MSU Athletic Department to Engage with the Varsity "S" Club
9/22/2012 12:00:00 AM | General
Sept. 22, 2012
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State Director of Athletics Mark J. Hollis and MSU Varsity `S' Club President Cheryl M. Gilliam jointly announced that the MSU Varsity "S" Club will transition into and be aligned as part of the Spartan athletics department.
"We created our department's mission statement to have a unified focus, and by bringing the Varsity `S' Club under the athletic department's direction, we enhance our ability to gather and engage Spartans past, present and future," said Hollis. "It is critical to look past the four or five years which the student-athlete is at MSU, and support and celebrate those who extend the Spartan brand by becoming positive contributing members of society.
"As an athletic department, we have always seen value in the Club, and now is our opportunity to give back to those who have put their time in to develop Michigan State athletics into what it is today. The past and current leadership has done a tremendous job and will continue to be engaged in the process. We look forward to enhancing the experience for all former letterwinners through the resources that the athletic department can now contribute along with providing coordinated administrative support, broad range of communication and technology, opportunities for personal engagement, recognition of achievements and celebrations, enhanced resources, and collaborative mentorship."
The Varsity "S" Club currently consists of over 1,500 members and is run entirely by volunteer Spartan letterwinners. With the utilization of the resources of the athletic department, the collaboration will enhance the club's ability to gather and engage all Spartan letterwinners through more involved interaction.
"The board and membership is excited of all that we have accomplished as an organization," said Gilliam. "Our club started in 1915 and we are quickly approaching our 100th birthday and what a celebration it will be for all MSU letterwinners. We are honored to be coming home to the MSU athletics department where we belong. With the resources and potential enhancements provided by the athletics department, we believe former letterwinners will become even more connected to the Varsity `S' Club. We are Spartans for Life."
Last fall, Hollis and the Varsity "S" Club's board of directors began having dialogue regarding the athletic department manage the organization. For several months, a subcommittee made up of board members and athletic department staff have evaluated the pros and cons of the move, before unanimously supporting the venture by a formal voting process. An overwhelming majority voted in favor of the transition.
Moving forward, the biggest initiative ahead for the MSU Varsity "S" Club will be to increase the membership, as thousands of letterwinners are not currently enrolled in the organization. The athletic department will hire and finance an executive director position to oversee all areas of the club.
The MSU Varsity "S" Club will celebrate its 100-year anniversary in 2015 and this initiative will allow the organization to honor this accomplishment in grand fashion.