Starting an alumnae chapter

SATX*APhi · #1 10-31-2002, 04:01 AM

I am currently in the process of starting an alumnae chapter in my home town of Corpus Christi, TX. There are about 50 A-Phi's in the area, so I am hoping that I am successful in establishing an alumnae chapter. If anybody has any great start-up advice, I would definitely love to hear it!

AOIIalum · #2 10-31-2002, 10:43 AM

Does Alpha Phi have any alumnae chapter start-up materials or information? If so, have one sent to you right away! AOII has a wonderful alumnae chapter start-up kit (I just received one a couple of weeks ago!) It literally takes you step by step through the process to start a successful alum chapter. There's probably 400 or more alumnae in the Columbus area, so we've got lots of people to reach out to!

The most important things I can think of is try to have fun, program events to appeal to a wide range of ages, and try to contact each and every alumna in your area. See if Alpha Phi will provide an e-mail directory of area alumnae. You may not reach all alumnae in your area but it is a cost-effective way to get the word out (www.evite.com is a wonderful thing!) If it's a smaller number, budget how much it would cost to do a postcard or newsletter mailing and get reimbursed for that expense once the chapter is installed. Set up a website announcing your group with search terms indexed, that way your site will come up quickly if someone uses Google or Yahoo to search for Alpha Phi alumnae or whatever.

Make sure to contact your local collegiate chapters to spread the word about the new chapter. See if you can get help with making phone calls to area alums to spread the news about the new chapter. Check out links of all of your existing alumnae chapters to get even more ideas.

If you haven't already, sit down with anyone you can get together to plan some fun events for the chapter. Girls night out, pottery painting, help with recruitment, whatever.

I'm so glad there's someone else doing this right now! We're putting together a website now for our group, once it's up I'll post the link. Hurrah!

Christin

BearyCuteAPhi · #3 10-31-2002, 11:31 AM

I am glad you decided to actual do this...yay...good luck and if you need anything I will do by best to help...

aoe, ronnie

SATX*APhi · #4 10-31-2002, 07:10 PM

AOIIalum, I only have e-mail addresses for about 5 of the 50.

Calling is the only way to go.

I did get a start-up manual, but I am still lost. I thank you for your help.

Thank you Herm!

AOIIalum · #5 10-31-2002, 08:56 PM

Oh well...easy answer then is find 5-10 other alums who'd call 5 or 10 other alums and spread the word that way. Or, make 5 calls per day over a two-week period. It won't be so overwhelming to call everyone if you spread it out.

Here's two things you can take a peek at for ideas:

http://columbusaoii.freeservers.com/ (our general site) and
http://www.evite.com/r?iid=KQRPKQTHYFDNQJIKJXEU&li=iq (Evite for our first event)

PM me if you want to chatter more about this or need to bounce ideas, I'm a good idea-bouncer if I say so myself

Christin

SATX*APhi · #6 11-01-2002, 12:54 AM

Thank ya, thank ya! I'll definitely be taking you up on that offer.

SmartBlondeGPhB · #7 12-05-2002, 06:56 PM

I started up my alumnae chapter 3 1/2 years ago and am full of all kinds of advice if you still need some.

Good Luck! It's a lot of work, but VERY rewarding. For a while I ate, breathed, slept nothing but Gamma Phi but I wouldn't trade it and I have a great chapter because of it.

Melanie

SATX*APhi · #8 12-06-2002, 01:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by SmartBlondeGPhB
I started up my alumnae chapter 3 1/2 years ago and am full of all kinds of advice if you still need some.

Good Luck! It's a lot of work, but VERY rewarding. For a while I ate, breathed, slept nothing but Gamma Phi but I wouldn't trade it and I have a great chapter because of it.

Melanie

Sounds like me! I've been working full time, as well as going to school full time. In my free time, I work on the chapter. My mother and sister have given me so much slack about it, but they don't understand. First off, I miss my chapter sisters. Secondly, there are 60 sisters in the area and somebody needs to get things going. Thirdly, I don't have any "friends" here in my home city. All of my high school friends are out of town/state/country studying. I'm the kind of person who needs to stay busy, otherwise I get really bored and don't do anything. Starting this chapter is a way to fill my free time and do something good for my sorority.

HELP NEEDED: Next Thursday we are having our first gathering. We will be meeting for dinner at a restaurant. During this time, I will be speaking to them all, telling them what the chapter will entail, etc, so that they can decide if they would like to be active, or participate when time allows. I want to make this fun also! Any ideas?? Thanks in advance!

SmartBlondeGPhB · #9 12-06-2002, 02:01 AM

If you have the funds a door prize might be fun. How about a gift certificate for a manicure or something? Do you know a Mary Kay consultant? Maybe she'd be willing to donate a door prize? Do you have a room to yourselves? If you're in the middle of a public restaurant, it somewhat limits what you can do.

I'd recommend talking as little as possible. Let them talk to each other. Have introductions, tell stories about college, talk about what Alpha Phi's doing now. Ask them what they want to do. The members of our chapter are mostly under 35 and they don't like "meetings". They like doing things (museum tours, philanthropy, pottery painting, wine tastings are popular). The Exec Board does most of the "business" and we just have events.

I wasn't going to school full time, I had just finished grad school so I was used to the full time school and full time work though.

Tell them specific things you need help with. Break down the bigger jobs into smaller pieces that more than one person could do. Does your nationals recommend a structure to your alumnae chapter (certain officers, etc)? If they do, DO NOT get people to sign up for them just to have bodies in the positions, you won't have the bodies for long. Keep the positions open until someone comes along who wants to help out. If the woman doesn't really want to help, she will fade away after a while and you'll be doing all the work yourself.

We do our communicating via email too. We have a website (it won the 1st ever "web site development award" at convention in June) and we have a yahoogroups list for reminders and other messages. Saves money.

If you have more questions, just let me know. Be careful though, burn out does happen. I got lucky and attended my first convention right as the burn out started and got re-energized.

Don't get discouraged if you only get a small turn out to start.

Melanie