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Structure
Yeah, it does seem like anything goes to a certain extent.
Here are some definitions to get us started. There were all taken from the "How to Start an Alumni Association" document on the website.
"An 'officially recognized local alumni association' is a group of. . .alumni organized for the purpose of furthering the aims and goals of the fraternity and the Mission of the National Alumni Association. The mission and purpose of the alumni program shall be to encourage support of the. . .Fraternity; to service, inform, and involve alumni of the Fraternity so as to foster interaction and friendship among Alpha Phi Omega members of all ages; and to promote civic and professional service by Alpha Phi Omega Alumni."
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I agree with the above definition. However, there are a few points I'd like to bring up.
If we follow this definition, it is possible that APO on the alumni level could rival existing service and civic organizations, like the Jaycees, Kiwanis, Lions, Rotary, and some graduate and alumni/ae chapters of general fraternities. NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT! The question is, why aren't we there now?
There is a misconception that social fraternities and sororities are just for the undergraduate years, but the longer I am on GC, the more I realize that they have active alumni chapters as well. What is the secret to their success? Those individuals have made the transition from college to the real world.
At one point, before I got involved with extension, I was attempting to create a DC Alumni Association. The National Office was very helpful, supplying me with a list of registered life members in the DC area. I used the Secton 84 email list to find alumni in the area. . .with their help, we now have a list serv of about 55 alumni in this area.
Where did we go wrong?
1. It seemed as though the alumni most interested in an association were already busy volunteering on section staff!
2. Other interested alumni had various contraints on their time: kids, jobs, and graduate school.
3. No seed money to throw that first event to bring everyone together and to send out a mailing to those life members whose mailing addresses we did have.
The conclusion to this story. . .it seems as though the DC Alumni Association WILL become a reality, partially because we do have that list serv set up. We have a new section chair who is working to make this a reality this coming year. And we actually have an alum who is active in service and is planning events. The only element that is currently missing is the fellowship and networking opportunities I think associations should have.
Sorry this is so long! I guess I hope by telling my story, you all can provide some advice and learn from what we did.
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