Chapter Objectives, Activities, Projects And Services

Some Broad Objectives for Chapters:

• To strengthen the ties between Gallaudet University and the local alumni.
• To maintain an organization to promote the projects of the Gallaudet University Alumni Association and to support all fund raising efforts sponsored by the GUAA and/or the University.
• To support the Gallaudet University Alumni Association to the best of the Chapter’s ability by making contributions to the General Treasury of the Association.
• To strengthen Gallaudet University through the Gallaudet University Alumni Association by taking an active part, both locally and on a national scale, and by making annual contributions to the University.
• To provide social gatherings for those closely bound to the University by having been students there, or by reason of marriage to former students, or by personal interest in the University and its students.
• To assist parents of deaf children to become better acquainted with their deaf child through association with deaf adults.
• To encourage and assist programs honoring Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, Edward Miner Gallaudet, Laurent Clerc, Charter Day, etc.
• To sponsor banquets and other affairs that will be good publicity for Gallaudet and will be enjoyable to the alumni.
• To encourage all alumni to become Life Members of the Gallaudet University Alumni Association.
• To work with other organizations of the deaf on issues and concerns of interest to all deaf persons.

Procedure to Follow in Establishing a GUAA Chapter:

1. A petition for establishment must be signed by five alumni Life Members of the GUAA. Life Members are those who have paid their life membership dues. Current dues are $100.00 for life.
2. A copy of the Chapter’s proposed by laws must be submitted to the Alumni Relations Office. The petition and proposed by laws will then be submitted to the GUAA Board of Directors for approval.

Chapter Projects:

Gallaudet alumni are very important to the University. The Federal Government, large companies and foundations, other colleges, foreign organizations, and other individuals are often interested in learning what the University has done for its students, its alumni, and for deaf and hard-of-hearing people in general, but their interests do not stop there. They also ask what the Gallaudet alumni have done, or are doing, for the University.

Gallaudet’s alumni do much for the University. They are annual donors, they maintain and attribute their successful careers to the education they received at Gallaudet University, they support their communities through involvement in their local GUAA Chapter and/or other organizations. Each Chapter maintains its own system of serving, socializing, and publicizing its affiliation with Gallaudet University. Listed below are some ideas and suggestions Chapters can adopt.

Fellowship:

• Socials following meetings
• Dinners/Meetings
• Picnics/Meetings
• Gallaudet Club
• Shared meetings with other organizations of the deaf. Both groups could observe each other’s meetings and then socialize afterwards.

Fund Raising:

• Banquets with Gallaudet non alumni included
• Brunches, luncheons
• Sales of books, baked goods, etc. during events such as Homecoming, school picnics
• Car washes (include the kids)
• Team up with other organizations, work together and split profits

Recognition:

• Host a “Congrats Party” for high school seniors and encourage them to consider admission to Gallaudet University
• Write letters or resolutions to political leaders, other organizations, the media, etc., to commend or respond to certain actions or situations
• Talk with deaf and hard-of-hearing students and recruit them to Gallaudet University
• Award scholarships to students going to Gallaudet
• Award GUAA Life Memberships to seniors going to Gallaudet
• Team up with other organizations for a good cause

Celebrations:
Celebrate special Gallaudet dates by sponsoring banquets, brunches, plays at schools, etc.

• Feb. 15—Edward Miner Gallaudet’s birthday
• Apr. 8—Charter Day
• Dec. 10—Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet’s birthday
• Dec. 26—Laurent Clerc’s birthday

Regions:

• West (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Canada (Alberta and British Columbia))
• Middle (Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas,Wisconsin)
• East (Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, West Virginia, Canada (New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia))
• Home (Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C)