Alumni Association Best Practices “Loyal Sons of Minerva…beyond the walls of our Alma Mater.”

Intended Outcomes Define focal points “brand” for successful A.A. Open discussion on potential stumbling blocks Open new communication lines between A.A.s Engage alumni and grow our alumni brotherhood!

What Can a Successful A.A. Do? Enjoy and expand the bonds of brotherhood beyond graduation and home chapters Develop the Brother Alumnus professionally Serve the undergraduate chapter or areas as mentors, advisers, or board members Stay young in Ritual, Member Development, Mentoring and Recruitment Strong alumni ties guide strong chapters Develop future volunteer leaders in Sigma Alpha Epsilon

What Makes Successful A.A. Availability Communication Consistency/Repeatabilty Successful Chapter practices carry to successful A.A. practices…and vice versa! Network with other A.A.s in the Realm and apply for awards! Alumni Associations tend to be isolated and static…needs to change to keep our alumni active. Awards, updates in The Record, and new ideas from other AAs help growth.

What Can a Successful A.A. Do? Availability: Leaders of the A.A. should be available to college seniors, brothers new to the area, and general inquiries Communication: Build and maintain an database. Send regular (quarterly) e-newsletter. Yearly hard mail newsletter. Oregon Alpha e-newsletter Consistency/Repeatability: Set social calendar as early as possible. Best A.A.s hold the same event annually. Busy Alumni need time and predictability to attend events e.g. Old Crow Christmas Tradition in Denver e.g. Toledo hands out coins with three events: Steak Roast, Founders Day, Golf Outing

Benchmark Events Bring Back Alumni! Examples of Events throughout realm Homecoming should be the platform for Alumni Association activities, not THE sole event Kansas City AA Christmas Fundraiser Greater Atlanta AA Speaker series SAE National Softball, Golf, Poker, etc…all these started as local alumni ideas! Find ways to support the chapter Mentoring programs Newport, CA “Blazer Drive” Buy graduation cords for seniors Recruitment events and use the Ritual: build the Graduation Ceremony

What Can a Successful A.A. Do? Successful A.A. operate much like successful chapters on the next level! Collect regular dues Submit paperwork regularly with FSC KEEP RECRUITING to build the bench! Interact with other A.A.s and compete for annual awards Make the most of Convention Raise Money Send more undergraduates to Leadership School Create a trust through Foundation to award scholarships Improve the lives of undergrads Recognize Successful Alumni! Coordinate keynote speakers for events Volunteer awards should be utilized

Building the Bench Alumni Associations are the broadest and most social aspect of Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s powerful volunteer system Alumni Mentors, Housing Corporations, and Advisory Boards typically find members from successful and active A.A.s Volunteerism at high levels of SAE are driven by alumni associations!

Building the Bench - The best A.A. have active members of all ages and experiences: young alumni, family men, and retirees. Each brother and his professional experience build strength in the A.A. Attracting a diverse A.A. group comes from a balanced variety of social events Founders Day attracts everyone Monthly Happy Hours might only attract younger members Golf outings might only attract older members The KEY is to overlap and interact your A.A. and provide them a network of brotherhood and growth.

Question-and-Answer Session Do not forget to complete the post-webinar survey. Resources Available TGI Online Certification Program thetgi.sae.net Alumni Awards link on thetgi.sae.net Everyone should use to stay informed and find resourceswww.sae.net Outstanding Housing Corporation Award Outstanding Chapter or Area Alumni Association Award Bill Fiscus Outstanding Area Alumni Association Award Stuart Zoock Outstanding Alumni Advisory Board Outstanding Alumni Association and Housing Corporation Communication Award Special Event/Project Award