GreekChat.com Forums - Starting an Alumni Chapter

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- - Starting an Alumni Chapter (https://greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=43093)

Quote:

Originally posted by Zetagymnast
To be honest my brother fraternity has an alum chapter and they live all over the country and they function fine. They just had a reunion celebrating 19 years and it was well planned. They meet ever so often and plan events for ther alums.

Then why don't you ask for their help setting this up? :confused:

Quote:

Originally posted by 33girl
Then why don't you ask for their help setting this up? :confused:

I always get good advice from Greekchat so that is why I asked. But, this time I don't know.

To be sure, we do not know either.

You have moved around the situation and question.

I asked some viable questions so that we all could get a better perspectiveon your situation. But went unanswered?

As was said, maybe your brother chapter could help.

No one is trying to be mean here, just trying to get a handle on what you are trying to ask.

Zeta,
I agree with Christin, you have received some EXCELLENT advice and ideas based specifically on the question that you asked. Christin, in particular, gave you some outstanding pointers for operating an alum chapter where the members are all in the same area as well as what you can do if they are spread around the country. I am assuming that your sorority is a local without other chapters? You have to keep in mind that members of IFC and NPC groups go through their respective Inter/national Headquarters to set up alum groups. Unless someone like Christin (who really knows her stuff) reads your post, the advice you are likely to get is to call your Headquarters!
You might also post this in the Locals area in case someone missed it here. Another local group might have some ideas geared more toward what it is you are looking for. I agree that talking to your brother fraternity would be a great idea, since they function so well.

Re: Alum Chapter

Quote:

Originally posted by aopinthesky
!
You might also post this in the Locals area in case someone missed it here. Another local group might have some ideas geared more toward what it is you are looking for.

Great idea for Zetagymnast! The Locals forum would be a great resource for you. Now that I think of it, you may also get some help by contacting folks in the Up & Coming National GLO forum.

Normally I am NOT in favor of cross-posting (so don't flog me for the suggestion, folks!) This really may be a topic that would be better answered in either of these forums. There are many people who read the Alumni Involvement forum, but I don't know how many are members of national/international groups vs. locals or specialty GLOs. Make sense?

FYI--Tom, to answer one of your questions earlier:
Zetagymnast's sorority is a local, religious based group started in the late 1980s. They recently reorganized and are rebuilding on a collegiate level. They have good records of where their alumnae are located, but they are spread out all over and only have a few local alumnae (info taken from the link in Zetagymnast's profile and her posts in this thread. If any of this is incorrect ZG, please let me know so I can edit appropriately!)

Christin

Alumni relations are awesome!!! I'm going down to New Orleans next week to see my alma mater, UNT, play Memphis in the New Orleans Bowl. I'm meeting a bunch of active/alumni brothers down there to cheer for the mean green. The last time I went to the Bowl Game was a few years ago when we played Colorado State. That trip ended up being the greatest Fraternity Vacation ever. We ended up bumping into some of the Tri-Delts from Texas A&M at Razoos on Bourbon Street.

Thanks for you advice. it was very helpful. I come on her to get advice and to find out more about greek life. Sometimes I feel like certain people (not you) are "know it all". They think they are better than more or have all the answers because they have been greek longer than I have. I am so open to suggestions that's why I started the thread but I don't want to feel like I can't ask for help when people misinterpret my posts.

Quote:

Originally posted by AOIIalum
Zetagymnast, please remember that we are posting our suggestions based upon our own personal experiences, just as you are posting based upon yours. My personal experiences indicate that it is very, very difficult to organize an sorority event requiring people to travel long distances to attend. Of course, it can be done (see state, regional and national conventions for many GLOs as well as annual homecoming and Founders Day activities.) Congrats to your brother fraternity for doing so on a regular basis. I also believe that is key, to schedule events the same time every year. That way, all of your alumnae know that there's a Homecoming Tea every year on the day of the game, a Founders Day dinner dance the Friday night closest to your Founders Day every year, and so on. Tradition is good!

