Welcome to GALA-ND/SMC

Fall 2008 Tailgater

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 have already sent in your lottery form for another game (or if you don't normally participate in the lottery), you may still want to try to come for that 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!

Announcing the New GALA-ND/SMC Officers!

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 at galandsmc.org/site/officer-bios.html.

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.

Officer Elections Now Underway

To follow up on a few items from the member update letter sent in December:

Officer elections for GALA-ND/SMC are underway. Per the GALA-ND/SMC constitution (viewable via the "About Us" navigation link in the left column of this website):

"The officers are to be elected by a majority of votes submitted by the dues-paying members... The duties of the officers are to convene an preside over group meetings, oversee the organization's activities, collect annual dues, maintain the financial records, distribute funds, publish a newsletter, and appoint committee chairs."

Those who have paid membership dues to GALA-ND/SMC since January 1, 2007, are eligible to vote in the election for new officers for the organization. If you paid dues during this time and did NOT receive an email over the past weekend with ballot instructions, please send an email to webmaster AT galandsmc DOT org so we can verify your status and forward the details accordingly. Ballots are being processed online and are due by Monday February 18, 2008, so please contact us promptly at the aforementioned email address if you paid dues during the eligibility period but did not receive the ballot instructions.

The new officer line-up will be announced on the www.galandsmc.org website during the week following the election.

Additionally, the results of the member survey (which concluded on 1/31/08) have been compiled and will be given to the new officers upon completion of the election period. Results will also be made available to members soon thereafter.

GALA Leadership Opportunities

The following was included in the member update letters sent over the past month by email (if we had your email address) and by snail mail (if we didn't have your email).

Due to the protracted period for contacting all members, we are extending the deadline for those interested in being involved with leadership positions in GALA-ND/SMC. The deadline for letting us know your interest/intention will now be 10 days later (i.e. January 17).

Please see the details below and contact Michael August (at the address provided below) if you are interested in contributing!

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OFFICER ELECTIONS

It is once again time for officer elections. Offices up for election are:
Chair
Vice-Chair
Treasurer
Secretary

All members are invited to consider running for one of these leadership positions. Qualifications are simple: You must have earned an ND or SMC degree, and you must have time and passion to contribute to the organization during a full two-year term.

If this interests you, send an email with subject GALA ELECTIONS to webmaster@galandsmc.org. Include a bio and specify the office you are interested in running for. To be considered, your email must be received by January 17, 2008.

Elections will be held online in early February, with new officers announced by mid-February.

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OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

GALA-ND/SMC now has nearly 900 people in its member list. We recognize that the needs and interests of our members are as numerous as they are diverse, so we would like to seek some assistance with outreach for certain subsets of our member population. Liaisons would assist GALA-ND/SMC's officers with communications and events targeted to specific populations within the group's membership.

If you would like to serve as a liaison for any of the following subgroups of GALA-ND/SMC members, please send an email (with the subject line "GALA LIAISON") to webmaster@galandsmc.org. Include the name of the group you are interested in spearheading, as well as what your ideas and motivations are for the position:
Recent Alumni
Women
New Members
Regional Rep
Older Alumni

2007 GALA-ND/SMC Member Update Letters sent

One week ago, we sent an email update to nearly 600 GALA-ND/SMC members about the current goings-on with the group, including upcoming leadership elections and a member survey. Now, we are currently in the process of mailing out hard copies of the same update letter to all of those for whom we have no email address on record (or for whom the email address bounces back as invalid). As the number of customized letters being sent out is large, this undertaking may take through late December to reach all intended recipients.

If you receive the letter by mail, please note that it will be return-addressed with a Los Angeles PO Box. This is so that any incorrectly addressed letters can be returned locally to the GALA-ND/SMC webmaster-administrator by the USPS, allowing a faster update of our records about members' current contact status. The regular GALA mailing address is in NYC, but we are using this specific L.A. address only for this mailout in order to expedite handling of any "bounced" letters.

If you have not received your letter, either by email or by post, by January 5, please email Michael August (ND '96), GALA's webmaster-administrator, at webmaster@galandsmc.org or complete the member profile update on our website (using the links to the left under "Support GALA").

