About

Structure

The Bishop Kelly Alumni Association includes all former students from Bishop Kelly High, St. Teresa’s Academy, and St. Joseph’s High School. If you were among the student body, faculty, staff and/or administration of any of these schools you are an “Alumknight” and automatically are member of the BKAA. There are more than 6,000 “Alumknights” throughout the world.  There is no enrollment process, no fees, and no membership cancellations.

The current officers of the BKAA are President Andy Brunelle ’78; Vice President Dennis Kirk ’69; and Secretary/Treasurer Ruth Fritz ’80. They are currently recruiting for the few remaining open positions for “Class Contacts,” one person from each graduating class who serves as a liaison to the BKAA.  Anyone interested in becoming part of this team should contact info@alumknights.org.

Mission

Since 1987, the Bishop Kelly Alumni Association has helped make the memories for both the students and alumni of Bishop Kelly a little brighter. We sponsor our annual golf and basketball tournaments. Inspired by the special Mass and dedication of the Joseph Pape (’79) scholarship in 1997, there is now an annual memorial Mass in memory of alumni who have passed on.

The BKAA does not conduct an annual fundraising campaign, but the association is able to garner net revenues, usually, from the annual  Alumknights Golf Scramble and the annual Alumknights 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament.  The association has contributed nearly $40,000 to school and alumni causes over the years, usually in small grants for one-time need situations. Although the BKAA does not focus on fundraising, financial support has been arranged for a number of worthy causes, including support for the purchase of the new sign for the school on Franklin Road, a new television for the school, helping with medical expenses for alumni and family, and providing scholarships for incoming freshmen.

There is no way to measure the total of the financial gifts that Bishop Kelly High has received from former students and faculty of St. Joseph’s, St. Teresa’s Academy, and Bishop Kelly High. The total giving is estimated to be  in the tens of millions of dollars, much of it through the recent successful Bishop Kelly Capital Campaign.

The mission and organizational structure of the BKAA is currently being informally reviewed and reassessed by BKAA founders, the BK Foundation, and the BK Development Office. Changes to the BKAA are anticipated in 2011 to include an expanded board of directors and a larger role in the communication and organizational activities of the BKAA by the Development Office. This cooperative effort is expected to enhance the effectiveness of the BKAA in its efforts to reach out and include former students, families, and friends of the three Catholic high schools (St. Joseph’s High; St. Teresa’s Academy, Bishop Kelly High)as envisioned by the original founding committee.

History

The Bishop Kelly Alumni Association was founded in in November of 1986 by BK graduate John Brunelle ’79.  He recruited a small group of alums to form the founding board of directors, and the initial planning meeting for establishing the BKAA was held in John’s office in the 8th Street Marketplace in Downtown Boise.  The original organizing committee: John Brunelle ’79; Andy Brunelle ’78; Ruth Fritz ’80; Chris Bieter ’74; and Dave Bieter ’78.  Brunelle shared his idea with the group, discussion followed, and soon thereafter the initial steps were underway to form the association.

By the spring of 1987 the organization (“Bishop Kelly Alumni Association”) was incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under Idaho law, with a board of directors that had been selected by the startup committee. The original Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws have changed throughout the years, but the spirit of the organizing committee remains as drafted by Brunelle: “The purpose of the BKAA is to foster a spirit of connectedness amongst former students and supporters of St. Joseph’s High, St. Teresa’s Academy, and Bishop Kelly High School — all for the betterment of Bishop Kelly High School.”

The founding board members included John Brunelle ’79; Andy Brunelle ’78; Chris Bieter ’74; Dave Bieter ’78; Ruth Fritz ’80; Martha Peterson ’65; Ben Ysursa ’67; Dave Skinner ’71; and Patty Halliday Goodson ’72.  The board elected the first-ever slate of officers of the BKAA: President John Brunelle; Vice President-Finance Andy Brunelle ; VP-Marketing Dave Skinner;  Secretary/Treasurer Patty Halliday-Goodson.

Current board members of the Alumknights are Ben Ysursa (’67), Dennis Kirk (’69), Dave Skinner (’71), Chris Bieter (’74), Dave Bruce (’75), Andy Brunelle (’78), John Brunelle (’79), Ruth Fritz (’80), Shirley Lyons O’Neil ’78, and Jon Skinner (’84).