Alumni waiting for the shotgun start at the Keydet Club Leadership Outing June 11. On the megaphone is Meade King ’85, VMI Foundation and Keydet Club chief operating officer. Many different alumni events are now back in-person. To see what is happening, check the alumni events calendar.
Alumni events began slowly returning this spring, and the summer has a full calendar of activities. The Keydet Club Leadership Outing was in Lexington June 11, after a hiatus in 2020. Chapters have been holding events regularly, rat send-offs are scheduled around the country, and the VMI Club of Richmond held a well-attended two-day event June 17-18.
“We are thankful we could all celebrate together again in person and share our enthusiasm for VMI athletics,” said Andrew Deal ’12, Keydet Club senior vice president, after the Keydet Club Leadership Outing. Nearly 180 VMI athletics supporters attended the event.
The day began with registration at the Lexington Golf & Country Club. Club members could choose from golf, tennis, and sporting clays and spent the day enjoying camaraderie with fellow alumni and VMI athletics supporters. In the evening, attendees were invited to Moody Hall for dinner.
Keydet Club members heard from Meade King ’85, VMI Foundation and Keydet Club chief operating officer; Steve Maconi, VMI Alumni Agencies chief executive officer; Jerry Acuff ’71, outgoing Keydet Club Board of Governors president; Maj. Gen. Cedric Wins ’85, superintendent; David Diles, Ed.D., athletic director; Dan Earl, head basketball coach; and Scott Wachenheim, head football coach.
Acuff received the Bill Paulette ’69 Keydet Club Outstanding Governor Award and handed off the leadership to Bland Massie ’77, incoming president. Attendees were also able to speak with several cadet-athletes at the dinner.
One of the first in-person chapter events in 2021 was the Central North Carolina – Raleigh Chapter’s senior alumni breakfast March 16. More chapters began holding in-person events in April, a refreshing change from a year-plus of Zoom gatherings. Several chapters had watch parties for the last two football games, the win over The Citadel April 17 and the loss to No. 1 seed James Madison University April 24. Rat send-offs, giving incoming cadets a chance to meet alumni before they matriculate, began in mid-July. More than 25 chapters have already planned rat send-offs, and more are being scheduled every week.
The VMI Club of Richmond’s two-day event began with “An Evening with VMI Athletics” at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Maj. Gen. Cedric Wins ’85, superintendent; David Diles, Ed.D., athletic director; and several members of the VMI coaching staff were special guests. The next day, alumni could attend the VMI Club of Richmond’s annual Irby Cup Invitational golf event. Each year, a portion of the proceeds from the Irby Cup benefit a nonprofit organization. This year, the Keydet Club was the beneficiary of this generosity from the Club of Richmond. Over 200 people attended the events.
“Chapter leadership throughout the country are doing a great job planning and holding events,” said Thom Brashears ’95, VMI Alumni Association chief operating officer. “We are thankful for the chance to gather together in person again. Here in Lexington, the staff and I are ready to support and help plan events.”
For help planning events, contact Meg Ayers ’19 at mayers@vmiaa.org or Tammy Horn at thorn@vmiaa.org. To see what events are happening in your area, please see the events calendar.