Thanks to all of you for your help and continued support. With a little luck, we may have a completely updated member roster and current contact information for everyone by the time officer elections occur -- about 5 weeks from now!

All the best for you and your family this holiday season.

GALA Football Tailgater: ND-Boston College Oct. 13th

Get on a plane! Get on a train! Get on your shoes! Don't miss this party!

Join GALA alums, students and faculty for our annual GALA Tailgater this Saturday, October 13th for the ND - Boston College game. The party starts at noon - don't worry about if you have a ticket or not - everyone usually finds one. Just get there!

The tailgate will be in JOYCE NORTH parking lot right next to the ACC. Look for the giant rainbow balloons! Lots of drinks, food, cuties and stories.

Most of the alums arrive Friday night if anything is going on around campus.

See you Saturday. We will once again be reading from "College Football for Dummies" in case you need to brush up.

Los Angeles GALA-ND/SMC Summer Party

On August 26, over two dozen ND alumni from the Los Angeles area joined at the home of John and Michael (Douglass '96) August for the annual GALA-ND/SMC Los Angeles Summer Party. Attendees represented every decade of ND alumni from the 60s through the 00s.

Thanks to Chris Senchack '72 for the photos! (Click on individual photos for a larger view)

AIDSWalk Los Angeles 2007

It is time for the Los Angeles GALA members to step up and help our community!

AIDSWalk LA 2007 will be held on Sunday, Oct 21. We ask for you to contiribute, and to participate if you can. This is our third year as a group supporting this, and we hope to enlist greater support this year!

Similar to last year, we will meet for breakfast prior to the event, complete sign-in, attend the opening ceremonies, and walk with several thousands of our closest friends to support AIDS Project Los Angeles.

Our Team Page Link for Sign-ups or Donations: click here. You'll need to scroll down to "GALA-ND/SMC" in the list.

Thanks for your support (and hopefully your participation!).

ND Football Game Watches with GALA-ND/SMC

As the Notre Dame football season gets ready to go, there has been some interest expressed about ND "game watches" around the country.

We have had offers to host game watches in New York City and in Philadelphia this fall, and another is in the works for Los Angeles. If you are interested in attending one of these, please check out the information below and contact the person listed for further details:

NYC:

Please join Irish fans for a gay alumni and fan gamewatch for the ND-USC football game on Oct 20th at Gym Sports Bar in New York. The game starts at 3:30pm ET, and we'll be there before kickoff. Drink Specials will be happening and there will be more information coming, but mark your calendars now! Gym is located at 167 8th Avenue (between 18th & 19th Streets)

To RSVP or for more information please contact Danny Wiederkehr '04 by email.

Philadelphia:

Liam Dacey '04, Mike Sofield '95, Andrew Remick '05, and John Matteo '91 are coordinating a game watch in Philadelphia for ND-Michigan game on 9/15 (game begins at 3:30pm). The venue is still pending.

If you are interested in joining, please contact Liam by email.

Los Angeles:

Tom O'Brien '86 and Brian O'Connor '01 are planning a game watch for the Los Angeles area. To express interest, make suggestions, or for more information, please contact Tom by email.

For now, however, Tom is hosting a pre-game tailgate at his house in Pasadena prior to the ND-UCLA game on October 6. Please contact him if you'd like to join.

Fall 2007 Tailgater

Our annual GALA student, faculty and alumni tailgater will be held this fall for the ND - Boston College game on Saturday, October 13th.

For students leaving for October break, we hope you can join us and leave for your break on Sunday. Last year we had a large turnout of both students and alums, and it was lots of fun.

The tailgater (and keg!) will be in the Joyce North parking lot, right near the ACC. As is our annual tradition, we will also be inviting the GLBT community from Boston College to join us.

Alums: If you don't have a ticket to the game, most are able to find one once you get there. We usually have a few extra at game time. GALA officers are staying at the Days Inn on Highway 31 (574-277-0510) - rooms are still available but it's best to book early!

Looking forward to seeing you all on October 13th.

