Exciting Programs
The Princeton Club of Hilton Head, Scott Foster Chapter has a rich schedule of programs throughout the year. In addition to our annual visit by The Footnotes in the fall, we gather for holiday receptions, performances from campus arts groups on tour, visits from Princeton faculty, and to hear from accomplished members in our own community. Enjoy videos from some of our programs, below.
2021 Awards Ceremony!
The Princeton Club of Hilton Head received the Princeton Club of San Antonio Award and the Committee on Regional Associations (CORA) award for Innovation at a virtual awards presentation on June 17, 2021. Many thanks to Kat Kennedy, Associate Director of Regional Affairs at Princeton Alumni Engagement, and Rob Wolk ’91, Chair of CORA, for leading this special experience!
The Footnotes Island Style!
The Princeton Footnotes returned for their 15th visit to Hilton Head and it was a roaring success! We had alumni from Hilton Head, Bluffton, and Savannah join us for dinner and music at the Spring Lake Pavilion.
Coast to Coast Toast: A Princeton Alumni Champagne Tasting
The Princeton Club of Hilton Head enjoyed a multi-club sparkling wine tasting led by Lisa Drakeman *88, a Certified Sommelier who holds a Diploma with Merit from the world's leading wine educator, the Wine and Spirits Education Trust. She shares her love of wine on her website www.findyourwinestyles.com.
The Civil War with Dr. Allen C. Guelzo
Professor Guelzo, Director of the Initiative on Politics and Statesmanship at the James Madison Program at Princeton University, talks to the Princeton Club of Hilton Head about his award-winning work on the Civil War. He is a gifted story teller who a draws on his deep knowledge of history to explore important events, and shares a surprising connection between one of the war’s commanders and Hilton Head.
Sommelier Secrets of Blind Tasting: A Princeton Alumni Virtual Wine Event
Enjoy a behind the scenes look at what blind tasting wine is all about. For example, can experts tell a Pinot from a Cabernet? If you have seen the SOMM movie you might be wondering why they thought one wine tasted like a garden hose. You will learn the answers at this seminar! Download the handout, below, for an easy reference guide to tasting wines for fun and enjoyment.
We would particularly like to recognize the Princeton Association of New York (PANYC), the Princeton Association of New England (PANE), the Princeton Club of Northern California (PCNC), the Princeton Club of St. Louis (PCStL), the Association of Princeton Graduate Alumni (APGA), and the leadership of CORA for bringing us all together.
Wines
1. Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc ~ $16
• Food Pairing: Goat Cheese
2. Hahn SLH Pinot Noir ~$23
• Food Pairing: Manchego Cheese
Holiday Luncheon 2022
This beloved club tradition returned in 2022 with a sparkling toast at the South Carolina Yacht Club, and remarks from our special guest, Angelina Sylvain, APGA Board Member, who presented the APGA Regional Association award to the club! The award is given annually by the APGA Board of Governors to a Princeton Regional Association that deserves special recognition for increasing participation of Princeton graduate alumni in its regional activities and/or fostering the cause of a graduate education and the Graduate School at Princeton University. A great time was had by all!
Orange and Black Day 2022
The Princeton Club of Hilton Head celebrated Princeton’s 276th birthday in style at the second annual Orange and Black Day! There were drinks, snacks, and a fun show-and-tell of Princetoniana brought by alumni.
The Footnotes Return - in Person!
The Princeton Club of Hilton Head, Scott Foster Chapter, was delighted to welcome back The Princeton Footnotes for an in person concert at the Sea Pines Country Club! We had nearly 100 years covered in the crowd, from Terry Brubaker’s grandbaby to Lynn Corson ’53, our mighty cane bearer.
Return to Woodstock with Joel Rosenman ’63
The Princeton Club of Hilton Head welcomed Joel Rosenman ’63 for a behind the scenes look at how Woodstock came to be, and the extraordinary measures he undertook to keep it going all weekend. Joel is also a Founder of The Princeton Footnotes, and he shares some background on the way that now legendary group came together.
From Breakthrough to Blockbuster: The Business of Biotechnology (Oxford University Press, 2022): A talk by authors Lisa Drakeman *88, S*88, P'02, h'35 and Don Drakeman *88, S*88, P'02.
The Princeton Club of Hilton Head hosted a conversation with authors, biotech entrepreneurs, and alumni Dr. Lisa Drakeman and Dr. Don Drakeman to learn how new medicines get made, why the process is so complex (and expensive!), and what it takes to succeed in a start up. Attendees also learned about entrepreneurship and found out if they had the traits to be a successful entrepreneur. The book was named a Top Business Book by The Financial Times!
The Best Wines from the Best Somms!
The Princeton Clubs of New England, New York, Northern California, and Hilton Head try a selection of wines served by Ronan Sayburn, MS, Head of the Court of Master Sommeliers and his Best of London Somm team at the acclaimed 67 Pall Mall private club. Lisa Drakeman *88, S*88, P'02, h'35, PhD, DipWSET, certified sommelier and President of the Princeton Club of Hilton Head led the tasting.
1. Renato Ratti Barolo Marcenasco (#54 of Wine Enthusiast’s top 100 2017, JS 96)
2. Renato Ratti Lange Nebbiolo Ochetti (WA 90, JS 90)
These two wines exemplify very different expressions of the Nebbiolo grape. The Ratti family are pioneers of single vineyard Barolo, leading to the finest wines of the region we know today. They also mapped the various Crus of the Barolo region in the 1970s and 80s.
