RCNJ

An RCNJ Leadership Committee Meeting took place on May 18, 2004, at Ken DeGhetto's office in Livingston. The following issues came before the committee:

1. President’s report
2. President Elect’s report
3. Vice President’s report
4. Treasurer’s report
5. Discussion about 2004-2005 Dues mailing and fall 2005 newsletter (finalizing fall 2004 calendar)
6. Upcoming RCNJ events
7. Open roundtable discussion
8. Next meeting

Read on for the details....

Attendance: Dave Aiello ’89, Dave Bressen ’56, John Cloninger ’96 (Vice President), Howard Deutsch ’69 (President), Phil Lurie ’74 (Treasurer), Sandeep Nandy ’94 (President Elect), Joe Pilaro ’55, Harry Rosenthal ’60

1. President’s report – Deutsch had nothing to report

2. President Elect’s report

   Week of Labor Day – “Renaissance at Rensselaer” – (symposium on biotechnology, opening of new center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, electronic arts performance, black tie gala)

   RPI Admissions Fall Training – Sept 10 and 11, 2004 on Rensselaer campus – please see Nandy or Pilaro if interested in attending

   The secretary position of RCNJ is currently open. If anyone is interested in position, please see Nandy

   For the next meeting, each person please bring a list of 20 potential events they would like to see done over next 2 years (besides dinners and attending hockey games)

3. Vice President’s report – Cloninger had nothing to report

4. Treasurer’s report - Financial update (Liberty Science Center program) – Treasury numbers were discussed.

5. Discussion about 2004-2005 Dues mailing and fall 2005 newsletter (finalizing fall 2004 calendar)

   Nandy has set deadline of next meeting to finalize fall 2004 calendar. We need to finalize calendar so we can submit content for newsletter and dues cards mailing. Nandy would like to have this mailing done in first week of July. If anyone has content for newsletter, please bring to next RCNJ meeting.

6. Upcoming RCNJ events
   • June 17, 2004 – RCNJ dinner honoring Howard Isermann ’42 induction into Rensselaer Hall of Fame (Dr. Jackson will be keynote speaker. Dinner will be held at Upper Montclair Golf Club). Invitations went out in mail this week. Based on signups, RCNJ leadership will be making phone calls.

   • July 18, 2004 – RCNJ trip to Trenton Thunder game vs. Portland Red Sox, 1:35 pm. Pilaro has purchased 20 tickets for RCNJ. At present time, 6 tickets remain. Please contact Pilaro if interested in purchasing tickets.

   • July 26, 2004 – Erin Crocker ’03 is a professional race car driver. She is scheduled to compete in the World of Outlaws race on this day at New Egypt speedway in New Egypt, NJ. Nandy will check with Crocker to verify date of race and see if she would want to meet with RCNJ attendees.
     
     
   • August 15, 2004 – RCNJ trip to Somerset Patriots baseball game vs. Nashua, 1:35 pm. For more information on Somerset Patriots visit their website at http://www.somersetpatriots.com. Harry Rosenthal ’60 will be purchasing 20 tickets for the RCNJ. Publicity will begin on rcnj.org this week

   • September 2004 – date TBA – Tour of George Washington Bridge – DeGhetto will check with his contact to check on feasibility of this. It was mentioned that this should be a joint event with New York City chapter. DeGhetto will report back to RCNJ at next meeting where this stands.

   • Entrepreneurship event at PSEG headquarters, Newark, date TBA, tentative topic: Growing small to mid-sized businesses)

   • September 2004 – (date TBA) - RCNJ brewpub tour – This idea was suggested by several RCNJ leadership committee members. The RCNJ leadership also felt that this should serve as the first event in a series of microbrewery tours in New Jersey. Each tour would be held in a different part of New Jersey to expand the region geographically. It was proposed that we hold 5 events per year over a 2-year period. Cloninger and Nandy agreed to hold first event at Harvest Moon Brewery Cafe. For more details on location, visit their website at http://www.harvestmoonbrewery.com. Cloninger and Nandy agreed the first event would be held in September 2004, with subsequent events to be held in January 2005 and May 2005. It was agreed upon for this first event, Nandy, Cloninger and Aiello would make phone calls asking people to attend. Marketing issues still need to be addressed. Website will be used, Listproc will be used, and phone calls. Cloninger mentioned that he will try to come up with a gimmick to get people to attend.

