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News

The following are news and announcements from 2008 through present.  Articles in the list below have been excerpted; click on Read More beneath the article to read the full item. 

GALA-ND/SMC members can comment on posts by signing in; these are public posts, so your name will be displayed alongside your comments.  A members-only discussion forum is available in the left navigation bar upon sign-in for those wishing to keep discussion/comments restricted from view.

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  • 03 Sep 2008 4:19 PM | GALA-ND/SMC Webmaster (Administrator)

    We are pleased to announce that, following a special election, our dues-paying members have chosen Liam Dacey (ND Class of 2004) as the new secretary of GALA-ND/SMC.

    Liam's ballot statement was as follows:

    "Although I have always had close interaction with GALA ND/SMC, I look forward to serving as secretary and getting to view things from the inside.  Specifically, I hope to use my extensive background in GLBT negotiations with Notre Dame to help GALA ND/SMC move forward in its mission.  Specifically, I hope to improve communication between members, update the website and add user profiles, develop a strategic plan that will look toward the future, and create new innovative ways to create ties between students, alumni, and the community.

    "I believe that GALA ND/SMC can create positive change at Notre Dame; however we must go back to our core values and mission before we embark on the exciting possibilities that lay ahead."

    Please join us in welcoming Liam!

  • 03 Sep 2008 4:18 PM | GALA-ND/SMC Webmaster (Administrator)

    Due to the much appreciated assistance of Joseph Acosta ’87 and several other members, we have now scheduled our first Texas event Friday, September 26th in the lovely state capitol of Austin!

    Meet other GALA-ND/SMC members at 6 PM at Cru, 238 West 2nd Street (between Colorado and Lavaca).  After some wine and cheese, we’ll be walking to La Traviata to have dinner (314 Congress Avenue between 3rd and 4th Streets).

    For those of us traveling from outside Austin, the following hotels are suggested in the area:

    San Jose Hotel (www.sanjosehotel.com)
    Habitat Suites (www.habitatsuites.com)
    Best Value Inn (www.bestvalueinn.com) 

    This is a very informal event and just an opportunity to meet other like-minded alums in a social setting.  Please dress casually, as after dinner we plan to make it a night of “bar-hopping” at several local bars and dance clubs!

    Please send an email to GALA's liaison in Texas, Matt Roberts (texas@galandsmc.org), to let him know if you can make it.

  • 03 Sep 2008 4:15 PM | GALA-ND/SMC Webmaster (Administrator)
    As a reminder, this year's football-weekend on-campus tailgater will be held prior to the ND-Stanford game on October 4, 2008. Game time is at 2:30, so tailgate festivities will begin in the morning and continue through gametime and resume after the game.

    Updated details about the event are as follows:

    1.  Even if you don't already have tickets, you can almost always buy them at the game, through stubhub.com, from another GALA member, or through the ND Alumni Association Online Ticket Consignment Program.

    2.  GALA-ND/SMC event hosts will be in JOYCE parking, right near the ACC.  Look for the giant rainbow balloons and GALA banner.

    3.  Many already-confirmed attendees will be staying at the Days Inn on US 31

    4.  Tell all of your friends - everyone is invited, including ND/SMC alums not already in our database.  Stanford alums and students invited, as well, in the spirit of solidarity.

    Go Irish!

  • 20 Aug 2008 7:37 PM | GALA-ND/SMC Webmaster (Administrator)

    Hey NYC Domers (and those that can come in for football Saturdays)!

    Now that football season is almost upon us, Therapy has offered to be our destination for ND football for the first few weeks.  We will have the second floor –- which has a huge screen, couches, and drink specials-- and they are working on creating a menu for us.

    The first game (ND-SDSU) is Sat. Sept 6th at 3:30
    The second game (ND-Michigan) is Sat. Sept 13th at 3:30

    Therapy has never done anything like this before, so they are asking for a headcount. If these go well, then they will keep it up. Otherwise, we will need to find somewhere else.

    If you are planning on attending, let us know so we can tell the folks at Therapy how much staff they will need to plan for.  And please feel free to invite friends!  Email Paul at ptxburke (at) yahoo (dot) com to let him know if you (and any guests) will be coming.

  • 20 Aug 2008 7:36 PM | GALA-ND/SMC Webmaster (Administrator)

    On June 19th, the Notre Dame Alumni Club of San Francisco hosted a "Pride Edition" of their Dining Diversity series.  The monthly events are meant to broaden horizons (cultural and culinary) by gathering ND alumni for dinner at theme-appropriate restaurants with designated speakers. 

    The "Pride Edition" was held at the restaurant 2223 in the Castro, with Steven Saftig, GALA-ND/SMC Vice-Chair and ND '03 grad as the official speaker.  The event was a huge success and the highest attended Dining Diversity event yet.  In addition to Steven's presentation, Scott Ellingson, ND '00 and Diversity Coordinator for the SFND Club spoke to the California Supreme Court's decision on same-sex marriage, and Jim Gatteau ND '89 gave an enlightened history of GALA's origins. 

    For more information about SFND's Dining Diversity events, please email Scott Ellingson at Scott.N.Ellingson@bakernet.com
  • 27 Jul 2008 7:35 PM | GALA-ND/SMC Webmaster (Administrator)

    We have a vacancy on our leadership team and are seeking candidates for a midterm appointment (subject to dues-paying members' vote).  Please see the description below for more details.

