Regional Association Handbook Table of Contents

APPENDIX

Instructions for Creating Event Invitations Using Evite.com

Williams College Regional Association of Washington D.C.

1. Go to the Web site www.evite.com.

2. If you do not already have an account with Evite, you can set one up by selecting “LOG IN”, and then “REGISTER NOW.”

3. Once registered, click on the tab that states “CREATE YOUR EVITE.”

4. Under “CREATE YOUR EVITE” there are several tabs. The first is “Event Details.” This is where the majority of the information about the event is entered.

  • Enter the requested data in each field (e.g., your name, the event title, the location, etc.).
  • The description of the event should be entered in the section entitled, “Message to Guests.”
  • Important: Do NOT enter any names or e-mails in the “Guest List” section. Do NOT list the listserv address here.

5. Click on the last tab, “GUEST LIST & PRIVACY.” The following responses should be given:

  • “Would you like to hide the guest list so only you can see it?” NO
  • “Is it Ok if your guests invite other people?” YES
  • “Can your guests bring other people to this event?” Select YES if alumni are allowed to bring a guest(s). Select NO if the event is too small to accommodate guests.
  • “Limit per guest” Select the number of guests, if any, that alumni are allowed to bring.
  • “Maximum number of people who can attend” Important: Remember that if this event will be advertised using a paper mailing in addition to Evite, some alumni without internet access will sign up offline, so consider entering a number that is lower than the actual event capacity.
  • “When should Evite send your invites?” Evite is actually not going to send your invites, so this section is irrelevant. Leave it as is.
  • “I would like to remind guests who have responded” If you would like to send out reminders, you can use this feature. One reminder is enough. To remind only those who have a confirmed spot, select “YES”.
  • “Allow guests to e-mail everyone on the list?” NO.
  • “Using printed Evites or posting your event in a public place? Create a custom link to this Evite by completing the following.” Important: Enter a keyword in the empty box at the end of the link, such as “Homecoming2002,” that is unique to your event. By doing so, you have created a custom link to your Evite. A custom link may appear as follows: http://www.evite.com/tom@kimbis.com/Homecoming2002. (Later, you will send this link to the Williams listserv — see section 9 below.).

6. OPTIONAL: If you are charging a fee for the event, click on the tab “WHAT TO BRING.”

  • Enter the event fee.
  • Link this event to the alumni PayPal account by following the directions on this Evite page.

7. OPTIONAL: You can change the background image and other design details under the “DESIGN OPTIONS” tab.

8. OPTIONAL: Under the “POLL YOUR GUESTS” tab, you may ask attendees questions such as “What is your graduation year?” Type your question in the “Question” box, and under the corresponding “Answer” section, select whether the expected response will be text, a number, etc.

9. Create an e-mail from your regular e-mail account to the Williams listserv announcing and describing the event.

  • Make sure to include the custom link to the Evite that you created in section 5 above so that listserv recipients can access the Evite.
  • You must retype the custom link into your e-mail. Do NOT simply copy the Evite address from the address line of your browser (Internet Explorer, Netscape) into your e-mail message (such an address will be very long and have an ending like: “eventID= UPNCULTPTKJAYEBMFXTN”). This will not work!

Sample Dues Letter

To: Members of the Williams College Association of Maine
From: Chas Foehl ’87, Association President
Date: December 16, 2003

I hope this very snowy holiday season finds you and your families well. I also hope you have enjoyed the various events and activities organized by our association. To be sure your Executive Committee is delivering you events and things that you request, this letter includes a short survey. Please also include any additional comments on the back of this paper – we are always looking for feedback and new ideas.

I. Your Interests
I have an interest in attending the following association sponsored events:
__ Music/Theater Activities __ Children’s Museum Family Event
__ Sporting/Athletic Activities __ Summer Lobster Bake/Picnic
__ Harbor Cruise __ Family Bike or Hike Day Trip
__ Williams College Singing Group Concert __ Comedy Night in the Old Port
__ Williams College Speaker/Discussion __ Community Service Programs (please specify)
__ Other (please specify)  

II. Your Participation
We are always looking for those who wish to become more involved in working with the Association. Enthusiasm for the college and willingness to make a modest time commitment are all that is necessary.

