Dear BBHHS Alumni:

As officers and members of the Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School Alumni Association we have to make an important decision about the future of this organization. The BBHHS Alumni Association belongs to all graduates of our school system. We are fast approaching 16,000 graduates from Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School. The officers and chairpersons of this organization are here to manage this organization for you, the graduate.

The BBHHS Alumni Association can no longer sustain itself with only alumni dues, donations, annual fundraisers and Pollen Count ads. Over the past few years we have taken a subtle approach trying to get more graduates to pay dues. This has worked to some degree however, the vast majority of graduates still do not financially support the organization. In the fiscal year 2006-2007, the cost of producing and mailing the Pollen Count and Winter Newsletter is expected to exceed the money received from dues, donations, fundraisers and ads. If we continue with this trend, your Alumni Association will cease to exist in the near future.

Though our BBHHS Alumni Association constitution does not require all graduates receive the Pollen Count, it has been a long standing tradition the Pollen Count be sent to all graduates for whom we have a current mailing address and the Winter Newsletter is sent to all current dues paying and lifetime members. Because some graduates do not keep the association informed of current addresses, each year we receive several hundred Pollen Counts back as “undeliverable” by the post office. This cost or this service was in excess of six hundred dollars for the 2006 Pollen Count but this service is necessary in order to keep our database up to date.

At our November 2006 alumni meeting the cost of operating the Alumni Association was discussed at great lengths and a proposal was made for the Alumni Association to no longer send the Pollen Count to graduates who do not financially support the Alumni Association. Members felt in order to maintain contact with all graduates, the Winter Newsletter will be sent to all alumni. The cost per copy of the Winter Newsletter is much less than the Pollen Count. This is a very important decision to make and could affect our association for years to come. Because we have a broader mix of alumni who attend the annual alumni banquet, it was decided a vote should be taken in 2007 at this event. Should this proposal pass with a majority vote of members in attendance, the following actions will take place starting with the 2007-2008 Winter Newsletter and Pollen Count: The 2007 December Winter Newsletter will be sent to all BBHHS graduates for whom we have a current address and the 2008 Spring Pollen Count will only be sent to life members, dues paying members, alumni who make donations or alumni who advertise in the Pollen Count

Our dues are very reasonable and we hope your past enjoyment of the Pollen Count will encourage you to pay your dues or to make a donation in support of your association. We would like to thank all alumni who have supported us in the past and it is our sincere hope more alumni will join in the support in the future. Remember, this is your Alumni Association! Please encourage fellow classmates to pay their dues or if they prefer make a donation.

A quick note about our Lifetime Members, in 1983 the BBHHS Alumni Association decided to discontinue offering Lifetime Memberships. A change was made to the Alumni Association’s Constitution as follows: “All persons having paid a Lifetime Membership in the past will continue to be honored as members although Lifetime Memberships are no longer available.” Some of our Lifetime Members believe their benefits have been realized many years ago and now make donations or pay dues and even in a few cases have terminated their Lifetime Membership to financially support their Alumni Association.

To check to see if you are paid up to date, please check pages 42- 44 of the 2006 Pollen Count. Again, we want to thank all current members for their financial support.

Respectfully yours,

Daniel C. Biggs ‘60, President
BBHHS Alumni Association