Bring a Buddy to the BAAA Meeting

by Cate Murway

The Bristol Alumni & Athletic Association’s mission is to mobilize alumni athletes to reinvest in their community and their alma mater. Since its inception a decade ago, this proud and engaged community has worked tirelessly, providing an even vaster margin of excellence in their amazing generosity to our local students. The BAAA has donated more than $95,000 to deserving BHS students through their golf outings and raffles for athletic and academic scholarships and school related organizations since 2004.

Their goal is to continue to promote alumni athletes to become active participants in their community, encouraging a lifelong connection with their alma mater. They are aggressively searching for capable, motivated individuals to pick up the torch of leadership to reconnect the BHS grads and the students. The BAAA is a "can do" group of people who aim to accomplish whatever they set out to do, but it is vital to restore the civic vitality among the younger generation.

Debates about the waxing and waning of "community" have been endemic for years.

At the conclusion of the twentieth century, many shared a sense of civic malaise. Americans were reasonably content with their economic prospects, but there were those who voiced that they were not equally convinced that we were on the right track morally or culturally.

Which, if any, of these things have you done in the past year?  Have you served as an officer or joined a committee of a club or an organization? Have you attended a public town meeting or a meeting regarding school affairs?

Studies have shown a strong relationship between habitual readiness to volunteer and increased self-esteem. Community involvement, kind of a sociological superglue, is good for your health. Volunteers make new social connections, gain a new perspective and feel needed and appreciated.

No matter how you do it, giving back touches many lives and fosters community.  Frequent interaction is a vital part of a full and rewarding life. Membership is one of the simplest, most meaningful and most affordable ways to give back to the community, implementing change, while building lasting friendships.

Any good deed has the potential to ignite social transformation and positively impact, affording a renewed sense of hope that further proves the importance of a strong and active society.

All five American Presidents from Ford through Clinton declared, "Our obligation, distinct and unmistakable, is to assure that all young Americans have an opportunity to give back to their communities through their own service."

This "give-back" notion has been a key premise in the current push for community service.

“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”

In an effort to increase participation in the BAAA, the group has coordinated their first meeting of the 2014-2015 school year with the Grundy Museum and Library.  Their goal is to provide diverse meeting schedules, including different locations, activities, and hosting speakers to further inject excitement and boost attendance at their routine sessions. The BAAA needs to be continuously revitalized by new members, who come from all the divisions, ranks and classes of society...to teach and to be taught in turn. The younger generation today can be engaged even more than their predecessors, and engaged in new ways.

Carl Vincent Waxmonsky, BHS ‘06/ BCCC ’09 is determined to help other young people recognize their own capacity to do good, and assist them in discovering the rewards of generosity. He has said, “I am willing to use my imagination to inspire the current students, share my knowledge and advice and put emphasis on being a good student.”

Clearly, Carl understands the principle of giving back. He is a leader on the grow!

"Carl is a former student of mine at BCCC and is a fine role model for the athletes he coaches."

    William Michael [Bill] Pezza, author, teacher and coach 

Carl wrote, “Attention All Friends who attended Bristol High school or even another area school that would like to help the future of Bristol students. The Bristol Athletic & Alumni Association will be holding a meeting at The Grundy Museum; they are looking for new members. They are also looking for new ways to help raise money for scholarships and also help guide students towards obtaining their goals. The Members help lead them in a direction towards that goal. We went to high school and know what it’s like to have dreams and looking for guidance. Take some time and sit down with the Association's members and suggest some things and even join if you would like. Please attend this meeting. The Students of Bristol deserve the help in their future goals. We are the Leaders for the Future of Bristol and its Students.”

The Bristol Alumni & Athletic Association cordially invites all current and new members to their general membership meeting on Wednesday, September 24, 2014. It will start at 6:00 pm with a tour of the Margaret R. Grundy Memorial Museum at 610 Radcliffe Street. Many Bristolians have never visited this exquisite example of Victorian housing, the former home of Senator Joseph R. Grundy and his sister Margaret.  The meeting will continue into the Margaret R. Grundy Memorial Library at 680 Radcliffe Street, a perfect gem in historic Bristol on the Delaware. A library representative will provide an overview of its collections, inspiring classes, programs and services.

Lastly, a brief update on what the BAAA has accomplished and a preview of its plans for the near future, followed by presentations from the BHS cross country, field hockey, and football coaches who will introduce themselves and discuss their programs and the successes of their current seasons.

Michael Timothy “Mike” Girard, the Acting President of the BAAA, recognizes the need to reconnect with one another. Bonding creates strong in-group loyalty. The community as a whole benefits by the cooperation of all its parts.

Bring a buddy to the September 24, 2014 Bristol Alumni & Athletic Association meeting.

New members provide fresh ideas for innovative projects, valuable insight and experience, and diverse skills to make a powerful impact in the community.

Bristol Alumni & Athletic Association

P.O. Box 31

Bristol, PA  19007

Mike Girard 215.750.1570

Toby Oriolo 215.788.1343

Recommend a “Spotlight”. E-mail vjmrun@yahoo.com

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Carl is a GREAT guy and a wonderful role model to all he coaches. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him.

Nancy Smith Sanders-Ditto