Back in November 1986, John Brunelle (‘79) called three other guys: his brother, Andy (‘78), Chris Bieter (‘74), and Chris' brother David (‘78). They met in John’s office at the WR Drake Advertising Agency in downtown Boise. The BKAA was formed. Well, at least envisioned.
By the summer of 1987 the group was incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under Idaho law, with a board of directors including Martha Peterson ('65), Ben Ysursa ('67), Dave Skinner ('71), Patty Halliday Goodson ('72), Chris Bieter ('74), Andy Brunelle ('78), Dave Bieter ('78), John Brunelle ('79) and Ruth Fritz ('80).
The purposes of the Alumknights, as we call ourselves (and we secured the internet domain to prove it) are to maintain the bonds of former students of Bishop Kelly High School and the larger Bishop Kelly community by sponsoring social functions for alumni, and to make contributions to the school in order to further the educational mission of Bishop Kelly High School.
Since 1987, the Bishop Kelly Alumni Association has helped make the memories for both the students and alumni of Bishop Kelly a little brighter. We sponsor our annual golf and basketball tournaments. Inspired by the special Mass and dedication of the Joseph Pape (‘79) scholarship in 1997, there is now an annual memorial Mass in memory of alumni who have passed on.
The Alumknights have contributed nearly $40,000 to school and alumni causes! BK Alumni donated another $10,000 to the Bishop Kelly Foundation in 1990 alone. This is a fantastic statement about the people who make up the alumni and friends of BK. The funds raised by your Alumni Association help support a number of worthy causes, including support for the purchase of the new sign for the school on Franklin Road, a new television for the school, helping with medical expenses for alumni and family, and providing scholarships for incoming freshmen.
Current board members of the Alumknights are Ben Ysursa ('67), Dennis Kirk (‘69), Dave Skinner ('71), Chris Bieter ('74), Dave Bruce (‘75), Andy Brunelle ('78), John Brunelle ('79), Ruth Fritz ('80), Nancy Wilper Tacke (‘83), and Jon Skinner (‘84).
We would love to hear from you and share your news with other alumni on this website and in a publication we will send out in early 2000.
We would like to say thank you to the alumni of Bishop Kelly, St. Teresa’s Academy, parents, and friends of the school. You have helped establish a legacy that is the envy of Boise, Idaho. The incredibly hard work of the founders of the Alumni Association has helped pave the way for the next century of Bishop Kelly High School. This association will continue to evolve and will take a more active and visible role in the school in the future.