I have an interest in helping out in the following areas:
__ Sponsor a new book award (don’t check if you already sponsor an award)
__ Executive Committee member (we’d love some new people to help here)
__ Design an Association web page (could make communication about events and things a lot cheaper)

III.Your Donation
Lastly, we are asking everyone to send in dues. The suggested amount for classes 1994 and higher is $15, all other classes is $25. Your dues cover the cost of these mailings, contributions to otherwise funded activities and celebrations for which no extra contribution is requested. The support of Association members is vital to the ongoing health of the Williams College Association of Maine.
Name: ______________________________________ Class: ______ Amount enclosed: $___________
Address: _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Phone: (W)____________ (H)____________ E-mail address: ______________________________

Please make your checks payable to “Williams Association of Maine” and return this form with your check in the envelope provided to our treasurer Tom Hyndman, ’73: Mr. Tom Hyndman, 9 Ocean Terrace, Cumberland Foreside, ME 04110-1416

LOCAL SEMINAR CHECKLIST

1. Take advantage of the online faculty experts page http://www.williams.edu/News/ Williams/experts.html to pick a professor for your seminar, or call Rob Swann to discuss options.

2. After you have narrowed your choices contact Rob Swann in the Alumni Relations Office (413.597.4408 or Rob.Swann@williams.edu) to discuss your choices and confirm availability. Rob then will make the initial contact with the professor. Try to give two or three months notice before your planned event.

3. Two to three months in advance, determine what the format for the seminar will be. For example, will you hold a dinner followed by a talk? Go to a concert with a lecture by the professor before or after the performance? Hold a Saturday of classes on two to three different subjects? Please decide:

  • Format
  • Topic (discussed with the professor or staff person)
  • Location
  • Cost

4. At this time you also should send out a “save the date” e-mail to ensure that people are aware of the event so they can mark their calendars to attend.

5. Two months in advance, confirm arrangements with the professor or other College visitor. Note: The College pays for transportation and lodging, (suggestions for local lodging are always welcome). Find out if the speaker has any specific audio/visual needs for the talk. You also should consider planning activities for your visitor, perhaps calling on other alumni to give a tour of your city, take the visitor to dinner, etc.

6. Six weeks before the event, send the Alumni Office of your event invitation so that it can be produced and mailed by the office approximately one month before the event. (Remember to include RSVP information.) It is especially important that RAs on the West Coast provide sufficient time for printing and mailing. The more time Alumni Relations gets the better!

7. A week in advance, make follow-up phone calls to local alumni, if needed, to bolster attendance. Confirm arrangements with the professor/visitor and with the venue where the event will be held (number of people, menu, etc).

8. The day of the event, make sure you have volunteers on hand for check-in, and have all guests sign in so that you can keep track of those who attend for future reference.

9. After the event, send a thank you note to the professor/visitor and your volunteers who helped make the event a success.

Football Telecast Checklist

Williams-Amherst Football Telecast Party Checklist

1. Two to three months in advance of your party, you will receive a notice about the telecast from the Alumni Relations Office. It will provide details about date, time, satellite information, etc. Please respond promptly so that the College knows that you plan to organize a telecast.

2. Two to three months before the party, contact your Amherst counterpart to see if that group wants to collaborate on the telecast. Decide where the event will take place. Most associations hold their telecasts at sports bars or similar places but if an alumus/ae in your region has a satellite dish, he or she could hold the telecast in their home.

3. At least six weeks in advance of the party, forward an invitation to the alumni office for printing. (Remember to include RSVP information.) E-mailing the announcement to Rob.Swann@williams.edu is best. This is also a good time to make sure your arrangements are set for the party to ensure the room is reserved, food has been ordered, and a budget has been established, etc.

