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C.O.B. Now a 501(c)3 Non-Profit!
Dear fellow Carolina Olde Boys,
It is with great pleasure to
inform you that the Carolina
Olde Boys—the alumni association
of University of South Carolina
rugby—is now officially a
501(c)3 organization. Earning
this tax exempt status puts us
on the threshold of doing great
things for the club that has
meant so much to us since our
playing days at Carolina.
What does this mean?
This foundation allows Carolina
Olde Boys to make tax free
donations to the current USC
club, whether it comes from
personal checks or your place of
business. The C.O.B. foundation
is governed and operated in a
similar fashion to most
non-profit organizations to
which you may already
contribute.
How will the funds be used?
Let us be perfectly clear that
100% of the funds donated to the
C.O.B. foundation will be used
to further the growth of the
Men’s Rugby Club at USC, and
will not, and cannot by law, be
used for social activities or
interests which would benefit an
individual.
Why is this necessary?
At the risk of offending any of
our C.O.B. brethren, collegiate
rugby is not what it used to be
for most of us. In the last
decade collegiate rugby, while
still a club sport, has become
more like a varsity sport due to
funding from out-side sources,
establishment of foundations,
and other means which has
catapulted the game to new
heights of competitiveness and
needs. In order to meet these
needs and keep the team
competitive with other schools
in the SEC and our rivals in the
upstate, there is a higher
demand for funds that are not
provided from the University.
This is where we come in!
I invite you to read the letters
from current Carolina Coach
Geoff Mason and myself, C.O.B.
President Mike Artlip. The
club has never been in better
shape in terms of participation
and coaching staff, and is
playing at the highest level
(Division I classification)
against other schools that are
fully-funded, offer
scholarships, and recruit
nationally and internationally.
So what happens next?
We are in the early stages, but
we are looking to move as
quickly as possible in securing
a better online presence with
functionalities that will make
it easy for contributions to be
made via the web. We will soon
be posting information on our
current site regarding by-laws
and statutes for the C.O.B.
foundation.
How can I contribute now?
Until our online presence is
upgraded, we ask that you have
all checks, whether personal or
from your place of business,
made out to “COB Foundation”
and mail to:
C.O.B. Foundation
P.O. Box 2023
Columbia, SC 29202
Will we still have C.O.B.
weekend?
YES! The Annual C.O.B. weekend
will take place as always. Visit
the C.O.B website at
www.cobrugby.com for more
information.
Remember,
your annual dues check for
COB weekend is a separate fund
than the C.O.B. foundation.
Dues paid for C.O.B. weekend
help pay for the costs of the
weekend and should be mailed to
the same address, but simply
make this check out to “C.O.B.” Once
again, donations to go toward
the non-profit 501(c)3 account
should be made out to "C.O.B.
Foundation."
Cheers,
Mike Artlip, ‘95
C.O.B President |
