Presidents Corner

The 2022 Alliance College Reunion is just around the corner. 

Hi everyone.  I hope you enjoyed a safe and healthy summer.  T-minus 10 days until Reunion 2022.  Registrations are coming in at a very nice pace lately and we expect a nice gathering of alumni at the Courtyard by Marriott, Erie Bayfront. 

Our block of rooms at the Courtyard by Marriott has sold out but there are still rooms available at the hotel’s standard rate.  There are other local hotels with availability so if you have not reserved a room yet I would suggest using your preferred travel website to book a room in Erie. 

It is not too late to register for the reunion itself.  If you have not registered, please click on this link and follow the instructions.  Alliance College Alumni Association Reunion 2022 Registration – Alliance College Alumni Association

There is an ambitious schedule of events planned for you to choose from for the weekend.  Feel free to enjoy whichever ones you like.  Or just come and hang out.  Either way, it’s going to be a great time.  “A casual weekend among friends”. 

On Saturday morning we are holding an Alliance College Alumni Association Board of Directors meeting.  During this meeting we will nominate and vote for Board members and Officers.  Currently the Secretary position is vacant.  If any of you are interested in this role, please speak with any of the Board members prior to the meeting about the responsibilities (hint:  it’s not very challenging) and attend the Saturday meeting. 

Also, during the ACAA meeting I would like to have an open discussion with the membership about their expectations for the Board beyond planning reunions.  What activities could we be doing to engage the alumni more frequently?  What would you like to see that would deepen your connection to our alma mater?  Would you volunteer to participate in any of these activities?  Please think about this because ultimately this will shape the make-up of our Board.   

I am really looking forward to seeing all of you in a few short days.  Travel safely and spread the word. 

Mike

At long last, I am pleased to say “it’s that time again”.  Time to get together for a Casual Weekend among Friends in Erie PA October 7-9 at the Bayfront Courtyard by Marriott. 

It has been far too long since we had our last official gathering.  We have weathered the pandemic and it’s time to have fun with our alumni friends.  There will be plenty of organized activities planned, starting with an Alumni Mixer Friday night at the Courtyard.  Also on tap, for an additional fee, is an optional Sunset Dinner Cruise with Dinner.  On Saturday morning please come to the Alliance College Alumni Association meeting.  In addition to a standard meeting agenda, we will be electing Board of Director Officers and Board Members.  If you are interested in nominating one of your fellow alumni, please contact Mickie Mickiewicz at cemickiewicz@gmail.com.  The weekend culminates with our ACAA Reunion Dinner Saturday night.  This year we are limiting the speeches etc. and are focusing on fun!  You can leave your cocktail dresses and suits home if you’d like too.  Dress code for Saturday evening will be Business Casual.    

We are taking registration info and payment electronically this year.  Those who prefer analog can complete the forms and send them in by mail. 

I hope you are planning to attend.  More importantly I hope you spread the word to your circle of alumni friends.  We want to crush the attendance record this year and need everyone’s help in making that goal a reality. 

See you in October!

Mike

Looking Forward to a Brighter 2021: Membership, and Our Strong and Resilient Alumni Family

Happy Holidays, Wesołych Świąt and Season’s Greeting to everyone!

I hope you and yours are healthy and safe.  I tend to be an optimist, and although 2020 has been a difficult and very different year, I and am confident this country will emerge from this pandemic stronger for having gone through the experience.  Sadly, we have lost too many alumni, professors, administrators, staff and friends of Alliance College this past year.  Our family isn’t as large as it once was, but I believe our connections are stronger than ever.  We are all part of the Alliance Family at heart, even when we can’t be together in person.

 Membership Renewal Drive

As we near the end of 2020, my thoughts are already looking ahead to the upcoming 2021 Alliance College Alumni Association Reunion.  Like you, I am watching the news and hoping that we start to see an end to the social distancing and precautions once it is safe for us to gather together.  It’s still a bit early to get into great detail about the event but it is never too early to reach out to your friends and fellow alumni and encourage them to join the Alliance College Alumni Association.  Our goal as your board of directors, is to encourage renewal of memberships and new memberships.  Active members will always be the first to get the updates on the Alliance College Reunion plans. 

The Reunion wouldn’t be possible if we didn’t have the Alliance College Alumni Association and the many volunteers and small group of leaders who work hard to Keep the Spirit Alive.

Therefore, we are asking that you please take a moment to renew your membership, and think of extending it for two years, or investing in a lifetime membership.

If you renew your membership before the Reunion (by August 27th,) a one-year membership will be effective through October 2022, and a two-year membership through October 2023. And remember, membership is open to all Alliance College & Technical School alumni, staff, faculty, Honorable Doctorates, legacies, and friends.

