The Rutgers Club of New York City

Dear fellow alumnus,

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, and thoroughly enjoyed this special time of year with family and friends This is my second annual letter written at the turn of a new year, a time when it is useful to both reflect on the past and look towards the year ahead.

While last year's version served as an introduction, reflecting on this past year for the Rutgers Club of NYC, all our accomplishments and events, the new faces and reasons for cheer, I am moved not just to go beyond introduction, to look forward with renewed and profound excitement, but to pause. I am moved to change my salutation.

And so I say, Dear Friends,

Thank you, yes YOU, for making this the best year in the history of the Rutgers Club of New York City.

Once again, I am proud to again be serving as President of the Rutgers Club of New York City and to be working with such a fine team, and for such a fine group of alumni. So many wonderful events shaped our 2011: A trip to Carnegie Hall, a day at the Museum, and the Pinstripe Bowl. Yes, we made progress in 2011, but all agree that there is more good work to do.

To that end, you should expect to hear more in the coming months about the formation of a Rutgers Club of New York City Advisory Board that will be comprised of accomplished and experienced Rutgers Alumni who will enhance the good work of our club. You will also learn about a project aimed to endow a scholarship that will enable deserving high school students to attend our Alma mater. Last but by no means least, we will refine and re-energize our Scarlet Services initiative that looks to involve R with worthy causes in the community. This initiative will crest with a special project on Saturday November 10th, which is Rutgers Charter Day, the anniversary of when William Franklin, the last Colonial governor of New Jersey and Benjamin Franklin's son, signed the charter in 1766 that founded Queen's College.

Most immediately, we have a terrific event on the horizon, February 26th at the New York Historical Society, so SAVE THE DATE.

All these projects, and many more (including wine tastings, game watches, museum events, and more) can be found on our Website, (www.rutgersclubnyc.org), on Linked-In and on the official RC of NYC Facebook page.

Our website and Facebook wall are particularly engaging this time of year, and I encourage you all to visit, as they are both packed to the gills with features including event listings, polls, newsletters and links to other forums to connect with R alumni. And photos! Lots of photos, some of which, from our annual holiday party, I've included in this missive.

But the greatest benefit of these tools is that they allow us to hear back from people, and over the next year we'll be trying some new ways of adding interactivity to our sites so we can get even more feedback. Become a fan! Post a story! Ask for an introduction! Look for a roommate! Get connected! We want to hear from you!

Because, ultimately, we NEED YOU! As board members, we aspire to benefit our membership by providing opportunities to build and enjoy enduring relationships with those who share our common bond - a Rutgers degree. To that end, we are all very fortunate to have a loyal and dedicated group of participants who serve on the Club's Board, a talented lot, with a variety of backgrounds and skills, who all have a genuine interest in helping one another succeed and who all work together for the greater good of area alumni.

Allow me, then, to provide a brief overview of how the Board works: The all volunteer Board is currently made up of 16 directors, 6 of whom are Officers and Members of the Executive Committee. Board meetings are held monthly to set policy, plan various events and approve matters up for vote - including new events and new Committee Members. We do our best to effectively and efficiently manage our time and resources.

We made a decision last year to grow our board to 20 active-involved members and we are well on our way to doing just that; we must continue to attract new qualified alumni to our Club's leadership team. While our history and traditions are with our past and current Members, the lifeblood of our Club is always in new associates. We are always looking for new alumni who represent the best and brightest of Rutgers in our community, and who are interested in bringing new energy, ideas, leadership and vitality to the Club.

The same ideals that I shared with you last year stand the test of time and I will continue to uphold them:

• We are a participant and event-driven Club, of which the Officers and Board of Directors are temporary custodians and stewards. No single person owns the Club.
• By working together we are able to accomplish more - this is true of both the Board and our participants; Good ideas and suggestions often come from at-large Board Members, new committee members, or Club participants - all of whom we hope to engage more meaningful ways in the year ahead. Our responsibility is to listen to each one, vowing that while each and every idea cannot be implemented, all will be heard and considered.
• We must remain true to our foundation and traditions, yet stay current and relevant. The fact that Rutgers is America's eighth oldest institution of higher learning and one of the nation's premier public research universities is a great source of pride - but at the same time - we must react and adapt to the needs of alumni making their way in today's world.
• The Club's financial picture is very strong and we expect it to remain solid. We must continue to grow our financial foundation by only producing first-class events and programming, while avoiding those that will not cover costs.

We have 6 committees and we will be rotating leadership of them in the month ahead - committee members work to create events and programming that will appeal to the diverse interests of our alumni. All expected to continue delivering first rate programs in 2012.

Rutgers Club of New York City: Committees

• Networking / Career Connections
• Ahletics
• Cultural
• Academic
• Special Events
• Community Service & Fundraising

Again, new ideas are always welcome and if you have talents and/or interests that would enable you to contribute to any of these committees - please feel free to reach out to me directly to discuss.

In closing, I would like to wish all a happy, healthy and prosperous 2012.

May your path be forever upstream…..

Yours,

Charles F. Spingler III President & Scholarship Chair