2001-02 Outstanding Club Award Winners

The Outstanding Club Award Winner for the Metro regions, which is clubs in areas with more than 6,000 alumni, is the U of M Club of Washington, DC. The club had an active and diverse programming schedule over the past year, including speakers, happy hours, hiking trips, and recreational sports leagues. The club also participated in numerous service projects in the DC area and excelled in the areas of student recruiting and scholarship, participating in about 20 college fairs in greater Washington, DC, and providing $20,000 in scholarship assistance to area students.

The Outstanding Club Award Winner for Region 5, which is clubs in areas with 3,000 to 6,000 area alumni, is the U of M Club of Denver). The club has devoted its energy to connecting Michigan alumni from all over Colorado by providing a wide range of activities that appeal to alumni of all ages. In addition to its traditional events, the club added several new activities this past year: a Habitat for Humanity service project, a reception for all Colorado high school students accepted to Michigan, and a hike up one of Colorado’s 14,000 foot-high mountains.

For Region 4, which is clubs with 2,000 to 3,000 area alumni, the Outstanding Club Award goes to the U of M Club of Orange County California. In order to meet its programming goals for the past year, the club focused its attention on the areas of young alumni involvement, community service and collaboration. This year the club hosted its first networking and career services event with the U of M Business School Club of Los Angeles, and 75 percent of the attendees were first-timers or people who had not attended a club event within the past five years. The club also co-sponsored a ski trip with the U of M clubs of Los Angeles and San Diego over the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend.

The U of M Club of Michiana is the Outstanding Club Award winner for Region 3, 1,000-2,000 area alumni. The club is being recognized for a number of reasons, one of which is its continuous effort to offer diverse events and services. In response to an interest survey of local alumni, the club added additional community service opportunities and an outing to the local civic theater to its programming agenda. Club leaders also worked to increase interaction with other local alumni groups, which is an important show of support for our Wolverines—especially in Notre Dame territory!

The Outstanding Club Award winner for Region 2, which consists of clubs with 500 to 1,000 alumni in their area, is the U of M Club of Delaware. This year, several members of the club participated in a local production of the classic play “Our Town,” and a group of club members attended the production to cheer on their fellow members. The club also hosted an evening with an internationally renowned violinist who is a Michigan alumnus and professor at the University of Delaware. The club increased its participation in local college fairs and became involved in talking with high school guidance counselors about the U-M.

In Region 1, which is clubs in areas with fewer than 500 local alumni, the Outstanding Club Award vote ended in a tie, so two clubs were recognized. The first winner is the U of M Club of Hilton Head. The club is proud of its high proportion of club members to local alumni and is committed to increasing that proportion even further. This year the club added a board-level position to focus on scholarship and student recruiting activities, although the club already has regular contact with local high school guidance counselors. The club’s signature event last year was hosting the U-M Men’s Glee Club. More than 550 people attended the performance.

The second Outstanding Club Award in Region 1 goes to the U of M Club of Sun Cities, Arizona. The club uses a mix of speakers, entertainment and outings to maintain good attendance and enthusiastic participation among club members. The club has a monthly luncheon or dinner and an annual outdoor tailgate party on the day of the Michigan vs. Ohio State game. The club also is increasing its involvement in scholarship and student recruiting activities.

2001—02 Awards of Excellence Winners

Programming: U of M Club of Greater Flint

Scholarship/Student Recruitment: U of M Club of Fort Wayne

Public Relations: U of M Club of Cleveland

Leadership Development: U of M Club of Greater Chicago

Innovation: U of M Club of New York