Section V - Communications
A. From Central Office
Beta Gamma Sigma communicates with its members in a variety of formats. Each of these communication tools provides information about and to the alumni population of the Society.
1. BetaNet is the website of Beta Gamma Sigma. BetaNet provides information about the Alumni Chapters and includes a page on each chapter. This page can serve as the Alumni Chapter’s website until they set up their own site. On an ongoing basis, the BetaNet page for each chapter provides limited information on the next chapter event, chapter contact information and a link to the chapter site, if applicable. Beta Gamma Sigma can only include current information if the chapter informs the Central Office staff – so please make sure someone in the chapter’s leadership bears the responsibility of informing the Society of any updates to include.
2. The BGS Member Directory is available to all members. Alumni Chapters, as well as individual members, may access membership directory information to help identify potential members as speakers, sponsors, etc. for the Alumni Chapter. The directory also offers the opportunity to send broadcast emails to all members in a given geographic area for whom BGS has a valid email address. While these emails must be sent through the Central Office, the staff is pleased to send a limited number of messages for chapters prior to and to publicize upcoming chapter events. Please contact Tim Weatherby at tweatherby@betagammasigma.org for assistance on this. Again, further information is available from the Central Office.
3. Broadcast Emails – Beta Gamma Sigma can send broadcast emails to all members for which the Society has email addresses and who reside in a given set of zip codes. Chapters must provide advance notice to the Central Office of their request for this service. While the program available to the Central Office for this service is continually being upgraded, chapters should be aware that the current program does not allow attachments. Chapters are also encouraged to continually provide the Central Office with any additional email addresses obtained for chapter members.
4. BGS International Exchange is the online and printed magazine of Beta Gamma Sigma and is mailed to BGS members one-to-three times per year.
B. From Alumni Chapter
In addition to the major contacts available through the Central Office, and which are cost prohibitive to the Alumni Chapters, the following are ways the individual Alumni Chapters can contact their chapter members:
1. Broadcast Emails – Chapters maintain email addresses for their members and contact them directly about upcoming chapter events. Chapters should encourage members to continually provide them with an accurate and current email address.
NOTE: Chapters are not authorized to send (broadcast) emails to the entire BGS membership in their geographic areas; only to those who are or have been members of the local chapter. The BGS Central Office is exclusively authorized to send emails to its entire membership in a given geographic area. Please contact Tim Weatherby at tweatherby@betagammasigma.org if you have any questions.
2. Local mailings to chapter members – While the cost for chapters to send mailings to all potential members in their geographic areas is too extreme, chapters can handle and should routinely send mailings to their current members. Since most chapters have a membership of 100-400 members, the cost of such a mailing is one that chapters can manage. A few of the chapters have developed and provide a chapter newsletter to update members on the chapter’s activities.
3. Phone Tree – Several chapters have developed a phone tree so that assigned members can contact other members/potential members by phone to remind them of upcoming chapter events. This method of contact should be used only as a supplemental method of contact to chapter members.
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