What can alumnae be expected to do for/with the actives?
 

What do you all, as alumnae, feel that you can be expected or welcomed to do with or for an undergrad chapter? The types of thing I mean are:

-helping with workshops in recruitment, etc
-going to meeting
-financial help


I do not say formal or homecoming because those are obvious to me [at least at my chapter, alumnae always attend].

I ask because we're really trying to get our local alumnae more involved. Right now, they don't really feel very comfortable with the actives because they don't know us very well. I'd like to change that; however, I'm not ENTIRELY sure what kinds of things alumnae want to be invited to and what kinds of things you all aren't interested in.

Thanks!

Initiation

Founders' Day

Anniversaries

I think those events alumnae need to be invited to, as those are not specific to collegiate, alumnae, or those who joined at that particular chapter.

You might also give them a special invitation to an event during recruitment work week - show them your skits, slide shows, etc., and encourage them to come to , for example, pref night.

We do have several alumnae that help with recruitment each year; it never hurts to have extra hands!

If anyone has more suggestions, keep 'em coming!

I recently saw the sweetest thing. I attended an initiation for a local chapter with which I am becoming involved. Next to me was a Founder of the chapter from 1940 (you do the math). Every pledge class, she takes on a "chum".

During the pledge period, she sends emails (yes, she is sharp) and cards to her chum always supporting them. At initiation, she had a gift and had her picture taken with all of her chums that were present.

I think this is a great idea for an alumni chapter as a project. It helps develop ties between generations and I think it would help the pledge to realize they are part of a bigger thing

At the end of each school year, she also has a dinner for all of the graduating seniors.

My chapter has alum chums as well. I received mine at Presents, a few days after I got my sister-mom at the Pledge Ceremony. I was showered with gifts from my sister-mom and that was great...but spending time with my alum chum was great! It reminded me that sisterhood was for life.

I took on a chum of my own right after I became an alum. She's a younger girl from my HS and now, years later, one of my best friends!

I'm new to the Alum supporting a collegiate chapter thing. I'm interacting with two collegiate chapters...I've done very different things with both. For the one I am an advisor for, the alumnae have brought the girls pizza and on Monday, we will be bringing them "goody bags" for finals with items donated by sisters from the alum chapter. At the other chapter (I am a member of the alum chapter that supports them but not a member of their advisory board) I was asked to write letters to give our new initiates on initiation day. I attended initiation and gave the letters to the girls in person. Basically the letters discussed AOII for a lifetime, advice for getting involved and staying involved and ways to stay active after graduating from college. Other than that and the other things people have mentioned, there shouldn't be too much intermingling...it's the collegiate members' chapter not the alumnae's!

I still remember my "alum chum". She was awesome. I don't think that is done much anymore at least in the larger chapters. I think from what I have seen in recent years, alumna are a little reluctant to intrude on the chapters but if the chapters do the inviting they are all too willing to do whatever. Chapters need to reach out a bit more to their alumnae

Our alumnae club puts together gift bags for bid day, donating all the stuff in them, decorating them, etc. We also do our Senior Rededication ceremony, which is a ritual that is designed to rededicate yourself to the Fraternity for your continued involvement as an alumna.

As for me,
I am President of the Alumni Associaiton and send out our Alumbdagram for updates. I pay for the web site. Keep and find email addresses of Alumni and notify others.

Another Alumni has a cook out every year @ the 4 th of July.

Alumni put on a cook out at each home foot ball game. It has become the larges tailgate of any GLO.

We have set up a mentoring program where each officer has an active who they can contact for any advice and help.

A couple of key things to think about when looking/asking for alumnae involvement:

-advance notice is KEY to success. While alumnae often want to help, a week or 2 often isn't enough notice for their schedules. A simple "save the date" email or postcard at least a month ahead will help if you don't have all the exact details that far ahead.

-alumnae like to help, but also like to be contacted every once in awhile just for fun events (where their money and/or work is not expected).

Contact the president of the local alumnae group (if there is one) and ask her what kinds of things the group wants to do with your chapter.

Thanks for asking, and good luck!

Instead of providing money for a recruitment planning day, retreat or leadership training day (or some other day when the actives have to be working all day), bring a potluck meal for the actives... that way you can mingle with them and they get the benefit of having a free meal (that doesn't hurt their budget) while they are working for the chapter.

While people's suggestions are great if you are always inviting the alumnae to an event where you are asking them to do something other than just attend and enjoy themselves (i.e., anything with "help" or "assist" in the same sentence as "can you come") they aren't going to want to come very often.

Try inviting them to something and not asking them to do (or give) anything except the time that they are giving up to attend.

And my biggest pet peeve as an alumna: ALWAYS give advance notice to the event. And that doesn't mean an email the week before......

So very important!

To collegians: 3 days' notice = NOT ADVANCE ENOUGH. :mad:

Neither is a text message the day of Initiation. But I guess that is better than not being invited at all. :rolleyes:

What I was thinking about doing was sending out a SHORT monthly newsletter via email, stating what we are doing and the calendar events for the next month that we would welcome alumnae at [e.g. if the newsletter is for September, the events are for October]. It would also include a few paragraphs on what we're doing, maybe feature some of our new members each month so they can kind of get to know them, and stuff like that. Good idea or bad?

I like that idea! I think alumni want to hear updates from the chapter just to hear what's going on, not only when the chapter wants to ask them for help. So, communicating with those alums about chapter activities, and inviting them to participate as guests could help some of those alums reconnect to the chapter.

There's nothing wrong with trying it out and see what kind of response you get!

Don't forget about connecting with alumnae through inCircle! Start a group for your chapter and post your messages there too.

PsychTau

Yes, that's what I thought, but I didn't want the alumnae to be annoyed ;)

I'm glad you think it's a good idea!

If people get annoyed because you are keeping them in the loop, you have a different kind of problem...I hope that doesn't happen.

I think it is a fantastic idea! :) I would go a step further and recognize any alum who show up during the month in the following news letter. It may help increase alum involvement.

My husband's fraternity sends him a quarterly newsletter. It is now around 8 pages long. I can tell you that it is both welcome and read. They talk about new members, chapter successes and challenges. They also have alum write about their memories.

Great idea about recognizing alumnae! Thanks for all the help, everyone. This is all great stuff!

This is so true what OTW said.

Alums need time to make plans with a family and or jobs to take time off to attend.

There usually an officer that is Alum relations and events should be set out for the semester and it is the chapter job to let Alums know so they can make plans on attending.

There are also so many things that Alums will be able to come back for:

Homecoming
Founders Day
Initiation
Recruitment.

Make your plans accordingly, let them know, or not have Alums show up.

To add a couple of things:

Have an interesting Alum as a key note speaker.

Recognize an Alum who has done a lot of work for the chapter.

I know I was given an award as the outstanding Alum of the century and it is where I can see it daily as it is one of the proudest things I have ever received.

The alum chapter I just joined purchases graduation stoles for the seniors (has them made outside of ZTA) but I hear next semester they're going to have approx 15 seniors graduating so there's talk of the seniors paying half and the alumnae paying half (about $40 a piece to have them made, vs $50 on the ZTA website). My collegiate chapter never did stoles, but we had a little party where we decorated our caps with paint and a few recent grads would come over to help and hang out with us while we crafted. Come May, the alum chapter will be having elections and I'm not sure where I'll fall - alum EC and/or advisor role. I think I'd love to be involved with the collegiates again since I've only been out of college for 4 years :)