CP Lina Hilario, Leader of GSE Team Connecticut, USA 2008 and RC Parañaque Metro (RCPM), led by Pres. Brenda Hernandez, hosted the first D3830 GSE Alumni Grand Reunion at the Makati Sports Club’s Zobel Main Dining Room last Sep. 30, 2008.  The organizers’ main objective was to invite the GSE alumni to become charter members of a new Rotary Club under RCPM’s Club Extension Program.

Present to grace the dinner affair were DG Boyet Limon with CP Sonie Zamora, IPDG Ato Magadia, PDG Willy Segovia and PDG Guiller Tumangan.  Also present were special guests PDG Oca Inocentes, the RI Zone 7B TRF Alumni Coordinating Chair and AG Maricor Imperial, both from D3780, and PP Ric Dela Torre.  The orange-dressed lovely ladies of RCPM, the affair’s gracious hostesses, were busily attending to the guests throughout the program.

A total of 18 alumni from various GSE teams came.  There were 4 from Team Texas, 6 from Alberta, 3 from New York, 1 from Seoul, 1 from California and 3 from Team Connecticut.   The team leaders, on the other hand, were PP Rene Aquino of Team Boston, PDG Guiller Tumangan of Denmark, PP Al Montecillo of West Virginia, PP Sally Tongson of Alberta; PP Aks Sebial of Texas, Mario Magat of New York, PP Louie Panganiban of Seoul, CP Alex Ledesma of Lyonne and CP Lina Hilario of Team Connecticut.

What started as a reunion to put together a new Rotary club with GSE alumni as members, evolved into the organization of an alumni association, which then complies with RI’s directives.  PDG Oca Inocentes pointed out that, until that night, 3830 was the only Philippine district without an organized GSE alumni association.  PDGs Guiller Tumangan and Willy Segovia further explained the significance of such alumni association for the district.

Thus, without any hesitancy, DG Boyet gladly “anointed” the formation of the D3830 GSE Alumni Association and designated as coordinators CP Lina Hilario and PP Louie Panganiban for Metro South and Makati areas, respectively.  They will be working hand-in-hand with TRF Alumni Chair PP Aks Sebial to formalize the organization and file D3830’s application for membership to the Global Alliance of Rotary Foundation Alumni.  PDG Guiller Tumangan will serve as the alumni association adviser.

The GSE alumni present gladly accepted, selected a representative from their respective teams to form the core group and immediately convened to elect their interim officers, as follows:

• President, Dr. Giselle S. Yumul, (Team Texas)
• Vice Pres., Atty. Efren Vincent M. Dizon, (Team California)
• Secretary, Angelina 'Twinkle'  F. Legaspi, (Team Connecticut)
• Treasurer, Arch. Franco Mario C. Vicente, (Team New York)

The officers will invite more Alumni who were not able to attend the reunion. They will meet again after a month for further orientation and promotion of the alumni association to ensure its success.  Depending on the number of alumni who will join, another association may be organized for the Makati area.

With this development, PDG Oca Inocentes happily announced that he can now report to Rotary International that District 3830 is already compliant with its alumni programs.