|
Post by hoyaparents on Jan 3, 2011 16:08:46 GMT -5
theexorcist, when did the Gridiron Club ever have an election? By the way, who are the officers and directors? Has there ever been a meeting?
|
|
theexorcist
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,506
|
Post by theexorcist on Jan 3, 2011 16:27:53 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by hoyaparents on Jan 3, 2011 16:52:10 GMT -5
theexorcist, thanks for the info, but you didn't answer the questions?
When was the last meeting of the Gridiron Club? Has there ever been an election?
|
|
theexorcist
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,506
|
Post by theexorcist on Jan 3, 2011 16:56:21 GMT -5
I don't work for Georgetown and I have no involvement with the Gridiron Club, so I don't know the answers to your questions. Lenihan should - if he's unresponsive, then the Hoyas Unlimited number should answer your questions.
|
|
|
Post by jkhoya12 on Jan 3, 2011 17:24:53 GMT -5
98hoya, I would be please to take the lead. Let's get 5 or 6 guys together to form a core group, then arrange a meeting with the AD. I will contribute $ 10,000. toward organizational and promotion costs to reach out to the 1,200 to 1,300 football alums to establish a base. By the way, I offerred the same $ 10,000. last year to Hoyas Unlimited, their response, no response. Wow. That just shows me everything that is wrong with our Athletic Giving. I'm sure there would be a number of students, myself included, who are very interested in pushing the football program to new heights. We want to believe, but we need to see some results, not only on the field, but in the bank. And I'd just like to say thank you for offering that gift, and I apologize on behalf of Hoyas Unlimited for their lack of response.
|
|
derhoya
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
Posts: 584
|
Post by derhoya on Jan 3, 2011 18:27:54 GMT -5
Jim checks this board from time to time but is a great guy and responsive if you have any issues. For what it's worth, the Gridiron Club has recently been pushing a mentoring program to matching jr/srs with former players in various industries to get the kids internships/jobs. Jim and a number of other alums have been instrumental in moving this forward. From my perspective, when the former Hoyas Unlimited Director Bill Johnson left somewhat abruptly ~1.5 yrs ago, HU was left in a tailspin following his and Muir's departure and has lacked the 'senior leadership' once provided. I think this has affected GC to some extent. This power void allowed a couple overzealous alums to meddle with things and really leave HU to accomplish nothing. Combine this with the lack of info coming out of McD and you get the current frustration. HU is understaffed and I haven't heard what Reed has in mind for it. At least we're sponsored by Miller Lite for Saturdays!
|
|
eb59
Century (over 100 posts)
Posts: 152
|
Post by eb59 on Jan 3, 2011 18:47:26 GMT -5
Ok, so if the GI Club is not in the foreseeable future have any further insight into the vision and direction of the program – is it not possible for the parents of the current players to put some direct heat on Kelly and the AD himself? I know that if my kid were playing for the Hoyas right now, I would have some major questions for these folks.
BTW – Hoyaparents, you are the man by putting your money down and I am disgusted although not surprised by the response you received.
Here is an idea, why doesn’t the GI Club setup a bi-annual meeting where the Coaching Staff and AD make themselves available to the donors and talk about things like Vision, Recruiting, Facility Enhancements, Etc. This could however be used as a fundraising vehicle, as I know that I would pay a for an entrance fee or better yet seat at a dinner if I got to ask some tough questions to the people that Should be able to answer them. Jim L. – Is this possible?
|
|
|
Post by 98hoya on Jan 4, 2011 9:58:04 GMT -5
98hoya, I would be please to take the lead. Let's get 5 or 6 guys together to form a core group, then arrange a meeting with the AD. I will contribute $ 10,000. toward organizational and promotion costs to reach out to the 1,200 to 1,300 football alums to establish a base. By the way, I offerred the same $ 10,000. last year to Hoyas Unlimited, their response, no response. Hoyaparents, Thank you for your leadership. I can't donate the same amount, but if you get an alternative organization going (or find a way to get our current organization on track), I will 100% be happy to give money. I had sworn I would never donate again after what I will (politely) call "misappropriation" of my last significant donation, which was toward the MSF. I gave more than I could afford for that and got totally burned, but maybe the grass roots way is the way to go. If you're leading, I'm following. Thank you!
|
|
|
Post by hoyaparents on Jan 4, 2011 12:28:15 GMT -5
Thanks to all with your positive feedback.
