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I agree with some earlier posts that alumni retention can be very helpful. When I was an undergrad, we had some access to the local St. Louis Alumnae Chapter, plus we saw them at our annual Founder's Day brunch every year. When I graduated and moved to Boston, I looked up the alumnae chapter there over the internet and corresponded for a while, but as I was working 52+ hours a week, the events just weren't feasible. Plus, I wasn't sure how many alums my age were in the area.
When I moved back to St. Louis to attend grad school, I knew people who were active in the alum chapter here--because some of my chapter advisors were active, and some of my fellow chapter sisters were active. The other plug is that the DG alum group here has a 'young alum' group. One of my chapter sisters started it last year when she saw a need for people to feel like the alum group wasn't just for people over 40. We have events every month, and most people are in their 20s-30s; so it's a good group! I got involved because I knew people in the alum chapter, yes, but I also felt like I needed people outside of grad school. Where's the best place to find that--your sisters!
My mom, on the other hand, has had the opposite experience with her sorority, AEPhi. I think there was an earlier post that said that AEPhi was bad at alum retention, and from what I've seen, I'd have to agree. My mom was the president of her chapter, but after college, there was nothing to still keep in involved. She still keeps in touch with some of her sisters, but none of them contribute or think of AEPhi as anything else than something they did in college. Why? Because no one has wanted to keep them involved. Most of them can't remember songs or anything. I bet they can't even remember their rituals! And they came from a large chapter that's still in existence. I know that their house is still the house that's used---but it needs work. I bet the chapter can't even find alums to help them because AEPhi Nationals probably has no information to give them. If you don't keep track of your alums properly, they don't see the 'sorority is for life' concept, and they're not willing to help out chapters that may need them.
Just my .45 cents!
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