When are reunions?
Milestone reunions are celebrated every five years as Solebury School classes gather on Alumni Weekend to personally reacquaint themselves with the school, renew old friendships and establish new ones. While each reunion is distinctive and reflects the availability and energy of active class members, there are still elements in the reunion planning process that are common to all classes.
Who organizes a reunion class?
A class member with strong interest may alone, or with a committee, take responsibility for planning a milestone reunion. Reunions are most satisfying when many members of the class are involved. Alumni Weekend is organized to provide a welcoming structure with activities to engage broadly the many individuals and families that attend. The Advancement Office is delighted to work with class members who are interested in planning a reunion. Please let us know your plans so we can help.
Where do we begin?
Reach out to your classmates. The goal for every class is to have broad participation in planning and attendance on Alumni Weekend. All classmates, graduates, non-graduates and their families should feel welcome to return for the reunion. The most successful reunions are those that have been thoughtfully planned with the personality of the class in mind.
What does Solebury do to help?
The Advancement Office is available to assist by:
·
Meeting with an interested individual or the reunion committee on campus or nearby.
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Helping the reunion planners develop a schedule and provide current class lists, mailing labels or email addresses.
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Mailing reunion letters.
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Arranging for telethons at Solebury or from your home to promote reunion participation and Annual Giving support.
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Making arrangements for meals and facilities usage at school.
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Helping track down "lost" classmates.
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Providing lists of hotels, restaurants and transportation options. (Much of this can be found on our website)
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Being your consultant in all areas of reunion planning and implementation.
What about a class gift?
Many classes are interested in making a special gift to Solebury in honor of a milestone reunion.
Each class should work closely with the Advancement Office as plans are made to support the school. All funds must be collected by the Advancement Office to ensure proper acknowledgement and accounting and to preserve the tax deductibility of the gifts.
All classes celebrating milestone reunions are asked to make a special effort to support Solebury during their reunion years. The percentage of donors within a class and the class total are often improved as a result of increased communication about the school and the reunion. In addition to continuing support for the Annual Fund, classes may make a capital gift to the school for a special project celebrating their 25th and 50th reunions or for endowment. Fundraising for 25th or 50th reunion gifts may begin 5 years before the major reunions, but not prior to the 20th and 45th reunion years. Such class gifts may take a variety of forms:
Unrestricted Capital Gift:
a gift given to the school to be used as the school desires.
Restricted Capital Gift:
a gift given to the school for a special purpose designated by the class after consultation with the Director of Advancement and the Head of School. A restricted gift can be designated for a building or renovation project being undertaken by the school or for endowment.
Endowment Gift:
Solebury's endowment is invested and provides income each year, in perpetuity, to support the operating budget of the school. Gifts to endowment ensure the long term quality and vitality of the school's programs. Endowment gifts can be unrestricted or designated for a particular purpose, such as student financial aid, faculty and staff support, educational program support, or campus and building maintenance. Additions can be made to existing endowment funds, or a new endowment fund can be established. There is a minimum requirement of $10,000 to establish a new endowment fund.
Classes planning their 50th reunion should consider individual participation in Solebury's
Herbert
S. Boyd Society
through either a bequest or a planned gift. Additional information is available from the Advancement Office.
Whom do we call for assistance?
Anyone in the Advancement Office would be happy to assist you. Contact:
Peter Pearson, Director of Advancement, at
ppearson@solebury.org
Renee LaPorte, Assistant Director of Advancement, at
renee@solebury.org
Karl Welsh, Director of Annual Giving, at
kwelsh@solebury.org