The requirements to earn the CAA Gold Star Award presented at the Citadel Alumni Association Annual Membership meeting are listed below.  Our goal is to keep the process as simple as possible, while ensuring that each club meets the standards established by the CAA Awards Committee. The Alumni Clubs Coordinator is available for questions. 

Your completed annual report covering the period of July 1 to June 30 must be submitted to the District Director representing your club’s region for endorsement.  Submit your reports to District Directors no later than June 15th to permit District Directors to review and submit endorsed reports to the CAA (ATTN: Gold Star Report) no later than July 1st.

Your report must include the following minimum requirements in order to receive an endorsement from your District Director:

  1. Ensure that the club is registered with the CAA, provide contact information for two club officers, the club’s Citadel Alumni Recruiter (CAR) volunteer, and the club’s website and/or social media (if applicable) on the report. All club officers must be current CAA members.
  2. Report the name, phone number and email address you would prefer having listed on the CAA website, as well as in the Alumni News magazine for alumni to contact regarding club inquiries. The contact usually is the club president or membership coordinator.
  3. Provide an overall assessment of your club including club history, areas served, estimated metrics of The Citadel Alumni Association Membership within the club, and future goals.
  4. Annotate the details of your Annual Muster. This should include the date of the Muster, number of alumni and guests in attendance, and a brief description of the event. The Muster should be held on or near March 20th, in accordance with the Muster Planning Guide..
  5. Include details of at least one event held by your club that involves local-area cadets or prospective cadets (e.g. hosting a local cadet/prospect at a meeting, end of the summer or freshmen send-off events, recruiting events).
  6. Document in detail other events or projects your club executed as well as any other club activities or items of interest during the reporting period (e.g. marketing your club, a CAA membership campaign within the club, club volunteering for civic causes, legislative engagement, etc.).

Important but not required:

  • The quantity and quality of award nominations submitted from a club are a weighing factor for Club of the Year. Club members who submit award nominations should ensure they note their club affiliation when submitting award nominations.
  • Each club should identify a CAA member as a career and mentoring liaison for new and transitioning alumni.