Reposted from October 6, 2008
When the Alumni Association was founded 20 years ago, email was for techies and so for the most part were websites and the internet. The HSRSA was formed to help connect former staff members who were spread out across the province, the country and indeed, the world. The Thunderbird newsletter was the prime connector, sent to all members three times a year. Various reunion and social events help many of us to reconnect in person. They also help connect across the generations of staff from the earliest days to the present, as does the annual cricket challenge.
The most significant demonstration of this cross generational connection would have to be our Alumni Bursary. Since 1998 the Alumni as awarded a bursary annually to one or more current HSR staff members who will be attending a post secondary institution the following year – a total of $7,700 as of 2008. You can read more about the bursary and the recipients on our Bursary Page.
But the Alumni is about more than just connecting – it’s also about involvement. Since its founding, Alumni members have raised funds for various projects, donated materials, developed a trail network and maintained it with annual trail work weekends, written and produced a trail guide, volunteered countless hours during the summer, helped with Mix-Fix weekends, served on and chaired various camp operating and planning committees, rebuilt Kennabi Lodge from the ground up, and established a camp archive.
We’ve also built an extensive (and some might say definitive) online archive to document and preserve the history of the camp and camp staffs (see Camp Crests, Awards and Staff Plaques as examples.)
Today it’s easier to stay connected with email, live chat, social networking sites like Facebook, and even blogs. 🙂 So is there still a need for a formal alumni association? My answer is of course!
The Alumni executive helps to coordinate and maintain both your connection and your involvement. We’ve embraced all the connection technology – a website, emailing lists, a Facebook group and now a blog. But technology can’t replace your involvement.
Becoming a member helps us produce our newsletter, maintain our website, supports our trail maintenance project, sustains our bursary program, and helps us coordinate our social events. Membership fees are very reasonable and we provide discounts for current staff members and families living at the same address. Please consider joining (or re-joining) – we want you AND we need you!
HSR Staff Alumni Association 