Our chapter used to operate a little differently, but from what lyrica9 told me, I think we're going to start putting all the Diamond gifts somewhere in the budget.
Before, we are usually told by the NMC what to get, that way every Alpha gets pretty much the same thing. For Diamond Discovery last fall for example, we were told to get a small basket, candy, a small plush lion, and a couple of small items like pens/pencils for example. We are also given a spending limit like $15 for example.. so if the Delta Diamond wants to get something other than pens/pencils, she can, as long as it is within the spending limit.
We did the same for Diamond Days. For initation, our chapter already has New Delta gifts in the NMC budget, so everyone in the nm class gets the same items. Some Deltas (myself included
) bought their diamonds a couple small items to include with the gifts that the chapter had budgeted for. For example one of the gifts was a frame, so I got a reprint of a picture of her Alpha class at the Fall retreat and put it in the frame... or some inexpensive towels with our letters embroidered on them.. just small stuff.. nothing like a huge crest blanket or anything like that.
As Delta Diamonds we were encouraged to spend lots of time with our Alpha Diamonds or do small things like give them a card on meeting night. That's another thing I did... I went to Walmart and bought some cute cards that were blank inside and gave her one each week with words of encouragement (if she had a bad week last week for example... or if she had a big test coming up) and general happy thoughts about how glad our chapter was to have her
I'm not exactly sure how it's going to work now.. I think lyrica9 might have more info to elaborate. She mentioned to me the other day that they were going to be budgeting for gifts for Alphas, that way Delta Diamonds don't have to make it an out-of-pocket expense (even though we love to spoil our Alpha Diamonds!!!)