New 1918 society connects alumni as part of virtual homecoming
Illustration by Kaitlyn Anderson, Class of 2018. @kaitlyn_elyse
The 1918 Society, a new alumni association created by the Alumni Relations Office, provides a network for alumni to connect with one another and the current Lee culture. In the COVID-19 era, reconnecting is proving to be more challenging than ever before. Under new Director Dr. Susan Ashcraft, the Alumni Relations Office has created a virtual homecoming weekend, which will include the premier of the 1918 Society.
“As a member of the 1918 Society, you will receive all the latest information about life at Lee and the Lee community,” states the 1918 Society website. “You will have opportunities to reconnect with other alums at special 1918 Society events, both in-person and virtually.”
Registration for the 1918 Society can be completed online for a small fee. Vice President for University Relations Dr. Brad Moffet works closely with the Office of Alumni Relations and says the alumni association is a great way to find resources after graduation.
“[Dr. Ashcraft’s] team is really committed to creating exclusive content for 1918 Society members,” said Moffet. “When you pay your annual fee, you not only get a t-shirt and decal, but you also are getting access to things that will be fulfilling in your life.”
Once a member of the 1918 Society, alumni have access to masterclasses, motivational speeches, success reels and other developmental resources.
The masterclasses are created by Lee faculty and are 10 to 12-minute videos that Moffet compared to Ted Talks.
“As a part of the new alumni association, the 1918 Society is already providing lifelong learning opportunities like the masterclass series where you can virtually sit in your favorite professor’s classroom again and hear them lecture,” said Ashcraft.
The online resources also provide motivational presentations geared towards younger alumni. Moffet says this is to encourage recent alumni because the first few years after graduation can be challenging.
“Eventually, we hope to see 1918 Society chapters spring up in cities all around the United States where we have a core of Lee folks that have migrated to a particular town,” said Moffet. “We hope that it becomes a real connection point for our alumni.”
Though the school is dependent on alumni donations, Moffet and Ashcraft say the Alumni Relations Office aims to give back to the alumni.
“I’m very committed in this office to creating a culture in which I’m not asking alumni to give without giving them something in return,” said Ashcraft.
Moffet shares this sentiment.
“The Alumni Relations Office is going to be giving back to our alumni,” said Moffet. “We’re developing several different ways to do that, and this leadership summit came out of that attitude.”
With COVID-19 impacting how social gatherings are conducted, Lee administration decided to host homecoming virtually.
The weekend kicks off on Friday, Nov. 13, with the Fan the Flame Leadership Summit. This event will begin with a keynote address from Lee University Chancellor Dr. Paul Conn.
Topics such as business, non-profits, ministry, higher education, social services, the arts, government and healthcare will be presented at the summit. Each session consists of a guest speaker and is facilitated by a Lee faculty member.
“Most of our presenters are Lee alums who have been successful in their different areas,” said Moffet. “We do have a couple friends of Lee who are not necessarily Lee alums but have been very successful.”
Dean of Education Dr. Bill Estes, Music Director Emeritus of the Chattanooga Symphony Bob Benhardt and Tennessee’s Secretary of State Tre Hargett are among the speakers.
Friday’s events will conclude with “Forever a Flame,” a presentation of various alumni stories and a musical presentation. The night will end with a virtual alumni festival choir.
“At homecoming every year, the grand finale of the music festival is the festival choir; 300 to 400 current Lee students standing on a stage singing. For decades and decades, that’s been one of the big hallmarks of the homecoming weekend,” said Moffet. “We decided this year to try to do a virtual version of that, so we’ve created an opportunity for alumni to submit a video of them singing a song and sending it in to us. We could potentially have a thousand people sing in the virtual festival alumni choir.”
Saturday will see a “Living Legends” presentation in which Dr. Mark Walker, Dr. Paul Conn and Dr. Lamar Vest will tell stories of their times as Lee University presidents.
The day will continue into a virtual presentation of “We Are Lee,” an event hosted by the Alumni Relations team: Ashcraft, Assistant Director Taylor Smith and Secretary Hannah Pate. This event will consist of alumni awards and will conclude with the premiere of a Voices of Lee original song, written by gospel singer Babbie Mason.
The weekend will conclude on Sunday morning with a chapel service featuring alumni representatives from the 1950s through the 2000s participating in musical presentations and reflections.
Although homecoming is being hosted in a virtual format, Moffet is looking forward to seeing the turnout.
“Of all the challenges this time has presented for us, I think the beauty of a virtual homecoming is that, potentially, we have the chance to connect with more alums than we ever have before,” said Moffet.
Without the challenges of travel plans, financial obstacles and time restraints, homecoming weekend is more accessible than ever before.
“Homecoming is a time when you get to reconnect with those people that you see once every four, five, six years,” said Moffet. “When you run into these people, it’s as if you haven’t lost any time because you’re so connected through experiences you both experienced in your affinity group. It’s more about the people than it is about the institution, for me. It’s about reconnecting with the people who helped shape my life.”
The central focus of homecoming weekend is to honor the past, present and future of Lee University.
“They are the dynamic link between the university’s past, present, and future,” Ashcraft said about alumni. “… and I look forward to building meaningful relationships with our alums and thanking them for their continued involvement with their alma mater.”
To register for Lee’s virtual homecoming, visit Leeusociety.com.
