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Message: [QUOTE="J187Money, post: 1351651, member: 718"] Carl - I have tremendous respect for you and appreciate your passion. But here is the situation. Unless you are part of a small group of people that are in/around Hartford or Storrs that is "connected" to those around the folks that have run the UCAA for years, the UCAA doesn't care about you. I've been trying like hell to get involved for years from NYC (even though I live in CT) and other than the recent electees to the Board, nobody in the UCAA cares one iota about anyone outside of the power base. The absolute horse^$## that I went through after grudgingly accepting nominations to run the prior two years by folks that were desperately trying to change the culture - only to end up embroiled in a bunch of middle school drama just goes to prove my point. If those interested in saving the UCAA in its current form were anywhere near as interested in eradicating the cancer from itself I might be convinced to stand with you. But I don't believe that for a second. This is what happens when people spend more time fighting amongst each other and pursuing hidden agendas than actually doing the job that they were supposed to do. The UCAA does not have the hearts and minds of the Alumni. 94% don't care enough to pay, nobody cares enough to vote, and most of the people that did pay are so fed up they wish they could get their money back. Could there have been a different way? Maybe - but when you decide that Herbst is the enemy, what do you expect? She called everyone's bluff and pulled the rug out from under the UCAA. The UCAA went to a gunfight with a toothpick. Then you get to the economics: The way to a huge, engaged donor base and a larger endowment is through Alumni engagement. It is in the best interest of the Foundation to keep the Alumni happy. Their interests are aligned. [I](as an example, if the Foundation announces that they want to repurpose Alumni house, people will call and threaten to not donate any money, and they will have no choice but to back off).[/I] They will spend money to increase goodwill and in turn more people will give to the University. Win/win for everyone. The only thing you have to trust is that the Foundation is run by the right people. [B]It wasn't, but now I believe it is. [/B] The UCAA was woefully underfunded, couldn't support their chapters, didn't care about anyone outside of Hartford/Storrs, and did very little with the small amount of money it raised. If that's what we want to continue, I'm not sure who benefits. If the UCAA actually cared about all of its alumni, I might feel differently. But it doesn't care about me, and I've been trying like hell to make a difference. But since I work in NYC and I don't drive around Hartford/Storrs kissing rings, I'm useless. Sorry Carl - but I think you have this one wrong. [/QUOTE]

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