Carolina Alumni Review - March/April 2009

Clubs
Service Days Build Camaraderie, Help Communities
Museums, food program, soldiers overseas among projects that benefited

For Carolina alumni in Rhode Island, Tar Heel Service Day was about giving back to the community but also about celebrating history and a shared identity.

The Rhode Island Carolina Club volunteered in October at the New England Wireless and Steam Museum in Greenwich. Every year, the private museum, which houses model steam engines, hosts the Yankee Steam-Up for steam-engine hobbyists to display their collections. The club participated for the first time by picking up trash, parking cars and performing other duties for the event’s organizers.

“Steam engines are such an important part of the history of the region,” said club leader Lewis Collier ’ 83. “It’s amazing that this small group of volunteers spends all their spare time keeping these antique engines running. We were glad to help.”

The Rhode Island club was among more than two dozen Carolina Clubs that participated in 2008’s Tar Heel Service Days. The annual effort takes place in October, in honor of University Day on Oct. 12, and offers a service opportunity for alumni while also rep-

resenting their alma mater.

Aime Goldberg ’ 98, leader of the Boston Carolina Club, said several alumni there bonded over packaging food for the terminally ill through the Community Servings program.

“It’s nice to get together and do something good to give back to the community,” she said. The club has worked with Community Servings for several years. “People wear their Carolina stuff, and it’s a good way of showing the community that we do work together.”

Chrystal Baker ’05, co-leader of the Los Angeles Carolina Club, said that “a well-rounded group of alumni [came] out to help” with Operation Gratitude, which puts together care packages for soldiers overseas. “Everyone seemed to enjoy talking with everyone else while showing the troops our appreciation for what they do.”

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— Elisabeth Arriero

ONLINE: To find out how to get involved with a Carolina Club, visit alumni.unc.edu/clubs.

membership matters

Number of GAA members* 67,670

Annual members

33,117

Life members

34,553

Total GAA membership (by percent of graduates)

27

Number of student members 5,194

These Carolina Clubs Go Above and Beyond

More than 100 Carolina Clubs worldwide help A committee considers several elements to select alumni stay connected to each other and help award winners, including service to UNC, community them give back to Carolina and their communities. involvement, financial management, leadership, organ-Each year, the GAA honors outstanding clubs — ization, event-planning and communications. These those that are considered exceptional in serving clubs were recognized in November at the GAA-their area alumni, the GAA and the University. sponsored club leaders’ conference.

2007- 08 AWARDS:

Top five 1990s classes (by membership percentage) ’ 92 27 ’ 90 27 ’ 91 26 ’ 93 26 ’ 95 25

Spring 2009 reunion classes (by membership percentage) ’ 59 42 ’ 69 40 Old Students Club 39 ’ 64 38

Top five Mid-Atlantic areas (by membership percentage) Delaware 27 Washington, D.C. 26 New Jersey 26 Maryland 23 New York 22 as of Jan. 28, 2009

OUTSTANDING CLUBS

Boston
Charlotte
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Lake Norman
Los Angeles
Miami
New York
Orange County, Calif.
Orange/Durham
Rhode Island
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