From: "Dian Welle" <diwelle@West-Point.Org>
To: "corps@west-point.org" <corps@West-Point.Org>
Date: Mon, 14 May 2001 08:13:26 -0700
Subject: WP-ORG: Fund Drive 9 - The people
Reply-To: feedback@West-Point.Org
Dear WP-ORG members,
Each of you is subscribed to a WP-ORG list of some sort (most likely a
@west-point.org list). Some on class lists, society lists, parent
lists, sports lists, prayer lists, or any one of many other lists we
have created for your use.
Other WP-ORG advisors have written to you recently. Because of their
notes to you, you're aware that we're having our fundraiser, you know
what WP-ORG does, and that WP-ORG is not affiliated with the AOG, which is a constant source of confusion with our members.
Those messages listed pure facts. I tend to be less analytical, and
what I would like to do is introduce you to the reason WP-ORG works.
People. It is countless volunteer hours that make WP-ORG work. I hope
this note will allow you to see the stuff we are made of, and why
personally have donated each year, regardless of the amount of work I
have done for the organization I believe in what WP-ORG is and what
it does. Quite simply, we serve the West Point community.
Graduates are now beginning to embrace the entire West Point community,
to include the parents of the cadets. We parents are becoming a strong
foundation of support for USMA and the LGL. WP-ORG led the way by
providing the parents listserv's by which they could communicate and
learn about the West Point experience. That is what brought me to
WP-ORG. I worked for WP-ORG for just over two years as a volunteer,
serving as a webmaster and moderator. It has evolved to my becoming an
Advisor on WP-ORG, and being hired as an employee (one of two) who is tasked with tending to the cyber needs of graduates.
Traditionally, a great deal of WP-ORG support (in percentages) has come
from the parent side of WP-ORG. The parents understand the value this
organization has for them. It is a means of understanding, learning,
staying in contact. I know the cadet parents will pull through as they
always do.
I believe it is our task to make our value to graduates just as clear.
It is easy to take for granted people doing the right thing when your
entire education and training was geared toward everyone doing the
right thing. It is expected, as it should be. However, without
support from the grads, we can't do what we do.
WP-ORG is a volunteer organization with the exception of the two
employees. If you have never "met" any of the people who keep WP-ORG
running, click here:
http://www.west-point.org/service/advisor/
Each one spends at least four or more volunteer hours/day keeping
WP-ORG running. Some more than eight hours per day. Their only
interest is making sure that each grad has a connection to his/her
class, has a personal home page that they can build and do anything
they want with, a personal e-mail address, access to special interest
lists, and a eulogy page for those who pass on, where family and
classmates can post remembrances.
Some of the unsung hero's are our volunteer moderators. For some of
our more active lists moderation is almost a full-time job. The
moderators are the glue that hold the classes and other groups
together. We get many of our suggestions for change from the
moderators.
Every six months we ask for donations that will assure we stay afloat
for another six months. There are real expenses to keeping WP-ORG
alive. Once we have achieved our goal we stop accepting donations.
We only ask for what we need. Why is it so expensive? We have grown
by leaps and bounds over the past few years. Supporting that growth
takes resources, and with over 20,000 of you, two employees are kept
very busy.
Two years ago, I was the only known non-grad cadet parent to stand in
the attic of the first division where cadets have gone over the years
to simply sign their name and class year on the walls. I was
privileged to read many of the names of those who lived within those
stone walls. Many of them only lived a short time after leaving West
Point. In the dim light, I saw the names of 1980 cadets written next
to 1890 cadets. How clearer could the concept of the LGL been driven
home to this civilian woman? "Grip hands, though it be from the
shadows", indeed.
The brief time I spent in that attic left me with a solid image of what
the LGL is and what my own cadet was becoming. And, in some manner,
those members of the LGL who still lurk in the shadows of the first
division gripped hands with a cadet parent on that day. I will never
let go of that grip. I will always promote the Academy and assist the
grads in any manner I can. I believe one of the best ways to do that
has been started here on WP-ORG. Not because I have a cadet at USMA, but because I believe in it.
Today, I ask the corps to do the right thing. If you use these
services, grip hands and keep us running.
I ask you to look at this status report and ask yourself if you get any
value from WP-ORG and what we do? Does your class? If so, is it
doing its part?
http://lazarus.west-point.org/wporg/donate/report
To make an online donation:
https://www-secure.west-point.org/wporg/donate
If you prefer to make your donation using a check, please make it out
to WP-ORG and mail to:
WP-ORG
PO Box 2108
Abingdon, VA 24212-2108
Thank you,
Dian Welle, Advisor WP-ORG
_____________________________
WP-ORG Inc. gratefully recognizes Armed Forces Insurance as the sponsor
of our fund raiser for the fourth time. Please take a look at the AFI
homepage: http://www.afi.org
------------------------------
Fund Drive 9 continues in a positive vein. The current total donated
as of 13 May is $44,743 or 47% of our $95,000 goal. Details may be
seen at:
http://lazarus.west-point.org/wporg/donate/report
Credit card donations may be made by going to:
https://www-secure.west-point.org/wporg/donate
or, if you prefer, mail your check payable to "WP-ORG" to
WP-ORG
P.O. Box 2108
Abingdon, VA 24212-2108
Please indicate affiliation (Cadet, Graduate, Family, Parent, Navy, or
Friend), and class year (if applicable) on the check.
We appreciate your support.
*** CORPS post by: WELLE Dian <diwelle@west-point.org>