04240) or e-mailing them to alumni@bates.edu. Supporting comments with nominations are appropriate. In addition to voting in the Alumni Trustee election, this is an excellent way to use your alumni voice.

Recent and Coming Events

In mid-May, the Alumni Council hosted 100 members of the graduating Class of 1998 and local alumni at a Portland Sea Dogs baseball game. This is the second year the council has hosted an event for the soon-to-be-alums to give them a taste of what fun local Bates Club events can be for everyone.

The council, in conjunction with local Bates Clubs across the country, hosted welcome events for recent graduates in September. Building on the success of last year's welcome events, this year we expanded to other cities.

1998-99 Alumni Council

Nancy E. Higgins '81
president
Jamie P. Merisotis '86
vice president
Scott E. Steinberg '86
secretary

Melissa Meigs Barbeau '51
Nancy Flynn Bass '92
Michael R. Bosse '93
Bruce A. Campbell '76
Paula M. Colahan '87
Jodi Sturgis Coppeta '93
Jennifer E. Gibbons '89
Neil D. Jamieson Jr. '82
Thomas A. Kolodziej '71
Thelma L. Pierce '56
Mary G. Raftery '79
Kendall A. Snow '62