Again, I believe that outreach and communication are keys. Get the word out, plan fun and "non-businessy" events, and go forth from there. Quite honestly, as 33girl and DGMarie stated, it is not the task or duty of a collegiate chapter to start an alumnae chapter (I'm sure you stay busy enough with your school work, sorority functions, campus and community involvement, jobs, families and non-school social lives!) Let them make the choice and do the work. Once you are an alumna, you'll be ready to help and stay involved. I wish more sorority and fraternity members remembered that their membership is for a lifetime and not just a few college years.

From your original post, it appeared that you were asking about starting an alumnae chapter so it would be active by the time you were an alumna. I don't believe any of us misinterpreted your post, and I'm sorry if my suggestions have not been helpful to your sorority's needs. I've helped to organize/reorganize a few alumnae chapters in the 15 years that I've been an alumna. It may be as simple as my experiences in various alumnae chapters may not be at all what you and your sisters want, so these suggestions are not appropriate for you.

You have been offered some wonderful thoughts on this thread, maybe not my own but from other posters. I sincerely hope that some of them may be helpful to your group down the road. The very best of luck to you and your sisters on your effort to organize your alumnae!

Fraternally,
Christin

Quote:

Originally posted by Tom Earp
To be sure, we do not know either.

You have moved around the situation and question.

I asked some viable questions so that we all could get a better perspectiveon your situation. But went unanswered?

As was said, maybe your brother chapter could help.

No one is trying to be mean here, just trying to get a handle on what you are trying to ask.

There are several reason which I can't state why we cannot go to our brothers for help with this.....there is one grad from our brother fraternity where the school is located but he is not helpful.

Re: Re: Alum Chapter

Quote:

Originally posted by AOIIalum
FYI--Tom, to answer one of your questions earlier:
Zetagymnast's sorority is a local, religious based group started in the late 1980s. They recently reorganized and are rebuilding on a collegiate level. They have good records of where their alumnae are located, but they are spread out all over and only have a few local alumnae (info taken from the link in Zetagymnast's profile and her posts in this thread. If any of this is incorrect ZG, please let me know so I can edit appropriately!)

Christin

You are correct with the info.

zetagymnast,

I'm sorry if you misinterpreted anyone as being "know it all." The procedures for setting up an alum chapter for a local are very, very different than those for a national sorority.

I understand that you want this to be there for you when you graduate, but the fact is you have to think of what the existing alums want first and how they will want to run things. Going to your brother fraternity - which apparently has a setup much like you want - for help seemed a logical piece of advice. It sucks if you can't do that with someone nearby, but he is not the only member. You can get an amazing amount done online.

I agree with AOII alum to post this in the locals forum - there are several alumnae of locals on here who are very involved in their alum chapters. They might be more in tune with what you need.

Quote:

Originally posted by 33girl
zetagymnast,

I'm sorry if you misinterpreted anyone as being "know it all." The procedures for setting up an alum chapter for a local are very, very different than those for a national sorority.

I understand that you want this to be there for you when you graduate, but the fact is you have to think of what the existing alums want first and how they will want to run things. Going to your brother fraternity - which apparently has a setup much like you want - for help seemed a logical piece of advice. It sucks if you can't do that with someone nearby, but he is not the only member. You can get an amazing amount done online.

I agree with AOII alum to post this in the locals forum - there are several alumnae of locals on here who are very involved in their alum chapters. They might be more in tune with what you need.

Thanks for the help!!

AOII Alum thanks for the Info!:)

This may help clear some things up!

As many of us have said, depending on your situation of which we werre not clear on, this insight can be of help.

Try the Local Greek Thread on Site. They may be able to give a lot more info than we can!:)

Beleive it or not, while We are International/Nationional Greek Organizations, there is a big similarity in what you are trying to do.

Boils down to alot of Damn Hard Work on someones part!

Someone needs to be the key factor!:cool: