Agenda for Annual Membership Meeting Set

The Annual Meeting of the DGT Alumni Association is set for January 28, 2017, starting at 12:00, noon, Eastern Time. Active (dues paid) and inactive members may participate on-site, at 272 Clinton Ave., or online, via web-conference. A link to the web-conference is always embedded in the DGT Alumni Association's calendar on the 'Events' page on Association's website. Only members who have paid their 2017 dues of $10 may vote. A quorum of seven active members (dues paid) is required for the meeting. Following are the anticipated highlights of the agenda:

• Board and Committee Reports - These usually include the President/Consul's Report, the Vice President/Vice Consul's Report, Treasurer/Quaestor's Report, Property Report, and Gallery House Fellowship Program's Report.
• Elections for DGTAA and DGTF Board Seats - The annual election of the five members of the Board of the DGT Alumni Association (DGTAA) will take place, as well as the election of the Board of the DGT Foundation (DGTF). There are five seats on the DGTAA Board: Consul, Vice Consul, Quaestor, Scribe, and Sargent-at-Arms. Current members of the Board seeking re-election include Gil Gerald (Consul), Tom Fiorella (Vice Consul), Tom Wong (Quaestor), and Vern Ford (Scribe). Nominations remain open for all seats until just prior to the casting of votes. There are a minimum of three seats on the DGT Foundation Board, and current members include Chase Hill (President), Tom Wong (Secretary/Treasurer) and Jon Levy.  No nominations have yet been made for these positions, and again, nominations are open until just prior to the casting of votes. 
• Policy on Use of 272 Clinton Ave. for Events - Requests from within the membership, and from without have come in for the use of the Chapter Room and Bar Room for events. The Five Year Strategic Plan anticipated this and the success of the Gallery House Program has precipitated actual requests, including a request for monthly 'spoken word' gatherings.  Opening up the space for additional activities for members and for the community, consistent with our mission and Strategic Plan, must be balanced with the security, safety and comfort of our tenants, as well as for guests. Hence there is a need for a clear policy. A proposal, spearheaded by the Vice President, has been developed in draft form and will be up for a vote at the meeting.
• New Management Structure for the Gallery House Fellowship Program - With the departure of Jon Levy due to new career-related developments, the Board has decided to take several steps to move the program forward, as envisioned, with leadership to be provided by a new generation of members newly inducted into the DGT Alumni Association. Ultimately, the program will continue to shift in that direction until it is fully run by a tight 'fellowship' of undergraduates, bestowed with the honorary letters Delta Gamma Theta, some of whom will reside in the House, with coaching provided by senior undergraduates and graduates. The steps include the formation of a Gallery House Steering Committee made up of volunteers from among the eight new members that have joined over the past four semesters, and at least one DGT Board Member. The steps also include cancelling the Spring 2017 Fellowship Class while the program is retooled based on the success to date, in order to incorporate lessons learned and to ensure for targeting and recruitment success with Pratt Students in their sophomore and junior years.
• New Program Committee for Alumni Activities - In 2017 there will be an emphasis on building a program for Alumni. A new committee will be formed, with meetings to be held via web-conference to ensure for broad participation regardless of where members live. Members will be asked to volunteer for this planning effort. Early results from a survey of members suggest a heightened interest in a number ideas. These ideas will be explored by the Program Committee. The most popular ideas were: Reunions by Pledge/Join Year (100%); Alumni Exhibits (100%); Feature News Articles about Alumni (100%), Virtual Group Reunions (86%), Annual Thanksgiving Dinner (86%), Backyard BBQ's (86%), Regional and State Gatherings (71%), Pratt Alumni Day and Reunion (71%), Virtual Professional Workshops/Discussion Groups (57%). Special Interest Virtual Discussion Groups (57%), and Group Museum Trips (57%). These and other ideas will support the planning process to be carried out by the committee. The survey is still open.