How Your Dues Help Keep Us Connected

The ACAA operates very cost efficiently, but we do have expenses related to member benefits.  These days, where being together is virtual, we have seen significant increases in visits to the ACAA Website and to the alumni Facebook page.  I always enjoy seeing the posts and the comments, bringing back memories and having a few laughs. Below is a partial listing of the types of expenses that your dues offset, and below that are some important things to consider as you pay your dues today:

Your dues pay for:

• Updates, maintenance and hosting of the ACAA Website, the official website for the Alliance College Alumni Association, providing news, information and photographs of interest to Alliance College Alumni
• ACAA Facebook Page, a members-only forum for posting and reading information about alumni and alumni news
• Emails for Vertical Response email messaging service, used to communicate important news to Alliance College Alumni
• Expenses related to the attendance of honorary and special guests at the Reunion, such as professors, administrators and athletic coaches.
• Cards and memorial gifts to the family of alumni eternal upon the passing of an alumnus
• Reunion expenses not covered by registration fee income
• Annual non-profit license fee
• Meeting room rental for off-year meeting

 Your dues do not pay for:

• Expenses incurred by ACAA board members for travel to bi-annual officer meetings
• Expenses of the Reunion committee related to organizing, planning or attending the bi-annual Reunion

Free Gift for Multiple Year Dues and Renewals

Membership dues are $25 per year. When you renew for two or more years, you can select a free gift – a reprint of one of two oil paintings completed by alumnus Helen (Dziob) Tueffel.  A choice of either the Historic Riverside Inn (where we have shared many wonderful memories) or a scene on Polish Pond is available.  We will contact you at your email address to get your choice and your mailing address to send your print.

To join or renew, please send your payment of $25 per year made out to ACAA, to:

Sally Day;
ACAA Treasurer; Alliance College Alumni Association;
1332 Sharon Copley Unit #31
Sharon Center, OH 44274

I hope you take this opportunity to renew your membership as a gift to yourself and your fellow alumni. 

Kind regards, Pozdrawiam!
Mike

Michael Anderson
President
Alliance College Alumni Association

Hello everyone.  We are just 43 days away from the 2018 Reunion at the beautiful Erie Bayfront Convention Center in conjunction with the outstanding Sheraton and Courtyard hotels.  Registration numbers are growing and it looks like there will be a great crew of alumni on hand to make the weekend especially memorable. 

There is quite a lot planned, starting Friday night; there will be a cocktail reception with hors d’oeuvres and entertainment as well as an optional dinner cruise on the Victorian Princess.  We have already exceeded our estimated attendance for the cruise but there is still plenty of room on the boat if you are interested.     

Saturday starts with the Alliance College Alumni Association meeting at 10:00.  Everyone is encouraged to attend this meeting.  We will be voting in Officers and other Board members so come in, participate and vote!

During the afternoon there are several activities scheduled.  Feel free to attend any or all of them or if you would just like reconnect with your college friends, go for it!  The key is to have fun. 

The main event is the dinner/dance Saturday night.  We will be honoring the Class of 1968 who celebrate the 50^th graduation anniversary, the Class of 1978 celebrating their 40^th anniversary, the soccer teams from the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s together with the Business and Tool & Die programs.  Special honorees will be John Wroblewski, Pete Mathews and it is highly likely Coach Mike Flick will be in the house on this very special night. 

On Sunday, there will be a mass at St. Stanislaus Church in Erie with ACAA participation.  In addition, on Sunday afternoon there is a Polish festival at St. Stanislaus that everyone is free to attend if you wish before heading home. 

I think we have a jam-packed weekend planned and sincerely hope you can attend but more importantly, contact your circle of Alliance friends and encourage them to join the fun.  It should be a beautiful fall weekend in Erie with plenty of special memories waiting to happen.  What else are you going to do?  Clean the garage?  See you in Erie!

Welcome to the President’s Corner – I will periodically post Alliance College Alumni Association updates in this space.

Spring is upon us and it brings a new redesign of the ACAA website.  Take a look around – we hope you like it.  A BIG thank you to Chet Fedorowicz, Les and Elaine Rachocki for all the efforts they put into the conversion.  The site has a fresh, clean look and is easy to navigate.  You are all encouraged to add photos.  Please spread the word that the site is back so everyone can come check it out and hopefully resume some of the spirited debate on the forums.

A lot of you have contacted me and other Board members about the upcoming reunion.  Be a bit more patient please as final details are being confirmed.  I can say this for sure; it wil be held October 5-7 2018 at the beautiful properties at the Erie Bayfront.  You can reserve your rooms at either the Sheraton Erie Bayfront Hotel or the Courtyard by Marriott – Erie Bayfront.  We’ll all miss The Riverside Inn but I think once you see these properties you will agree we have found a new home.  These hotels offer all the latest amenities and the banquet facilities are terrific.  Mind you , the reunion will cost a bit more than a riverside reunion but I assure you we are getting good value for our dollar.  I expect registration will begin on or about May 1.

On behalf of the Alliance College Alumni Association board, I wish you a healthy and happy summer.  See you in October!