RBW News and Events

Our classnotes page is live!  Please send your news to classnotes@theredbrickwall.com. Unfortunately we cannot post pictures at this time but hope to have this feature available soon.

Here is a summary of our Oct. 2007 meeting in Richmond, VA:
Our organizational meeting went very well. A small group of alumnae met at the Richmond Doubletree to discuss great memories from R-MWC and what the future holds for the Red Brick Wall.

Communication is obviously one of the largest issues for our group, including Class Notes, photo sharing, but also more basic communication among groups of alumnae (groups by region, profession, interest, etc). Long term, we agreed that having a print newsletter is a goal, but for now we will focus on using our website as the best source of information.

Our website is in transition. We hope to change hosting companies in the very near future. There are several reasons but the most important include cost, membership features, and customer support. We hope the transition will be seamless to our members and once we complete the transition we can put our full energy into strengthening our web presence.

We also discussed ways in which we can support the current students still on campus. Care packages for all R-MWC students was an idea that everyone supported. Unfortunately, we do not have a current list of students. If you have one and are willing to share it with us, we can increase our efforts to support the current students. Cost will be a factor in any care package project, but we are hopeful we can make it happen.

Regional gatherings and reunion-type events were also discussed. One idea was to pick a weekend and encourage as many alumnae as possible to get together with their friends and other alumnae to celebrate R-MWC on one day across the world. These events certainly do not need to be elaborate or formal, but we envision a day where all R-MWC alumnae can gather to network, share stories and pictures, and create new R-MWC memories. A cocktail party, pot-luck meal or other type gathering at someone’s home would be great. Certainly, not every event needs to be the same – be creative!

We also discussed the possibility of a reunion for any interested alumnae in Fall 2008. Reunions wouldn’t be held in Lynchburg but could be moved around the country every year. For many reasons, including cost, interest and planning, we agreed that the first year it probably should be held in Virginia and that Williamsburg could be a good first location. Our thought was to pick a city that would interest families so it could coordinate with a vacation or long weekend for interested alumnae. As with every other idea, we are always open to suggestions and comments and assistance!

Our budget and money situation was also discussed. Many of the expenses are being covered by generous benefactors until such time we can get ourselves established. Because this is a new venture for the board and all alumnae, we can project out some expenses, but some are unknown to us. As we add new projects and ideas there could be an increase in expenses. That being said, at this time, we are not looking to “make money” - we are simply looking to ensure that all bills are paid. RBW’s current regular expenses include domain ownership, website hosting and development, state corporation expenses, PO Box rental and Director and Officer (with General Liability) Insurance. There have been a variety of one time expenses such as check purchases and the like. Our hope is to communicate as much as possible via email and the website, but there will always be minimal mailing and postage expenses. Projects such as the care package plan will have costs associated with it. We hope that meetings and the like will have minimal costs to the organization.

We do as much on our own as possible to save money. But this can be tough with a small group of volunteers. We need as much help as we can get from all R-MWC alumnae and friends of R-MWC. We need your help. Our most urgent needs include finding a Communications Liaison and someone to assist with our mini-reunion in the fall. We do much of our work as a team but we need a point person for all projects.

The meeting ended on a high note and everyone seemed excited for the opportunities and possibilities that lie ahead. Our future is unwritten and we hope that you will all help us chart the course for The Red Brick Wall.

If you have any questions please let the board know.