Autumnal Ideas

Dear Fellow alumnae,

As I sit here on this crisp fall day, I realize that summer is really over. I hope yours was enjoyable. As I remember, autumn in Morningside Heights was buzzing with activity. School is in session and things are just as busy now.

The alumnae association had a busy summer. This year, the board had a planning retreat. The continuing committee chairs and officers, outgoing and incoming committee chairs, and staff met at the home of Binta Brown ’95, the chair of the bylaws committee, to discuss the role of the committee chair, the chair’s relationship to the alumnae affairs staff, and what our role as a board might be. While munching on sandwiches on a huge deck, we had a lively discussion about our mission as an association, and came away with a plan for orienting new members to the workings of the board and some ongoing issues. We would like to thank Lisa Phillips Davis ’76, Linda Sweet ’63, Rebecca Amitai ’79, Myra Greenspoon Kovey ’65, Pola Auerbach Rosen ’63, and Catharine Raffaele ’70 for their service, and welcome Judith Daynard Boies ’59, Helene Kener Gray ’88, Merri Rosenberg ’78, Peri Horowitz ’96, Susan Sommer Klapkin ’76, Reeva Starkman Mager ’64, and Amrita Master Dalal ’90 to the Board of Directors of the Alumnae Association.

If you haven’t already done so, please sign on to alum.barnard.edu and log in to the new alumnae network. You can set up your profile and begin to explore this visually pleasing site. One new feature is the ability to set-up and participate in an online group. You have all been signed up for your class group, so hop on and see if your class has uploaded Class Notes or any other communications. Each regional club also has its own group. You can find other groups that address your personal interests or create a group and start a dialogue. We hope that you use this group function to facilitate communication among alumnae. And remember, you can link to other social networking sites like Facebook, linkedIn, and Twitter.

The leadership assembly (formerly leadership Council) convened on Thursday, October 8, with a series of roundtable dinners. Friday contained a full day of presentations, discussion groups, and tours aimed at providing alumnae leaders with information about Barnard today, enabling them to respond to their role as class officer, class fund-raiser, or regional club leader. Throughout the summer, Merri Rosenberg and the committee worked through many changes in format, content, and participatory groups to make the event more effective. We have also set up an e-group on the Web site to allow assembly participants to maintain contact. We’ll report more about leadership assembly in the next issue.

Enjoy the autumn. Pick some apples. Rake some leaves. Go to a Barnard event. Call a Barnard friend and reminisce about your time in Morningside Heights!

As ever,

Frances Sadler ’72

-Photograph by Elena Seibert