Regional clubs advance the interests of the College by:

1. Presenting professional, social, cultural, and educational opportunities for club members.

2. Representing the College to parents, prospective students, corporations, foundations, other colleges and universities, and the community at large.

3. Assisting the College in a variety of areas, including undergraduate and graduate admission, development, internships, job placement, and executive education programs.

4. Keeping members informed regarding programs, activities, and news of the College.

Membership
Alumni, students, parents, and faculty of Babson College are eligible for membership in a Babson Regional Club.

Expectations of the Club
Babson College Regional Clubs are organized and managed by local alumni and support the College in a variety of ways. To be considered an active club, the club must:

·         Send an initial survey to area alumni to determine their interests in supporting and participating in club activities. 

·         Request a list of alumni in the geographic region (delivered electronically).

·         Establish a club/organizational executive committee comprised of five to ten members.

·         Create an Annual Plan* including a calendar of events and submit it to the director of regional alumni programs for approval.

·         Inform the Office of Regional Alumni Programs of club meetings and activities by providing ongoing electronic documentation and minutes from meetings.

·         Plan programs and events that represent the College, i.e. events must be designed and delivered with the highest attention to quality, serve a broad range of the club membership, and are as accessible and economical as practical.

·         Club programs should provide opportunities for club members to maintain their connection with the College and other alumni and to support the College.

·         Submit program details and budget proposals to the Office of Regional Alumni Programs approximately six to eight weeks prior to a program/event.

·         Plan programs/events that are either hosted by area alumni or that keep costs at a minimum.

·         Identify event locations and secure alumni attendance at events.

·         Participate in the annual Leadership Weekend held in September by having several representatives attend from the club executive committee.

·         Send all address/e-mail updates to the Office of Regional Alumni Programs to maintain an accurate database.

*The Annual Plan/Calendar is a description of the number of events/programs with budget and attendance projections scheduled for the upcoming year.

Expectations of the Office of Regional Alumni Programs
In return, the Office of Regional Alumni Programs will support the clubs in the following manner:

·         Communicate regularly with club leaders to assess plans and progress.

·         Provide College information and priorities to club leaders.

·         Help clubs formulate ideas for their Annual Plan, programs, and events.

·         Review and approve program proposals, event proposals, and budgets within two weeks.

·         Make arrangements for faculty or College representatives to attend and/or speak at club meetings and events.

·         Aid in the design, production, and mailing of invitations (both electronically and hard copy).

·         Provide an updated mailing list for programs and events.

·         Receive and process all club event reservations, unless otherwise specified.

·         Provide name tags and Babson PR collateral for programs/events.

·         Provide leadership training for club leaders during Leadership Weekend at Babson.

·         Assist club in identifying and recruiting volunteers.

·         Maintain an e-mail distribution list of area alumni to inform them of upcoming events and campus updates.

Organization and Management of the Regional Clubs The structure of a club is largely dependent on its own set of circumstances (i.e. the demographic factors of its constituency and size of the club). These factors mold the most effective organization and financial decisions of the club. Consider the following information as suggestions that can be modified to best serve your club.

Executive Committee
The executive committee consists of five to ten alumni members. The executive committee is probably the most efficient way to organize your club since it spreads the responsibility to a variety of individuals. It is important that the committee members reflect the composition of the constituents. The committee can be formal or informal, and meet monthly or quarterly; this should be decided by the members. The committee does not have to plan each program or event—it should provide the overall direction by setting a 12 month calendar and reviewing its activity. Then, the details of each program/event should be handled by a committee member as assigned, and should be presented to the Office of Regional Alumni Programs for final approval.

Committee Officers and Liaisons
The club may organize the following officers or liaisons or designate a general role for each member.

o        President

o        Vice President

o        Secretary       

o        Treasurer

o        Program Events Chair

o        Membership Chair

o        PR/Marketing Chair

o        Campus Liaison

o        General committee members
 

Officer Structure and Position Descriptions

There are four officers in most clubs: president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer. The election of officers is held at the club’s Annual Meeting in June. The general duties of the officers are as follows:

President

·         Serve as the primary contact with the Office of Regional Alumni Programs. Submit program and event proposals, invitation requests, and event recaps to the alumni office.

·         Serve as chair of the executive committee.

·         Preside over all club events and committee meetings.

·         Manage the monthly or quarterly committee meetings.

·         Participate in the Annual Leadership Weekend.

·         Submit club’s Annual Plan to the Office of Regional Alumni Programs.

·         Submit proposed bylaw changes to the Office of Regional Alumni Programs (if applicable).

·         Delegate duties to committee members as needed.

·         Appoint committee chairs and liaisons to open positions.

·         Establish subcommittees on an as needed basis.

Vice President

·         Perform the duties of the president, when he or she is not present.

·         Assist the president in meeting the club’s goals.

