Membership Through the Years    

By Alice Francisco, ChE ‘75

Other members soon stepped up to the plate and became active contributors. Dick and Cita Tibay introduced the use of the Internet and published the first USTEAA website.  Through this website, we were able to reach out to many alumni from other states.  Nitoy Canete was elected President in 1999 and he appointed me to be the Membership Committee Chairman. I also served as Membership Chairman under the leadership of Flor Cariaga, the elected president two years later.

 

We took our goal to increase active membership seriously. We conducted a massive Membership Solicitation Drive around the US and Canada with mails numbering over 500 envelopes. For a time, we offered Lifetime Membership, which was limited in nature. But we quickly realized it was not a good idea. The association needs a regular and constant flow of membership dues in order to realize its goals. Henceforth, we send out Membership Dues reminder notice at the beginning of each year, and follow it up with another reminder mid-year. The measure of success of each drive is the response from each and every member.

 

The success of our Membership Drive would not be complete without the contribution and effort extended by other Chairpersons such as Linda S. Cubile (2003-2005) and Ronald Zipagan (2005 to the present). We also commend Fe Maximo and Cesar Quisumbing for their assistance towards the success of our Membership Drive.  Currently, class ’66 ranks the highest in terms of number of alumni members.  Class ’76 ranks second highest.

 

USTEAA membership is sound but it needs to continue to grow.  My position is to expand our Membership through the use of the web, as well as through the usual conservative way of reaching our fellow Thomasian Engineers through phone calls.  In encouraging them to join, we highlight the Filipino touch of grace, love and unity, and call on their generosity to meet our goals of sending needy but deserving students to our Alma Mater, the Pontifical University of Santo Tomas.  Members can feel good about the money we contribute to the association every time we receive good news from our Scholarship Recipients that he or she has graduated or has earned high honors.

 

Finally, I want to take this opportunity to let you know that we are regularly updating our membership database. If you have any changes in your address and contact information, please send an email to me at alicemf@comcast.net or the email blog of the USTEAAA.org.  I would suggest that you include your annual Membership Dues in your financial budget. That’s a total commitment; a sign of true Thomasian Spirit!

 

Yes, I am proud to say that it is worth the time and effort that we spend altogether for a good cause. Mabuhay ang USTEAA! ■

 

"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."  - Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

September 2009

Presenting the 2010-11 Officers / A Note from the Editor / Updates from our Scholars / An Informal Affair to Remember / An Evening of Beautiful Music / Community Service 2009

 / Membership Through the Years / Hurray for Gold, White & Gray / 2008 Financial Statement / Picnic 2009 at the Skytop / Photo Gallery