Claremont,  New Hampshire

To All Stevens High School Alumni Members:

The Alumni festivities are over for another year, and it was a great weekend celebration.  Even the rain did not dampen the festive spirit of the parade nor did it deter the number of spectators who stood with their umbrellas and rain gear to view it.  Over 20 vendors planned to set up booths showcasing their wares to sell and delight the public.  We were as disappointed as they who had to cancel this year due to the weather.  We are already looking forward for them to give it a shot again next year.  If the weather will only cooperate, what a tremendous success this will be.

Normally, we do not send out a Fall newsletter, but we are asking for your help.  The weekend expenses go up every year.  The parade cost this year was $16,000.  The dance was a full house and covered all expenses.  The yearly banquet expenses are a wash, thus, the banquet does not net a profit.

It is you, the membership, who we depend on to send in your dues and donations to support this wonderful weekend.  But quite frankly, the general fund and reserve fund are depleted.  We cannot continue to have the annual parade at the same quality of level to which we have now become accustomed.  The parade fund-raiser this year netted close to $5,500 after awarding the cash prizes.  We are paying as much as $2300 for some of the bands to take part in the parade.  With the ever-rising cost of gas,  we know these units will be asking for more money to cover their travel costs to and from Claremont.  They need to cover expenses, as well as we do……..so, to make a long story short, we need money to support the weekend, and we need money to pay our monthly operating expenses to keep the office open.

In tracking dues’ paying members versus non-paying, we have found that only 10 – 15% of a nearly 8,000 active membership, pay their annual dues.  This is an extremely disappointing ratio.

We raise about $3000 from area businesses who are parade sponsors, but again, of this, $1,000 is earmarked for float prizes.

We have been getting more newsletter sponsors each year, and this is a tremendous help in defraying the cost of the February mailing.

So, the question is – Do we continue to have an annual parade and the festivities associated with it, or should we consider just having the banquet to acknowledge the student recipients of our scholarships?

How many more Alumni weekends in keeping with the traditions as we know them can we look forward to?  That is up to you, the membership.  We need your feedback.  Do we continue?  If we do, where will the funds come from to support the weekend?  Remember, if 8000 members paid their $10 yearly dues, we could guarantee the continuation of all our activities and allow for the alumni office to remain open.  Wouldn’t it be great to be able to have someone at the office a couple of days a week?  We have a terrific volunteer team, and they give many hours year-round to this organization because they believe in what it stands for.  We are the Oldest Active High School Alumni Association in the USA. Only if we all work together, can we keep it that way.

To all of you who have supported the organization consistently with your dues and donations, we thank you, and to all of you who do not, PLEASE think about sending your dues.  We are in dire need.

Robert Stringer, President

SHS Alumni Association