Keeping Interest
 

My wife & I just returned from the Lambda Chi Alpha General Assembly, and she came up w/an interesting observation while we were in Indianapolis. This may have more pertinence for male organizations (in my opinion).

It's her contention that the reason it's so hard for fraternities to keep their alumni involved after graduation is that many of the members joined solely for the social aspects. In other words, our rituals (and all the meaning they hold) take a back seat to the kegs we quaffed from as undergrads.

Since I'm an alumni board member for the LCA chapters @ my alma mater (Illinois State) & Northwestern, I can attest to the fact that many of the alums who stay involved probably took the fraternity's tenets/creed to heart and weren't just "in it for the beer". This is just a general observation--there's always room for variance.

With that said, do other GLO alumni/ae have any thoughts on this issue? If this is a problem for your chapter, how do you "bring 'em back"? I'll be interested in seeing the views of other GCers (BTW, we had 12 GC members attending the LCA convention!).

Interfraternally,
Bill F.

I agree wholeheartedly, even for women. The members who joined for just the social aspect never came around again after graduation.

I don't know if you "get them back" after you've lost them. What I always wonder is how we emphasize life long membership while they are still in school, rather than after we've lost them. Also, how do we make sure the members are there for the right reasons?

Dee

At Lambda Chi Alpha's 2002 General Assembly, we approved use of an "alumni ritual". It's done in two versions: "open" (like our Associate Member ceremony) or "closed" (performed in a "ritual-like" ceremony).

Each graduating senior is presented with an "alumni pyramid", a small plexiglass pyramid that can be used as a paperweight or decorative piece on a desk or mantle.

The ritual was created to let graduating seniors know that the idea of "not four years, but for life" isn't just an empty phrase. Since it's A)only been around for two years, and B)not mandatory, we're not sure of how much impact it's had to date.

This sort of thing is no guarantee that people will continue to be involved after graduation, but it's a start.

-BF

It seems to me that alumni who stay involved with the fraternity have stayed in touch with their friends, their contemporaries from undergraduate days. When these alumni are together, even forty-something-year-olds seem to revert back to their undergraduate personalities. Among my chapter alumni I see very few "singles", alumni Brothers who are involved independently of their old running mates. The involved alumni group themselves together naturally, sort of like knots along a length of rope.
And although it is hard to quantify, I think the status of the undergraduate chapter has something to do with it. If the chapter has a consistent theme, and it something that the a;umni can still identify with, that seems create a kind of gravity that pulls them back.
It's rare to see a great alumni base and a weak chapter. Much more common to see a strong undergrad chapter and an alumni base that has never been developed. Most often, the strong chapter and the strong alumni support is concurrent.

Co-sign. (Good thread by the way.)

Basically, it seems like fraternity alumni are more *chapter* orientated than regional or internationally orientated. As such, alumni may be more likely to show their support to, and or become involved with, an individual chapter than the fraternity *as a whole*.

Thus, the stronger the connection between the chapter and alumni, then the stronger the commitment by the alumni to the chapter and the fraternity as a whole.

So as stated, perhaps the key is to get the undergraduate members connected with alumni from the get go. To understand that joining is a commitment for life. And to keep alumni involved.

keep in touch
 

I know that to keep in touch with alumni/alumnae, our chapter sends out newsletters to all of the alumnae we have addresses for. Make a constructive effort to keep in touch with all of your alumni, especially the most recent ones. Keep your database updated as often as possible. The sooner after graduation you are able to keep in touch with them (and the longer you can keep in touch), the better. Maybe you can plan a day for alumni to come and visit as well. Ask your alumni to share personal experiences with your new actives by writing letters or visiting-- let them know that they were--and are-- important members of your GLO. Remind them what your GLO is all about, and maybe they'll want to stay in touch and involved. :)

I always wonder why in a city of millions here in NYC, why more Deephers do not surface. We were talking about this recently at one of our alum meetings, and I am sure what is mentioned earlier in this thread ties into it. I mean, so many of us from different chapters and we know so many other sisters that live in the city but they never seem to show interest in the organization after undergrad:( One alumna who comes regularly from the NYU chapter where our org was founded can't believe either that NO ONE from NYU has surfaced, especially since they currently have an active chapter here in the city that has been in contact with us ??????!!!!!!

