Committee Recruitment
The Program Chair with the assistance of the Office of Alumni Relations and The Muhlenberg Fund will assemble a committee. Class lists will be made available to the committee to contact classmates to personally invite them back to reunion and ask them to support the Reunion Challenge. The Reunion committee will help to build a network of enthusiasm for Reunion and also work together to brainstorm and execute final plans. (All the information released to the committee is considered confidential and should not be used for any purpose other than Reunion programming.)
Meet as a Group
The next step is to meet as a group. The Reunion Program Chair should contact the committee and decide if the group would like to meet at Muhlenberg or if they would prefer to work together via phone or e-mail. The Office of Alumni Relations will be happy to assist with arrangements should the committee choose to meet on campus. Regardless of the method, it is important to be in communication with a few classmates to best determine the most effective program for your Reunion.
Alumni Achievement Awards
Each year the Office of Alumni Relations honors distinguished alumni who have substantially impacted the College and/or the community. The Office of Alumni Relations encourages the Reunion committee to nominate notable alumni from their class year to add to the Reunion Weekend celebration. Nomination forms are available on myMuhlenberg.com and are due no later than November 15.
Reunion Letter #1
The Program Chair and his/her committee are asked to write a personalized letter to their classmates to get them excited about Reunion Weekend. This letter is sent from the Reunion Chair to alert classmates of the events taking place over Reunion Weekend and encourage them to attend. Sample letters are available for you to work with when composing your own class letter (we will overlook forgery!). In this letter you can announce any special programs you are planning during the weekend.
Phone Calls/E-mail
We ask that the Reunion Committee get in touch with their friends to encourage them to come back to Reunion. Feel free to place phone calls and/or use e-mail. Any phone calls made will be reimbursed by the College. Simply highlight the phone calls made and send us the bill. If you would like to hold a class Phonathon on campus the Office of Alumni Relations would be happy to make the accommodations. The Office of Alumni Relations can also help by sending a blast email to everyone in your class. You will just need to provide the message, at least a week prior to when you would like the message emailed, and we will take care of the rest.
Faculty Member Invitations
Professors or staff may be invited to class dinners and receptions. Suggestions for faculty invitees should be solicited in your first reunion letter and followed by an invitation to the appropriate faculty/staff member at least four months prior to Reunion. Your class may invite
more than one faculty guest.
Reunion Letter #2
One final reminder letter will be sent from the Reunion Chair, the Class Fund Chair or a joint letter from both of you. This mailing is a good vehicle for you to pass along more specific details and/or last minute information about your class Reunion and urge your classmates to register and attend Reunion.
Reunion Committee Organization
The success of Reunion Weekend depends in large part on the active participation and commitment of class volunteers. Involving as many people as possible in Reunion planning helps to build enthusiasm. Reunion committee membership provides an excellent opportunity for developing interest in returning to Muhlenberg for Reunion.
Volunteers can be broken up into specific associations. For example:
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Fraternity
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Sorority
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Athletic
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Clubs
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MTA
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Regional
Once these groups are identified, the volunteers can be responsible for recruiting members within their organization to return for Reunion. You may offer rewards to your committee members who have the greatest percentage of their group return for Reunion.
Also, the committee serves as a sounding board for ideas you may have for programming and entertainment. The more input you receive, the more likely your attendance will increase due to interest.
If your class decides on any additional off campus events, for example a pub night on Friday or Saturday, a tour of a local factory, or a Sunday morning brunch, you may assign a group of volunteers to coordinate the details.
Reunion Programming Details
Lastly, as a group, a decision should be made about specific Reunion details. While you do not need to have a specific lunch/dinner program on Saturday , you may want to add some creative touches such as displaying pictures from your college days, or give out class awards for who came the farthest, who has the most children, etc. This is your opportunity to be creative! The following details should be confirmed:
What type of class lunch/dinner does your class want?
Buffet, served, picnic, other
Does your class want programming at your dinner?
Band, DJ, speaker, karaoke, wine tasting, beer tasting, slide show, other
Would you like a class headquarters?
This is a place where your class could register for the weekend, host informal meetings or use as a meeting place, display exhibits of published works, personal pictures, artwork, hobbies, business cards, memorabilia, etc. A flip chart could be utilized to post messages for classmates.
What programming would you like to see during the weekend?
Special class tours, an area reserved for your class at the tent, a cocktail reception before your class dinner, Sunday breakfast, or other.
Would you like to have Reunion Mementos?
Many classes approach classmates who work for a company that is willing to donate these items to the class. For any items that require a significant amount of capital, an adequate amount should be built into the class reunion registration fee to cover the expense in its entirety. Mementos can also be purchased as a separate item on the registration form.
'BERG BUZZ