Statement from Bennett Barsk '82

I was DC Alumni Chapter Chair (2012-2016), and a member (2014-2017) of the Alumni Board (ABD), during which I served as Outreach Committee Chair, responsible for promoting nationwide alumni engagement. I believe that the ABD erred considerably when it approved a recent constitutional change. Under the original Constitution, each chapter automatically had a seat at the ABD table. The proposed change instead creates a separate Chapter Council (including all the chapters), but only provides for at most three representatives on the ABD, thereby reducing the chapter presence on the ABD. The result: more bureaucracy and less chapter representation on the ABD.

In my opinion, this significantly diminishes the strength of the link between the ABD and the individual chapters, and solves no problem in particular, but instead creates other problems. For a chapter to be strong locally, as the DC Chapter is, it must be able to communicate with other chapters around the country (and the globe).  Such communication occurs most easily and comfortably at the regular ABD meetings. All chapters should have an equal right to representation at these meetings.

I plan to vote “NO” on the proposed change to the Reed Alumni Constitution.