I was having a great day when an email very similar to this one popped into my inbox from Tom Eames. After putting a Save the Date on my calendar for Pig Dinner I was feeling a little sentimental. And that's when I read the call for Class Captains to help 707 Oxford update its records for graduate brothers. My father, Paul '74, was setting an example and has been volunteering at the house for the last few years to help with the technology infrastructure, and I knew it was my turn to give back too. Since I was already thinking about the friendships I had let lapse and wondering what had happened to a couple of the guys I pledged with, I responded to the call and told Tom I would be interested in volunteering.

Tom gave me the list of my class and the latest contact information in a spreadsheet (which was unfortunately a little sparse, or had information that I knew was out of date for at least 8 years) and I got to work. My class was a little larger than most as we started to build up the house after rechartering, so I imagine it would take a little more time than with other years. I started by going through my phone and my gmail and replacing the numbers and @umich.edu addresses that I knew were no longer valid. Then when I had a few minutes over my lunch hour I started to send out a couple of emails to guys that could help me with their own information and perhaps a few people I know would be close to them. Some guys could only verify their own details, but others were able to update 10 records by themselves. Thanks Dan!

I have really enjoyed reconnecting with brothers and hearing interesting stories from guys who had lost touch with the house because their information had lapsed. While we all feel like the house was the best while we were there, the guys are still upholding strong traditions in philanthropy and I had the chance to tell them about the new Rivalry Run and support of the USO. Others told me they were in a city that I was traveling to frequently for business and that offered the opportunity to catch up face to face. It's all a reminder that this is "Not for College Days Alone."

The feedback was so good, that I recruited Dan Bruce to do it for his class of 2009. Why don’t you do it for your class. Just contact Tom Eames, fijiman@metalmasters.com , to get started.

But it hasn't exactly been easy and that's why we need more help! Sometimes it takes some serious sleuthing to find a starting point for some brothers. Also, we are all busy, but this is a little task that can make a big difference to the house and to your relationship with your brothers. It just takes a little time every week to keep the process moving. Can you help us by volunteering to be your Class Captain?

I'll admit that I'm not done yet, and if you're reading this email and from my class, feel free to help me by dropping a line with your current address, email, and phone number and I'll follow up to get the rest.

Fraternally,

Eric Heininger '07

Perge!

Return to main page

Friendship and Persistence - Volunteering as a Class Captain