Having Met Brother Bill F at General Assembly after seeing Him so long on G C, it was so great to meet another dedicated Alum.

We had @ 12 GCers at the LXA G A!

There were @ 40 Alums there, not counting Grand High Zeta Officers and others who were there in other capacities.

To find the dedication of these Brothers is really something to behold. One was a Brother from My Chapter, # 82, who I had not seen in years. He is now the Advisor for UNLV, giving back what He was given as an Active Chapter Brother.

We all fight the same battle, keeping Alums interested and coming back for events.

If someone could come up with a idea of how to cure this, they would make a fortune.

But, I guess the only thing to do is keep up the battle of trying to get and keep Alums involved. There has to be somebody keep the faith and do the job.

So, my thanks go out to All Greek Alums who are doing just that!:cool:

ok, this is taken strictly from my personal experience with my friends in fraternities....

the guys stay in touch with one another, meet up for homecoming, etc., but they do not participate in any other way. a few may donate money. i would hazard to say that most of them would say that although they love their brothers and their group, they have "grown up."

i wonder if collegiates were able to see the benefits of remaining active as an alumni throughout their college years if they would be more likely to stay active. every group says, this is a lifetime committment, but can the collegiates PERSONALLY witness this? probably not...i know i didn't. perhaps if we invited them to some type of event...not a founder's day...to let them experience what we do.

i think the other issue is that we are always saying we should "give back" to our fraternities, so we highlight the ways we can help out....volunteer as a national officer, mentor collegiates, etc. this is great, but i don't think we focus as much on the ways that we personally benefit from being active. let's face it...most people are "me" people. if they can't see in the first few minutes what they get...then are not likely to participate.

i apologize if i am confusing...i am completely doped up on cold medicine....and am sitting at the computer with vicks vapo rub on my chest and neck...with a towel in my shirt. lovely sight, i know.

There's an interesting dynamic that wouldn't have occurred to me until I saw it. Somewhere in here there might be a hint of what inspires alumni loyalty. Let's assume that the strongest bond with the fraternity is found among friends who were together in school, and that they identify as a group with their chapter. What I saw was interesting. A half dozen fraternities on our campus conducted large capital campaigns; it all took place over about a six year period. Now, if you pick ten active alumni out of my fraternity, they might represent a span of a dozen years on campus and the same is true of other fraternities. So, if your leadership core of a dozen guys represents 12 years, and if the majority of donors represent, say, 25 years, then there's going to be a considerable overap with alumni of the other fraternities.
What I saw was a dynamic of renewed rivalries, ten, twenty even thirty years after graduation. "We're by-gawd not going to let the Phi Delts raise more than us. We're going to have the best house and the Lambda Chis can [choose a verb]."
We actually had a meeting of alumni from the six fraternities raising money to build houses.; most guys were in their 40s and 50s. There was a lot of good cheer and remembering the old days. At one point an alum of one fraternity said that maybe we should build a common dining hall where the different fraternities could all eat dinner at the same time, each of course having their own separate area, tables, etc. A Lambda Chi who everyone respects responded by saying, "Guys, you know, the truth is none of us liked each other very much when we were in college, and these guys today don't much like each other either. Let's all eat in our own houses."
He was right. But what i saw was the power of those long-lived rivalries. And the truth is, the fraternities who were in the top tier in 1974 are the same ones who are in the top tier in 2004. I would never have thought that the rivalry factor would be so telling, but it is a strong element to be used in alumni development.

The "top-tier" theory works...to an extent. At Illinois State, we've had a large influx of new GLOs (male and female) since I left Normal in 1977. Most of the houses came to campus in the mid-1980's-early 1990's.

At the time I graduated, our Lambda Chi chapter could've been considered "top-tier" because of numbers, as could a few other chapters on campus. In the years that have followed, though, things changed for some of the fraternities.

