In the spring of 1996, about a year after I graduated college, I received a call from a cute sounding young co-ed about an alumni organization. I was told that the class of 1995 was starting a group called the Pylon Society. They were going to be characterized as those alumni who give financial contributions year after year to the university. Although I had a job, I wasn't making much money, but the girl on the other end of the phone sounded cute and sincere, so I decided to go ahead and enlist. I pledged $100 support, but had to have it billed quarterly, because of my dire financial status.

Years went by, and each year I diligently sent in a check to the university. I spread it around, giving to my major department, the college of business, and in 2000, I even started making donations to the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies. Still, while I got plenty of nice letters from Virginia Tech, I never heard back from the Pylon Society. Was it for real? They had no web site, no literature, and of everyone I asked, no one except me had ever heard of them.

It didn't bother me much, it's not like I had been duped in some two-bit ponzi scheme, or a game of three card monty. It did bother me enough though, that I mailed a letter to the University to inquire about the mysterious group, of which I was apparently a member. I sent my letter off in 2001, and about a month later I heard back from the Office of University Development. I was told that the Pylon Society did exist, and that I was considered a member in good standing. Still, there was no literature, and no physical evidence to show that it even existed. Instead I received generic instructions on how to continue donating to the University.

Well, today I received in the mail, a letter from the elusive Virginia Tech Pylon Society. It thanked me for dutifully giving to Virginia Tech every year, and welcomed me as a member of the exclusive Pylon Society, as someone who had donated for the past five consecutive years (actually seven, but who's counting). It included a nice 'Pylon Society' window decal, and some pre-printed address labels; just desserts for my years of loyalty. It would seem as though they are even getting a web site, however it is obviously still in the construction stages.

While I did have to wait seven years to get any sort of recognition from them, I'm not the least bit bitter. I'm actually happy that the organizers of the Pylon Society are finally getting their act together, albeit a bit late. I'm also happy to know that I'm not crazy, and that the phone conversation I had years ago wasn't all in my mind. Who knows, if I ever start going to ball games regularly, perhaps I'll join the Hokie Club.

UPDATE: Now that I think about it, I never got my membership card to the U.S. Beer Drinking Team either.