Dear fellow alums,
Happy New Year! We made it to 2022, after quite a draining year. Although 2020 gave us many challenges we hoped would diminish, 2021 proved difficult as well. Between continuing to navigate a global pandemic, wildfires that still haunted much of our membership, along with personal and professional hurdles, we have all wrestled with much this last year. And yet. Despite the many challenges we faced, the Board is happy to have been able to connect with many of you online and, finally, at a few in-person events, starting with a joyful face-to-face gathering over ice cream for Mountain Day 2021. We also met in person for a private tour of the Joan Mitchell exhibition at SFMOMA as well as enjoyed a lively holiday gathering for Virtual Vespers at the home of Eleanor Chang ’78. We have connected via Zoom with alums from all over the Bay Area and beyond—an unmistakable bonus of online events. We are looking forward to turning the page on the year and have a fantastic slate of events planned for 2022.
You can look forward to the continuation of our book club where we read books by BIPOC authors to a cookalong for Lunar New Year to our monthly mentorship group led by Jean Han ’87, to a special discussion about understanding the work of the Supreme Court with attorney and SCOTUS expert Barbara Creed. Keep your eyes peeled for lots of chances to be in community with NorCal alums in the coming year.
Boundary Shift Completion
We are pleased to share that after working with the Club of the Peninsula to modify both Clubs’ boundaries in order to better serve the MHC alums who are nearest to our centers, the Alum Association has completed the coding work required to make this change. This meant aligning part of the northern tip of the peninsula with the NorCal Club and expanding the Peninsula Club’s eastern border to Nevada. Both clubs will continue to cross-promote each others’ events on social media so that all members stay aware of all that is happening across both our Clubs’ large territory. Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns about the boundary shift.
Bylaws Update & Meeting
For the first time since the 1970s, the NorCal Club has updated its Bylaws and Mission Statement. Please feel free to look them over and share any thoughts with the Club via email and/or attend a Bylaws discussion meeting on February 15th (register here). We’re looking forward to finalizing and voting on our new Bylaws in Spring 2022!
Pay Your Dues
Many thanks to those of you who paid your dues and/or become Lifetime Members in 2021. Your annual dues payments and donations enable our volunteer-run Club to host a diverse slate of events and programs throughout the year. Dues pay for renting event venues, food and beverages when applicable, guest speakers, creating and sending care packages to local first-year and transfer students, offsetting costs of certain events, subsidizing costs for those who normally wouldn’t attend because of lack of funds, and much more.
If you want to pay membership dues for the 2021-2022 year or become a Lifetime Member, please do so here: MHC Club of Northern CA Membership Dues. If you prefer to pay by check, please email us. Additionally, if your company offers corporate matching or incentives for volunteering or being a part of a non-profit organization, we are happy to work with them to find ways to financially support our Club.
Let’s Connect
As we continue planning for 2022, please share with us what types of events, programs, and resources may best support you at this time or any which you may wish to offer. Email us or fill out this form to get started.
We’d love to showcase members of our alum community on social media. If you’re interested in sharing your story, let us know here.
Our very best wishes,
– The Board