WHY AN

ANNOUNCEMENT

POLICY

'For Once In My Life' -- Frank Sinatra -- 3 MIN

DISCUSSION

MAY 2000

Posting, or not posting YOHI reunion announcements on this web site is a very complicated and controversial matter. There are many benefits to do so, but also many risks. Some of the unfortunate results of past announcements have created alumni "hard feelings", dissatisfaction and misunderstandings. Situations that would have been avoided had my policy been NOT to announce reunions, and let everything take is normal course as conceived by the reunion HOST - the person responsible for the reunion.

For three years every effort has been made, based upon requests and information provided to us, to keep everyone informed of reunions. We have gone to great lengths to acquire, coordinate and post data we thought would be useful to alumni - and it has been meaningful to many. However, we have also discovered some very important facts that lead us to believe we may NOW be performing a disservice by even mentioning future reunions. The major considerations are:

• Without exception, and for very understandable reasons, all YOHI reunions conducted have been "by invitation only". Meaning, only a specific "group" of alumni were invited - as opposed to ALL alumni. Alumni invited are unique for one reason or another to a specific reunion - are "members" of a recognized "group", or from the same era, Class or "years attended", School, or whatever; but the invitation is NOT extended to alumni from ALL the 50 classes that comprise the overall alumni database. Some "groups" forbid anyone but "members" to attend.

• All "invitations" are sent by the Reunion "Host" (sponsor / POC / etc) directly to the invitee, via e-mail, US Postal or telephone. Only the "Host" knows who is invited. All "location" data of the invitees is from records maintained by the "Host" - although some e-mail data obtained from Web Site.

• "Hosts", in most cases DO NOT desire their reunion be announced on the web site - for a variety of very valid reasons. 

• Data pertaining to some past reunions for which we made an announcement as requested, was not valid. In some cases, reunions announced were never conducted; or the data provided was grossly inaccurate causing alumni confusion and disappointment.

• Some reunions meant to be "secret", and we all know a secret, is never secret and results in "leaks"; and alumni would ask us questions, for which there were no answers.

• It is believed "hosts" constantly screen the web site for NEW alumni being listed, identify those they have interest in, and make contact with them. Thus, if new found alumni are to be invited to a pending "by invitation only" type reunion, they will be invited by the "Host" - as it should be - and need not see an announcement about it on the web site.

Much can be concluded from the above.....however, the main point seems to be that perhaps it serves no purpose to make web site announcements of reunions being conducted "by invitation only", to tell everyone else they are NOT invited.

On the other hand, it can also be concluded, in those cases where a reunion were to be conducted by a specific "group / sub-element" that was ALSO open to alumni from ALL 50 classes, then the "Host" would not, could not, be expected to make contact with all (4,000 +) alumni individually to announce the reunion. It is not practical for the "Host" to do so since the "location" of the alumni outside that "groups" membership would be unknown - except for e-mail addresses.  Sixty percent of alumni identified on the web site are not "on-line", and funding of such a project by itself would make it prohibitive. Thus the majority of alumni being invited in these cases would be unaware of the reunion unless it were announced here, and a "spread the word" type action took place - especially to those not on line. Although I have no interest in suggesting to anyone to conduct ALL alumni type reunions (a very difficult project), it is obvious in this case there would be some benefit to ALL alumni to see a very minimum announcement whereby they could contact the "Host", if interested - and at the same time "spread the word". Additionally, I also have no interest in suggesting that existing "groups" sub-divide into more separate elements.

So, before a decision is made with respect to a new "announcement" policy, let's survey the alumni and see how they feel about this issue, and at the same time ask them to send us "privately" their comments about the matter. 

[extensive survey explanations omitted].

Note:  BIO=By-Invitation-Only type reunion.

2 - Announcement shall be limited to the following information:

       DATE:

       LOCATION: