We are working hard to rebuild our Alumni Association and "bring back" as many graduates and former students as possible. This is the vital first step in sowing the seeds of the long-term survival and prosperity of SKS.  The road ahead is rocky and steep--much like Mountain Road in 1867--but the goal of preserving our school is a worthwhile one, and as the new president of the Alumni Association (writing from my distant home in Texas), spreading this simple message--and getting our graduates and former students to buy into it with their energy, creativity, passion and yes, money--is my primary focus.

Since our reunion in June, we have made real success in assembling an ever-growing number of former students who are willing to help in our quest. This diverse group with assorted talents (I call them the "willing") are joining me in reaching out to other former students from all eras with an appeal to reconnect with Storm King.  My hope is that the former students we reach will help us spread the message to more former students--so the collective effect will be like the signal fires that were lit in cauldrons from peak to peak in Lord of the Rings.

Our initial strategy is pretty simple: begin to achieve critical mass by generating a large turn out at our next June reunion.  In effect, we are hoping to roll a snowball down a hill and watch it grow.  I believe that Storm King's survival will take care of itself if we can just get people to come back and reconnect--with old friends and memories, and with a very special plot of ground overlooking the Hudson River.  We are planning a wonderful reunion for June, one that will be casual and family-friendly, and focus on bringing people back together on our unique, beautiful campus. Although I have been a committed Texan for some twenty-five years, I must confess that there are few places more appealing than the Hudson Highlands in early June.

I am asking all to keep an open mind and an open heart.  The school needs your involvement and your help. No one likes to be "telemarketed," but if nothing else, I am asking everyone reading this letter to resolve, unequivocally, to attend the next reunion in June. My hope is that the experience will convince you to get involved in the long-term future of our school. I want SKS to be around (and thriving) on its two hundredth birthday in 2067, long after I am gone, and my hope is that all of you will come to feel the same way. My hope is that all of you will join the willing.

I have always been a little ADD, even when there was no such thing as being ADD, so I tend to think in terms of great movies.  Storm King School is a lot like George Bailey, an enduring, Frank Capra character who enriched the lives of his community while collecting little wealth for himself. For many of us, our lives would be a lot different if SKS had never existed. I hope you realize this and will commit to returning to The Mountain for the next reunion. I am hoping for fireflies and a warm June night, and a throng of former students, gathered together from all generations to sing "Auld Lang Sine" to an old friend and benefactor.

Best regards,
Stephen W. Duffy
The Woodlands, Texas