Bringing together a group of alumni for membership in an alumni association does not have to entail a major time commitment or expensive dues. In fact, if you model your association after those groups with a long-standing history, you may find the process is as easy as 1-2-3. The Toledo Area Alumni Association follows a consistent, regular pattern — one that the group’s leaders consider to be the key to their success.

Charles Hodge (Toledo ’64), better known as Chuck, has served as the president of the association for the past 20 years. He says the Toledo group replicated what well-known alumnus Bill Fiscus created for the Detroit Area Alumni Association that seemed to work. After all, the award for the most outstanding alumni association is named for Fiscus, so Hodge says he must have known a recipe for achievement. Its ingredients included a few annual events that took place at the same time in the same location that built a regular, predictable pattern.

“You have to keep it simple by finding one, two or three things that work for your group,” Hodge says. “It doesn’t matter what the events are, but you’ll figure out what works. You’re not out there trying to save the world. You’re just coming together and enjoying that bond you share when you need a break from the rest of your life.”

As examples, they started playing golf more than 30 years ago on the Wednesday after Labor Day and called it Doctor’s Day Off. They’ve conducted a sailboat outing, a cookout for homecoming, a Founders Day event and a Christmas luncheon. A consistent trend developed, and after awhile, association members knew what to expect and looked forward to participating in the group’s various activities.

When Hodge returned from the Army in 1966, he joined the association upon the encouragement of an older gentleman who had been involved for some time. When the Ohio Nu chapter at the University of Toledo started in 1953, alumni were skeptical the group would last since the student body was comprised mostly of commuters. Yet the graduating members remained loyal and engaged, which has benefited the alumni association’s events and outreach to serve as mentors for the undergraduates.

The Toledo Area Alumni Association stays committed to the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Foundation as well. Much like the Detroit Area Alumni Association, the Toledo group started a consistent effort to make donations in memory of brothers who’ve passed to the Chapter Eternal. Those gifts benefit the Foundation and are logged in each issue of The Record. Interesting to note, the Toledo Area Alumni Association is recognized as a Founder Member— the second group to earn such recognition behind Detroit. In any given issue, readers likely will see Toledo listed in the In Memory/In Honor section.

“If you look at the guys from Ohio Nu and their giving record with the Foundation, you’ll notice a third of them have always given to the Foundation,” Hodge says. “I’d like to think that’s because we always encouraged them to donate—however small or big the amount—so they got into the habit of giving back.”

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