Beloit College

Volunteers put the special touch in reunion and are needed to contact classmates and plan class events. Volunteer to ensure your reunion is a success!

Overview of Reunion Volunteering Responsibilities

Reunion Volunteers

There are two components to a successful reunion: Outreach and Planning.

Outreach: Attendance and Participation
The number one reason alumni attend their reunion is to see friends. A call, email, letter from a classmate goes a long way towards generating a buzz and ensuring good attendance. Use social media to keep momentum building all year; post updates to your Facebook group or tweet new registrants.

The alumni office will provide class lists with contact information. Also available are calling cards, custom-designed emails and stationary, address labels and postage. 

Reunion Giving Participation
Reunion Giving provides an opportunity for classes to have a direct impact on Beloit College, encouraging increased class participation and gift upgrades. Many classes use the occasion of their reunion to launch or highlight a special class giving project that reflects the interests of the class and also provides essential funding to specific programs and initiatives.

Reunion Giving outreach requires you to encourage fellow classmates to make a gift or pledge to commemorate reunion. Reunion Volunteers help to establish goals and strategies for the solicitation of their classmates. Typical strategies include direct mail campaigns and peer-to-peer solicitations, often via telephone or email.

What to talk about during outreach

• Review the dates
• Encourage attendance and early registration
• Urge classmates to call their friends
• Review program highlights
  • Friday night event
  • Parade of Classes
  • Alumni Assembly
  • Alumni Luncheon
  • Saturday afternoon activities
  • Sporting events
  • Saturday night reunion celebration
  • Any other class specific activities
• Review the recommended hotel
• Promote reunion giving
• Direct them to the Reunion web site for updates on reunion information and attendance

Planning
Plan events and activities that will make your reunion weekend special and unique. Activities can range from a Friday evening class party to a Saturday afternoon frisbee game. You know your era and classmates best--choose activities and events that will be meaningful and fun. Once your events are planned, pick committee members to act as hosts to welcome your classmates and keep the evening flowing.

Program Ideas
The best program ideas are those that allow classmates to reconnect with each other and that draw upon special experiences that the class shared during their college years.

• Have an "open mic" session to share favorite Beloit stories
• Invite a faculty member to attend or speak at your class event
• Create a trivia contest based on your time at Beloit
• Have an alumni sporting event: soccer, basketball, frisbee golf
• Create a memorabilia display. Use items from your own collection or visit the College Archives
• Revive a class tradition or song
• Ask someone to read your class commencement speech
• Utilize talents of classmates, ask them to perform at your dinner
• Hire a DJ or musical group to entertain
• Create a video or slide show using photos and music
• Have a contest for "who came the farthest, who has the most children, etc." and give away prizes
• Do a "class history," report on highlights from each year your class was at Beloit College

Hospitality Room
The hospitality room is often the highlight of the weekend. The committee needs to decide whether or not to reserve a room at your class's hotel and what refreshments, decorations, and host duties will be needed. It's a good idea to assign a "keeper of the key" and hours when the room will be open each day. The expense for the room is the responsibility of the class. Please note, some hotels will not allow outside food and beverages, check with your hotel before making arrangements.

Reunion Hosts
The main function of the host(s) is to welcome classmates and serve as the emcees of your class events. Host responsibilities include:

• Greet classmates
• Make announcements about dinner or entertainment
• Introduce special guests
• Have a moment of silence in honor of classmates who are no longer with us
• Lead reunion programs and activities
• Ask reunion questions and give out door prizes
• Recognize the Reunion Volunteers

Volunteers put the special touch in reunion and are needed to contact classmates and plan class events. Volunteer to ensure your reunion is a success!