Hosting game viewing parties/starting an Alumni Chapter?

[Galway Eagle]

Does anyone have experience in doing either of these things? I sent an email to the MUConnect office about starting an Ireland alumni chapter or even organizing a couple viewing parties for the games against UW and National Marquette Day for alumni/study abroad students but nobody's responded. Is there a specific person to speak to?

[warriorchick]

Does anyone have experience in doing either of these things? I sent an email to the MUConnect office about starting an Ireland alumni chapter or even organizing a couple viewing parties for the games against UW and National Marquette Day for alumni/study abroad students but nobody's responded. Is there a specific person to speak to?

I sent you a PM.

[#UnleashSean]

On a related note, scoop meetup parties? I gotta see more chick and glow

[sodakmu87]

Yeah I like the meet up idea.   I'd buy the Tower guy a beer.  Sell some more shirts so we can identify each other as Scoopers

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Yeah I like the meet up idea.   I'd buy the Tower guy a beer.  Sell some more shirts so we can identify each other as Scoopers

The scoopers are mostly pasty, fat white dudes.  Glow is the pasty, fat white dude with the hot wife.  4ever is the pasty white dude talking jive which a couple of large hunnies on his arms.

Don't need t-shirts, TBH.

[GGGG]

The scoopers are mostly pasty, fat white dudes.

So pretty much like most men who graduated from MU.

[muwarrior69]

I sent you a PM.

Why so secretive?

[warriorchick]

Why so secretive?

Because I steered him to a specific person and gave him my real name for a referral.

[HouWarrior]

Does anyone have experience in doing either of these things? I sent an email to the MUConnect office about starting an Ireland alumni chapter or even organizing a couple viewing parties for the games against UW and National Marquette Day for alumni/study abroad students but nobody's responded. Is there a specific person to speak to?

I have done both. A game viewing party is much easier and doable than launching a new chapter. 

In the early eighties I helped start up and was first president of the Marquette club of Houston. Possible steps to consider:

1) gather a small core group....we put together a group of 5-6....we met three times just to discuss time commitments and club goals.....

2) personal contact/update list...we got a very badly dated address list from MU, so....we split it up 6 ways and (80s technology) we completed a call to speak ,one on one, with every person on the list to : a) get their updated addresses and contact info; and b) invite and encourage them to come to .......

3)Free Membership Get Together....a totally free open bar gathering with a one month advance notice....just to be social and expand our members...ie not connected to any game watching. A few of us paid for the free booze and catering. We followed up with two mailings and one more personal call blitz and our gathering was extremely well attended ....almost 150........We were off and running

Note something here,though..... almost half from the directory updating calls  were very resisting on our calls, they did not want to update or even meet .....why? Due respect chick but our alums often thought clubs and contact lists were simply a ruse to solicit/raise $ for MU...and accordingly, they wanted no part of that. My law partner was then president of the ND club of Houston and he gave me great help/advice (Much better than the nearly useless -back then- MU liaison) and on this point he  noted to me how ND clubs were totally separate from fundraising....so we unilaterally decided, quite successfully... to assure all of ours that the Houston MU club and our list updating would not be for fundraising soliciting. IMHO .....at startup,..... clubs should be free of this and participation increases when members are freed from this fear.

Once the club got rolling we had a good string of events, core folks stayed with it...but as core folks moved on with work/family and relocations...we lost steam...our numbers and events petered out....

So we  here are reduced back to just a game viewing group....a much easier option especially with our better media contact systems nowadays.

For a viewing party you still need a month or two lead time, a venue, and 2-3 point people.. Just email blast invites 3-6 times...I personally still believe in tcs and voice contact....a dying but very effective method. MU will send out MU branded giveaway stuff to decorate the venue.....and they possess alumni lists . You can have a nice group get together and then gauge whether there are those who want to try to ramp it up to a Club.

Good Luck!!

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I set-up annual game viewing for National Marquette Day and attendance is all over the place.  There's been years where my family is the only one in attendance and years where I get 20+ people.  The day of the week and the game time and weather all play a part.

[Benny B]

Due respect chick but our alums often thought clubs and contact lists were simply a ruse to solicit/raise $ for MU...and accordingly, they wanted no part of that.

This.  Anything that comes across as even quasi-sanctioned by MU or MUAA is unlikely to generate as much engagement as something that's seen strictly as a pipeline for social gatherings, especially from younger alums.

Of course, the exception to the rule is free beer, but that can be a dangerous promise to make in Ireland.  All of the sudden you'll have locals showing up in plain t-shirts with "MARQEUTTE" handwritten in black marker.

[GGGG]

A lot of colleges and universities are moving away from the traditional "alumni chapter" model anyway because technology has usurped the two main reasons people used to get together for alumni events - to find out more about the University and to connect with people you know.  A lot of organizations have actually seen increases in "alumni engagement" while also running less alumni events.

