USMA CLASS OF 1977 POST-REUNION NEWSLETTER

Dear Classmate,

First, we want to say how great it was seeing everyone who made it to the reunion. All of us were amazed at how much younger we look than previous classes back for their 20th. For those of you not able to come this year, we strongly recommend you make an effort to come to the 25th in 2002. As it coincides with the 200th anniversary of the Academy, West Point is sure to put on quite a extravaganza. Thus, not only will it be a time of great camaraderie, you will also get to celebrate a landmark anniversary for your Alma Mater.

One of the highlights of this reunion was our first class meeting since graduation. The primary purpose of this gathering was to discuss the direction of future class fund-raising efforts, specifically what our goals might be for the 25th and/or 30th reunions. With a solid representation of our class at the meeting, a lively discussion ensued regarding what we wanted to accomplish as a class and how we might undertake a significant fund raising effort in the next five to ten years. It was initially agreed that a committee would be formed to develop, in association with the AOG and Academy leadership, gift proposals for the class as a whole to consider. A vote was taken which elected Andy Chmar to serve as the initial chairman of this committee and he stated that the goal was to have gift proposals available to the class by June of 1998.

Dan Lafayette then began a discussion of how poor our fund-raising has been in the past and then personally committed to a significant contribution for each of the next five years. Several classmates, including Keesy Goebertus, John Luther and Rory Miott then initiated a lively dialogue of what was a legitimate inaugural goal for the fund-raising effort. It was unanimously approved that we would raise $1 million by our 30th reunion. The consensus was that although this figure was probably lower than what would be eventually agreed to, it was a reasonable start point.

In essence, what we have related above is how the meeting transpired. But what is missing was the emotion evident in the room; in fact, it was the depth of these feelings, openly expressed, which was most striking. We clearly saw how strongly most present felt that we had done poorly in the past, and sure as hell can do far better in the future. Without a doubt, if that same emotion can translate into a total effort for raising future gift funds, our class will have a significant, lasting, positive impact upon West Point and its future.

Our strategy for gift selection and fund raising will follow the model of successful classes that have gone before us. The selection committee will develop 2 - 3 options, that have been coordinated with the Academy, for the class to vote on. Following gift selection, the committee will transition to direct the fund raising campaign. In both these endeavors communications will be key to our success. David Anselmi's class home page and class distribution list will provide the resources necessary for mission attainment. If you have Internet access, please consider logging on to our home page and registering in the Class Directory at http://www.halcyon.com/davida/usma/1977.html.

Our intent with this letter is not to seek pledges or support for our class fund raising campaign. Its purpose is to inform you on the direction we are heading and to acquaint you with how you can give to the class gift fund as we develop our plans. But in case you are interested in giving, the following may be of some assistance. First, remember that your contributions are fully tax deductible. So, if you are planning charitable contributions this year, please keep in mind your class gift fund. As with most things these days, there are many ways to give. The enclosure to this letter provides you with options on how you can start contributing now. As the gift committee develops the options for our class gift, it's important that we start saving now. The AOG recently sent out an Annual Fund Update requesting support for the West Point Fund's Annual Campaign to support cadet extracurricular programs. As you support their request, we ask that you also consider the Class of 1977 Gift Fund.

Lastly, during the reunion several classmates approached the folks manning the registration booth for a copy of the class list that included name, address, phone numbers, and Email. We plan to distribute this data after the New Year. To insure it is correct, we will soon mail out our current information to each of you individually. This information is our "best guess" from the AOG, reunion registration, class web-page registry, and any other available information. Please check it carefully when it arrives. At a minimum, we need to maintain an accurate database at AOG, but we would also like to keep a public copy on the class web-page registry. Therefore:

• If you have no objections to making your information public, please register (or check & correct) your information at the class web-page registry by visiting http://www.halcyon.com/davida/usma/1977.html on the Internet or (last resort) e-mailing David Anselmi at davida@halcyon.com. (Note: we will not post your information on the web ourselves, since it is viewable by the public.)

• If you want to keep your information off the web but available to classmates and AOG officials, please e-mail any corrections to George Tilley at sg7326@exmail.usma.army.mil, or include a note to him in the return envelope, when your letter arrives. No correspondence is necessary if your current information is correct. (If you don't receive your letter by mid-December, you may assume that our database is wrong and needs your corrections.)

• If you do NOT want your information shared with classmates, please include this in your e-mail or note to George Tilley. "Silence is consent" to sharing your information among the class.

We hope this letter has been informative. We welcome your input and support in the coming months. If you weren't able to get to one of us during the reunion and would like to participate in the fund-raising effort, please phone, send us an Email, or jot a note. Once we have a date and location for the first meeting, we'll let everyone interested know. Otherwise, have a happy holiday and best wishes for a healthy and prosperous 1998.

Andy Chmar	John Luther
H: (914)446-9023	H: (914)446-1278
W: (914)938-3541	W: (914)938-3700
Email: ja5545@exmail.usma.army.mil	Email: yj0927@exmail.usma.army.mil

HOW TO CONTRIBUTE: Fill out this sheet and return to:

Office of Alumni Support (Class Support)
ATTN: Class of 1977
Association of Graduates, USMA
698 Mills Road
West Point, NY 10996-1611

___ Check. Make check payable to Class of 1977 Gift Fund and enclose with this form.

___ Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). Include a voided check with this sheet.

I (we - both account holders must sign if this is a joint account) hereby authorize The Association of Graduates, United State Military Academy to initiate EFT debits, and to initiate, if necessary, adjustments for any debits in error to my checking account indicated below and the depository bank named below. This authority is to remain in full force until receded.

Depository Bank Name:______________________________________________

City: _______________________________ State: _____ Zip: ______________

Signature: _________________________________________________________

Signature of Joint Account Holder: _____________________________________

___ Charge to your credit card. I authorize The Association of Graduates to charge the amount indicated below to my (circle one):

VISA     MASTERCARD     AMERICAN EXPRESS

Amount:_________

Card #: __________________________________ Exp.Date:________________

Signature: _________________________________________________________

___ Securities/Mutual Fund Shares. I have appreciated securities/mutual funds that I'd like to donate. Have an AOG representative call me to discuss how I can take advantage of this funding means. (NOTE: These securities/mutual funds should not be in an IRA.) My phone number is: __________________. The best time to call me is: ___________.

Employer matching gift:

Check with the personnel office where you work to see if your company participates in a matching gift program. If they do, just fill out the form they provide and mail it in the enclosed envelope. Many companies also make matching gifts on behalf of a spouse, so you may want to check there also. It's an easy way to double or triple the amount the Class receives as a result of your gift!

Thank you for your support of the Class of 1977 Gift Fund!!!