You need to build a procedure into the chapter. Its not enough to have an alumnae chair, they have to have a specific job that is ongoing.

There are some ways to cheat. If the chapter has a web site make sure they have a secured part of it and put the minutes online.

Or create a listserv and put all the alums emails into it and put the minutes of chapter meetings on it. It also encourages alumn to talk amongst themselves.

If all events are on there, then alum are about upodates a s possible, and i assume that you are welcome to stop by normal chapter events?

This once a year or once a semester Alumni Day is stupid. You should have that and also invite alumni to your normal chapter functioning including formals and semi formals.

Formals and semi formals can also be a sense of revenue beucause you can over charge the alum that attend.

But you need to set upa chapter process, and honestly, there should be a National process or procedure to cover all this.

I totally agree - we never had alums at formal when I was in school, but once we started going I think it helped relations btwn alums & collegians tremendously. When the only time you see alums is at annual functions, you don't connect with them any more than you do with the yearly antihazing speaker or any other annual program you have.

The point is to make the alums feel that even if they are not always WITH the chapter, they are still PART of the chapter. I don't mean running it, and that does become a problem, but - one of our regional directors (I heart you Deb :D) has encouraged us to not use collegian or alum, to just say SISTER. After all, that is what we are. When we don't differentiate between the two we are really enforcing the idea of lifetime commitment.

Reading through some of the more recent responses (since this is a long time thread), I thought I'd give some insight in what's happened with my own chapter.

I'm currently the "old" alumni who is willing to help the chapter out-- I graduated in 1997. At the recent degree ritual to welcome our newest class into the active chapter, I was the oldest at 29, despite the fact that I personally know about a half-dozen other alumni older than me who live in the area. My chapter had a literal shut down the year after I graduated because of a bunch of different issues (both internal and external). Since the chapter was reinstated-- all the pre-shutdown alumni have drifted off... many have no desire to be a part of the chapter in any form. Many are too far away.

I was not one of those people and have tried for the past five years to get back in touch with them and get involved-- this year, with our chapter's 20th anniversary, I FINALLY was able to make headway. And things have happened fast.

In the course of literally two months, I've worked with chapter members to do the following:

1) Get an updated list of all alumni... get a bi-semester newsletter out, and start rebuilding contact with alums

2) Begin developing a website that's both readable and informative. I explained to the chapter that the website isn't as much for the actives as it is for alumni and potential new members as they look through their options in college life. Since Tau Beta Sigma is a specialized sorority for band musicians, we need information out there to create interest as well as keep alumni informed-- with dates in advance-- of important events.

3) Created an alumni liason position to help support the alumni and historian positions for next year-- and hopefully make it a permanent chapter "alumni active" position.

4) Spurned the idea of rekindling a ceremony our chapter had called the "Kin Sister" where each MC received an alumni big sister-- allowing alumni with dead family lines to have a reconnection to the active chapter. Since only ONE family line in our chapter now exists back to the founders, this need for connection has a more poignant stress to it.

The astonishing thing that I've found since jumping in here is that the chapter always wanted the help... but often times really don't know where to look or know how to contact alumni (who can be intimidating by the simple sense of being older). I have to admit that it does feel a bit awkward being ten years older than many of the actives (the chapter doubled to 18 members this year with an MC class of 9), but it's more frightening to me that these active members don't have the memories of the older alumni helping them out-- the oldest "regulars" who come to degrees and other events are two or three years out of college.

It just takes one or two alumni who are willing to help out and get the ball rolling!

~ Mel.

Wow! I'm a recent alum, and my chapter has so much to do, I hardly think it is their sole job to keep alumni realtions up. I'd rather they focus on being a better chapter! I don't need them to plan reuinions for me (although a tailgate during homecoming would be nice!). If I want a reunion, I can go to my alumi association and plan it myself.
Personally, my chapter spent too much money this year trying to get in contact with their alumni. When the advisors helped plan an alumni brunch at the reuinion, they spent hundreds of dollars more than they had budgeted, and didn't seem to care that it wasn't thier money. Also, the chapter did two mailings to hundreds of alumna, when one annual mailing would be sufficeint. It really kills me to see them not have enough money to buy food on retreats, but have the advisors go hog-wild on a brunch that didn't bring in enough donations to cover the cost.

I asked Firehouse about this at some point on GC. He summed it up very well by saying it's their job to concentrate on being the best chapter and the alumni's job to get organized on their end.

-Rudey

good alum thread
 

Hey
My chapter has a small alumni network (150, we're a relatively new house) and after having read this and many responces I'm glad to see we're on the right track. We have about 10 alums show up on average to events such as our formal dance and retreat.

cool beans. thanks

What Rudey said is true to a point but a very good one!

Alums are the "Old Ones" no matter per se when they graduated.

But the factor of trying to meld, weld and work together is the main and hardest factor.

Alums are there to assist and abet the Local Chapter. Many times We as Alums are more over bearing than is neccessary but all in all, We are trying to do for the Chapter.

I was talking to a Brother from a different chapter last night and damn are they having problems. Not with the Active Chapter so much as having an Alum Assoc. and now a House Corporation trying to tell the Actives How To Do Things. They dont own a house, so the Housing Corp. for a better word is a moot point until:

1. they buy land.

