Boat Cruise
The newly-formed Simcoe County Alumni Chapter of Lakehead University held its first event on Tuesday, August 18th to celebrate the official launch of the chapter. An evening boat cruise on beautiful Lake Couchiching drew nearly 100 people; all Lakehead graduates, including those from Orillia and Thunder Bay, as well as Lakehead faculty, staff, students and volunteers were invited to attend.
The Island Princess cruise boat departed around 7:15pm, with guests socializing and enjoying appetizers from Mariposa Market. Speeches were given by Richard Longtin, Manager of Alumni Relations, who provided more information about alumni chapters, and Rob Jamieson, member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors, who spoke to his involvement with the AALU, its importance, and gave thanks to key individuals for their contributions. New University President Dr. Brian Stevenson concluded the speeches with a short talk about his goals for Lakehead and the direction he sees for the institution’s future. The Alumni Association was also presented with a certificate from representatives of local MP Bruce Stanton, in recognition of the new chapter’s establishment.
Mike Lafontaine, the Lakehead staff member who organized the event, is a recent graduate himself and always looks forward to the opportunity of getting together with other graduates. “We know that there are likely 1,000 or more Lakehead University alumni living in the Simcoe County area and we hope that many of them will participate in their new association,” says Lafontaine. “Alumni associations provide a great way to network and, for new graduates especially, they can provide opportunities for career advancement. You may meet a fellow graduate at a social event and then the next thing you know, the person is in a position to recommend you for a job.”
Fellow alumnus Rob Jamieson, who represents the new Simcoe Chapter on the Lakehead Alumni Board of Directors, is thrilled to be kicking off the new chapter. Jamieson graduated from the Thunder Bay campus in 1994 and now works with the Ontario Provincial Police in the Orillia and Barrie area. “I would encourage all alumni to get involved in events such as our boat cruise in Orillia. It’s a chance to reconnect with old friends and recapture some of the great times experienced as a university student,” says Jamieson. He also explains that many people think of alumni associations as simply fundraisers for a university. “This is not what we’re about,” says Jamieson. “Our number one goal is to engage students and provide leadership. If alumni feel they would like to give back at some point, that’s great, but it’s not our first priority.”
The formation of the Simcoe County Chapter is part of a new direction taken by Lakehead Alumni over the past few years. Richard Longtin, Lakehead’s Manager of Alumni Relations, explains that the new chapter is the third alumni chapter to be established. “In 2009, we formed a Greater Toronto Area (GTA) Chapter, and the Aboriginal Chapter. In addition to Simcoe County, we also plan to start a chapter for the Ottawa area. “By having regional chapters, we are able to help facilitate networking and opportunities with the University for our Alumni,” explains Longtin. “Upon graduation, students automatically become members of their Lakehead Alumni Association. We now have about 45,000 alumni, including 16,000 in the GTA and Southern Ontario. We’re hoping the new chapters will help to get some of these members connected back to the University. In the GTA, we have started meeting some of the alumni that we’ve lost touch with over the years.”
Both the Office of Alumni Relations and the Alumni Association of Lakehead University in Orillia and Thunder Bay would like to extend their thanks to all who assisted with, and participated in, the chapter kick-off boat cruise. It was a great success by all accounts and marks the beginning of a lasting, mutually-beneficial relationship with yet another region of Alumni.
For more information about the Lakehead Alumni Association, visit www.lakeheadualumni.ca. To learn more about Lakehead University’s Orillia campus and how you can support or get involved with the ‘Your Bright Future’ campaign please visit http://orillia.lakeheadu.ca.
Excerpts of this story were taken from Kathy Hunt’s (Communications Officer, Orillia Campus) ‘Packet & Times Column’, August 5th, 2010.
