April 2022
EHSA President’s Message: Reconnecting Alumni Is a Keystone for Our 200th Anniversary Gala
Springtime, in the words of T.S Elliot’s The Waste Land it was said … April is the cruelest month, breeding Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing Memory and desire….
Spring does bring its unpredictable weather, but also feelings of hope, renewal and the future too. You will read about three proud alums in particular who have looked tomorrow in the eye and have done great things: 1. Cedric Turner ’76 his recent STEM award, his financial literacy efforts for young adults 2. Lisa Henderson-Carters’ ‘94 book(s) signing in Boston, a follow-up to last month’s story (see our FB post). 3. David Cohen ’59 whose quietly spectacular career (CIA, NYPD) duly impressed his author for this newsletter’s article. What amazing Alumni we have in our midst!
I hope these examples help us connect with you on some level and make you feel proud. Highlighting the good they are doing, raises the bar for all English alumni. They remind me of why we support today’s students: to become accomplished leaders like Cedric, Lisa and David. But sustaining fundraising support for students’ needs is today’s challenge and critical to our success. What can I do to help, one might ask?
Many may be aware of our $3MM multi-year goal over the next three years. How will we get there? Here’s how:
- Engaging ‘not-for-profit philanthropy experts’ to effectively direct our efforts
- Identifying ‘alumni leaders’ to contact classmates and spread the word (step up if interested!) via simple phone-call outreach.
- Monthly Alumni newsletters focusing on alumni accomplishments and ‘reaching out’ to ALL CLASSES.
- Asking rank-and-file donors to pitch in.
And here’s big news! For our Spring Fundraising Season, a very generous English High School donor has agreed to match all gifts, dollar-for-dollar, up to a maximum matching grant of $50,000! That means when you donate one dollar, or 100 dollars or one thousand dollars, the benefit to English is automatically doubled. So please, do not let this wonderful opportunity slip away — make your gift to the English High School Association today.
While fundraising might not be your cup of tea, maybe you know someone who works for a foundation/company which supports public education and our 200th Anniversary—spin your rolodex please—call us with good news.
Finally, at the risk of repeating myself about how much fun they are… Class Happy Hour Zooms are back in season. The class of 1967 held theirs last week, reconnecting with classmates was fun, guest speakers were great. We counted graduates from coast to coast. Class Zooms are a great way to reconnect before our 200th Gala on October 1st in Boston. Everyone is welcome, bring a friend, classmate, or an in-law even.
