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Apathy ----- Surely not a Grad Thing!!!!! We are Professionals Right???

Submitted by Richard Hall on Wed, 2006-10-11 13:22. General Chat

I struggle with a number of grads with whom I have talked about the great benefits of USAFA WOL Alumni (to young people shooting for appointments, cadets, active duty, and those in transition). Most speak well of what we can do but still only a few actually take the time to join officially. They say they will but it takes 5-6 emails and phone calls to get them moving. In the mean time we have to ask for 200% out of the folks we have to make up for the lack of members.

How do we get "comfortable" grads to actually join, pay dues, and volunteer for committee work. We need more workers to help with , membership, communication (web maintenance/updates), budget planning, reunion planning, and more.

Presently we depend heavily on class reps but we need help kick starting some class reps.

What are you suggestions? And please, come with suggestions and not just opinions (smile).

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Apathy ----- Surely not a

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 2006-10-11 13:40.

What do our grads perceive they need from an alumni organization? Networking? Mentoring? Improving chances of military promotion? Getting a better job when they transition out of the military? If we can find out what they really want, then we can give it to them. Are our grads as ambitions as those in other alumni organizations? Or are they just happy to be out of the ghetto and in a decent job making good money? Do they want connections to build power, prestige, and wealth, or do they just want to get together a few times a year few old buddies with a similar background/mindset and shoot the breeze?

You requested suggstions, not just opinions, so with that long-winded opinion here are two suggestion: Let's survey the bulk of members in the directory who are not paid and find out what are the top 3 things they want from our organization. In the meantime, let's encourage our cadets with next year's pathfinder and by setting up some sort of "mentorship" network so that they will be connected with a fellow alumnus who can take care of them at their first base.

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Apathy ------- Surely Not ...

Submitted by Richard Hall on Wed, 2006-10-11 20:28.

The majority of the grads involved with the start of the organization viewed this as a chance to be of service to others not necessarly from a "what do I need from the alumni" point of view. Most grads in transition from job to job or out of active duty saw this as another way to "network." The younger grads (for the most part) have spoken mostly of the career advice. Others just want to see what old friends are doing. So all the reasons you mentioned apply. In any case, I firmly believe the alumni group can go a long way in satisfying each need.

I like the survey approach to see what most grads want from the organization. We can do that now and I invite you to help with that project. At the last Pathfinder Seminar we had 16 grads speak to cadets. A hot topic was "How to handle that first assignment." Once we build our membership we can refer these young grads to mentors at their first assignment. One problem is getting the mentors to join the organization. I hesitate to list a grad as a WOL mentor who has not made the effort to officially join WOL. In no way do I mean only WOL members should mentor other WOL members.

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