-----Original Message-----
From: Healy, Ken [mailto:khealy@sunymaritime.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 2003 12:33 PM
To: tedmason@mindspring.com
Cc: Ryan, John
Subject: mailing list

Ted:

Admiral Ryan has asked me to contact you regarding a one time use of the alumni mailing list.

While we are all concerned about the message being sent to alumni regarding the ballot issue, a second issue regarding the solvency and direction of the Foundation is now a question. The admiral would like to send a letter to the College's graduates so he can explain his view point on the ballot issue and address the questions regarding the Foundation. Please let me know the best way to do this.

Thanks for your consideration
Ken Healy

-----Original Message-----
From: Ted Mason [mailto:tedmason@mindspring.com]
Sent: Monday, December 01, 2003 4:10 PM
To: Healy Ken (E-mail)
Cc: Eileen Femenia (E-mail); Eileen Femenia (E-mail 2); Eileen Femenia
(E-mail 3); Francis X Gallo 64 (E-mail); Mike D'Aquila (E-mail); Steve Hertz(E-mail); Tom Munster (E-mail)
Subject: Your Request for a Mailing to the Membership

Ken,

The Alumni Association has always favored an informed membership, and dialog as a matter of principle. In that spirit the Executive Committee has approved the one-time use of the Associations proprietary mailing list for use by VADM Ryan to further explain his views with regard to the SUNY Guidelines and the demanded contract, subject to the following terms:

1. The mailing will be made by the Associations mailing service.
2. The College agrees to pay for the mailing and postage with a deposit in advance, the cost of which is estimated at $1,400.00 (mailing to roughly3750 members in good standing, with materials and labor at additional cost).
3. The College agrees to provide the Alumni Association with a copy of the Colleges message ten (10) business days prior to the intended date of posting.
4. The Alumni Association will include in the same envelope a message reflecting its views and assessment of the College's message to its members on the subject.
5. It be understood that the Association will only make one (1) mailing on the College's behalf on this issue prior to receiving the memberships vote on this issue.

You indicate your concern, but we are concerned too. We did not create this issue, which would require that we subordinate the Alumni Association and the will of our organizations elected Officers and Board to the will of the College/SUNY. Our Alumni Association over the years has been the most active, cohesive and supportive Alumni Association of any college in the SUNY system. We have asked that our organization be grandfathered, a status provided for by the SUNY Board of Trustees. Yet, without explanation, our request was denied and our Board was presented with an "ultimatum"which the Administration knew could not be responded to, either practically or legally, in the time permitted under our constitution and by-laws. A few of us cannot speak for the majority of our membership on such an important matter and can not be coerced into doing so no matter what the consequences of the ultimatum.

We have conducted a survey and are now aware that we are not unique in our concern and opposition. Several other SUNY campus alumni associations also disagree with the SUNY Guidelines and are proposing changes, delaying response, or treating them as if they do not even apply - the Community Colleges, for example. Our organization alone has been given an unreasonable deadline and an ultimatum when we have been totally supportive in our press, with our funds, and have otherwise been open and inclusive. We do not have SUNY's expansive resources (either in time or the money) to continue endless rounds of mailings, when we have other, more beneficial priorities to continue support of the College. We will not spend more of our volunteer time and waste membership dollars on a problem we did not create. The issue has now consumed enormous time and energy and precious Association resources that could have better been dedicated to constructive Alumni and College purposes.

We thought we had resolved our past issues with SUNY with the appointment of VADM Ryan and that we could resume our collegial and supportive role once again. We do not appreciate being put in a position of either being supportive of our candidate of choice for College President, VADM Ryan, or the unreasonable demands of SUNY and the Research Foundation when we chose to be supportive without relinquishing our organizational independence and control or subverting our organizational purposes and mission.

In addition to the requested mailing, we will also give it wider dissemination by posting the Colleges letter on our website.

Please let me know if the above terms for the mailing are agreeable.