Why alumni associations fail
Can I say that across the Philippines, Alumni Association is very popular amongst high school graduates or college graduates? Tama ba? Almost always, it starts with a reunion, especially pag fiesta? Nakaaa! Complete with parada. In fact, when I was still back in Manila, I organized our very first barangay high school reunion in Barrio Siete. It was such a success that it was almost like one fiesta in da Barrio. And then, somebody hits me with…
“Let’s sponsor a scholar!”
“Huh?!”
At that time, I was just one lowly salaried kinsenas at katapusan earning employee with a salary slightly below poverty level, I could not even afford to buy a TV and here I was, pushed by my former high school classmates to sponsor a scholar.
I would gather everybody in the bored room trying to come up with one pa-bingo and sakla that would give our project enough funds to send two (2) scholars in high school. The project went well. We were able to “a” scholar in high school, not two. A year later, the project would fail. The alumni association would evaporate. There would be no more communication. None of them even knew na Reyna Elena ako.
In college, I belong to a scholar’s association. I was very active with this group that I was the one who knitted the whole group by creating a social circle that would bring us all together in one place on the internet, considering that we’re all over the world. After they found out na Reyna Elena ako, pinagtawanan ako.
Two years ago, the first reunion was organized. I was not at the reunion, but having seen from the number of attendees in the pictures, I could see that it went very well. I would find out that there was an election of officers in that reunion. I would also find out that I was elected as Vice-President for some International whatever. In that meeting, there was the usual line I heard when we organized the high school reunion.
“Let’s sponsor a scholar!”
Membership dues. Annual dues. More dues. I balked at them. I told them it won’t work. We must find another way to raise funds. No one listened. There is not much activity in that Alumni Association other that a few picnics. One of which I attended in Tagaytay. Today, I knew nothing no more.
There are well-run alumni associations of course. But if you look at their programs, they do not rely on membership dues and/or donations. Some of them do, from some very wealthy alumni but others have independent sources of funds. They are successful because in part, they make it fun. And that’s the reason why members come. They play. They make fun. And when they start to do noble things, that’s when they’re ready.
But for others, why does Alumni Association fail?
Being out of the school and/or the organization for a very long time, there is that certain longing of something to be back in that era, reminiscing all the beautiful and/or nasty things to be shared and enjoy with your peers. None of them were there to feed the hungry, solve poverty or contribute to the national deficit. None.
Alumni associations fail because people fail to realize that alumni association starts of as just another social networking forum and/or gathering to find some opportunities and not as a Mother Teresa organization. People fail to understand that distinction and immediately jump into the noble idea of giving back when the “would-be” members were there to simply socialize and catch up. Finding some opportunities would be a plus. Put some membership dues in that cheezmaks and you’re guaranteed an alumni associations failure.
Aber nga! Tell me about your alumni association! Hahaha! How are they doing?
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1997 when I graduated and nobody seem to be interested in organizing a reunion. I never got involved with the alumni kind of thing. Do you think one day the Barrio can sponsor a scholar? hahahaha wala lang. Malay mo magkaroon ng foundashuun ang Barrio to help poor ka Barrio natin.
Piso Para sa Barrio LOL!
hahaha! gaya nga nang sabi ko, why not? but we have to wait until all of us are ready. at this point, we’re still in the early stages of defining what Barrio Siete is, and we don’t know what our future role is gonna be. i had things in mind, but i can’t share them yet dahil we need to see where Barrio will take us.
when we’re ready, i think that’s one very logical thing to do dahil Barrio Siete tayo. but not yet. not yet. hahaha!
di ako maka relate pero ang parents ko, di sumasali sa mga ganyan kasi daw gastos tas palakasan pa madalas.
teka OT, ang bilis ng loading ng barrio. hindi na namumuti ang mata ko hehe
wala syang pinagkaiba sa mga pulitika nang isang pinoy organization sa labas nang pilipinas hehehe
@Dencios/Reynz – Nakatikim na ako ng lufet ng palakasan system before when I graduated in elementary. Ako kasi dapat ang recipient pero grabe, sa anak ng janitor namin ibinigay ang scholarship!
Why? Kasi daw anak na ako ng isang OFW!!! Grrr, nakakaloka naman yung ginawa nung nakatanggap kasi nag-asawa agad ang bruha. Hindi na nakatuloy ng pag-aaral dahil andami na ng anak… ~roll eyes~
snow,
nyak. sayang naman ang scholarship. karma na siguro nila yun snow. pero sayang talaga. tsk tsk tsk
I haven’t been to a college homecoming. High school lang ay ina-atenan ko, more intimate kasi maliit lang iskul namin. Alumni play a big role in not only connecting us to one another but a little significantly in providing scholarship assistance to deserving students…Pag reunion kasi, may Miss, Misis, at Mister at ang proceeds ay mapupunta na dun sa scholarship. Ang saya…
dapat kasi sa alumni na yan, dedicated ang mga officers at gawing full time a swelduhan nang university, kasi pag voluntary, ang hirap gawin, conflict kasi ang objectives nang alumni org sa mismong alumni na naghahanap nang pera hahaha
simula ng gumradweyt ako sa elementary, high school, college, graduate school, wala na akong narinig sa mga klasmeyts ko, naputol talaga communication namin pero yung mga skul existing pa rin, member ako ng PUP alumni association pero ni minsan di ako nakatanggap ng sulat
hahaha kahit yong alumni association namen, puro lang sosyalan ang mga yon, alam mo na, catching up and everything, kaya pag pinasukan nang noble sum’tin sum’tin, walang panahon ang mga alumni to do that thing. am not saying na masama, typical lang busy ang mga alumni to be successful personally kaya wala silang pakealam sa alumni events other than homecoming hahaha
nung higschool, graduate ako ng Rizal High School, yung biggest HS ever. pag trasfer ko ng 3rd from St Paul Pasig, culture shock ang lola mo! from uber hi-tech classrooms, sa gym at ilalim ng puno ang klase sa Rizal High. blackboard lang ang pagitan. sa dami ng istudyante, nightmare mag organize ng reunion. am sure merong mga associations pero i have never been active in one, mukhang pang top sections lang yun!