Due to various factors (primarily the type of individuals that were recruited), some of the "top-tier" houses have now fallen upon hard times. Risk management issues have reared their ugly heads in every chapter on campus.

They've been a factor at LCA/ISU, and it's been a long, hard struggle. However, the chapter is back in that aforementioned tier. The current officers even came up w/the idea of sending their parents a newsletter 2x/year...smart officers, eh?

In some instances the biggest (and many would argue best) chapters have now been suspended or have left campus entirely. A few fraternities are just now staging a comeback.

I think it's extremely important that the alumni be made aware of what's going on w/the chapter when they receive their annual/semi-annual/quarterly newsletter. By the same token, it's even more important for them to find out how their buddies are doing, so each newsletter should include a healthy dose of "Alumni News/Notes".

In my work w/various chapters I've seen instances where alumni take a great deal of pride in their membership and come back to Homecoming in droves. During one memorable Homecoming weekend I remember watching a chapter holding a pig roast on their front lawn, complete with a tent and band.

The guys I was visiting were throwing some frozen burgers on the Weber and watching the fraternity across the street in awe (maybe it was shock AND awe).

I'd love to find out what it is that's kept the pig roasters alumni coming back each year...if I get the chance I'll share the info here.

I hope we can keep this dialogue going! I'm taking copious notes.

Thanks-
Bill F.

Bill and others --

How long are your respective newsletters (how many pages 8x11.5)?

What % of the newsletter approximately is devoted to what?

I'm the editor of my 'alum newsletter'. It's 4 pages (about 1 page is taken up by graphics) and out of the 2/3 remaining, I'd say about 1/3 is about alumni goings-on and the rest about the active chapter.

I've been considering making it a longer newsletter by adding an inside page. Unfortunately, that means I'll have to come up with more than twice the content that I am coming up with now.

Not sure if you are already doing any of these, but here are a few suggestions to help fill in content when you need to do so.

1. Add general information regarding the campus and the town. It can be quite interesting to hear about old haunts both on and off campus.

2. Pick an alum and showcase them.

3. Publishing pictures from the past.

4. Information, news or even trivia about Sigma Nu. You should be able to find this on your web site.

In this day and age, e-mail is such a wonderful tool for keeping alumni connected.

As such, every chapter should get all it's members addresses before they graduate or go alum. Then keep them posted on what all is happening with their chapter etc.

And this can save on the cost of mailings.

In my experience, it seems like what keeps alumni coming back usually has to do with strong traditions.

And as part of that, you want to come back because it is a big deal to do so. With the pig roast group, I would venture to guess they do something like this ever year at homecoming. And with tents and bands, it's a fun event. So what's not to like? :p

Frankly, it's something I know I would like to attend. :D

TSteven hit it square on the head: Traditions. Someone told me that constant, repetitive contact is the key, but I think that's pointless unless the alumni can tie it into something they're familiar with.
One thing that can really help: have alumni be responsible for the alumni news. Undergrads don't know anyone beyond their own age. Alumni who know the history of the chapter can write the stories, and that's what keeps the memories fresh. Here's a good example: see www.fsupikes.com and click on the Alumni News.

I do send out a pdf copy of my newsletter. However, I also send out a hard copy. The hard copy gets a huge response because folks like to have something tangible. Our alumni chapter can afford it though ;)

One point I stress with chapters that want to just have an electronic version of the newsletter is that some of their members may not have email access. This is especially true with older chapters, where alumni/ae in their 60's-90's don't necessarily have a PC or Mac at home.

The argument can be made that those members could go to their local library or cyber cafe to log on. That's not taking into account the fact that some long-term members have never used a computer in their lives, and "I'm not gonna start now" is a commonly-used refrain (speaking from personal experience with both of my late parents).

Even though some older members have email access through those portals sold at Best Buy ("email in your kitchen"), they can't open attachments. As a result, the pretty .pdf's never get to some of the longer-standing alums, the very members that may be in a better position to help chapters financially.

BTW, I'm glad to see people participating on this thread...glad I got the pot boiling.

