RSE — A Bond Unbroken

Thoughts on Why We Give

When I meet an Alumni Member, unseen or without contact over many years, the connection is still felt.”

Have you ever asked yourself why you give-if you give, that is? If the statisticians are right, only one brother in ten is likely to give back regularly once they put on their cap and gown.

There are lots of good reasons to give, of course. Do you believe in affording the next generation of young men the same experience you had with The Rensselaer Society of Engineers? Maybe something good happened to you just by being together in that house, sharing those experiences that helped make you who you are now.

We wanted to find out more about why people give, so we surveyed RSE members about why they have given and continue to give back to our organization. Here’s what they said:

“I thoroughly enjoyed my college years spent as a member of RSE and continue many of my friendships made as a direct result of that membership. When I meet a Alumni Member, unseen or without contact over many years, the connection is still felt.”

“For my 10-year reunion, I caught up with a very broad range of people but spent most of my time with my wife and the guys that were from my fraternity class.”

“I am thankful for my fraternity experience and realize that is was only possible because of the investment of time and money from many previous members who built and maintained the facility and the culture. For this, I feel a responsibility to contribute to the continuation of The Rensselaer Society of Engineers on-campus.”

“The last bachelor party that I went to at age 32 included 5 guys that were all from my fraternity.”

“Some of my fondest memories of my college experience are of my brothers and the times that we had together at the house. Contributing to the Annual Fund is a way of staying in touch with those days and providing, in some small way, a chance for the current Junior Members to have that same experience.”

“For my 30th birthday, we threw a party at the RSE house.”

“The Rensselaer Society of Engineers was a major factor in my being able to graduate and teaching me how to act as a responsible adult. Through the fraternity and the many campus activities I was involved with, I made life-long friends. After 50+ years, our pledge class has regular reunions, so we are Alumni Members beyond our college years. The best four years of my life!”

Is there a lesson in these responses? Certainly a common theme is connection-undimmed by time or distance-a bond unbroken.

Click on the “Ways to Give” tab for more details on how to give back to your Alumni Members and the memories they provided.