The President’s Report by Marilyn Lynaugh Strafer, ‘80
As I start my final year as your president, I feel confident that our Alumnae Association is heading firmly in the right direction with strong finances, better use of available technology, updated by-laws and a secure path for the organization’s inevitable exit strategy in the distant future.
It is my fervent hope that the association continues to thrive for many years to come, but nearing 27 years since the school’s closing, we rely heavily on the graduates of the 1980s and 90s to pick up the torch and guide our future.
I have made it a personal quest to recruit more graduates from the younger generation, but sadly the experiences vary greatly, even from my days at the school in the late 70s and into 1980. The days of the Nurses Residences with camaraderie and escapades long over, school became just that… a place to learn but then go home. It is understandable that the classes of the late 80s and throughout the 90s ended without the strong bonds forged like the earlier generations.
I task all our members in assisting me in reaching out to these nurses, encouraging them to learn more about our legacy. It is up to us to teach, mentor, and encourage the current generation of active nurses to explore the schools’ rich history, the storied past excellence of the hospital, and the mission of The Sisters of Charity and the school’s faculty. Nursing education today is starkly different from the way we were trained but with our effort, we can share our experiences at our thrice annual gatherings and through our personal relationships.
The annual in-person Mass and Luncheon, as well as the Spring and Fall general meetings via Zoom, are how we stay connected to one another, and again I offer that any class wishing to have a virtual mini-reunion should contact us at svhalum@gmail.com and it can easily be arranged.
Annual dues are now being accepted, and as I announced at the November luncheon business meeting,  anyone who has remitted their dues as of 10/1/2025 will be considered paid and in good standing for 2026. 
In closing, please utilize our website and/or FaceBook for current updates and to contact us directly. The creation of the Apple and Android free apps can be downloaded to your mobile device for quick access to our website. The address is: SVHAA NYC