Interfraternally,
BF

I'll try to explain my thoughts even though I'm still working them out in my mind.

I left college after 3 years and haven't graduated (yet... I'm going back for the first time in 13 years next month). It was my understanding that a woman in my sorority is not considered an alumna unless she graduated. I've spent the past 13 years figuring I was in some sort of limbo... not an active, not an alumna... not valued by the sorority.

I always envied my husband (though he did graduate) because their slogan is "Once a Sig, always a Sig". He gets a newsletter that we both enjoy reading and we've contributed financially... but he has yet to get involved in an alumni group. He's thinking about it, though. :)

When I began making plans to go back to school (at a different university... one that doesn't have an AXO chapter, unfortunately) I started thinking back on my Greek days. Sadly, I've lost touch with my sisters but I'd like to get involved in supporting my sorority in some way. When I visited the AXO web site I am listed in the directory under "alumnae" so maybe I am one after all.

I guess I'm one of the unusual ones who is finding her way back just out of affection for the group as a whole... not because of loyalty to my particular chapter or because of having a group of sister friends. I just found out that my chapter (at the University of Cincinnati) no longer exists and I have no idea why. I'm surprised at how much that news deeply saddens me.

I think the best way to promote alumni involvement is to maintain communication with the members. Of course, that's easier sad than done if you don't have a current address.

Best of luck to all of you. :)

AOXjen, check with your Hdq once again!

There are many reasons for a person to drop out and not graduate. But if you were a member in good standing, then they may have change over time as All Greek Organizations have.

Suggest you do not just email, but call, shows interest. Explain the situation and go from there.

As boz said, it is a lot cheaper to do elctronic mailing, but, since I am the one who dispenses Information, some just say, I get tired of getting emails from Tom so I just ignore them. Well, It is found out, that they then wonder why they do not know what is going on! DA!

Hard copy is great, but very costly, especially when you send out and get dead addresses that are paid for sending mailings.

Heck, our labor is cheep, lots of tounges, fingers and prayers!

BOZ, I feel you are ponting the finger at me, be ineptitudal on many Cyber things!:(

axojen,
 

i agree with tom. please check with your national headquarters. i would be very surprised if you were not considered an alumna, as long as you were initiated and left your chapter in good financial standing. from my experience as an alumnae chapter officer, what usually happens is this: while in college, member's sorority magazine goes to parents home; after college, unless member notifies nat'l org. of change of address, magazine continues to go to parents home. national magazine is the only way for nat'l org. to keep in touch with alumnae(on the back of every edition of ours is a change of address form). we had so many wrong addresses on our strip list from i.o., and its really not their fault. they can only work with what they are given. please join your local alumnae chapter & update your address with your nat'l office. i have actually made closer friends with my sister alumnae, who are from all over the country, than i did in college. you might be able to recapture that "sisterhood feeling". good luck!! lisa

Personally, I love getting "hard copies". I love that I can take them with me and read when I want. Great to leave out so others can read as well. So I wouldn't stop sending out newsletters.

However, it doesn't hurt to also send e-mail. Especially when you want to get information out quickly. And the cost and time should be minimal at best.

Sure, not ever one *now* uses e-mail, but if not already, it is becoming a rather common way of communication for society. Which is why I suggest that chapters get their current members e-mail NOW. They are building the data base for the future. Add to that list recent graduates and others who "opt in" and you've got a quick and easy way to communicate with your members. (alumni and collegiate)

As to what Tom pointed out, people do ignore e-mails. But many others save 'em and read later. Or print out. No different than someone who gets their newsletter or magazine and waits to read it.

Also e-mails don't have to be long and with large attachments that might not open. Could be something as simple as highlights with links back to the chapter's web site.

I recommend having a combination of the two--

Mailed newsletters, invites, etc. are fun to receive among all of the bills and junk mail. Do send out hard copy newsletters if you can afford it-- even if it's just a very short letter telling of what's going on.

Also set up a mailing list for alumni who are in the area or would like to get the "we're having an impromptu BBQ this weekend... come on down!" messages that you might not have time to set up a full mailing for. Email mailing is wonderful for the quick messages, and giving your alumni the option to also be on an email list can help them "get the news first."