anak ng?! rizal high ka ba?! andyan yong pamangkin ko! titser! nung nagkukwento na ang class nya is almost a hundred na daw ata, madismaya ako. ni wala na raw upuan. yong iba, nakaharap na sa panga nya, nakaupo lang sa may 1 inch ang layo sa blackboard taz yong nasa likod standing ovation hahaah para daw rock concert ang klase nya hehehe
Oh mi gosh Reynz. Super relate ako sa post mo na ito. I unsubscribed sa aking kyusi high school alumni e-group. Nuon kasi, ang kulet kulet nila na umattend ako sa meetings dahil kasi batch namin ang mag host ng grand homecoming.Join naman ako,i attended meetings and helped out raising fund and contributed as well. After our hosting, aba ang mababasa ko sa aming yahoo group, dumating si ganyan galing abroad, gumimik sila, nag out of town sila sila with matching pictures posted pa. sila-sila lang nagkaalaman feeling ko, maalala ka lang pag may projects at kailangan ng big attendance. Nakakawala ng gana.Pero sige, attend pa din ako to the point na ako na nag disseminate ng announcements. Asus, biglang nagkakasiraan na, and too personal na ang mga naririnig ko against me. Nadismaya ako. Tama ka, dapat fun at pag enjoy muna para maluwag sa loob mo mag contribute sa mga projects. Sa amin kasi, parang kelangan ka lang sa contribution pero pag dating sa kasiyahan, sila-sila lang, yung mga self proclaimed leaders lang ang nag kaalaman.
it’s sad di ba lani? and these alumni assoc sa barrio tend to single out overseas grads like moi. you have no idea how many donation here, donation there letters and email i get from all over the place. kahit hindi ko na reunion, they still ask and all these noble projects disappear after sosyalan, in other words, i never really believe na me hahantungan ang mga projects nila because from the start they don’t realize na they were headed to failure.
At ang malupet parang kami pa ang nahihiya na humingi ng Financial statement. Kaya dina talaga ako nag attend pag nagppatawag ng meeting..
I never experience to attend reunion ng alumni homecoming…dahil laging wala sa bansa… how i wish na gusto ko rin makita yung mga dati kong mga ka-klase….. Lalo na yung Syota ko na syota ng bayan na syota rin ng aking propesor…
Nasan na kaya yun?
@tiyo paeng, exactly the reason why one attends a homecoming hahaha! or pag attend ko, naka palda na ako hehehe
Parang nai-imagine ko ang itsura mo pag nakapalda ka… parang.. ha ha ha wag na lang baka itaboy mo pa ako.. ha ha ha
hehehe! me litrato na ako nun sa reyna hanapin mo yong nag-declare ako nang candidacy as the 1st woman president hehehe hinay ang pag-click at baka atakehin ka sa puso hehehe
Teka! hanapin ko.. tignan ko kung anu itsura.. he he he
Di kaya atakehin ako ng puso? ha ha ha
my alumni gathering kami ng aking mga classmates sa high school, but sad to say, every year 20 plus lang kami na active. that means 25 percent.
nahihiya na ang iba mag-attend kasi sose na ang iba nilang mga classmates at sila ay the same pa rin…
I think yung alumni association na member yung husband ko is very intact, as matter of fact meron nga silang sariling building at malaking function hall, inside the building is a small bookstore that sells a lot of items ranging from sports apparel to books authored by the alumni themselves. The association is very well organized, saka karamihan sa mga alumni nag dodonate ng anda as in maraming anda lalo na yung mga sinuwerte sa buhay.
so true reynz. Nahati yung HS alumni association namin dahil sa issue ng funds. Lahat gusto ipasponsor sa members ng association……. benta ng raffle ticket, pabingo, donation sa me sakit, patay atbp….. Pag pumalag ka, di ka in. Nandyan yun biglang me category na yun have at have nots…. mapapasukan na ng pulitika.
You are right in saying that the reason you attend reunions or meet up with old classmates and friends is mainly about socializing, keeping up at hindi maging parang politiko na mamudmod ng pera…..
naku.. true yan..
president ako ng alumni association namin. nung binuo yun, ang gusto talaga ng school ay makapag produce ng scholar. ok naman sa akin pero ang hirap talaga maka likom ng pera..
makakuha ka nga lang ng dadating sa sosyalan homecoming mo, mahirap na e. makakuha pa kaya ng pera.
tsaka napakahirap hanapan ng oras ang pag organize ang mga ganitong bagay. hindi ka makahingi ng tulong dahil pati officers mo, hindi ganun ka dedicated.
We have a very good alumni group in my Barrio7 so we are able to fund a lot of scholars, give computers, and also finish some beautification projects for our school. The secret is having a very good set of volunteers who do the campaigning/e-mailing months and months before the actual event/deadline and another set of volunteers who actually do the physical work and implementation. Of course most of us here who live far away we do our part and send our donations.
ok. can we sponsor a scholar? wahahahah!
Buraot, kung tulong tulong why not? Why can we not even sponsor a gawad kalinga home? There is so much we can do if we all lift the load as they say