4. At least two weeks prior to the party, estimate the number of attendees and instruct Alumni Relations where to send the Party Box. The Party Box contains the following:

  • Name tags
  • Pens
  • Programs
  • Balloons
  • Party favors (item varies from year to year)

5. The day of the party, have guests sign in, have a great time and cheer for Williams!

Sample Invite to Join RA

Dear Fellow Williams Alums of Northern California,

Now is a great time to become an active member of our regional alumni association. This past year we, along with a handful of other volunteers, hosted more than 20 great events attended by more than 300 different local alumni. If you attended one or more, you know how rewarding it is to spend time with fellow Williams graduates – no matter whether your interest is social, volunteer or educational. Here’s some of what we did this past year:

  • Dim Sum Tour of San Francisco’s Clement Street
  • Responding Together in Commemoration of 9/11 trail building project in Pescadero
  • Paul Taylor Dance Company at Yerba Buena
  • Golf Tournament in Half Moon Bay
  • Lecture on the Iranian Revolution by Professor Bill Darrow
  • BBQ and Barrel Tasting at Ravenswood
  • State of Athletics at Williams by Coach Harry Sheehy and Connie Sheehy
  • Happy Hours in San Francisco, Palo Alto and Sacramento

The coming year promises to include even more exciting events, plus the return of a summer family picnic, a holiday party and new volunteer activities. Here are four key ways to get involved:

1. Attend an Event – If you’re like most of us, you’ve been thinking for years about attending events and just never quite make it as often as you’d like, if at all. Not to worry, this is a perfect year to start.

2. Play a Leadership Role – The more volunteers we have to lead or support events, the more we’ll have. In particular, we’re looking for alums interested in hosting new events, as well as anyone willing to offer the use of their home or other facility for a special event. Typically event planning takes no more than a few hours and the payback is immense.

3. Pay Dues – This is important. We have more than 1,500 alums in Northern California, only a small fraction of whom contributes each year to maintaining our association. If everyone contributes, we’ll be in a position to host a number of free activities and also subsidize the cost of more expensive events. This year’s dues will be $30 for regular alums, $10 for recent graduates (Classes of ’99–’03).

4. Get on E-mail – It’s much faster and cheaper to communicate with NorCal alumni via e-mail. If the College has your e-mail address in its database, then you are automatically on the NorCal listserv. If you are not receiving messages from us, then contact the College at alumni.relations@williams.edu to update your e-mail address.

Finally, we’d like to thank you for your support, feedback and participation during this past year. We look forward to a great year ahead for the NorCal association and its members.

All the best,
Greg Bronstein ’91
Timmie Friend ’90
Leila Jere ’91
Enclosures: Williams/Amherst Football Game Information, Dues Notice, Football Telecast Sign Up, and Volunteer Solicitation

Sample Faculty Discussion Topics

“The Williams Afghan Media Project: Reconstructing the Collapse of Afghan Society”

Using selected materials from the Williams Afghan Media Project, Professor Edwards will provide historical perspective of the destruction of Afghan civil society and the development of Islamist groups in Afghanistan, which in turn spawned an international network of terrorists responsible for launching the attacks of September 11, 2001.

Professor Edwards founded The Williams Afghan Media Project in the spring of 2001 when he organized a plan to duplicate and preserve thousands of hours of videotapes and close to 100,000 photographs from the Afghan Media Resource Center located in Peshawar, Pakistan. The AMRC itself was created in 1986 and trained Afghan journalists to record the ongoing war with the Soviet Union from 1987 until 1995. Until being duplicated in Williamstown, the archive was at risk of serious degradation from heat and other environmental factors in the AMRC office in Pakistan. The project is currently transferring to digital formats the entire video and audio archives, one third of the photographic archives (30,000 images) and all the AMRC press releases, while at the same time transcribing a substantial portion of the Persian and Pashto audiotapes into English.

Professor David P. Edwards is the former chairman of the Anthropology Department at Williams. He graduated from Princeton and received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. The author of numerous articles and books in his subject area, his latest book, Before Taliban: Genealogies of the Afghan Jihad, was published by the University of California Press this past spring.

