A Message from President Rebecca S. Chopp - Alumni

Medium (301-600 alumni)
6 events with a minimum of 20 people at each event
Sample events calendar: Send-off party (July/August), televised football (October/November),
luncheon (January, invite students), faculty speaker (March), Table for 13 (May), sporting
event (June)
Large (601-1000 alumni)
8 events with a minimum of 25 people at each event
Sample events calendar: Send-off party (July), cultural/education event (August), televised
football (October/November), volunteer event (December), student event (January), faculty
speaker (March), Table for 13 (May), sporting event (June)
Metropolitan (over 1000 alumni)
12 events (1 per month) with a minimum of 30 people at each event
Sample events calendar: Send-off party (July), sporting event (August), cultural/educational
event (September), televised football (October), volunteer event (November), holiday party
(December), student event (January), Table for 13 (February), faculty speaker (March), social
event (April), volunteer event (May), sporting event (June)
These are just a sampling of possible events. Please be creative about organizing events and
try events unique to the area. Seek convenient settings and rotate event locations within your
club area. Offer a variety of events to attract different groups of alumni. Reach out to recent
alumni as well as others who have not attended an event in the past.
Take advantage of the club area utilizing unique events, locations or activities. Offer door
prizes, set up a phone tree, and ask the Office of Alumni Affairs to send reminder e-mails to
increase attendance. By offering a variety of activities, the club has a better chance of attracting
many different alumni. These attendees could be future officers and board members.
The first
Colgate Scene
was issued in
July of 1971
Again, success is not measured solely on the number of events; rather, seek quality, high attendance,
and a sense of connection between alumni and with Colgate. Please do not feel constricted by
these guidelines; many clubs will choose to do more events, and feel free to substitute one kind of
event for another. You know what kinds of events are popular with local alumni. This list is simply
designed to provide a consistent set of guidelines for clubs of similar size.
Send-Off Parties
Welcoming new students and their families to Colgate
Send-off parties are the signature event for many clubs. They provide an opportunity for
alumni to interact with current and incoming students and their families prior to the new
school year.
Colgate University’s fiscal year June 1 – May 31 27