Secretary

·         Maintain minutes of all meetings and send copies (via e-mail) to all committee members.

·         Send reminders of upcoming meetings to committee members.

·         Maintain club records including bylaws, club calendar, event attendance lists, and club history.

·         Submit address/e-mail changes to the Office of Regional Alumni Programs.

Treasurer (may be combined with secretary in smaller clubs)

·         Collect and submit payments for all events and programs.

·         Prepare budgets for programs and events.

·         Send all checks and credit card receipts to the Office of Regional Alumni Programs within one week of event.

Committees and/or Liaisons

The club may organize the following committees and liaisons or other committees as needed:

·         Membership Committee  

·         Program/Events Committee        

·         PR/Marketing Committee

·         Campus Liaison

The committee chairpersons and liaisons are members of the executive committee. The club officers appoint the committee chairpersons and liaisons.

Membership Committee

This committee shall:

·         Work with program/events committee to encourage high attendance at meetings and programs/events.

·         Maintain updated committee lists for the club.

·         Collect business cards and submit address changes to the Office of Regional Alumni Programs.

·         Recruit new volunteers to serve on the committee.

Program/Events Committee
This committee shall:

·         Work closely with the executive committee on program ideas.

·         Plan and arrange all programs/events.

·         Select a committee member to chair each event.

·         Coordinate activities with the Office of Regional Alumni Programs, especially when planning a program which involves the college president, deans, and/or faculty.

·         Create and manage e-mail list-serv(s) to ensure high attendance at programs/events.

·         Solicit input from alumni at events to determine future programming.

PR/Marketing Committee

This committee shall:

·         Promote the general interests of the College and club by providing relevant information to all local media outlets.

·         Send event summaries from club activities and local individuals to the Office of Regional Alumni Programs for inclusion in the Babson Alumni Magazine and club Web site.

·         Submit new content for club Web site.

Starting a Regional Club

Procedures

A club is organized for one of two major reasons: an individual or group in a specific area want to become involved with the College or the Office of Regional Alumni Programs identifies the need to establish a club in a particular community. In either case, the procedure for organizing and establishing a club is the same and outlined below.

1.      Contact the director of regional alumni programs.

2.      Define the regional area (e.g. the appropriate zip code range) for the proposed club.

3.      The Office of Regional Alumni Programs sends the club’s contact a copy of the Regional Club Guide with a list of alumni and club leaders in the area.

4.      The contact reviews information sent to them with other interested members.

5.      The interested members should review the survey and determine specific questions for their region.

6.      The results of the survey are compiled and shared by the Office of Regional Alumni Programs.

7.      Based on the results of the survey, the interested members identify people who are willing to serve on an Executive Committee. A president is selected by the executive committee.

8.      The President establishes and runs the Executive Committee meetings.

9.      The Executive Committee meets to:

·         Review the Regional Club Guide.

·         Review demographic data to determine that the committee represents a diverse group of alumni in the area.

·         Determine the club/organizational structure [officers, committee chair(s), etc].

·         Review survey results to determine type of programs and events.

·         Discuss and begin to develop annual plan for the club.

·         Discuss budgets and type of support the College will provide.

Note: The Regional Alumni Programs staff can attend executive committee meetings as

    needed.

The Survey
It is recommended that you send an electronic survey to the alumni in the area to learn about their interests and also gauge the amount of support that you would receive from alumni as the club is launched. It takes five to ten alumni volunteers to sustain momentum and consistency of a regional club over an extended period of time. The survey will indicate that the alumni should be able to make a commitment for up to one year.

See sample survey at the bottom of this page —Appendix A

Babson Regional Club Programming

Important Issues to Consider

A successful club is the result of successful programming, and the following important areas of consideration are essential for that success:

Annual Plan

The executive committee should meet during the summer to plan a calendar of events for the coming year. The calendar should include as much information as possible including date, time, place, and speaker.

It is important that the club send the annual calendar and speaker request to the Office of Regional Alumni Programs by September 1 each year. Advance planning is the key to success. Here’s why:

·         The director of regional alumni programs may have a better chance of obtaining the speaker of your choice for your event.

·         College faculty and financial resources can be used more efficiently.

·         Mailings can be planned in advance for maximum impact, effectiveness, and economy.

Check dates

Check local calendars as well as religious calendars to avoid obvious conflicts. Review the holidays and peak vacation times when scheduling programs.

Diverse programming

Take into consideration all segments of the membership when planning club activities. Plan a diversified calendar of events that will be appealing to a variety of interests, ages, and budgets.

Set realistic programming goals

When you plan events take into consideration the commitment level of your members. If they want to go to a Babson event once a month, try to offer them the appropriate channels; if they only want to go twice a year, offering 10 events will undoubtedly prove frustrating.

Suggested guidelines:

·         A new club or one that is in a reorganization phase should plan two activities the first year.