~ Mel.

This is a good point. Impromptu events, in addition to the more traditional and planned events, help to keep alumni involved. And often it is the simple things that can help keep members connected. And feel welcome and wanted and a part of the fraternity.

For example, there could be a house cleaning detail made up of alumni. After the clean up, the collegiate members could throw the alums a barbecue to show their appreciation.

Thus the alumni are able to give back in a "hands on" way and not just in a financial or advisory way. This not only shows the chapter that their alumni still have a respect for the house and love for their fraternity, but also can instill in the pledges (new members) that membership is for life.

Basically, any time members - collegiate and alumni - work together, it helps strengthen the brotherhood. So just remember that the simple stuff matters as well.

After having recently spoken with Lambda Chi alumni from various chapters, I have another perspective to throw into the mix. This involves the "old" vs. "young" debate.

I've heard from various "classic alums" that they prefer to do their own events (golf outings, picnics w/family, ballgames, etc.) with members in their own age bracket. The reasons vary, but it's pretty much along the lines of "they're so much younger, it's like being w/my kids".

Many alumni/ae have written in to say they meet @ a specific tavern each month, and this seems to attract the younger, under-30 crowd. As a 40+ alum, I have to admit that the thought of going to some pub on a Friday nite to "hang w/the bros" has lost the attractiveness it would have held in 1984.

What have other alums done to bridge this "generation gap"?

Interfraternally,
Bill F.

There definitely is a generational gap... a definite 10 year grouping, but probably even a bit more of a breakdown into 5 year groups or so-- those who were active at the same time tend to want to hang with their own.

With the exception of formal rituals and such (with privacy concerns and uninitiated respect), it's probably easier to bring alumni in if their families can also be included. If alumni feel like hanging with the actives is like spending time with their kids-- perhaps it's an event to celebrate that. Bring the kids, introduce them to positive aspects of greek life, and bring the brother (or sister) - hood into a larger, stronger extended family. Our lives as brothers and sisters are not limited by the Greek community-- our families are also influenced by them through us.

Things like BBQ's, sports events, house cleanings/updates (do some work, and then have a potluck, etc) and service/philanthropy events are often ones that can be "the more the merrier" events. If families are welcome, then it's easier to get alumni to come-- especially if they have kids that they'd have to arrange for.

When I was an active, we had our annual end-of-year picnic, which was originally set up as a way for alumni to catch up with the actives at least once per year. It was casual, a complete potluck, usually including a softball game and just relaxing and chatting. One year, kids started coming with the alumnae moms. And then the next year, husbands... and from there, it just became a good time to see the alumnae *beyond* the names and stories we'd heard about their active years. We saw the people who now were important in their lives and got to celebrate those joys with them. :)

~ Mel.

Brother Bill, at times and points, I heartely disagree with you.:D

Yes, as you say some of Oldsters like to get with some the same age. But, it is good being with the Youngsters who help make us feel young inspite of aches and pains.

Remember, You are a Kid to me!:) ;)

It is all somewaht relivent, work with the old or work with the new.

Why not work with both?

As Measi said, bring the little kids in and get them indoctrinated.

Visit the Younger Members at specific times. Home Coming and Founders Day are the best.

They Need Us, and in a since, We need them! Hand in glove thing so to speak!:cool:

Tom: No doubt about it, we've got some very active "vintage alumni" @ LCA. I've seen the same thing w/other GLOs at their leadership workshops & general assembly meetings.

The sad thing is that we're the exception, not the rule. It's too bad the "Not four years, for life" stuff wasn't emphasized to people in the 60's-70's. If it had been, perhaps we'd have more veterans hanging around.

-BF

Maybe it was. Although our chapter numbers are fast approaching 700, three of the four officers in the alumni association are #41, #45, and #51 and go back over thirty years. We also have a #281 and a #566 to round things out.

I love this thread because everyone wants to include as many alums as possible in whatever activities they can attend. We seek support from them. We want to inform them.

