High Rho vs. Alumni Association

[Tom Earp]

Originally Posted by DeltaPhizeta332

Our chapter is only from 1989 and we had a few problems so basically all of our Alumni come from 2000. With that being said they are all too young and recently removed and far away for us to form an Alumni Association or any type of board for alumni. Our city is small so once people graduate they move away.

Our High Rho does Founder's Day, our Newsletter, the website and everything. What we have been starting on is a Alumni Golf Tournament that they Alumni have basically been in charge of and all we do is fork over some money and get Actives to get involved as much as they can.

Some chapters are forunate enouhg to have extreme alumni support financially and in accordance with attendance. However other chapters are young or small or cut ties with Alumni due to the changes in technology over the years. Headquarters has names and numbers of every single person ever initiated at our chapter. However, any names from before 2003 are parents names or from locations where alumni no longer live and due to lack of progress with past High Rho's some of those names are essantially lost forever.

You are absolutely correct about some Zetas having more Alumni. But it is still the same problem with them. Getting Alums getting involved as Brother Jono refered to.

We have a Brother who likes to use the 80/20 % theme. @20 do, 80 do not.
This is much more true than one beleives. I have worked for over 10 years to build a email listing base and still have only 1/3 of Alumni members.

Having a good Rho is "GOOD", when He doesn't then there is a break down between Alumni and Zeta. That is why I keep saying more emphasize should be put on the Officership Position.

I do like the idea of Rho doing FD, White Rose, or Homecoming for Alumni!

Remember if possible He should stay in contact with with The Alumni President to coordinate things if there is one availabile.

RHO, is supposed to keep the Alumni updated about the Chapter.

Alumni President is ment to help disiminate info for Alumni Functions within the Alums.

It is a two way street isn't it? Work with each other as some do not seem to want to do.

As I tell our Alpha, have us informed.
Why:

Alumni donate Money.

Alumni donate time.

[JonoBN41]

Originally Posted by Tom Earp

RHO, is supposed to keep the Alumni updated about the Chapter.
Alumni President is ment to help disiminate info for Alumni Functions within the Alums.

That's what I thought, but the High Rho Manual suggests an, "Alumni newsletter published twice per year which includes a ratio of 80% alumni news and 20% chapter news."

"The content of your chapter-alumni newsletter should be about 80% alumni-related news and only 20% chapter news. The reasoning is that alumni want to read about other alumni. The typical alumnus does not care who the current associate members are as much as he does about one of his friends from his undergraduate days.

Remember not to burden the alumni with details. Each story should be concise, yet interesting. A good rule of thumb is that if the undergraduates find a newsletter very interesting, the alumni will probably not like it. The only chapter related information to include would be about a campus happening, a traditional chapter event, or an update of the chapter's condition."

I may be atypical, but I do not agree with this assessment. Yes, I want to read about other alumni, but unless I get to know them as undergraduates, why would I care about them as alumni? My chapter is approaching 700 initiates. Why would I only want to hear about the same 60 or 70 guys I knew in school 35 years ago?

The chapter should tell us something about the current undergraduates - who they are, where they're from, what they're majoring in, what offices they hold, and when they graduate. Then there will be a lot of alumni I will look forward to reading about. But those future stories can be written in the alumni association's newsletter.

What do you guys think? Is it just me?

[docroc67]

Brothers,

I agree with Brother Jono. I like to read about what is going on now with my Chapter. I don't want to get "stuck" in the past history of my Zeta. Things change and I want to know about it so that I an feel a part of the current life of my Chapter.

I like Alumni news, too. I think the 80% active Chapter and 20% Alumni news is perfect for a High Rho/Zeta publication.

I can keep up with my "college daze" group through the activities of our Alumni Association.

Yours in ZAX,

Mike Raymond,
ZUZAA

[EM1843]

I also agree. While I'm still a young alumni, I don't want to hear about the same few guys every year, I'd rather hear about what is happening at the chapter house. We're nearing 2000 initiates!

[JonoBN41]

2000 initiates! Wow! But I bet I know more about you than most of your alumni do, like you were on the IRT, because the High Rho never told them in a newsletter. Wait a minute, you were the High Rho! hahahaha...

ZAX,
Jono

[JonoBN41]

just kidding, Matt.

[john1082]

I really don't think that we need more than 50% chapter news. Do folks really care about the IM game against the Tekes? In-depth IM standings? Extensive bios of the undergrad officers occupying 2/3 of the publication? I say this because I have seen a fair number of newsletters with just this stuff. The alumni don't care if High Sigma Snicklefrits has three sisters and a dog named Rover.

House corp news needs to be there as does information from the alumni association if there is one. Local area LXA news is also appropriate if there are other chapters in the immediate area; remember that most folks stay relatively close to home after graduation.