“Dictatorship, Despair and Democracy: Prospects for Iraq and the Middle East” Both supporters and opponents of the war have seen their predictions fail. To name two: the coalition forces have by no means been welcomed with flowers and cheering crowds on the other hand the Arab street did not rise up. This talk will address the failures of prediction and therefore understanding on all sides of the conflict. Special attention will be given to the factional and religious splits within Iraq and the interests of the neighbors as we watch what everyone probably rightly called the “hard part” after the military conflict evolve or devolve. Professor William R. Darrow is Chairman of the Religion Department at Williams and specializes in religions of the Middle East and Asia.

“Academics and Athletics: A Balance that Leads to Success”

Cocktails and Hors D’oeuvres with Harry Sheehy

Please make plans to join your fellow Ephs for a cocktail reception with Williams College Athletic Director Harry Sheehy. In 2001, Williams College captured the Sears Director’s Cup emblematic of the top athletic program in the nation. At the same time, Williams was also awarded the 2001 Josten’s award given to the institution that best exemplifies the highest standards of collegiate academic and athletic performance. Join us to hear an update on Williams’ teams and the current debate on the role of athletics at Williams.

Lively Literary Discussion About James Joyce’s Short Story, “The Dead” Featuring Stephen Fix, Robert G. Scott ’68 Professor of English
(Wine, beer and hors d’oeuvres will be served)

With the prospect of spring finally in the air, we have decided to try something a little different for this event. Given people’s enthusiastic response to the interactive nature of our recent presentations, we have asked one of Williams’ most sought after master teachers to join us for a mini book discussion group—except, in our case, it will be a short story! So, be prepared to be transported back to Stetson Hall—complete with the need to do a little homework! Professor Fix has suggested a James Joyce short story entitled “The Dead”, a story that he tells us “many, including me, believe to be the greatest work of short fiction ever written.” He goes on to say that “The Dead” is a rich and highly accessible piece and “is, at its heart, a story about a husband and wife’s misreadings of each other emotionally.” A story line like that can’t help but make for a lively discussion piece! In fact, Professor Fix tells us that talking about this story “is one of my favorite things to do!” With a recommendation like that from the director of the nationally recognized Williams Tutorial Program how can we miss?! Indeed, if you combine the intellectually curious nature of our Maine alumni and the insights of one of Williams’ most popular lecturers, it should make for a very thoughtful and provocative afternoon.

Inside the Interrogation Room: Why People Confess to Crimes They Did Not Commit

Saul Kassin, professor of psychology and chair of legal studies at Williams, is a leading authority on the processes of police interviewing, interrogation, and the elicitation of confessions. He will talk broadly about the many false confessions surfacing in the news recently — especially in the exoneration cases involving DNA evidence. The most famous of these is the Central Park jogger case, about which he authored a fascinating commentary that appeared last November as a lengthy Op-Ed piece in The New York Times.

Living On The Edge: Coastal Florida’s Endangered Environment

Hank Art, Professor of Biology and Director of the Center for Environmental Studies at Williams, has been involved with and seen changes in coastal environments first-hand since the mid-1960s. He is ideally suited to discuss environmental issues in coastal Florida, which, with its intimate interface with the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, he says is like a “canary in the miner’s helmet.” Where the land meets the sea there are environmental sensitivities that make changes, from global warming and coastline change to land-use and endangered species issues, highly visible and of immediate concern. The solutions that work for Florida can serve as guides for other coastal regions as they grapple with the same issues.

An Evening with Professor Edward Burger

Come see the popular professor, speaker, writer and stand-up comedian give an unusual performance on math for everyone who never wanted to see a formula again.

Come hear Professor Burger’s confessions on why he hates math, but loves museums, art, nature, and even the mysteries of folding paper
Neither math nor origami skills are required!

