[FSUZeta]

I am pretty sure that the alums. would not care one way or the other if they received a gift or not-especially if they are paying for it. ask the sisterhood committee(if you don't have one, recruit some members) to bake some cookies, get some saran wrap and turquoise(or blue) and grey curling ribbon and make cookie bundles for each alum. who attends. attach a little note to the package thanking them for coming and reminding them that "zeta is forever" or "love ...the greatest of all things." put them is a cute basket(or 2) and hand them out to the alums at the end of the event.

i am so glad to hear that you have a save the date already out and that you are sending out your invites next week. since you have sent out a save the date, you could actually wait to send out invitations 6 weeks before the event, like you do for a wedding.

you could also have the chapter sing a few zeta songs-you could print the words out for the alums. and have a sing-along. two or three songs would be fun.

do you put up displays during recruitment, i.e. photos of zeta events, t-shirts, zeta jewelry, race for the cure, other philanthrophy events? they would probably love to see something like that. the chapter i advise does them on heavy cardboard like those you would use for a visual when giving a report.

at the end of the event, you might want to do a sisterhood circle and have your president thank the alums for coming and the committee for making all the arrangements. end by singing "today and forever".

do you have a full contigent of advisors? this might be a great way to recruit some. be sure to invite the province president and the district president of your region and any past or present national officers living nearby. take lots of photos and be sure to send some with a story into themis!