Dear Fellow Graduates:
Our candidate group hopes that you have read and reviewed our initial statement, which focuses on our commitment to Integrity, Service, and Excellence (ISE). Over the next few weeks, we will expand upon how we would serve you, if elected.
We opened our initial statement with the words of our Honor Code. We think that the AOG has a significant responsibility to our graduates with respect to this Code.
Previous Boards have made it clear to the USAFA leadership that the AOG should be consulted and advised on all issues relating to the Code. We fully support that position and, in fact, look to expand this for the benefit of our Alumni community.
We feel the Honor Code belongs to the cadets, the USAFA leadership and the Graduate Community. The cadets are the current custodians of this Code. The establishment of an Honor Code Committee on the AOG Board, composed of Directors and non-Director members, could possibly improve the handling of issues of honor for the institution and how it reflects on the graduate community. Such an Honor Code Committee's purpose might include a liaison with USAFA administration and the Cadet Wing to help facilitate graduate community awareness of developments in the Code and the system. The purpose also might establish a cadet mentoring program on Honor where graduates could regularly participate, and most importantly, reinforce to USAFA this is an area in which the AOG can play a more significant role.
We appreciate and understand that attending USAFA changes us forever and for the better. The Honor Code is the core value that shaped us. Clarity as to its purpose and intent should be forever maintained.
We kindly ask you cast your six votes for Mike Christy ('63), Fred Gregory ('64), Bill Stealey ('70), Mike Ott ('85), Frank Schmuck ('88), and Jereme Estes ('02)
Fraternally,
Your Fellow Graduates.
===============================================
From time to time, we receive some excellent questions from our Fellow Graduates.
Here are a few we believe are very important to answer.
Thanks for this Question from Tom Slattery.
Question: When asked what was the most important goal you wanted to accomplish as a Board member, you stressed the need for the AOG to act 'strategically.' With that in mind, if elected, at the end of your four-year term how would you want the AOG to different than it is today and how would you propose the AOG get there?
Answer:
Dear Tom:
Thanks for your question and the opportunity to briefly explain our vision for a more strategic AOG Board. Excellent Boards perform at the strategic level and we want to be an excellent Board. Unfortunately, we have all too frequently found ourselves necessarily in the minutia and our attention to strategic issues facing our organization has suffered.
At the end of four years, we would want our Board to have devoted most or its efforts to preserving and protecting our Honor Code, enhancing our heritage and traditions, developing new and innovative plans to grow our membership and provide world class service to our graduates, create a culture of giving and excellence in fund raising. If we do this, the debates on governance should be largely behind us and the vast majority of the membership will trust and respect the Board.
All ISE Group members agree with this vision.
=========================================
Question: How do the ISE Candidates view the current discussion of the AOG Foundation for fund raising?
From numerous concerned Graduates.
Answer:
Dear Fellow Graduates
Our ISE group of candidates for the AOG Board, stand united about fund raising and the AOG.
There is an current activity within the AOG to create an ability to raise large sums of cash to support the alumni activities, the heritage role of the AOG, and to provide (this is most important from our point of view) anything that we can to establish the environment and capability of the Academy to produce world class military officers and world leaders.
When we were cadets, many of us thought the government paid for every thing we experienced and used at the Zoo. Totally wrong! Those of us with a military career probably learned about appropriated and non-appropriated funds very early. The life experience at the Academy was primarily non-appropriated and donors provided funds to the athletic and other AFA supporting organizations to support those activities.
This AOG Committee is study group and a work in progress to best determine how USAFA could be much more effective raising funds through charitable donations...defined as $0.50 or less to unlimited funds. We have only seen parts of the work and that what we have seen, appears very rationale and comprehensive.
The Committee's recommendations, as we understand the process, will be presented to the present Board. The present Board will present their recommendations to the newly appointed Board in the July time frame for their consideration. The new Board will make the decision to proceed on, stop, modify, etc., eventually submitting their recommendation to the membership at large if required.
None of us believe that the Foundation should be independent of the AOG or the Board of Directors, and that the fund raising element will always remain accountable to the Board, the AOG, and the membership.
Since this is a work in progress at this point, our group has not critically assessed the work of the Committee nor commented because; it is just that, a work in progress. Our fundamental belief is, however, that major fund raising is required and that the AOG is the agent to do this. The organization, the method, the notification, etc., will not be decided and transmitted until it is fully matured and ready for prime time exposure to the newly elected Board and agreed to by the AOG community.
All ISE Group members agree with this vision.