Book Award Program Letters

To: Book Award Coordinators February 2004
From: Rob Swann and Angela Phienboupha
Re: Williams College Book Awards for 2004

It’s that time again when your efforts for the Williams Book Award Program help to promote academic excellence and the Williams reputation at schools throughout the country. We hope that you will continue to support this program and present Williams Book Awards at selected secondary schools in 2004. To participate, please follow the three easy steps outlined below and refer to the enclosed sheets for more detailed information.

1. Select secondary schools where a Williams Book Award might widen our admissions pool or bring more top-quality talent. Whether public or private, the schools should be those preparing students for academic work at the highest level.

2. Ask principals, school heads, or guidance counselors to choose an outstanding young man or woman in the junior class to receive the Williams Book Award. The selection criteria are as follows: “The Williams College Book Award is given to a junior in the top five percent of his or her class who has demonstrated intellectual leadership and has made a significant contribution to the extracurricular life of the school.”

3. Arrange for the Book Award to be presented at Commencement exercises or on some comparable occasion such as Prize Night. Whenever possible, have the sponsoring alumnus/a or an officer of your alumni association present the award personally.

The Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary will be bound in royal purple with a large Williams seal in gold. The cost is $37.00 per book, including shipping.

Please consult with your fellow regional association officers and return the enclosed Book Award order form as soon as possible, but no later than Monday, April 5th. Many thanks in advance for your support of this worthwhile project.

cc: Regional Association Presidents, Admission Chairs

Information for Regional Alumni Associations
About the Williams Book Award

The Williams College Society of Alumni, through its regional associations, presents the Williams Book Award to outstanding juniors at selected secondary schools around the country. Williams’ reputation for academic and extracurricular excellence and its relationship with secondary schools have been enhanced by this award. We encourage regional associations to continue this tradition and, working with the Admission Office, to target those schools in your area where awards should be given.

Our basic ground rules are as follows:

1. The book(s) is to be paid for by the local association through dues or by individual sponsors. The local association, in consultation with the Admission Office (contact Karen Parkinson 413.597.3037 or Karen.J.Parkinson@williams.edu) is also responsible for the annual selection of schools.

2. The book(s) will be provided by the Alumni Office. Once again, it is a dictionary with a Williams purple binding and citation with the College seal on the cover, and an insert page with a sketch of Chapin Hall and a short paragraph describing the college.

3. Whenever possible, an alumnus or alumna should make the presentation to the recipient selected by the school. Please forward to the Admission Office the name, address, and school of each recipient and the school’s resume of the awardee (where available) as soon as the award has been made.

4. The Admission Office will compile a list of the names of the awardees. The Director of Admission will follow up with a letter of congratulations to each Williams Book Award winner.

Please call the Alumni Relations Office at (413) 597-4056 if you have questions. Thank you for your participation in this worthwhile program.

Information for Secondary Schools About
the Williams College Book Award

The local Williams Regional Association, in consultation with Williams College, has selected your school to participate in the Williams Book Award program. This program is designed to encourage intellectual excellence and to recognize student achievement. The book itself is an attractively bound dictionary. If possible, a Williams graduate would like to present the book personally to the recipient at an appropriate school ceremony. The school should select the recipient using the following as a guideline:

“The Williams College Book Award is given to a junior in the top 5 percent of his or her class who has demonstrated intellectual leadership and has made a significant contribution to the extracurricular life of the school.”

Williams College, through its local regional association, welcomes this opportunity to recognize students who have the promise to be leaders in the future. Thank you for your participation in this worthwhile program.

Regional Listserv Instructions for Moderator

Important Information About the Listserv Software Some Background…

In the past, e-mail addresses used for listservers were stored in separate software from our central database and, therefore, addresses were not changed in the listserver software when we received updates from alums. Consequently, when an e-mail was sent to the listserv, many people did not receive it.

We have fixed this problem. Now, when an e-mail is sent to the listserv, the software will extract e-mails directly from our database and not from the stagnant and separate list of e-mails. This change will ensure that messages posted to the listserv will be delivered to the most current e-mail addresses we have for your region.

