You’re an Alumnus… Now What?

 by Kat Tibulski, Life Member, TBΣ |

[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #0099FF;”]S[/dropcap]o you are an alumnus of Tau Beta Sigma or Kappa Kappa Psi…now what? I personally wrestled with this question after graduation and have found a few things that can be helpful.  The first step is to stay informed, some ways to do this are:

1.     Stay on the listserves – see what the actives and officers are up to! You may want to switch to a weekly notification setting though to save your poor inbox, also to not be overwhelmed.

2.     Join an Alumni Association. TBΣAA and KKΨAA keep you updated on alumni news as well as being a great networking tool. Local alumni associations keep you updated as to local, district and chapter news and again can be a great more localized networking tool.

So you know what is going on, but you joined these organizations because they are service based, right? Being a realist, sometimes work and family life can take over and there is no way to participate in the sister and brotherhood like when you were active…SO WHAT?  As an alumnus don’t let your love of service dwindle – you can still do a lot!  Even if after graduation your involvement with band is less, you can make a difference.  Now you’re asking yourself, “if it is so easy how can I help?”

1.     VOTE! Without Elementary, Middle School and High School music programs, Collegiate bands are next to impossible.  So take ten minutes out of your day, make a crock-pot dinner to feed the family and vote in your town.  Pass school budgets that a lot for arts and music programs.  Where would you be without them?  Even if you don’t have children in the district, they are YOUR tax dollars so spend them in a way you feel is beneficial.  Give the arts a fighting chance.

2.     Give… I know this is a hard one, especially in today’s economy.  The monetary need of collegiate bands can definitely seem overwhelming, but seriously every penny counts.  If you can give a dollar, that’s great!  If you can’t think about other ways you can help.  For example if a chapter close to you is having a restaurant fundraiser, you gotta eat, so why not go and let part of your dinner proceeds help!

3.     Be open. There is no greater gift, then the gift of knowledge!  Being an alumnus you know what has worked and what hasn’t worked.  So if your advice is asked for, take the time to give it!  You can also be open as a professional resource, help with resumes or share great lesson plan ideas.  The key to being open is to be receptive to requests, Tau Beta Sigma and Kappa Kappa Psi are about leadership, help budding leader excel.

The transition to an alumnus, finding a balance for Tau Beta Sigma/ Kappa Kappa Psi and like, or finding your place in the alumni world can be tough; however, there is a place for everyone.  Remember even the smallest amount of money, a single vote, or a returned e-mail can mean the world to these wonderful organizations and collegiate bands.