    -----

    The GALA-ND/SMC Secretary is an elected position on the GALA Leadership Board. Candidates must be graduates of either Notre Dame or St. Mary's College and dues paying members of GALA-ND/SMC. The Secretary - along with the Chair, Vice Chair and Treasurer- convenes and presides over monthly conference calls and oversees the organization's activities.  The Secretary is also responsible for:

    • Maintaining minutes of officer meetings and posting summaries on the GALA-ND/SMC website
    • Communicating with GALA members via website postings, newsgroup coordination and semi-annual mailouts
    • Overseeing the development of Alumni and Student Profiles to be posted on the web
    • Keeping and maintaining GALA archives, including newsletters, outreach materials, correspondence, and activity records
    • Overseeing other research and documentation efforts by GALA members including the history of Summer Service Projects, the Queer Film Festival, and the development of a database of LGBT student and alumni groups at other Catholic colleges

    If you are interested in serving and have time and passion to contribute, please send an email with subject GALA SECRETARY to webmaster@galandsmc.org. Include a brief bio and statement of interest. To be considered, your email must be received by August 15, 2008.

  • 05 Jun 2008 7:34 PM | GALA-ND/SMC Webmaster (Administrator)
    GALA-ND/SMC is accepting applications for participation at the Campus Pride Leadership training for GLBT student leaders. The Leadership Camp runs from July 19-24, 2008 in Towson, Maryland.

    http://www.campuspride.org/camp.asp

    The scholarship in the amount of $1000 is intended to cover registration, travel and a small stipend. Students may be from either Notre Dame or Saint Mary’s College, GLBT or ally.

    If you are interested in the scholarship, please send a one-page letter outlining your reasons for attending and how you would apply lessons learned at the training on campus when you return. Please remember to include all contact information. Send your letter of interest to chair@galandsmc.org by Friday, June 13, 2008.
  • 05 Jun 2008 6:38 PM | GALA-ND/SMC Webmaster (Administrator)

    GALA-ND/SMC’s 2003 Tom Dooley Award winner Sr. Jeannine Gramick, SL invites you to take part in two educational programs of particular interest to the Catholic GLBT community.

    Next Steps: Developing Catholic Lesbian/Gay Ministry is a weekend of prayer, presentations and dialogue designed to assist those seeking ways to include lesbian and gay people in parish, school, and ministerial settings. The workshop takes place August 8-10 in Littleton CO.

    El Salvador: Land of Martyrs is a GLBT-friendly pilgrimage to El Salvador. Highlights include visits to Mayan ruins, volcanoes and lakes as well as opportunities to engage with human rights activists, theologians and members of indigenous organizations. The trip runs from February 27 – March 6, 2009.

    Please click on the program name, above, for a PDF flyer detailing each event.
  • 07 May 2008 7:38 PM | GALA-ND/SMC Webmaster (Administrator)

    This year's football-weekend tailgater will be held prior to the ND-Stanford game on October 4, 2008. Game time is at 2:30, so tailgate festivities will begin in the morning and continue forward.

    If you have not yet sent in your alumni ticket lottery form, this is a good chance to synchronize your visit with that of other GALA-ND/SMC members! Even if you already sent in your lottery form for another game (or you don't normally participate in the lottery), you may still want to try to come for the weekend. Tickets are frequently available on sites like stubhub.com, and sometimes through the ND Alumni Association Online Ticket Consignment Program.

    More details will be posted regarding the time and location closer to the event. We hope to see many of you there!

  • 28 Apr 2008 7:39 PM | GALA-ND/SMC Webmaster (Administrator)

    The following is excerpted from a letter sent out to all GALA-ND/SMC members in March 2008.  The referenced member survey is now viewable here.

    In February 2008, current dues-paying members of GALA-ND/SMC voted for officers to serve a two-year volunteer term leading the group.  We are happy to announce that our new officers are:

    CHAIR - Tom O'Brien '86
    VICE CHAIR - Steven Saftig '03
    TREASURER - Mike Douglass August '96
    SECRETARY - Gus W. '80

    To learn more about the officers, visit their bios.

    Since the election, officers have met both in person and via phone conference to determine their focus and direction for the coming year. Discussions were framed by GALA’s mission statement and by responses to the January member survey.

    The officers have chosen to take the following first steps over the next few months as they prepare for the long-term strategies for the group:

    1.     Membership

    • Modify the dues structure to encourage friends and lapsed members to become current. Annual dues will be rolled back from $50 per year to $35 per year for everyone except current students and recent graduates. Current students will not be charged a membership fee, while recent graduates will also enjoy free membership for the first two years after graduation. Make sure your membership is current by joining at join.galandsmc.org; and please share this post with friends and fellow alums who might be interested in joining GALA.
    • Identify new regional coordinators and liaisons for recent grads and women. These coordinators will play an active role in building membership at the regional and targeted level through phone calls, establishing partnerships with other GLBT alumni organizations, identifying opportunities for summer service projects for current students and helping identify mentors for graduates relocating to a new area.
    • Reinstitute Universal GALA night. GALA-ND/SMC  will encourage members across the country to get together on the same weekend for socializing and mobilizing. It’s an approach that continues to work well for Notre Dame and has worked well for GALA in the past, raising the organization’s profile. Events may include social service projects, social gatherings and jointly sponsored seminars.  Information will be forthcoming as events and dates are planned.

    2.     Communication

    A large percentage of GALA’s funds in the past have been spent on a paper newsletter. The officers recognize that this is a valuable form of communication and are committed to an annual update sent to  members. However, the officers also recognize that many people today are accustomed to more regular updates via electronic means. GALA-ND/SMC can take advantage of its online assets to create a more dynamic on-line presence, get the word out more often and keep costs to a minimum.

    3.     Campus Presence

    GALA-ND/SMC wants both students and administration to be aware of the strength of our organization and our commitment to open dialogue about the role of the GLBT community in campus life. The new officers will start with the following:

    • Send a formal letter of introduction to the Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s administrations.
    • Formalize communication and coordination with OutreachND.
 
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