Overview

What Makes a Successful Reunion?

For the college, in addition to providing an enjoyable experience for all who attend, a successful class Reunion is marked by three quantifiable components: attendance, giving, and participation.

1. High levels of attendance contribute to a more memorable Reunion, which, in turn, leads to higher levels of attendance at future Reunions. Reunion is a great time for alumni to reconnect with Bates friends, to make new friends with classmates they may not have known as a student, and to rediscover their connection to the college itself. The entire Reunion Committee is responsible for generating enthusiasm for Reunion and inspiring classmates to return for the weekend. Personal contacts make a dramatic difference in attendance. While the Gift Committee is already making calls for the class gift and will encourage people to attend Reunion as part of their calls, it is important to have Program Committee members contact those who are not part of those assignments to ensure everyone in the class is contacted. These calls happen in the spring, after registration packets have been mailed. The Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement will provide lists of classmates’ contact information. Many classes have discovered that creating a class page on Facebook has been an excellent method to encourage connections between classmates in the year leading up to Reunion and to increase attendance at Reunion. What makes Reunion Weekend successful will, of course, vary from person to person. For some classmates, it may be the opportunity to visit with old friends, or attend stimulating lectures. For others, it will be the satisfaction of helping their class break a record, or win a softball game, or perhaps the sheer joy of walking the campus and rediscovering old haunts.

2. Reunion giving is a crucial component of the college’s annual budget and helps Bates achieve its educational mission. During this year, you and your classmates will be asked to commemorate your Reunion by making a special gift to Bates. While most Reunion gifts will be a stretch gift to the Bates Fund, some may also include a gift or pledge to a capital project, an endowed fund, a life income gift, or a bequest to the college. We hope that you will take up the challenge and help raise the money that is vital to the ongoing financial well-being of the college.

3. Participation in the class gift is an important demonstration of alumni loyalty to Bates, and gifts of every size work together to make a difference in the life of the college. The importance of consistent giving to Bates, at any level, can best be encouraged by classmates.

How Bates Supports Your Reunion

Bates greatly appreciates the time that Reunion volunteers give to the college, and will work with you to make your job as efficient and as enjoyable as possible.

Your class will work with two staff liaisons from the Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement and Annual Giving, one who will support program volunteers and one who will support gift volunteers. Your staff liaisons will:

• Provide training and support throughout the Reunion year. Training is available at Reunion Planning Workshops as well as through printed and online materials. The staff is always accessible by telephone, e-mail, or fax for support, questions, and advice.
• Help prepare all Reunion mailings, including program, registration, and solicitation materials.
• Provide lists of assigned classmate addresses and phone numbers to make staying in touch easy, as well as necessary giving information for fundraising purposes.
• Update volunteers on Reunion program and giving efforts.

Communication

The college will send out several general mailings about Reunion to all classmates including a “Save the Date” magnet, newsletters in both electronic and mail versions, and multiple solicitations throughout the year.  For a more detailed look at the communications schedule, see the 2011-2012 Reunion Planning Calendar.

The Offices of Alumni and Parent Engagement and Annual Giving will also format and send all mailings for your class. With respect to both environmental and financial resources, our general policy is to send only two hard copy mailings at the beginning of the Reunion planning process. After that, all class-specific communications will be e-mails. Therefore it is important to encourage as many classmates as possible to provide the college with their e-mail addresses. Staff liaisons will also help coordinate conference calls and provide lists of names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses for classmates, on paper or electronically. Bates makes every effort to keep address and phone information up-to-date. However, approximately 10% of the U.S. population moves each year, so you may run into some out-of-date addresses on the lists we provide. If you have problems with an address, please contact your staff liaison. Please also send any updates you find on your own back to your staff liaison in either the Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement or Annual Giving.

Bates’ Online Community is another resource that will be useful in planning your Reunion. Users can access planning manuals and individual class pages. The class pages offer a place to post class notes and pictures, as well as a way to communicate who has registered for Reunion. For more information on how to use the Online Community, please talk with your class liaison.

Supplies

Your staff liaison will make every effort to supply you with materials you need for a successful Reunion. Trash barrels, tables, and bulletin boards with push pins will be provided in your headquarters. Bates will also “leave the light on” and post a lighted sign with your class numerals on it near the door to your headquarters. We also provide your class banner for the parade.  Materials available at Registration will include the weekend program booklet, campus maps, keys and electronic access cards (for the external door to your dorm), meal tickets, nametags, individual class schedules and any necessary information about specific events such as the golf outing. If there is material your class would like that you don’t see listed here, be sure to ask your class liaison.

Student Workers

Each class will be assigned two BatesStar (Bates Students in Alumni Relations) volunteers – energetic students who will serve as class hosts for the weekend. BatesStars will be on hand all weekend to assist your class in making this the most memorable weekend possible - everything from carrying bags to running for ice to helping with decorations for your banquet. If a member of your class has a sibling, child, or grandchild who is a current student, that student will be invited to serve as your class’s BatesStar host. Please let us know if you know of any special connections that a classmate of yours might have with a current student so that we can ask them to get involved.

In addition, a member of the college’s administrative staff - usually from the Office of College Advancement – will be assigned to your class throughout the weekend to help ensure that all runs smoothly.

Transportation and Special Assistance

The college provides chauffeured golf carts and drivers for use during the weekend. Please reassure classmates who are concerned about getting around campus that there is help available throughout the weekend. Persons requiring special assistance or accommodations should be encouraged to contact the Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement well in advance of Reunion to make special arrangements. We are happy to rent wheelchairs or other equipment locally, to assist with special dietary needs, to provide accessible rooms, or to assist in other ways – everyone in your class should feel welcome and comfortable at Reunion!

Housing

Housing is available in the dormitories on a space-available basis. Dormitories are allocated to classes at the end of May, using the number of confirmed reservations as the basis for assignment. Our more senior alumni are assigned to dormitories with elevators and nearby parking. While we are happy to entertain requests for certain dorms, we do appreciate your understanding that the final decision needs to be made on the basis of each class’s needs and the number of classmates returning for Reunion.

As a reminder, dormitory life is relatively austere. Rooms are furnished simply with a bed, desk, chair, and bookcase. Beds are made with sheets, a pillow, and a single blanket. Towels are provided. Please help us remind your classmates to bring their own reading lamps, fans, alarm clocks, soap, additional blankets and whatever else they need to be comfortable for the weekend.  (We can make special arrangements for those traveling from a distance.) While floors are co-ed, the bathrooms are single sex in all Reunion dormitories.

Classmates who prefer to stay in local hotels or motels are advised to make their own arrangements well in advance. A list of area accommodations is available on the Bates website.

Security

Security is an important issue on campus. The college cannot assume liability for personal items.  Every classmate who stays on campus will have secure access to the dormitory and his or her room. Program chairs will have the option of having an additional dormitory room in their headquarters to store refreshments, CD/DVD players, VCRs, or anything else they may have brought, borrowed or rented for Reunion. We strongly encourage Reunion chairs to use these rooms and to keep the door locked at all times.

Please join us in encouraging your classmates to keep their rooms locked at all times and not to leave the outside doors to the dormitories propped open. Doors left propped open will sound an alarm and notify security. There have been occasional personal thefts reported over the years, and it is important that everyone assume responsibility for her or his belongings and safety.