Reunion

Why should I participate in Reunion?

In 2023, Bates invites the classes of 1973 on campus for what will be a memorable milestone 50th Reunion celebration. Meet classmates old and new as you participate in a variety of activities.

• See old friends and make new friends!
• Participate in fun activities prepared for you by your 50th Reunion Social Committee.
• Enjoy meals together, a golf outing and the Bobcat Beer Garden.
• Visit familiar haunts and see how campus has changed, including new dorms, a refurbished Garcelon Field, Bonney Science Center, Veterans Plaza and the new Bates College Store.
• Show off your class pride in the alumni parade.
• Hear from senior leaders, including President Clayton Spencer.
• Attend alumni led programs or join a Bates Outing Club excursion.
• Toast to the weekend at the annual Reunion Gala.

You’ll have the opportunity to create special moments and memories with the people you attended college with fifty years ago. Come with an open heart and an open mind and let yourself enjoy the experience of your 50th Reunion.

What does the price of Reunion include for the 50th classes?

Registration fees for the 50th Reunion include all meals, drinks, and Reunion activities. Housing and parade attire are complimentary for 50th Reunion attendees. Once you arrive on campus, it should be a “wallet-free” weekend.

What should I bring?

June weather in Maine has the potential to be beautiful; bring your camp chairs, favorite lawn game, and Bates memorabilia with you!

The Muskie Archives will have drop-in hours throughout the weekend. You’ll be able to visit the archives! If you would like to donate any archival photographs, correspondences, scrapbooks, artifacts, or other items that speak to your personal time at Bates, please bring them along. The Muskie Archives is unable to accept yearbooks, Bates Student issues, or programs for events like Commencement, Baccalaureate, etc.

Where can I see the schedule?

The preliminary schedule is here!

Why is 50th Reunion giving important?

The Bates Fund serves as a necessary complement to our endowment, fully dedicated to the present needs of the college. Every gift is transformational and enables the college to enhance the educational experience of students every day. By giving to the Bates Fund, you provide the next generation with:

• a best-in-class liberal arts experience spanning academic, athletic, and co-curricular programs
• funded internships and student-faculty research opportunities
• access to a global community of supportive alumni, forming a large and ever-growing Bates family
• generous financial aid (more than $41,000 per student on average) for 43 percent of Bates students
• a 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio, with top-in-their-field faculty members
• technology resources to enhance the experience of students and faculty on our campus

What counts as a gift?

All gifts made to the Bates Fund from your 46th year through the 50th year will count in the dollar amount raised. All gifts made to capital and endowment from this same period will count in the overall giving amount raised. Multi-year pledges made in the same period will be credited at the full pledge value. If the payment of those pledges extends into the 55th Reunion cycle, the cash donation will not be included in the 55th Reunion total. Gift annuities, charitable trusts, gifts of property, gifts-in-kind, and other irrevocable planned gifts made in the same period will be credited at face value and count toward the overall dollar amount raised.

Ways to give:

• Cash or credit card gifts
• Appreciated securities
• IRA distributions
• Life insurance
• Real estate, partial or future interests in real estate
• Tangible personal property
• Closely held stock or business interests
• Bequest intentions

Who can I contact to talk about giving?

Please contact Meagan Norman, Associate Director of Annual Giving and Reunion, at mnorman@bates.edu or 207-786-6129.

Reunion volunteers make Reunion happen. They take the lead in building attendance, generating enthusiasm, and fundraising during their milestone year.

Volunteer leadership is vital to your class and to the college’s future. By planning a celebration that is full of fun and friends — and by asking your classmates to support Bates as part of your Reunion celebration — you send the message that Bates is an important priority. We’re grateful for your time and energy during this special year.

There are multiple ways to volunteer:

• As a gift committee member, you will help your class leave a memorable legacy for Bates in celebration of this Reunion milestone.
  • For more information, contact Meagan Norman at mnorman@bates.edu.
• As a social committee member, you can plan events and encourage people to attend.
  • For more information, contact Carly Hopkins at chopkins@bates.edu.
• As a yearbook committee member, you can encourage classmates to submit bios and memories for the 50th Reunion book.
  • For more information, contact Casey Andersen ’12 at randerse@bates.edu.

We want all who are interested to be able to volunteer for their Reunion. If you anticipate a barrier, please contact Carly Hopkins via email (chopkins@bates.edu) or telephone (207-786-6239). We will do all we can to ensure you’re able to take part.