Galileo Alumni Association |
To Galileo Alumni:
The Officers and Board members of GAA take this opportunity to thank you for your support and wish you and yours a happy, healthy holiday season.
We’re pleased to inform you that at the November meeting of the School Site Council (made up of faculty, staff, administration, students, and parents), GAA was recognized as the association officially representing Galileo Academy of Science and Technology alumni.
In addition, we’ve received these letters which we thought you’d enjoy reading.
From Galileo’s Student Activities Director:
October 30, 2005
To Galileo Alumni Association,
I am writing to thank and commend the Galileo Alumni Association board.
I have been a biology teacher for 36 years and the student activities director
since 1978. When I first taught here in the 1970's, there was no alumni association.
With the support of Principal Robert Harrington, a teacher named Jack McCaffrey
and I coordinated an all-decade class reunion event in October 1981. Twenty
five alumni from the 1930's, 1940's, 1950's, 1960's, and 1970's participated
as distinguished judges for our Homecoming Song and Yell Contest. There was
a dinner and dance held at a hotel in Fisherman's Wharf. A hardworking group
of volunteers established the alumni board which was able to initiate the Galileo
Sports Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, because of a change of administration in
1997, that alumni board disintegrated.
In the fall of 2002, thanks to the tremendous support of the new Principal,
Margaret Chiu, the Galileo Alumni Association board was revived. This alumni
board started with no money and took the time to find the lost disk of alumni
names and addresses to reconnect with graduates. The GAA organized two vaudeville
shows and other events as fundraisers.
I personally requested funding from GAA for our new Dragon Boat Team. For two
years GAA funding was used to pay for tournament fees and jerseys in order to
compete against other high schools. Two years ago Galileo had one team. Presently,
we have three teams. GAA funds were also used to re-establish the Galileo Sports
Hall of Fame. GAA donated money to Pendulum newspapers and to Galileo baseball
team for uniforms and equipment. In addition for Class of 2005 graduation in
June, one of the GAA board members donated three scholarships.
I believe this support from GAA helped Galileo Academy to qualify for the prestigious
California Distinguished School Award in May 2005. Your support is truly making
a difference at Galileo Academy. The students and I greatly appreciate your
commitment and look forward to continuing to work with you to make Galileo Academy
the best high school in San Francisco.
Sincerely,
Eugene Wing
From Galileo’s Assistant to the Principal:
November 7, 2005
To The Galileo Alumni Association:
It is with great pleasure that I write this letter in support of both the Galileo Alumni Association and the Galileo Sports Hall of Fame. I have been working with both of these fine organizations since 2000. My association with the GAA began as alumni called the school and reminisced with me about their wonderful days as students at Galileo High School and their inquiries of how to get in touch with other alumni. At that time the school administration was not involved in efforts to revive the Galileo Alumni Association. I enjoyed listening to the stories of the alumni who called and wrote and I collected their names and contact information. I even had an Alumni Data Base that was entrusted to me from former days and old lists of alumni and their contact information. Much of this information was out of date but parts of these documents provided current information on many of Galileo's alumni.
A common theme in many of these early conversations with various alumni was their desire to reconnect with their high school chums and to do something for the school. I listened and encourage each and every one of them to come by the school and to be a part of the GAA. Certainly I was very excited when Jim Dresser and other alumni came forward and began the process of renewing the GAA. I encouraged them and offered to help them in anything I could do for them to support their efforts in reviving the organization.
When Margaret Chiu became principal of Galileo in the fall of 2002, she was most interested in the efforts to reorganize the GAA and was very enthusiastic about their plans. The first event the GAA put on was a Vaudeville Show here at the school. It was lots of fun and everyone who attended had a grand time. One of the many highlights besides the show, was the excitement many alumni had viewing the old yearbooks. We put them all out in Room 210 and our former students "went wild" looking and remembering their friends, their hair styles, their style of dress and all of the fun they had as students at Galileo High School. What brought chills to both Margaret and me was the couple we talked to outside the auditorium who shared with us the story of gathering in Galileo's auditorium on December 9, 1941, to learn about Pearl Harbor and that our country was at war with Japan.
Helping the Galileo Sports Hall of Fame Committee is also very rewarding. The committee works very hard each year both in the selection process for inductees and in planning the Awards Banquet. They are most diligent in the nomination and selection progress and put on a wonderful celebration each year for the new Galileo Sports Hall of Fame Inductees. Each year they present Galileo with a generous check to help with Galileo Athletics.
I urge all Galileo alumni to get involved with your school and actively support the Galileo Alumni Association and its current board of hard-working officers. United we can continue to support the Galileo we all know and love!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Bettie Grinnell
Principal's Secretary
Honorary Member GAA
Comments? Contact the Galileo Alumni Association
officers and chairpersons
last updated 4july2006
© 2005, 2006 Galileo Academy of Science and Technology Alumni Association
of San Francisco