   • September 2004 (date TBA) – RCNJ phonathon for Rensselaer Annual Fund. Will be held at offices of George Derrick. Date will be finalized in a few weeks. Nandy waiting to hear back from Kate Potvin regarding final date.

   • October 2004 – (date TBA) - Entrepreneurship event at PSEG headquarters, Newark. tentative topic: Growing small to mid-sized businesses). Deutsch is working with Kathy Kinsey in Troy to finalize date and program. Deutsch will have date for this event at next RCNJ meeting.

   • October 2004 – Saturday October 23, 2004 at Army, 7 pm West Point
     (Cloninger will buy 10 tickets for RCNJ. As date gets closer, we will discuss pre-game meal location).

   • November 2004 – Saturday November 20, 2004 - Rensselaer at Princeton hockey game 7 pm.

     Nassau Inn before game? Cloninger will buy tickets? How many?

   • December 2004 – (date TBA) – RCNJ night at Trenton Titans hockey game – Pilaro will pick a Saturday night game and purchase tickets for RCNJ.

   • January 2005 – January 22, 2005 – Rensselaer at Clarkson men’s ice hockey game – Satellite hockey telecast
     

7. Open roundtable discussion

   There was some discussion on the content and layout of rcnj.org. It was decided that rcnj.org will continue to be funded. If anyone has material that they would like to see on the website, please submit it to one of the webmasters. There was also some discussion that there will be some layout changes to rcnj.org coming shortly.

   Other potential future events include a trip to a factory in Newton, NJ that makes paperboard. DeGhetto has a relative that works there and will check and get back to committee.

   Another potential future event would be a trip to Metrostars game once their new facility is completed.

8. Date and time for next meeting was set for June 21, 2004 at 6 pm.

   Meeting location: Ken DeGhetto’s Office

   KDG International
   
   139 E. McClellan Avenue
   
   Livingston, NJ 07039
   
   (973) 992 7890

   Posted by Dave Aiello at 8:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dave Aiello wrote, "Beginning with the meeting that took place on May 18, 2004, the RCNJ Leadership Committee has agreed to post a slightly edited version of its meeting minutes on the RCNJ.org website. We are publishing meeting minutes to provide our members with more information about how our organization is governed. We also hope to encourage more members to participate in the Leadership Committee in the future."

Posted by Dave Aiello at 8:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sandeep Nandy pointed out that an article in the Boston Globe on May 3 indicated that Dan Cole was invited to the New England Patriots Mini Camp for a tryout. Cole was the senior quarterback for RPI's UCAA championship football team, which advanced to the NCAA Division III Semifinals before losing to eventual national champion St. John's of Minnesota.

According to the article, Cole was invited to camp along with four other rookie free agents: Harvard linebacker Dante Balestracci, Bentley College safety Ryan Ferguson, Hofstra wide receiver Ricky Bryant, and Michigan tight end Andy Mignery. Bryant and Mignery were reportedly signed by the Patriots.

Dan Cole is the first Rensselaer football player ever to be invited to a mini camp by a National Football League team.

Posted by Dave Aiello at 11:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Canadian Press reports that Joe Juneau '91 announced his retirement on Saturday. Two days earlier, his team, the Montreal Canadiens, had been eliminated by the Tampa Bay Lightning, four games to zero, in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Juneau ends his career with 156 goals and 416 assists in 828 NHL games. He played for six different NHL teams: Boston, Washington, Buffalo, Ottawa, Phoenix and Montreal.

Joe Juneau is the fifth leading scorer in Rensselaer hockey history (69-144-213), just behind Adam Oates and Bob Brinkworth. In the NHL, he is best known for having set rookie records of 70 assists and 102 points as a left wing for the Boston Bruins in the 1992-3 season. During that season, he was runner up to Teemu Selanne for the Calder Trophy, awarded to the NHL's most outstanding rookie.

According to the article, Juneau said, "It's taken two years to prepare myself. I know that the time for retirement has come."

Posted by Dave Aiello at 8:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)