Chicago - A Toast to Pride

HGLC Chicago, Yale GALA, FFR/Princeton BTGALA, Northwestern's NUGALA, U Chicago, UIC, Notre Dame, Duke and Cornell GALA present …

Weekend Opener: A Toast to Pride
Chicago , IL
Friday, June 22, 2007 from 6:45 to 9:00 p.m.

WHERE: Minibar, 3341 No. Halsted, Chicago, in the heart of Boys Town , the venue for the annual Pride Parade.

Time to join friends old and new at at Minibar for "cocktails, martinis, wines, bubblies and beers from around the world in a hip hotel lounge environment." No cover, cash bar.

E-mail RSVPs to Marc McClellan at Marc_McClellan@northwestern.edu. Please include your school and year.

Alumni from LGBT alumni associations at member schools are welcome, as well as alumni from colleges and universities where LGBT alumni associations are just beginning.

If you are not already a member of GALA-ND/SMC, please click on the Support GALA links on the left side of our home page (www.galandsmc.org) to send your information to our database.

Qlassics: The 2007 LGBT Film Event

This year's student organizers are proud to announce "Qlassics: Reimagining the Real in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender American Cinema," a student-led, academic film event on Saturday, February 10, 2007.

The films presented this year include:

GO FISH (Rose Troche, 1994),
ROY COHN/JACK SMITH (Jill Godmilow, 1994),
WATERMELON WOMAN (Cheryl Dunye, 1996), and
TRANSAMERICA (Duncan Tucker, 2005).

Acclaimed filmmaker and ND Professor Jill Godmilow will speak before her film, and other Notre Dame and local professors will introduce the remaining films.

Each of these films is uniquely engaging and provocative and is a major landmark in LGBTQ and American cinematic history.

As always, the success of this event will depend on attendance and promotion. So, please mark your calendars now and begin spreading the word. With your help, this event will be as successful as ever in raising awareness of pressing LGBTQ issues, both on campus and beyond.

New Link - ND Core Council

A new link has been added on the left column of the GALA-ND/SMC website for the Notre Dame Core Council for Gay and Lesbian Students. Per the website:

The Core Council for Gay and Lesbian Students (previously known as Standing Committee on Gay and Lesbian Student Needs) acts as a resource to the Vice President for Student Affairs in identifying the ongoing needs of gay, lesbian, and bi-sexual students, and assists in implementing campus-wide educational programming on gay and lesbian issues.

The site can be accessed from the links on this page, or at http://corecouncil.nd.edu/.

AIDS Walk Los Angeles -- GALA Team Pulls in $2125!

Six GALA-ND/SMC alumni from Los Angeles walked in the AIDS Walk Los Angeles on Sunday October 15. The GALA team took in $2125 towards the grand total of $3,768,295 earned by all walkers, ultimately benefitting AIDS Project Los Angeles and other AIDS service organizations in Los Angeles County.

On hand were Bob Ellsworth '86, Steve Blaha '86, Tom O'Brien '86, Michael Douglass August '96, Peter McManus '86, and Peter Gandolfo '96 (not pictured). Thanks to all the contributors for their support!

Join GALA-ND/SMC's team for AIDSWalkLA

SoCal GALA-ND/SMC is sponsoring a team for this year's AIDSWalkLA (Los Angeles), and WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT! The walk takes place on the morning of Saturday October 15.

We want GALA-ND/SMC to show a strong level of support for helping our community. You can choose to participate as a walker by signing up with our team and working with your family, friends and coworkers to raise as much as you can to benefit AIDS Project LA. Or, if you do not have the time to participate, we ask that you support generously. You can either support an individual walker, or support our entire GALA-ND/SMC team.

To visit the team website, click here. If you have trouble with this link, click here instead and scroll down to GALA ND-SMC in the list of "2006 Registered Teams."

Signing up is easy -- and we would love you to get involved! And don't forget to reach out to our allies, because they are the ones that will make the difference -- both for this and for all LGBT equality efforts.

Reminder: check with your employer to see if they have a contribution matching policy to double your impact!