Reach Out and Touch Someone

by P.B.Weymouth III '83

Like many Deerfield alumni, you probably have read a Scroll, a Headmaster's letter or even an article in a major newspaper and wondered, "Why did Deerfield do that?" You may question: "Who made that decision?" "What were the reasons?" "Was there clear evidence to support the choice or change?" and more importantly, "Couldn't I have had something to say about it?" (I have met very few members of the Deerfield community who do not have an opinion on virtually everything!)

Well, every Deerfield alumnus does have a place to go and ask those questions, to offer support for a decision or to vent one's frustration or disagreement. Many people, make the first stop with their class agents or the Alumni Relations and Development Offices, but the role of these alumni representatives is not necessarily to affect change. While a well-crafted letter to the Headmaster or the Board of Trustees is strikingly effective, some people may prefer a more "off-the-record" approach or may want to have the discussion with someone other than the administration or the board. That is where we, your Executive Committee, come in.

One of the core missions of the Executive Committee of the Deerfield Alumni Association is to represent you, the alumni, on what matters most to you about -- the school. Not only can we listen and answer questions, we also have a voice -- not only in the Alumni and Development Offices but on the Board (the chair of the Executive Committee has a full seat on the Board of Trustees during his or her term as chair). We have regular meetings with the Alumni and Development Offices, the Headmaster, teachers, students, and members of the Board, and hopefully, we are one of your most informed sources for matters that affect you and your school. But, we need, and want, more contact from you, our constituents.

So, the next time you read or hear about an issue or change at Deerfield and want to weigh in, follow the old AT&T motto and "Reach out and touch someone"© -- in particular, any of us on the Executive Committee. We are prepared to take your call, listen, react, and try to do something about it. Mimi Morsman and her staff in the Alumni Office can get you our contact details in a heartbeat!

As a first challenge to all of you on that front, we need to hear from you soon. If you have something to say about the process of choosing the next Head of School or you have a candidate in mind, the Search Committee has given the entire Deerfield community until June 15 to provide input to the process. So make a difference and give any of us a call or drop as an e-mail alumexeccmte@deerfield.edu . We look forward to hearing from you!

P. B. Weymouth '83 is a member of the Executive Committee of the Alumni Association.