Drawing our alums back in...

[AOII Angel]

I have not been able to be active in AOII in ten years due to the lack of an alum group in my area during med school/residency. Since moving, I've become as active as I possibly can, joining two alum groups and the AAC of a collegiate chapter after attending their formal recruitment. At every move, I've called and given an update to my bio/AOII sister who at first wondered why I was getting involved again. Last night, she went to her first AOII alum meeting in five or six years. She called, all excited, to tell me what a great time she had. The excitement is infectious! I wonder if we can improve our alum participation by doing this with other sisters we know who haven't been involved in years?

[OleMissGlitter]

Totally agreed. I know that's how we have to "recruit" AOII alumnae to help with Nu Beta (Ole Miss) since there is not an Alumnae chapter in the area. Most of the time advisers were pledge sisters or close in age and knew each other in the chapter. We have two members of our Corp. Board who have daughters in the chapter who were initiated into other chapters. So that’s another way to get women involved again. But I think word of mouth is the best way. I think when alumnae realize how fun and wonderful it is to be a part of a collegiate chapter and watch their success, it becomes very contagious!

[aopirose]

Word of mouth and personal contact (i.e. phone calls) go a long way. Sometimes sisters don't get involved because they have false impressions about what ACs do. One sister thought that there were weekly meetings as well as a point system. Another thought that ACs existed only for the benefit of a collegiate chapter. She was looking for something beyond the collegiate set. She was very surprised when I told her about our programming.

[AOII Angel]

My sister's main issue with her AC was the average age of the members. Since the local collegiate chapter had closed in the mid 60s, very few new members had joined. She was the youngest member 8 years after graduation. The chapter is always recognized as a great AC, but she was disillusioned. The chapter has grown since she left with many new members closer to her age. The AC president was a junior when my sister pledged our chapter. I'm encouraging her to really get involved, help build the chapter (including inviting a sister she works with) and not sit back helplessly. I think she's taking the bait!

[barnard1897]

I think the key is just keeping the contact and letting your light so shine, so that they can see all the good that comes out of involvement in an AC. One of my former roommates was in medical school and residency and there just wasn't time or room for AC participation for many years. But in the last year, she has come to the tail end of residency and I have gotten her to come to a few social events for the AC in our area. She loved it and actually keeps up through our evites, letting us know when she can and can't come. To me, that at least shows she's thinking about it.

[AOIIalum]

Another thing is to really take a look at your current AND target audiences. Don't be afraid to try something new, or add something in to your normal programming (like adding a girls' night out or weekend tour of a local attraction, in addition to the monthly meetings!) Also, offer carpooling if at all possible, especially for members who might love to come to events but don't drive.

Lastly, have fun! Make it about the women attending the various events and spend as little time as possible on "Business" or discussing the local collegiate chapter. Like aopirose said, talk about your chapter's programming so they see it's fun and not just boring business meetings or rehashing collegiate days!