Memorandum

To: SBS Committee on Trustees

From: Penny Watras Dana SBS 74, President, Alumni Leadership Team (ALT) Re: SBS ALT Amended and Restated By-Laws (the New ALT By-Laws)

Date: March 1, 2011

As the New ALT By-Laws are still under consideration by the SBS Board of Trustees, this memorandum is offered to highlight the changes and the rationale for those changes. Background In the seven years since I began serving on the ALT, the group has coalesced into a cohesive, motivated and committed group of alumni, who draw on their diverse background and experience to brainstorm and act with the goal of strengthening the SBS alumni community. A strong alumni body will indubitably strengthen the School, through participating in the life of the School whether at reunions or by mentoring students and younger alumni and through networking, or by giving to the School. The salient provisions of the New ALT By-Laws concern: I. Clarifying the role of the ALT and the obligations of its members: 1. While theoretically it may seem that the presence of alumni on the board of trustees would ensure that alumni interests are well represented in board meetings, the specific provisions of the SBS By-Laws relating to the ALT President clearly indicate otherwise. The ALT members, whose mandate is exclusively alumni affairs, have significantly more regular and substantive interaction with a larger group of alumni than non-ALT alumni trustees, and this is why in addition to comporting with generally accepted standards of transparency and accountability in governance, the ALT believes that there should always be an ALT presence at board meetings. [Article VI B] 2. Emphasizing that the communication role of the ALT is two-way: in order to achieve real representation of the alumni, the ALT must not only serve to disseminate information about the School to the alumni, but also field comments, questions and concerns from the alumni to the School. ALT members regularly reach out to Class Representatives; many ALT members also serve as Class Representatives; and members of the ALT are in regular and frequent contact with the Alumni and Development Offices, as well as with alumni. This was envisaged by the especial SBS By-Law provisions with respect to the ALT President. [Article

3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

II A-D] Widening the requirements for membership on the ALT, by requiring members to support the School not only spiritually and emotionally, but also financially. [Article 5 A 1 c; Article 5 B 3] Requiring ALT members to encourage giving by the alumni, in collaboration with the Alumni and Development Offices, and otherwise reaching out to alumni in support of the Alumni and Development Offices as needed. [Article V B 2, 4] Vice Presidents are expected to spearhead initiatives in collaboration with the Alumni and Development Offices, including alumni events and homecoming, as well as planned giving. [Article VI B] Establishing three meetings per year; requiring attendance and providing that three consecutive absences without notice is the equivalent of resigning from the ALT. [Article VII A; Article V B 1; Article VII A 2] Specifying clear term limits which provide for regular rotation by members off the ALT to prevent entrenchment and stagnation, and which ensure that the ALT members remain enthusiastic, energetic and diverse. [Article 4 D 1-4; Article 4 F] The New ALT By-Laws merge two disparate documents, and bring the by-laws closer in line with generally accepted standards of operation, accountability and transparency, while leaving sufficient room for the School and the ALT to less formally develop protocols for special situations as they arise.

II. The New By-Laws support and are supported by numerous infrastructure improvements which have been initiated and realized by working closely with the Alumni and Development Offices and the Annual Fund Director, all with the goal of increasing communication with the alumni and strengthening alumni interest in the School: 1. Creation of the Web for Alumni portion of the SBS website. 2. Creation of the Mentoring and Networking portions of the Web for Alumni. 3. Creation of a Reunion Handbook, to help streamline the planning process for the Alumni Office and Class Reps. 4. Redefining the job of Class Rep, to include assistance with Homecoming and helping solicit gifts to the Fund for Character Education. 5. Encouraging the establishment of new and creative means for the alumni to engage socially, whether at SBS sporting or arts events, or by organizing events, such as the highly successful NYC networking evening, as well as offering assistance and input for regional alumni gatherings. 6. Providing ad hoc assistance in preparation of the Alumni Bulletin and the Annual Report, which are distributed to alumni. 7. Working closely with the Annual Fund Director, to develop successful strategies for gift solicitation. 8. Developing a College/Career Day for the senior class, at which alumni would mentor the students as they plan for their lives after graduation. Inaugural event will be held on October 12, 2011. 9. Transmitting salient news and ideas concerning techniques for strengthening all of the ALT and Alumni and Development Offices initiatives, as they become known.

Trustees Committee: Alan Chapman, Chair Wallace Larson Stephen Newton Davonne Helmer Norman Koop Copy to Sierd Tilma Copy to Dirk Friedkin, ALT Vice President Copy to Diego Vega, ALT Vice President