Dear Deerfield Alumni

By PB Weymouth III '83

I have just re-joined the Executive Committee (a.k.a the "EC") of the Alumni Association after a year's sabbatical and I'm looking forward to leading this august group of men and women in serving the mighty Deerfield alumni/ae body. In my prior six years of service on the EC, I was constantly asked what the heck we do as a committee, so I thought it might be helpful to kick off my presidency with a quick primer on the EC.

First and foremost, we are here to represent every Deerfield alumnus on all matters related to his/her respective experience with Deerfield after he/she has graduated. In the inimitable words of one of my predecessors, we are to ensure that Deerfield has "the best damn alumni body in the world!" We work closely with the Alumni Relations Office to make sure that there are enough opportunities to come together both on and off campus and share our experiences and our love for all things Deerfield. For those who may not characterize their feelings for Deerfield as "love," we give you a place to vent, to complain to, or more constructively, to seek change.

While the Deerfield Scroll and Reunions were the primary venues for such interaction in the past, the EC and Alumni Office have developed a variety of new opportunities to meet with fellow alumni/ae "out in the field" or sometimes on the fields. Over the past decade, our group has authored and co-sponsored: the Look to the Hills continuing education program (demonstrating the Deerfield community's commitment to lifelong education); the extension of the academy's Heritage Day celebration across the country (demonstrating the academy's commitment to giving back to our community); the formation of Deerfield clubs around the country (demonstrating that there are large pockets of Deerfield alumni/ae in various locations, like San Francisco, New York and New England...); the initiation of young alumni/ae events at a variety of colleges/universities throughout the U.S. (demonstrating that keen ability of Deerfield alumni to extend their "river" skills to other institutions); the multitude of annual alumni/ae athletic events on campus such as soccer, lacrosse, swimming and hockey (demonstrating that those old alums still love a thorough thrashing of a competitor and the requisite trip to the trainer); and the development of this fine newsletter (demonstrating the EC's commitment to communication). With all of these activities, the EC is focusing on keeping you connected with Deerfield and we are constantly seeking new ideas to help achieve that goal.

As you may have noticed, none of the above is about fundraising - which will certainly come as a surprise to members of my class who have rarely received a letter from me that didn't involve "an ask for cash." The EC, while conscious of the needs of the other half of the Alumni and Development Office, understands that Deerfield needs your time and attention as much as it needs your money. If you better understand what is happening on campus through events that connect you with the faculty, school leadership, current parents and other alumni/ae, you will be better able to represent the school in its continuing quests for the best students, teachers/coaches and other resources that keep Deerfield great.

We want to hear from you and are interested in whether we are "making the grade." What is it that you want to see more of? What don't you like? How can we get YOU engaged? Do you want to travel with Deerfield alumni/ae or stay put and have the party brought to you? Are we doing enough on the digital front or do you like your printed publications?

These are all questions (as well as many more) that the EC ponders at our three meetings each year. We look forward to engaging you, our constituents, in these dialogues and I hope that you will reach out to any member of the EC at any time to share your thoughts.

Best regards,

PB Weymouth III '83