Brigham Young University alumni worldwide will have an opportunity to hear President Gordon B. Hinckley, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and BYU President Cecil O. Samuelson during a global alumni gathering Friday, Nov. 7, from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Tabernacle on Temple Square in Salt Lake City.
While the Worldwide Alumni Gathering is free, tickets are required and may be obtained online through www.lds.org/events, toll-free at 1-866-537-8457, and at door four of the LDS Conference Center Ticket Office in Salt Lake City. Participants should be in their seats by 6:30 p.m. Current BYU students are welcome to attend as well.
The event also will be broadcast live over the Church satellite system to local alumni gatherings throughout the United States and internationally but will not be telecast live on the BYU-Television or BYU-Radio satellite networks. Seven rebroadcasts will be carried through Saturday afternoon, Nov. 8.
An additional feature will be music from the BYU Men's Chorus. Among other selections, its members will sing "Oh, Danny Boy," a favorite of President Hinckley. Alumni Association President Brent W. Romney of Dallas, and President-elect Carr C. Krueger of Sammamish, Wash., will begin the program by sharing the purposes, services, and impact of the BYU Alumni Association.
"We have a great desire to stay in touch with our 330,000 living alumni," explains John C. Lewis, BYU associate advancement vice president for alumni and external relations. "What a treat to spend an hour together with President Hinckley and with our new university president, Cecil O. Samuelson, in the historic Tabernacle on Temple Square. We hope all alumni and friends in the region will join with us in the Tabernacle on Nov. 7. If you're located outside the Wasatch Front, we hope you will find a local gathering that's convenient for you to attend. We're so grateful to have access to the Church's satellite technology that makes a gathering of this size possible."
In conjunction with the broadcast, many BYU regional and international chapters are planning dinners, receptions and other alumni events. A listing of planned activities can be found at alumni.byu.edu.
"The gathering is an ideal way for chapters to bring alumni and friends together to share similar interests and to keep them up to date on the progress of the university," says Reid A. Robison, who directs alumni activities. "There are already hundreds of local events posted on the alumni Web site."
Romney says the BYU Alumni Board is thrilled to be involved in the event. "While a few of us have the chance to come back to BYU at Homecoming or other times of the year, it's rare to have us all gather at one time to reflect on the impact of our alma mater on our lives and the lives around us. I hope all BYU alumni will arrange their schedules to be with us Nov. 7," he said.