There is no need to start a new organization, if the exisiting Gridiron Club is willing to participate.
The support organizations of the other Patriot League programs have had great success in building their alumi base, and that has, in turn, resulted in success in fund raising, facilities, etc.
My son graduated two years ago, and, to date, has heard nothing from the Gridiron Club in terms of membership or donating to the program.
If the Gridiron Club wants to focus on the mentoring program, that's fine, then let others do the work building the alumi base and fund raise on behalf of the Gridiron Club in support of GU football.
I am ready, willing and able to help, both financially and putting in the time, but I cannot do this alone.
Let's put together 5 or 6 guys, schedule a meeting with the AD and Hoyas Unlimited, and see what we can accomplish together.
If interested, contact me at adviscocapital@aol.com.
If they are not interested, so be it.
|
|
DFW HOYA
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 5,777
|
Post by DFW HOYA on Jan 4, 2011 13:07:32 GMT -5
For thsoe who remember American history, there is a famous cartoon by Thomas Nast of the Tammany Ring, where a circle of politicans point fingers at the man to their respective right, with the title "Twas Him". There seems a fair amount of that at GU. - Donors look to the Gridiron Club for leadership.
- The Gridiron Club looks for support at Hoyas Unlimited.
- Hoyas Unlimited still has no director, and looks to Development for help.
- Development isn't in the athletics business, and looks to the athletic director for direction.
- The athletic director looks to the coaches to lead.
- The coaches are budgeted into oblivion and look to the donors.
- See above.
This is untenable situation. If I was Kevin Kelly I'd be shaking the trees for every ounce of financial and moral support out of this base. Either he doesn't know how to, or is resigned to the fact that he has no leverage at Georgetown and will maintain status quo until he is hired away by another school or shown the door. Georgetown has roughly two years before the PL either goes scholarship or the league implodes. If there is not some directed leadership from all constituents (donors, GC, Hoyas Unlimited, Development, Athletics, and, last but nor least, coaches), the program is left in a deep ditch. Geogetown has spent ten years spinning its wheels on the same tired old issues. It's time for everyone to step it up.
|
|
|
Post by hoyaparents on Jan 4, 2011 14:09:10 GMT -5
DTW HOYA, bravo.
Let's unite, take a stand, and move ahead.
|
|
|
Post by jerseyhoya34 on Jan 4, 2011 14:34:21 GMT -5
Healy needs to step up too.
|
|
|
Post by hoyaparents on Jan 4, 2011 18:29:48 GMT -5
As published in Hoya Saxa Magazine, Fall 2010
From Lee Reed, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics
"Our top priority will be to improve our athletic physical plant. Our need for improved facilities is well documented and we are working diligently to finalize a plan that will make this great goal a reality. The Athletic Training Facility and Multi-Sport Field projects are critical to the future of our program. The successful timely completion of these projects will provide our coaches with the functional space necessary to properly work with our student athletes and give them the greatest opportunity to succeed."
In the same publication some eye opening statistics.
Did you know that baseball and crew raise more money than football?
Sailing, yes sailing, has more donors that football and is just $ 3,500. behind football in dollars given.
Football giving declined 35% from June 30, 2008 to June 30, 2009, and declined another 15% this past year.
For the year ended June 30, 2008, football giving was $ 269,348., last year it was just $ 151,765. (By the way, 2008 was the year I started the Hoya Football Parents Association, and look what happen to the fundraising figures for that year.)
Come on guys, we can do better than this. Thus far, I have only received one response from a football alum offering to join the cause.
Let's form a "mob," meet with the AD, and make change happen.
Contact me at adviscocapital@aol.com.
|
|
|
Post by hoyaparents on Jan 4, 2011 20:02:49 GMT -5
Here's an interesting bit of information.
I just got an email from the head coach of GU sailing. From 1997 to date, that's 14 years, every participant is the GU sailing program has donated to the sailing program, 100% participation. Outstanding.