2. They build or rent a house.

The fine line is when we and the Active Chapter find that find line of working together. But The Alums or those working hard and the Actives who change Officerships yearly can get a happy medium. Can anyone tell me where that is?:(

Ditto--

While it's important to get contacts out to alumni for the big events of each year, it's just as important to give alumni a heads up to the chapter meetings or weekly hangouts so that they can come and spend time with the chapter in a more casual atmosphere-- because really, that's where you get to know people and stay connected.

I live about 25 miles from my undergraduate chapter, and since none of the active sisters have cars (it's honestly a pain in the neck to have one in Boston), my casual time with them has been to invite them out to dinner. Since they don't have cars and want to see other parts of Massachusetts, I pick them up, we hang out and chat wherever, and then I bring them back to campus. We don't even necessarily talk chapter stuff-- but get to know each other as people. It cuts down that intimidation that I'm an alumni and therefore on some weird level that they're not.

~ mel.

We try to have two major functions for Alums to come back a year.

Homecoming and Founders Day. They are each in a different Semester. We also have House Corp. meeting to coincide as that is when most Alums do come back when they can.

So, the main point is, that The Active Chapter let the Alums know what the dates are and what the plans are, dinner where, time of events and where, and getting reservations for Motel rooms so most Alums can stay at the same place.

What I have done over the years is try to get as many emails so that when the information comes to me, I can get it sent out.

Mailings are expensive unless you can use the Schools bulk mailing system. But the problem is, if it is not placed at the earlies date and you keep on them, the news letters may get lost in a cubby hole.

We use to have two mailings a year for Active Chapter letter, but it has lost steam because of membership and money. The Alums have sent out Newsletters, but each of us kicked in money and did mailing parties, drink some bear, BS, Fold, stuff, lick and stamp! Thank god for the beer!:D

*bump*

I found this post to be one of the best place to go to get ideas on invovling your Alum!! I bumped it to get some fresh ideas! :D

Speaking as an alum... make sure you introduce yourself to the alumni at events. Say hello. Make them feel welcome. The alumni have made arrangements to come to an event that isn't front and center in their lives anymore. Appreciate them with a simple thank you.

One of the more heartbreaking things that I never understood as an undergrad (and now DO as an alum) is how lonely alums feel at rituals and other events. Older alumni don't know people-- please help them!

For Collegians who have taken on the office of Alumnae Chair!

Congratulations! Your first duty is to get a copy of your budget from the Treasurer. And next, unplug your computer and pick your telephone. Then call (yes, that's right! CALL) the president of the alum association! Something along the lines of:

Hi, this is MY NAME. I'm the new Alum Relations Chair for CHAPTER of GLO and I wanted to introduce myself and set up a meeting with you sometime in the next couple of weeks to plan some events with the chapter and alum for next school year. When would be a convenient time and where shall we meet? I'd also love to know what is a good way to keep in touch with the alum and provide chapter updates. Thanks!

* If you have to leave a voicemail and the president doesn't call you back, call back.

Your next duty: meeting with the alum president.
By this time, the alum are crafting their calendar for next year. Social activities abound. Take a look and piggy back onto these to avoid overprogramming. Include the social chair of your chapter in this planning so you can build these sisterhood socials into the actual chapter social calendar.

When you work WITH the alum association, rather than springing an event on the alum with 24 hours notice, you get a better turnout. The alum will also help promote your event to the other alum through their emails, phone communications and newsletter.

Plan on at least one social event in the fall and get the dates for recruitment and initiation from the other chapter officers so the alum can participate, as you know you will want alumnae at those important events! Also, get dates for membership education and enrichment workshops, retreats, new member ed, etc... all are great to invite alum to -- they can share in the events and offer a unique perspective, assistance and really feel a part of the chapter.

Chances are, you have taken office in the winter/spring semester. You have lots of time to prepare your graduating seniors spring send-off tea, or to work with alum to come to your chapter house to give alum ritual. This is typically a standing event. Talk to your outgoing alum relations chair about what worked the prior year and what didn't. Work WITH the alum association to promote and plan the event. When you plan together, everyone wins. Get the alum to help you promote to other alum.

Give your alum president all relevant chapter dates. For example, why not plan a service project or charity event together?

Above all, check in with the alum president 1/4ly. The alum send out a newsletter to their members, so why not email or mail her a blurb of what's new at your chapter. The alum will stay informed and you don't put a penny toward postage.

Need replacement equipment for ritual or the house? Put together a brochure explaining your cause and how alum can assist, and have the alum assoc mail it out with the next alum mailing.

Lastly, always show appreciation in the form of handwritten thank yous and verbal appreciation to alum volunteers and event attendees! Rely on your advisers and past officers for guidance, and have fun! It also makes your office go more smoothly when you build a committee of other sisters to assist you with your events and planning. You could be grooming your replacement for when your office ends!

While adpiucf post is very great, it is long.

Basically, treat them with respect and dignity.

Remember, they were there before you were and if not for them, you may have not be there now.

Alums are there to help for The Love of the Sorority and The Chapter. they have been through all of the Newbie, Ritual, Officerships, Sisterhood, and Love.

They are not strangers, they are Sisters, older maybe but still Sisters. Act proffesional and give them a little thank you!:)

A little thank you is all that is asked.

Thanks, adpiucf. I will be forwarding your message to our chapter's alum chair. I hope that they will get better turnout at events.

ttt