Firehouse (who, BTW, is one of the few on greek chat who can spell correctly - thank you for that) equated - if I read it right - a sound chapter with a sound alumni base. Sorry if I'm paraphrasing your thoughts. The two go together in my estimation.

The jury is still out on the importance, or even the existance of a generation gap. Sometimes it's a neat kick when an active bitches me out after I've bitched out the chapter for something.

It means we're brothers, not father & son, even though I'm still driving the car I bought when they were 3 years old. It doesn't matter.

What bothers me is that we had a bunch of hell-raisers in the mid period and fear we'll never get them back. Maybe they weren't "there" in the first place. The chapter sunk to a low at that time. Is it even worth trying?

Jono

I agree that there can be a generational gap with respect to alumni social gatherings. I would also like to add to that mix, the "type" of alumni group can effect the age factor as well. Heck, you can add single status versus those members in a relationship to the mix as well.

For the sake of discussion I'm basically talking about two "types" of alumni gatherings. One is the alumni gathering that is specific to a chapter while the second gathering is regional (city) based.

Chapter gatherings are usually more specific in nature. The events surround chapter or campus happenings such as founders day or homecoming. Events specific to the chapter's housing corporation (fundraisers) would fall under this as well. As such, alumni of the chapter - of all ages and regardless of their marital/relationship status - are more likely to attend these events simply because they have a vested interest, history and tradition with the specific chapter. And yes, alumni who didn't attend this specific campus, may "adopt" this chapter if they feel vested. So basically, all ages and relationship statuses attend.

Now since there isn't a specific chapter associated with the regional or city based alumni chapters, these gatherings tend to be more general in nature. While some events may be fraternity orientated (i.e founders day events), many events tend to be non-fraternity specific. Such as ball games, happy hours, golf outings, family picnics etc. The age of the attendees depends on the event. Those that are geared to the more recent graduate, say a happy hour, will be attended by "young" alumni while events geared to the "classic alums" - thanks boz130 for the term - such as a family picnic are more likely to attract the "older" alum. And if the gentleman is single, he may be more inclined to go out for a night with the fraternity than the "family man" regardless if he is young or classic. :p

And to be clear, I am not talking in absolutes here. Members of all ages and marital/relationship status will and do attend all types of events. I just wanted to add that "other factors" can and do have an effect as to who attends.

Trancending, what is that?


I know what Bill is refering to at LXA G A. Many more "Young" than "Old" there, but we all had a common thread.


When I go back to functions, I do not think of the age difference, but, I am sure some do.:(

At GA, I am sure that was on the mind of many, but not mine. I looked at lifesaver sitting next to me, or crmdogg in front of me or many others not in age but what they were doing and how they were handling themselves. God, was it amazing!

Maybe age should be the other non item, but the million dollar idea would be the thread of Brother/Sisterhood regardless of the age difference.

Generation gap of social gatherings, would be maybe because of where certain people are. Alums in an area not in the local Chapter Area.

The Chapter Actives live with each other and see each other daily.

That to me is the main difference.

I think the age factor is relevant at some events and not at others...in my chapter there's definitely a divide because the alums who come back for events are a few years out, like myself, or 20+ years out. At Homecoming some of us want to go on a pub crawl and others want to talk about the best public school in Madison to send their kids to. Sure, we're all sisters, but I'd rather be dancing with my sisters who are still single and in graduate school or just starting a job than drinking wine and discussing daycare.

I think age differences matter less at Convention. We had a lot of GC Gamma Phis at Convention (myself, kk_gphib_01, GammaPhiBabe, GPhiBLtColonel, navane), but that was very Gamma Phi specific programming, as opposed to a Homecoming event.

G P, granted, there is an age and relevancy difference but maybe not for some, me being one.:)

Granted, all of the Alums are of legal pub crawling age, but say a structured weekend would be different.

I always go down for events for a two fold purpose, work and see the Active Chapter and see some of the older Alums from years back.

Oh yes, sometimes it is good to get away from the kids and just be with the oldersters to be calm and talk about the good old days.

I have talked about many with a lot of the Brothers!:D