The programs offered by any particular Notre Dame club depend in large part on the number of alumni within reasonable proximity to club activities, the club's distance from South Bend and whether the club is located in an urban, suburban or rural area.
The most successful clubs have discovered the best type of calendar is one offering a variety of components. Club officers should recognize that not every program will appeal to each alumnus or alumna. Some alumni want to participate in social events, others in intellectual or continuing education programs, some prefer to assist in service to Notre Dame and some even want to participate in the entire spectrum.
Each club should strive to receive the Program of Excellence Award from the Alumni Association. The criteria differs depending on the size of your club, but the basic premise is to incorporate the 6 C's of Program Excellence: Camaraderie, Catholic/Christian Spirituality, Communications, Community Service, Continuing Education, and Current Students. Please refer to the Club Awards section of this manual or check with your regional director to see what type of programming your club needs to receive this award.
The Six C's represent the ways in which ND clubs can reach out to their members, specifically:
Continuing Education--fostering opportunities for learning
Community Service--helping others in the neighborhood and beyond
Current Students--they're future alumni who can bring a lot of energy to a club
Camaraderie--sharing the Notre Dame Spirit with other alumni
Catholic/Christian Spirituality-- providing opportunities for spiritual growth
Communications--while it's often in the background, it ties everything together and makes the club successful
To be as effective as possible in planning these events and activities, the Board of Directors and Committee Chairpersons should put together a yearly calendar to ensure sufficient planning time and that events are not concentrated in one period of the year. With a strong core of volunteers, these events are fairly simple to plan and execute. Access tips on event planning.
The following lists are examples of the different types of activities from each category.
Continuing Education
Community Service
Current Students
Camaraderie
Catholic/Christian Spirituality
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Communion Breakfasts
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Club Masses
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Club Retreats
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Special Lenten Programs
Communications
Fundraising
Some ideas for fundraisers to bolster your club's treasure include:
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Raffles--raffle tickets to football games or donated items, have a 50/50 drawing at an event
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Golf tournaments and outings (get sponsors for holes to donate prizes and pay a fee for advertising)
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Game trips (charge a little extra for tickets)
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Make a profit on events
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Dues drives
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Bookstore or Golf Pro Shop items on consignment
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Silent auctions
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Publish book of club reflections
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Calendar drawing
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Sport shirt sales (golf shop)
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Fruit sales
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Port-a-pit dinners