Can anyone guess what the participation has been from football alum during the same period?
We have some catching up to do.
|
|
DFW HOYA
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 5,777
|
Post by DFW HOYA on Jan 4, 2011 20:20:17 GMT -5
Some notes about the public numbers cited above.
1. Donors to football were down, but so were 14 of the 19 support clubs...including the Hoya Hoop Club. (The largest increase in any club was a net of 17.) This period reflected a year without an athletic director and part of a year without a director of Hoyas Unlimited and the numbers reflect this.
2. A throwback to the pre-Internet era, most support club fundraising takes place in the spring phonathons...which happened to be at the conclusion of an 0-11 season. More specifically, the later years of the Bernard Muir administration focused on the "Athletics Excellence Fund", which is essentially an all-sports fund disbursed at the discretion of the A.D. (Muir came from Notre Dame, where alumni suport one club, not 19.) Given that this fund grew over 2000% in 2009-10, there may be some football donors which have simply transitioned to that fundraising option in the absence of a competing message, or, as a measure of abject frustration in the losing efforts of the last decade.
3. A number of donors (esp. football alumni) are simply not going to respond to a generic letter from Hoyas Unlimited--they either want to reconnect through one of their teammates, or through one of the current staff. Absent these two resources selling the specific need for football giving, more promoted programs like the Athletic Excellence Fund or the 1789 Scholarship Imperative get to the front of the line. Absent a stronger message, some alumni write a check to GU for the first offer that comes in, and none more for another year.
4. Finally, it needs to be understood that the MSF mess has left a bad impression on a lot of football donors. We can accenuate the positives, but you can't ignore the shadow that the project casts over the entire sport.
All of these issues (yes, even #4) are ultimately correctable. That is the task at hand for the Gridiron Club in 2011.
|
|
derhoya
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
Posts: 584
|
Post by derhoya on Jan 6, 2011 2:29:49 GMT -5
4. Finally, it needs to be understood that the MSF mess has left a bad impression on a lot of football donors. We can accenuate the positives, but you can't ignore the shadow that the project casts over the entire sport. DFW way to be a politician and choose your words nicely. If only Gtown had something like our alma mater is finishing, we'd be in good shape.
|
|
eb59
Century (over 100 posts)
Posts: 152
|
Post by eb59 on Jan 6, 2011 11:11:07 GMT -5
Just curious - what alma mater and project are you referring to?
Is it Loyola? If so, I'm really jealous of what they have now. Man, could you imagine that stadium with another sideline of approx 5k seats and a banked slope in the North End Zone for Gen Admission seating right in the heart of GU's Campus? Throw in a digital scoreboard - what an amazing dream!
Sorry - Just had to dream for a minute this morning.
Anyway, does anyone have an idea of what it would likely cost for us to build something like I have described above? Is this a $5m, $10m, $20m, $40m effort? I guess it all depends on what the additional facilites include (Offices, Training Rooms, Weight Room, Etc). Just curious if anyone knows ROM cost for Layola or something that we may someday build?
|
|
RusskyHoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
In Soviet Russia, Hoya Blue Bleeds You!
Posts: 4,619
|
Post by RusskyHoya on Jan 6, 2011 15:59:16 GMT -5
|
|
derhoya
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
Posts: 584
|
Post by derhoya on Jan 6, 2011 19:27:49 GMT -5
That's Jesuit College Prep to you, Russky
|
|
|
Post by jimlenihan on Jan 6, 2011 21:14:48 GMT -5
Thanks for the kind words Skender.
Phil, I think it's clear that we all have the same goal in mind, and we are working hard to achieve that objective. With our new leadership in the department it is clear that a major focus is on building the family. Your council is missed and I would welcome a phone call from you at any time.
eb59 and 98hoya, I have no clue who you are, and I'm fairly certain neither of you have ever contacted me personally to discuss your concerns or ideas for how we can improve. I welcome any support either of you can give. My email is jklenihan@gmail.com I look forward to hearing from both of you.
We recently received a generous donation from someone active on this board for better communications to our network. I look forward to putting that donation to good use. Anyone wishing to help, please contact me directly.
All the best,
Jim
|
|