3. Tornatore Pietrarizzo Etna Bianco (#33 of Wine Enthusiast’s top 100 2020)
A limited production white wine from the slopes of Sicily's Mount Etna. The family has been in the area since the 16th century. This wine has been selected as an editor’s choice at Wine Enthusiast.
Looking for Life Beyond Earth with Seth Shostack ’65
The Princeton Club of Hilton Head spoke with Seth Shostack '65, Senior Astronomer at SETI, about the possibility of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe. Are we alone in the universe? The scientific hunt for extraterrestrial life is now well into its fifth decade, and we still haven’t discovered any cosmic company. Could all this mean that finding biology beyond Earth, even if it exists, is a project for the ages – one that might take centuries or longer?
New approaches and new technology for detecting life and sentient beings elsewhere suggest that there is good reason to expect that we could uncover evidence even of sophisticated civilizations – the type of aliens we see in the movies and on TV – within a few decades. But if we do find E.T., what would be the societal impact of learning that something, or someone, is out there?
A Toast to the Old Guard!
The Princeton Club of Hilton Head celebrates its most distinguished members - the Old Guard, composed of graduates from the great classes of 1950, 1953, 1954, 1955, and the newly inducted class of1956! This annual celebration is one of the club's hallmark events, and it didn't disappoint this year. Enjoy words of wisdom and the riotous story of a student featured on national tv in his athletic support, the head of the tiger mascot costume... and nothing else.
The Princeton Footnotes Live on Hilton Head 2021
The Princeton Footnotes return to Hilton Head for their annual warm up week and concert for the Princeton Club of Hilton Head. It's their first live concert since March 2020, and although they are small in number, the sound is mighty! In addition to club members, a few early Footnote alums joined from all over the country, including one of the founders. It was a great event with wonderful music and camaraderie.
Awards After-Party: A Tour of Italian Wines
Following the historic awards presentation, members of the Princeton Club of Hilton Head enjoyed a virtual tasting of Italian wines to celebrate! The tasting kicks off with La Marca Prosecco, followed by the Pieropan Soave Calvarino, and is finished off with the Tornatore Etna Rosso. There’s even a fun Princeton connection to the Tornatore. A delicious trio!
Download the tasting notes for additional wine and food pairing information.
Virtual Spring Party: A Journey to Spain
The Club gathered over Zoom for a tasting of three delightful Spanish wines led by Certified Sommelier Lisa Drakeman *88 S*88 P’02 H’35, who just received a Diploma with Merit from the world’s leading wine educator, the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET). The evening concluded with a rousing Princeton-themed game of Name that Tune.
You can order the wines from Rollers and taste along at home!
Bodegas Pinord Dibon Cava Brut Rosé paired with almonds
Castaño Solanera Viñas Viejas 2017 paired with meats and aged cheeses
Don PX Gran Reserva - Toro Albalá 1994 paired with toffee squares and dried figs
Happy Hour with Nathalie Dupree
Nathalie Dupree is a celebrated chef who brought global awareness to low country cooking. From elite, sophisticated cuisine ("Grande Dame" of Les Dames d'Escoffier) to down home favorites (Nathalie Dupree's Shrimp & Grits), Nathalie Dupree knows all there is to know about food. This program was jointly sponsored by the Princeton Clubs of Charleston and Hilton Head.
High Stakes Tennis and High Fashion Shoes
with Stan Smith S’73 P’03 featuring Margie Smith ’73 P’03
Stan Smith S’73 P’03 is a legendary tennis champion, and his face now graces fashionable sidewalks everywhere on the iconic adidas "Stan Smiths." Among Hilton Head's earliest residents, Stan shares a lifetime of stories about his sporting pursuits and shoe celebrity. Featuring a special guest appearance by Margie Smith ’73 P’03, named Princeton's Best Athlete during her time on campus.
Princeton Art Live! with David Chamberlain ’71
Enjoy a virtual studio tour and art demonstration with artist and Princetonian, David Chamberlain '71, and his duet painting partner Melissa Matson.
Hosted by the Princeton Club of Hilton Head, Scott Foster Chapter, and presented to members of the Princeton Club of Hilton Head, the Princeton Club of Savannah, and the Princeton Club of Rochester.
The first cohort of Footnotes to visit HHI
Virtual Footnotes Concert
September brings our annual visit from the Footnotes. This tradition began in 2011 when we launched the Club with their first Hilton Head Concert, a great kickoff, with 100 Princetonians present. Since then, the annual concerts have been a sellout!
Thanks to the magic of cyberspace, the tradition continues. You can attend the 2020 Footnotes concert by clicking on the three links below.
The program begins with their Zoom rendition of the Phish favorite, Julius. As many may know, Phish has close ties to Hilton Head. Band member Page McConnell's parents, Jack and Mary Ellen McConnell, retired here and founded Volunteers in Medicine.
Next up is a command performance of Simple Gifts from the wedding of Cindy Drakeman '02 and Richard Wanerman at the Princeton Chapel. This piece was learned especially for the wedding and shows a different side of the Footnotes.
The concert concludes with a rousing rendition of The Princeton Medley. The Feet say that this might have been their best ever performance of it, and it took place right here on HHI!