What This New System Means for Volunteers

This means that your regional listserv manager (in most cases the regional president) will no longer need to maintain the e-mail addresses in the listserv software (it also means that managers won’t get those dreaded bounce back e-mails anymore either). Instead, all regional leaders should continue to urge people to report any e-mail address changes to Williams at alumni.office@williams.edu or through the Web site at www.williams.edu/alumni. If people in the region have an e-mail in our central database, they will be automatically subscribed to the listserv.

How can I make sure that people who have requested not to get e-mails from the listserver don’t get them?

Our database will keep track of alumni who prefer not to be a part of listservs. Send an e-mail to postmaster@alumni.williams.edu with the person’s name and we’ll remove him or her from the list.

How do I send a message to the listserv?

The e-mail address to send a message to the listserv has not changed. If you need to know your regional listserv address, contact Rob Swann at Rob.Swann@williams.edu.

What is appropriate content for a message to the listserv?

Only postings that meet the policy set by Williams should be posted. If any posting does not meet the criteria, you should contact the sender and inform him or her that the e-mail will not be posted. The College policy states: The listserv is not a conduit for solicitations of a commercial, financial or political nature. It is not for spam, flames, virus warnings, or chain letters. And it is not to be used for fund raising solicitations.

What are my responsibilities?

Before a person’s e-mail is distributed through the listserv, the message will need to be approved by one of the “moderators.” You are considered a “moderator” of the listserv (the regional president and listserv manager serve as moderators). This will ensure that all e-mails posted to the list comply with the College policy. We will rely on you to decide appropriate content to be shared with your region. NOTE: If you would like additional regional officers to serve as moderators, please let me know.

You will receive an e-mail from “L-Soft list server@ALUMNILISTS.WILLIAMS.EDU” with the following phrase in the subject line: “listname: approval required” (where listname is the name of your list, i.e. “dc-ephs-L@williams.edu: approval required”).

Where do I find the sender’s message in this e-mail ?

You’ll see the proposed message from your classmate either at the bottom of this message between two lines of stars or as an attachment.

How do I approve a message?

If the person’s message is appropriate to share, simply hit the “reply” button and type the word OK and then hit the send button. This action will circulate the e-mail to the listserv. NOTE: You will receive another e-mail in your inbox notifying you that the message has been sent (the email will come from L-Soft listserv at ALUMNILISTS.WILLIAMS.EDU).

Since I am a moderator, does my e-mail need to be approved?

Yes, you will receive an e-mail asking you whether you really want to send it. (This guards against unwanted e-mails being accidentally sent to the listserv. Again, simply hit the reply button, type the word OK, and hit the send button. NOTE: The software may send you another email with the words “OK” in the body of the message. Don’t worry about this e-mail – just delete it, the message will not be sent to the listserv.

What will happen if a fellow “moderator” (another regional leader) approves a message before I approve it?

Since each moderator will receive the e-mail requesting approval for a person’s message, and there are two moderators for your listserv, there is a chance that by the time you get around to approving the message, your fellow moderator might have already approved it! Once the message is approved by your fellow moderator, all the other moderators will receive an e-mail that states, “The requested message file was not found.”

Will I get my own message that I send to the listserv in my inbox?

No, the listserv won’t distribute the e-mail to the author of the message. If you want a copy for your files, open your “sent items” folder to retrieve your message. You will, however, receive a confirmation e-mail that states that your message has been distributed to the list.

Will I be able to see who is getting e-mails when the listserv is being used?

If you would like to see the list of subscribers, send an e-mail to listserv@alumnilists.williams.edu and type the following in the body of the message:

Review listname noheader

For example: review dc-ephs-L noheader

Do not put anything in the subject line. You will receive an e-mail with all of the subscribers’ names and e-mails.

Does the listserv software protect against spam and viruses? Is it safe to include the email address for the listserv in my address book?

Our new software license for the listservs does its own spam monitoring, and it’s apparently even more powerful than what Williams currently owns. In addition, the College’s Sophos antivirus license will provide an auto-virus check on a continual basis. So, yes, it is safe to include the e-mail address for the regional listserv in your e-mail address book.