[sticklist] - VFMAC Alumni Assn President Update

[Richard Forno]

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FROM THE VFMAC ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT

Dear Fellow Alumni,

I¹d like to bring you up to date on several activities in which the
Alumni Association has been involved.

On 18 August 2007, the Alumni Association, under the Forge Way Committee of
the Alumni Association Board of Directors, participated in an instruction
of the Traditions and Customs of the Forge with the Leadership Detail. Many
of you will recall this being called Officer and NCO Detail.

COL Medearis ¹66, Commandant of Cadets, asked the Association to help
with this instruction period by taking the Detail on walking tours of the
Post to explain the Heritage of the Forge. A variety of sites were visited,
including Old Man¹s Walk, the Chapel, the Parade Field, the Main Area,
and Continental Drive. As you are aware, there are many monuments and
statues that are on or near these areas. The Alumni Guides had a chance to
explain their origins and signficance. As one Alumnus well stated after the
tour, ³The Cadets were like sponges. All they wanted to do was hear more
and take in more history of the Forge.²

The Alumni who were involved in this first-time event were Joe Fomisano
Œ61,63C; Sam Laird ¹62; Jack Wyatt ¹57; Bill Smith Œ61C; Woodie
Stevens ¹60; Bill Floyd ¹63; Bill Beute ¹63; Gene Banco Œ63C; Al
Heyer ¹69; Mike O¹Mara Œ80C; and John Rapp Œ74C.

Following the walking tours, COL Medearis met with the Alumni in the Museum
to discuss how the Cadets received the information and how the Alumni felt
it went.  During the discussion, COL Medearis mentioned that he was looking
forward to the Alumni working with him throughout the year in different
Leadership Training Meetings that will be held with the Cadet Officers, Sr.
NCOs and Jr. NCOs. Stay tuned for more information.

Another item of interest is the upcoming Career Day, which is being chaired
by Robert Shapiro Œ60 and Art Lambert Œ60.  Last year, they did a
wonderful job in reinstating this program. Anyone interested in helping
with this event needs to contact either gentleman or Barry Griffiths,
Alumni Manager. This is a great event for the Cadets to not only learn
about careers in which they are interested, but also to meet Alumni already
in these careers to start networking and forming contacts.

This Fall, the Alumni Association will be hosting a thank you dinner for
the Commandant¹s Department to express our appreciation for the hard work
they do. This has been an annual event for over 20 years. I hope that you
will consider supporting this event (date TBA). You may either provide an
outright tax-deductible contribution (check payable to VFMAC Alumni
Association) to offset the cost of dinner for the Tac Officers (alumni who
want to attend will pay for their own meals) or by purchasing an item
through the Alumni PX, available on www.continentalonline.org.  The
proceeds from all purchases in the Alumni PX this year will be allocated to
support the Tac Dinner.

Finally, the AABOD has several committees including Alumni Admissions,
headed by Dave Martin; Homecoming, headed by Bill Smith; and the area
Regiments, headed by Darryl Murphy. These are just a few of the Committees
of the AABOD. If you are interested in participating in any of these
committees, I urge you to get in touch with these gentlemen or Barry
Griffiths, Alumni Manager and see what you can do to help The Forge.

COURAGE, HONOR, CONQUER

John R. Rapp, 74C
President Alumni Association

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