Sigma Chi Beta Iota
Alumni Association
Sigma Chi Undergraduate Website
University of Oregon
FROM THE DESK OF JOHN HIBBS
Topic: The Mission of the Alumni Association - Some Recommendations
It's easy to claim that the Mission our Association is "...to help build men of character."
What's harder is to come to agreement about what are the best practices -- the best use of time, energy, money -- to reach that goal? As always, the devil is in the details.
Let me offer, here, a framework for discussion and some recommendations.
A FRAMEWORK FOR GOAL ACHIEVEMENT
I believe we should subordinate all our activities in ways that will best assist the undergraduates to achieve these three goals:
-- Help them find and badge outstanding young men -- Help them in job training, including summer-time employment -- Help them network effectively so they can find good jobs after graduation
What follows next are skeleton sketches of programs that I would like to advance. Should any of them resonate as an item for further discussion, I will be pleased to provide extended commentary with particulars.
ACTIONABLE RECOMMENDATIONS
I. Recruiting
a) MESSAGE FOCUS: Goal achievement will largely depend on how deeply the message is imbedded into the undergraduates of the importance of rush.
I say we should continuously remind them that "rush" is not just a summer time activity or an activity where the burdens fall on a few undergraduates. This is an activity that deserves attention 365/7. It is an activity that deserves the widest possible support by the largest number of Brothers with the maximum energy we can reasonably expect.
I believe we should pound this drum: "Badge outstanding young me.... and the rest is easy," This message should be touched upon -- and sometimes delivered forcefully -- in every meeting, planning session, email and newsletter blast. We should remind ourselves and the undergraduates that "we are in the WE business" -- that means all of us: Undergraduates; alumni; Sigma Chi employees; the spirit and legacy of those in Chapter Eternal.
b) ADOPT A HIGH SCHOOL: I believe it's possible to find Alumni members who will "smooze" with coaches, administrators, and teachers at high school where they are already involved. If we could recruit 20 alumni to make good contact with 20 high schools, this should result 40 to 70 names of high school graduates that we can pass on to the undergraduates for closer-than-normal review by them.
c) SCHOLARSHIPS TO HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS: Consistent with (b) above we should consider offering cash scholarships to outstanding high school students headed for college. Such scholarships would aid tremendously in the "Adopt a High School" idea. (But could also be a "stand alone" program which could be done remotely.}
In both the "Adoption" and the "Scholarship" cases, a process would be developed where the applications and the names would be appropriately forwarded.
d) ORGANIZED SPORTS: Obviously, I believe in the American Legion/Sigma Chi baseball team. This would make the most sense if we could partner with corporations who would agree to hire Sigs to assist in the promotion of the undertaking. {A good example is with Bank of America partnerships as outlined in <Perspectives: Badging, Baseball and Banking>} As serious discussion issue to include serious outreach is warranted.
II. SUMMER-TIME JOBS
My hope is to pilot summer time work for Sig collegians of a kind that has national implications. The skeleton of this idea is that there are very large corporations who could use the manpower, brains and energy of collegians seeking work in the summer. I would like to "partner" with those who need this kind of resource year-in and year-out. I would like the jobs themselves to be a natural step to improving employment prospects upon graduation.
Who would like to partner with us? Here are some suggestions: Investment and securities firms; real estate agencies; banks. Which of these would not like to have motivated collegians helping them? Which of these would not see these collegians as part of their strategic plan to have Greeks as customers?
Who among us can lead us to the "right person" for follow up discussion?
III. NETWORKING ASSISTANCE AFTER GRADUATION
There are 200,000 living Sigs most of whom have done "pretty well" in life. My belief is that a spectacular number of them would be happy to be contacted by undergraduates for advice on how to find their "first job". I also believe that most undergraduates have very little idea of the value of intelligent networking -- that there is a great deal of truth in " it isn't what you know -- but who you know."
In a Google-ized, globalized world, brilliant networking is now possible in ways never before imagined. Arguably, he 200,000 "nuggets' that we offer to prospective rushees is the strongest magnet that we offer to the same highly motivated kids we want to badge. If not directly to them, then to their parents -- who would find great appeal in the 200,000 nuggets we have to offer their sons.
THE TRAINING AND TECHNOLOGY ELEMENT
None of this can be done effectively or affordably without good use of technology and good training -- a large portion of which can be done by "distance" means. The alumni can play a powerful role in the adoption of the technology -- and benefit from it for purposes of their own use. The alumni can play a powerful role in the training (by telephone and the Web). Who else is better to train the undergraduates with answers like to questions like these: What do you say to a real estate agent, when looking for a summer time job? What do you say to the Bank of America when you want to help them with their event planning? What do you say to a securities agent when he asks you how you can help him find more clients?
Every Sigma Chi has something to offer. And every Sigma Chi has something to gain from same.
IV. THE PARENTS -- A CLUB?
What is commonly overlooked is the value that the parents of the undergraduates can bring to our party. Who has more interest in the well-being of their son than his parents? What are we as the Alumni doing to build relationship with them ?-- particularly for job training and job networking? What are we doing to ask them to come to our meetings? join our list serv? blog with us? party with us?
Electronic technology now allow us easy, instant communicate -- not just with email and phone, but also with newsletters, photos, announcements, virtual events. Who will serve to assist the undergraduates in this regard? Who will help with Mom's Day? Dad's Day? Should they also come to the Sweetheart Ball? The golf tournament? The baseball game?
I submit these ideas, here, in the belief that they will generate discussions leading to an actionable action plan.
I hope to hear from you.
In Hoc,
John Hibbs
858 731 0832