·         Clubs with less than 200 members should have one to two events per year

·         Clubs with 500 members or less should have two to three events per year

·         Clubs with between 500-1000 members should have four to six events per year

Don’t feel restricted to these guidelines, you can judge the number of events by the responsiveness of your members and plan accordingly.

It’s quality, not quantity

It is much better for the group’s rapport if you offer a small number of events from which people walk away enthusiastic and stimulated than if you have 12 events which are stagnant and have limited numbers. The ultimate goal is to have an event which boosts the enthusiasm, involvement, and commitment of the club.

Focus on Babson

While the social aspect is a necessary and important part of any event, there are many reasons to plan an event. A variety of programs could be designed to relate to Babson directly or to appeal in a distinctive way to the special interest of Babson alumni and friends. Examples include presentations by a Babson faculty member or alum, an event to welcome new Babson students, or a reception prior to a Babson athletic competition against a local college team.

Share the load

The Program/Events Committee is responsible for organizing events. The more people working on this committee, the less work one person has to do. The best run events are those in which preparations have been distributed among several club members.

Follow up

Often the response rates increase dramatically when a committee of volunteers follows up on an invitation by making phone calls to club members. This is a great, easy way to reinforce the event and create a sense of commitment to attend. It is much easier to say yes when someone from your class says they are going and look forward to seeing you there.

Combine the educational and social

Based on our experience, most Babson alumni prefer to combine the educational with the social. Potential speakers for events include any of the following:

·         Local Babson alumni

·         Babson faculty

·         Local business leader

·         Panels discussions on professional growth or specific topics (i.e. corporate ethics).

·         Informal lunch or dinner series

·         As necessary, admission or career services programs, college fairs, corporate tours and individual meetings.

Be creative and innovative

Because receptions are less expensive and involve the least amount of time from busy schedules at the end of the work day, they are most popular. Learn what is available in your own area, and choose local event sites which will attract our alumni. The variety of possibilities will include:

·         Graduate's home

·         Local restaurant or lounge                       

·         Special venues: art gallery, historic home, sports arena, boat cruises                                      

·         Private clubs                                                        

·         Hotel

·         Corporate facilities, i.e. executive centers or law offices

Cultural is also educational

Provide the opportunity for local alumni to expand their cultural horizons. Rather than offer only a museum tour, ask the curator to enhance the experience and provide a special program for Babson alumni. Ask your local winery to conduct a tour and tasting. Have the art gallery owner present a lecture on buying and selling art. If you have a local theater, consider hosting a reception to meet the director and members of the cast before or after the alumni have enjoyed the performance.

Don't forget the family

Summertime often brings more family time. Take advantage of the season and consider sponsoring a family-centered event such as a picnic followed by a visit to the local zoo. Organize a half-day hike or bike trip, reserve a block a seats at a baseball game, or plan a scramble golf tournament.

Network with other b-school alumni

Find out what other business school alumni clubs are in your area, and offer to host an event with another alumni club. Many areas such as New York City, Silicon Valley, and Washington, DC, already have an established network of business school alumni clubs. Take the lead, increase your own network, and help elevate Babson to other business school alumni.

The Babson connection

Each year, Babson will contact your club to host special events such as the president’s visit, admission recruiting events or a welcoming reception for newly admitted students and parents or new graduates, or networking for internships and permanent jobs.

Planning an Event

Knowing the right questions to ask is most helpful when planning an event. So when you find an appropriate venue ask the following questions:

Location

·         Is the facility of appropriate size, in good condition, and in a safe easily accessible area?

·         Is the facility a unique site that could stimulate a good turnout?

·         Is there audiovisual availability; if, so what is the cost?

Food service

·         Is the food service provided in-house or by an outside caterer?

·         Can you choose your preferred caterer?

·         What type of reputation does the food service have?

·         Is the cost appropriate for your event?

Parking/transportation

·         Will the facility provide free parking?

·         If not, what type of parking facility is available?

·         Is the metro or subway system convenience?

·         Are cabs available late at night?

Security

·         Do we need any security, and if so, do we have to pay for it?

Room rental

·         Is the room rental included in the food charge or is it separate?

·         What items are provided with the room rental (i.e. tables, chairs, audio-visual equipment)?

Choosing the menu

For most club events, light hors d’oeuvres and beverages (beer and wine) will be sufficient.

Host versus cash bar

Open bars tend to be expensive and incur a certain amount of liability. We ask that the club break even with each event, so it is wise to opt for the cash bar.

The contract

Check the contract to verify that all details are specified, and determine what terms can be negotiated. Look for the following:

Make sure that everything the caterer and club agreed upon is in the contract:

·         Menu selection and prices

·         Host bar selection (house, call, or premium brands) and prices—based on consumption

·         Cash bar selection and prices that will be charged