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11-10-2006, 02:16 PM
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Getting younger alums involved
Ok...so I'm looking for some insight.
I'm currently the Vice President of Membership for my alumnae association and I need some help with retention of younger sisters in our chapter.
At 29 years old, I'm the only active member under the age of 45. We have two members in their 40s....everyone else is like 70-80. What happens is, we'll get a new sister in town, 24 - 30 years old, and she'll come to one of our events. After hanging out with a room full of senior sisters, she'll decide we're not for her and never show up again.
The three of us "younger" sisters try to stick by our younger guests and make them feel welcome and not out of place....but it's a tough hill to climb.
Now, there is one older alumna in town who sort of unofficially heads up a young alum group. It's not official, so it's just sort of one of those things where there is an event or two a year if someone gets around to it. Plus, the lady I just mentioned (who is an outstanding sister btw) is sort of the "keeper" of the young alums and it's kind of tough to get a say.  I know the young alums are in town....I'd just like to see them participate with the actual chapter every once in a while. You know?
As MVP, I'd like to try and get some more "young-ish" type events on the schedule like sushi night, ballgame and stuff like that. Though, I'm not really sure how I should approach this. Does anyone have any experience tackling this kind of problem?
Many thanks for any advice you can offer!
.....Kelly
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11-10-2006, 02:47 PM
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In our Alumnae groups we have "Special Interest Groups" aka SIGS. We started an young alum one where we organize Happy Hours, lunches, shopping etc. It is open to anyone but is geared more towards those of us who are 23-35. Since organizing these events, it seems that the younger crowd starts to come to the more general chapter events as well. It comes and goes though. Some years there were only two of us at any of the young alum events and others we get anywhere from 5-12.
To help get the word out I use Evite to invite all those that are interested to all of the Young Alum events. PM me if you want more details!
Hope that helps!
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11-10-2006, 05:36 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BaylorBean
In our Alumnae groups we have "Special Interest Groups" aka SIGS. We started an young alum one where we organize Happy Hours, lunches, shopping etc. It is open to anyone but is geared more towards those of us who are 23-35. Since organizing these events, it seems that the younger crowd starts to come to the more general chapter events as well. It comes and goes though. Some years there were only two of us at any of the young alum events and others we get anywhere from 5-12.
To help get the word out I use Evite to invite all those that are interested to all of the Young Alum events. PM me if you want more details!
Hope that helps!
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This is a great idea.
Break it down at least for a while until membership is built up of some of the younger people. Chapter events with any Alum invited back if they are near enough.
Try younger things. BBQ that may envolve young people with families. Singles night out local resturant, wine tastings, Victoria Secret Party(  ), or what ever.
Then either once or twice a year have a full blown funtion of some semi-formal kind.
Kelly, I know what you mean and it is tough!
Good Luck!
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Last edited by Tom Earp; 11-12-2006 at 12:00 PM.
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11-11-2006, 12:54 AM
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If you have their contact info on file you may want to send them a form asking what types of activities they would want to see. My AC has a form that I filled out when I paid my dues where we got to say what types of things we were particularly intersted in so they could better program! For instance if you wanted to be part of the young alum group or the mommy and me playgroup, etc.
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11-12-2006, 12:32 AM
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We rely on Evite, too - and meet at Panera Bread, as they offer a free meeting room. Geography plays a HUGE part in any organization in our area!
But we got younger members more by those of us who were in the middle saying, "ENOUGH! There's a limit to what we can do!" and stepping down. Then, a notice was sent out to the last 8 years of graduates, and they happily took over! We now have a much happier, much more alive Alumnae Association. Many of the things we now do, we wouldn't have considered five years ago. I am seriously convinced that it's all in the attitude!
Some Examples:
Five years ago: We sold candy for Ronald McDonald House, donating the proceeds.
Now: We make a meal every other month for RMH, and celebrate holidays with gingerbread houses, Easter Baskets, etc.
Five years ago: We met in each other houses, making newer alumnae uncomfortable, in pin attire only.
Now: We meet at Panera Bread's meeting room, in any sort of clothing.
Five years ago: It was pulling teeth to get anyone to attend the Panhellenic Luncheon.
Now: We had models in the Fashion Show.
Five years ago: TWO of us were reliably available for our senior ceremony (Jewel Degree).
Now: We actually had EIGHT alumnae at Jewel Degree, while another three prepared the Jewel Degree Brunch.
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11-12-2006, 01:11 AM
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Kelly, do you have only one alumnae chapter in the area?
I ask because we have the SD chapter that is associated with State and the La Jolla chapter that is associated with UCSD. While there's no restrictions on who can join which chpater or how the alumnae chapters help the collegiate chapters there is definitely a divide between that ages. The LJ chapter more or less ranges from early 20s to early 60s with most in the 20-40 range. The SD chapter seems to start in the 60s. The SD chapter has bridge nights where as the LJ chapter has monthly happy hours.
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11-12-2006, 10:08 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by navane
What happens is, we'll get a new sister in town, 24 - 30 years old, and she'll come to one of our events. After hanging out with a room full of senior sisters, she'll decide we're not for her and never show up again. 
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This is pretty much what I did...right as I went alum I joined the local alumnae chapter. It wasn't about showing up & seeing a room full of seniors that turned me off-it was that their activities were things like basket weaving, book club, and knitting. No joke! Its not that those aren't fun for some, but I was hoping for a little variety.
