Calling ALL peoples! I need YOUR help! Forming Alumni Association

[Cloud9]

Hello! Just a small bit of background first... As some of you may or may not know, I am a member of a relatively new and quickly growing sorority at NYU. We have always been, and continue to attract a very diverse group of girls, in terms of majors, interests, ethnicity, and even nationality and the languages we speak(most of my sisters are bilingual, or TRIlingual!). We also regulate ourselves very tightly as a local organization, especially regarding hazing. Our sorority is very balanced between social, academic, and phlanthropic ideals and activities. Philanthropy is a large part of what we do, and we go far beyond the University's requirements every year.

What are we missing? Our alumni association! We have always had very high alumni involvement, and as an undergrad I was in constant contact with many of them. However, an official alumni chapter has never been put into place. The alumni felt that they wanted to wait until there was a large enough group of graduates to ensure that enough people would still be in the area to work together and form a large base for the association.


Now, that time has come(and I would say is overdue!), and I will be part of forming this essential part of our organization. I was hoping that people from all orgs could give me an idea of how your alumni chapters are structured and run, and the different roles that the alumni association(or your national headquarters) takes. I would especially like to hear from members of NPHC groups, because it seems to me that your organizations are structured in a way that promotes very high alumni involvement. But I would really like to hear from everyone! We are starting from scratch, so even the really obvious "duh" suggestions are helpful!

Here are some of the main points that II think are important(some are obvious but I'll list them anyway):

-The alumni assoc. should function as a source of guidance and enforcement of policies such as risk management issues.

-It should be a source of aid for the undergrad chapter, i.e. helping with recruitment when needed, and raising money

-The alumni assoc. should be the driving force in expansion efforts, i.e. colonizing at other schools

-The alumni chapter should function much in the same was as the undergrad, i.e. conduct meetings, hold events(especially philanthropy), and also interact with the undergrad chapter whenever possible.

-An alumni/graduate initiation policy is important. We really want to continue the high alumni involvement we've had, and make it even more an inherent part of our org. NYU prohibits recruiting non-undergrads, but the alumni chapter is not bound by those rules. This is a very important point for us, I would love to hear some pointers on how this aspect of the org. should be structured.


Hopefully I'm making some sense, if I sound incoherent anywheres, let me know! And now, my good friends, I implore you to bestow upon me your experience, your wisdom, your infinite knowledge! And fraternity peoples too, don't be shy, if you have some suggestions, make 'em!