[warriorchick]

This.  Anything that comes across as even quasi-sanctioned by MU or MUAA is unlikely to generate as much engagement as something that's seen strictly as a pipeline for social gatherings, especially from younger alums.

Of course, the exception to the rule is free beer, but that can be a dangerous promise to make in Ireland.  All of the sudden you'll have locals showing up in plain t-shirts with "MARQEUTTE" handwritten in black marker.

Interesting...I have been to a number of these basketball-related functions in multiple cities, and other than  having a few pre-addressed envelopes on the tables, I never recall there being any solicitation of donations whatsoever.

What are people so afraid of?  It's a party, not a time-share  presentation.

[Galway Eagle]

Yeah I get the whole fundraising annoyance but I know of me and one other MU alum in Galway, so even if only the study abroad students show up itd be nice to have some form of Marquette community here for a couple games... and I will fly Ryan air to join the London national Marquette day if need be

[Benny B]

Interesting...I have been to a number of these basketball-related functions in multiple cities, and other than  having a few pre-addressed envelopes on the tables, I never recall there being any solicitation of donations whatsoever.

What are people so afraid of?  It's a party, not a time-share  presentation.

I'm speaking more along the lines of an alumni chapter or even a loosely-organized alumni "social club."  People will show up to a party, sure; adding their name to a "contact list," maybe not so sure.

[jsglow]

The scoopers are mostly pasty, fat white dudes.  Glow is the pasty, fat white dude with the hot wife.  4ever is the pasty white dude talking jive which a couple of large hunnies on his arms.

Don't need t-shirts, TBH.

Correct.  And well played.   

[jsglow]

Interesting...I have been to a number of these basketball-related functions in multiple cities, and other than  having a few pre-addressed envelopes on the tables, I never recall there being any solicitation of donations whatsoever.

What are people so afraid of?  It's a party, not a time-share  presentation.

Following up on chick's statement.  The university asked us to host the tourney game against South Carolina up in Jackson's.  There wasn't a single peep about fundraising.  I think we still have some leftover swag in the basement if anyone wants any!

Clearly there's a time and a place for an 'ask'.  A basketball game isn't it directly.  Now the pregame fundraiser for your college, sure.

[warriorchick]

Following up on chick's statement.  The university asked us to host the tourney game against South Carolina up in Jackson's.  There wasn't a single peep about fundraising.  I think we still have some leftover swag in the basement if anyone wants any!

Clearly there's a time and a place for an 'ask'.  A basketball game isn't it directly.  Now the pregame fundraiser for your college, sure.

Even then, it's pretty low key.  Someone gets up and says, "We hope you decide to support the university", but that's about as much pressure as you get.  Absolutely no one-on-one asking.

[HouWarrior]

I'm speaking more along the lines of an alumni chapter or even a loosely-organized alumni "social club."  People will show up to a party, sure; adding their name to a "contact list," maybe not so sure.

Yes. Back when you could move, and not leave a forwarding mail address...one actually disappeared from the MU list and were freed from mailings/fundraising solicitations. In the eighties we promised all in Houston that if they please updated their info it would be for club mailouts only.
Well ....promise broken....we returned our updated list to MU....MU sent out 5 fundraising blitzes within a year.....I was crestfallen. Our event crowds dropped from 100 plus to more like 25-40. We never recovered momentum...MU fails to see the need to keep club organization and events a separate function from fundraising. dumb

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Of course, the exception to the rule is free beer, but that can be a dangerous promise to make in Ireland.  All of the sudden you'll have locals showing up in plain t-shirts with "MARQEUTTE" handwritten in black marker.

Racist.

[The Lens]

Racist.

yep, between this and that French school in Indiana, I'm not quite sure why it's socially acceptable to poke fun at my ancestry and heritage.

[Dr. Blackheart]

yep, between this and that French school in Indiana, I'm not quite sure why it's socially acceptable to poke fun at my ancestry and heritage.

Cloverflake, hey?

[Warrior Code]

Following up on chick's statement.  The university asked us to host the tourney game against South Carolina up in Jackson's.  There wasn't a single peep about fundraising.  I think we still have some leftover swag in the basement if anyone wants any!

Clearly there's a time and a place for an 'ask'.  A basketball game isn't it directly.  Now the pregame fundraiser for your college, sure.

Whatcha got?

[Benny B]

Racist.

Sorry.  I should have said “peach” marker.

[muwarrior69]

Following up on chick's statement.  The university asked us to host the tourney game against South Carolina up in Jackson's.  There wasn't a single peep about fundraising.  I think we still have some leftover swag in the basement if anyone wants any!

Clearly there's a time and a place for an 'ask'.  A basketball game isn't it directly.  Now the pregame fundraiser for your college, sure.

Are you the guy Chick PM'd Galway Eagle to contact?