Longtime Lincoln Academy faculty and coaching staff member Phil Page will be stepping out of the classroom to assume an alumni development leadership role in the school’s development office beginning school year 2014-2015.
While he will continue to participate in the school’s adviser/advisee system, he will no longer be teaching in the classroom starting next school year.
For 30 years, Page, a resident of Nobleboro, has been coaching basketball at Lincoln Academy and teaching, most recently, geography. Prior to his tenure at Lincoln, Page taught at Medomak Valley High School for eight years.
According to Page, last fall, Head of School David Sturdevant approached him about moving into alumni development.
“I thought about it and came to the decision it was time to leave the classroom,” Page said. “I will continue my duties as assistant athletic director.”
Page said his goal is to increase the level of alumni involvement at Lincoln Academy in volunteering their time and talent as well as through financial giving.
According to Page, based on information he received in an email recently, approximately 3 percent of alumni are giving to Lincoln Academy
“My goal would be to see that number increase on an annual basis,” Page said. “I see it as a grass roots effort of three or four members in each class touching base with alumni – just letting them know that Lincoln Academy is there.”
Page said that he feels a lot of people would give if they just had that little extra connection.
“If we can get that person to give once, it may start an annual giving that doesn’t currently exist,” Page said.
Page’s grandfather graduated from Lincoln Academy in 1914. For generations, members of his family have attended and graduated from the school.
“For me this is a natural fit,” Page said. “I’m just looking to energize the alumni in any way I can.”
Page said he is already giving some thought to re-energizing the annual alumni banquet, which included graduating seniors in the past. Page said he is also interested in looking into how class reunions are promoted and supported.
According to Page, an alumni gathering in Florida is planned for this coming winter.
“I think that’s something we plan on doing in the future. We also talked about doing something like that in Boston,” Page said.
Page said social media will undoubtedly play a part in connecting alumni to each other. With three or four people in each class getting in touch with 20 or 30 classmates once a year, Page said he sees a positive “grass roots type of thing. It would be one more step in the process to have people consider giving to Lincoln Academy.”
In 2002 Page and his fellow class adviser challenged their advisees to “help carry the load,” a caption that Page had seen on one of Jake Day’s illustration.
According to Page, that challenge resulted in the class raising well above the average class gift of $1,500. Instead they raised $5,000, which underwrote the cost of a new school sign.
“We’re going to try to get people to help carry the load here,” Page said. “That’s my job – to get alumni to help carry the load here. It caught on with the kids. I think it will catch on with the alumni.”
