Dear Georgetown Sailing Alumni, Parents and Friends:
Back in 1979 the student sailors of the Georgetown University Sailing Team ("GUST") formed the Georgetown University Sailing Team Alumni Association (aka Spinnaker Set) to respond to the University's meager funding of the sailing program. Over the past 28 years the Spinnaker Set, working with Hoyas Unlimited, has annually raised thousands of dollars for the benefit of GUST. While on the water the sailing team performance has greatly improved over these years to the point where the team was ranked number #1 in the United States in 2006, the struggle to fund the sailing program at Georgetown continues to be a challenge, and the dollars needed today are about 40 times greater than they were in 1979. The importance of these efforts became even greater last year when the University started requiring the team to raise a substantial portion of its budget through donations, and without this fundraising the team will not have the funds to maintain a competitive varsity program. Friends of Georgetown Sailing ("FGS") was formed by concerned parents of current student sailors to help fill the funding gap and support the team. FGS has been successful in providing the additional funding that GUST needs to compete at the national level. It has become apparent that the challenge of keeping GUST one of the top national sailing teams while only having limited resources available from the University requires that Spinnaker Set and FGS merge so that a single fundraising organization can maximize the resources available for Georgetown Sailing.
After much discussion between the leadership of FGS, Spinnaker Set, and Hoyas Unlimited, we have decided to organize under the FGS banner. To that end we have agreed to the merger of the two associations to represent alumni, parents and all friends of Georgetown Sailing, and we have prepared new bylaws to govern the operation of our organization. We have attached the new bylaws and a mission statement for your review. We need to know any concerns you may have about the merger or these bylaws within thirty days from the date of this letter. If you do not let us know your concerns by that date they will both become effective. We believe our combined organization will improve our ability to reach our fundraising goals and result in a stronger voice for sailing at Georgetown.
In the coming year FGS will be expected to raise about $100,000 for the sailing team. This annual fundraising goal requires a much higher level of giving from our members than in the past and the number of donors will have to rise from its current level. We ask you to help us kick off the joining of our two organizations by making a donation. We have enclosed a Hoyas Unlimited return envelope so that you can make a gift to FGS today. Remember your tax-deducible gift will count toward your overall University giving and you will also become a member of Hoyas Unlimited. If alumni, parents, and friends of Georgetown Sailing are not able to meet our share of GUST's annual operating costs, the team will not be able to compete at the national level and the University could reassess its own funding of the sailing program. Please remember that every dollar counts and 100% of your gift goes straight to the team.
We also need your assistance in volunteering your time to be part of FGS through serving as part of our leadership, helping to organize events, contacting possible donors, hosting the sailors when they are in your area for regattas, and attending our fundraising events. Please let Vince Behm (vbehm@goodglass.com) know of your willingness to serve and be sure you provide us with your current contact information, especially your email address.
Sincerely,
Vince Behm (P'08)
President of FGS
Terry McGovern (C'80)
Founder of GUST Alumni Association
Bridget Creney (C'96, G'05)
President of Spinnaker Set
FGS Mission Statement
FGS Bylaws