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11-12-2006, 10:26 AM
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The alumnae association (for my chapter) in my area seems to only do one thing - meet for lunch once a month on weekdays, on the other side of town at a time that doesn't fit into my lunch schedule so I can never attend. This seems to cater to the older crowd, and I had a heckuva time finding out this info in the first place.
I think it's great that you're trying to do programming to draw younger alums in. I think that using Evite would be an excellent tool. I also think that Ecupidelta's idea of asking younger members what they're interested in is a good idea as well
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11-13-2006, 12:12 AM
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Wow, thanks everyone for the hints!
At a recent officer meeting, we got the ladies to agree to include a section of our application form where sisters can check the things they are interested in (happy hour, sporting events, book club, mommy and me, etc); but I'll have to find a way to get that information from the treasurer, who receives the forms.
We do meet every other month on a Saturday morning at a coffee place like Starbucks. The other meetings are usually at someone's home and include a program (like a guest speaker).
SoCalGirl, we also have two alumnae associations in town. The La Jolla association supports our USD chapter and the San Diego association supports our SDSU chapter. We (SD alums) meet on Saturdays and La Jolla meets on Mondays at 10:30am. Both groups have a mostly "senior sister" crowd.
Here's the kicker, one of the La Jolla alums sort of "commandeers" a list of the young alumnae members and orchestrates an unofficial young alum group. They use evites to advertise their events and they get a pretty decent turnout to them. The thing is that it's not consistant and these ladies only seem to attend for the "fun", they don't really participate with either of the associations. They *do* help with recruitment.
What I would like to do is to get the younger sisters to attend the ASSOCIATION events and support the collegiate chapters. I think the younger alums would bring a wonderful dynamic to the association....and I truly believe that they could learn a lot from the older sisters.
At a Founders Day event today, one sister suggested a good idea. She thought we should go to a wine tasting in the nearby wine country in the spring and let people bring whoever they want (their husbands, friends, whatever). She further suggested that we invite the graduating senior girls from the chapters to come along. In this way, they'll get to do something fun and possibly be excited to join the association when they graduate.
I've already got a listserve going and I hope to have a website up by the end of the year. I'm also hoping to somehow start a "Young Alums SIG" as a sub-section of our alum association. I'm going to let some of your ideas "marinate" and see what I might be able to do!
Thanks again!
.....Kelly
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11-13-2006, 12:34 AM
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The time to recruit young alumnae is when they are still in college. Not only seniors, the younger members need to see that the AA is active too.
Last edited by SoCalGirl; 11-13-2006 at 12:40 AM.
Reason: spelling
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11-13-2006, 01:29 PM
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Invite them to an event at the local chapter for an open house. You can also promote a "Bring a non-XYZ" to a wine and cheese or happy hour. It can be really intimidating to go to an event alone, so always include non members, spouses, etc., if you can. You'll get your headcount up if nothing else and make it more welcoming. Also, instead of a welcome letter to new alumnae in the area, organize a phone tree and call them and invite them to a coffee hour with other alum. Even if it just 2 people, it's still coffee and they may feel more inclined to come to a future event.
If there is a collegiate chapter nearby, host a new member brunch for the new girls during their new member period. Co-host a membership education workshop with your AA and the chapter. Co-host a philanthropy event. Really integrate with chapter programming as much as possible. New alum are familiar with chapter life and are still clinging to it, so if they are new in town it is a little less scary to go to a chapter event than an AA-only event. Also, by hosting the combined chapter and AA events, you are grooming future alumnae members both for your AA and others.
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11-13-2006, 04:17 PM
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As a young alum who doesn't go to much, I can give you a few reasons why:
1) Cost. I'm in law school and on a pretty fixed income so while I would have loved to go to Founders' Day Brunch, $35 will also buy my groceries FOR THE WEEK, or buy a study aid for finals.
2) Meetings in people's homes. Like honeychile said, younger people aren't comfortable to going to someone else's house that they've never met, especially when it seems like everyone else there knows each other.
3) Lack of information on attire - a lot of the meetings are weeknights, which is great, but the last thing I want to do is come running in from class in a hoodie if everyone else is in pin attire, or come running in from work in a suit when everyone else is business casual.
4) Family-centered events are great, but I really feel my alumnae chapter is focused on these so much that it makes me feel almost like an outcast for being young and single.
5) Most of the women up here are from the same two chapters (near the metro area where we are) and I'm from a smaller chapter in another state. I feel a little weird when they all start talking about traditions up here and I don't have any idea what they are.
I'm one of those alums who pretty much turns out to help with recruitment and that's it.
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11-13-2006, 04:40 PM
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I totally agree with GP. Those are probably the biggest objections. I know the bring your family/husband/boyfriend events don't appeal to me all the time since I am perpetually single.
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11-13-2006, 04:49 PM
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I cosign those as well. Timing is also hard, particularly when your AC is 30 minutes away. Weekdays are impossible, weeknights are improbable.
I need to get more involved in the chapter I just joined, but then I'd like to start a SIG and get more young-uns like me!
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11-13-2006, 04:52 PM
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I guess I don't understand why husbands or children would be involved in alum events at all, unless it's a once a year picnic or something. The events are for sisters to bond with other sisters, not their families that they already spend time with. If they're incapable of doing anything without hubby and/or kids, they need to skip the alum chapter meetings while they head to the mall to purchase a life.
Completely agree that there is NOTHING more uncomfy than meeting in someone's house. If there are only 5 of you in the area and you've all known each other since approximately 1930 (I'm guessing this is what our one alum chapter in California is like) and no one new is coming, fine. But other than that - it's just bad for everyone involved.
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