Hosts: Adrianne Todman ’91, RCC Chair
Holly Gonzalez ’81 RCC South
Structure of Call:
Document
Experiences
Tools to use at home
Volunteer Recruitment
Document (see “reading materials”)
Experiences:
Some clubs having trouble with people who come on to board but then “life happens” and they have to leave. Leaders expressed a great deal of reluctance on part of others to help with anything. Alumnae cite work/family pressure and lack of time to give.
Adrianne Todman, RCC chair, stated that the first thing everyone has the permission to do is relieve guilt. Certainly every club is different, and while it’s always helpful to compare notes it’s inappropriate and frequently frustrating to try to compare clubs to each other (don’t compare yourself to San Francisco if your in North Carolina).
Tools:
- No matter how often you meet, always include an agenda.
- Be very specific about what “help” means when asking others to pitch in (the task and exact amount of time involved)
Some clubs have had success breaking tasks into tiny pieces, aka “McMittments”, which are more appealing to alumnae volunteers due to length of commitment and time necessary. For instance, a treasurer doesn’t have to be the person to pick up the mail if someone else can help.
The new website (up by fall of 2008) will have a way to identify alumnae who are new to your area, as well as an easier way to connect with students and recent graduates. Also, a redesigned website of club resources is underway!
Consider adjusting job descriptions for club officers. For instance, depending on your area (geography, traffic, etc.) you may find that having several “regional” vice presidents helpful (and maybe they’re each in charge of one event). Or, maybe having two co-presidents would work well. The Portland, Oregon group has been using a co-president model and finds that alumnae are more interested in the position knowing that they’ll have a partner throughout the experience. They’ve also planned the co-president terms to offset each other so there will always be one more experienced member there. To support their co-presidents, the Portland club has a “council of sage advisors” consisting of past leaders. These advisors serve in a strictly advisory role (ie, they don’t help with planning or serve in other ways). Perhaps there’s also an opportunity to shorten board meetings for your group to save more energy for other things. Could your group get by with meetings twice a year and maybe some email communication when necessary in-between?
Volunteer Recruitment:
As always, it is critical to determine on your club’s mission, write it down and keep documents and records so you can pass on the knowledge you’ve gained. Historical documents that new officers don’t need can be sent to Smith College archives. Whatever you’re doing is a record! This can not be overstated.
Engage new and young alumnae as much as possible, make everyone feel as welcome as possible and respond quickly to their inquiries. Also ask them to help with small tasks; in addition to involving more people (creating ownership on their part and taking something off of your plate) this will also help you determine who might be interested and capable of filling a larger role. We’ve been hearing from a number of new “empty nesters” who are looking to re-engage with Smith, and may be helpful to reach out to in your area.
Everything that you do to connect with students while they are at Smith helps both of you develop stronger ties for the future, even if the students end up living someplace else. Many clubs send care packages or gift certificates for Northampton with notes near the end of each semester to students who come from their region.
Finally, anytime you’re struggling with succession planning, remember that you have resources. The Regional Club Coordinators are always available to help you find people and strategize (http://alumnae.smith.edu/club_resources/rcclist.php ). Always share with an alumna the skills she’ll develop with the volunteer role.
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