Welcome to Chapter News! Every month, alumni chapter leaders receive this e-newsletter with information regarding IU, the Alumni Association, and best practices for alumni chapters.

Show Your Appreciation for Ken Beckley
Indiana University alumni have been truly fortunate the past five years to have Ken Beckley as their IU Alumni Association president and CEO. As his retirement date approaches (January 31, 2007), many alumni chapter leaders have inquired about opportunities to show their appreciation to Ken for his years of service and leadership.

Please note that Ken has requested that we keep his retirement recognition "low-key" and focus any recognition efforts in a way that supports the Alumni Association. Consequently, we are inviting all IUAA alumni chapters and/or chapter leaders to join in a special tribute to Ken by making a donation to the Jerry Tardy Endowment Fund in Ken's honor. Gifts of any amount are more than welcome, and will be very meaningful as an expression of support and appreciation for his years of leadership. Over the next few months, our hope is to recognize Ken through the support of as many IUAA friends as possible - and we ask you to consider joining in this campaign as well.

The fund was established in 2003 to honor Jerry Tardy (IUAA president and CEO, 1986-2001), and is intended to provide a stable, ongoing source of unrestricted support for IUAA programs and operations. The fund has become an integral part of the IUAA's financial support, and it has already enabled the IUAA to expand its programs for students and alumni, including additional online resources for chapter volunteers and enhancements to the annual Alumni Chapter Leaders Conference.

A special tribute to Ken, including the names of those who participated in this special opportunity, will be made before his retirement in January 2007. If you wish to support this, please send your check made payable to IU Foundation with memo line "JFT Endowment" to the IU Foundation, c/o Randy Rogers, P.O. Box 500, Bloomington, IN 47402. For more information, contact Randy Rogers at ranroger@indiana.edu or (812) 855-3677.

The Big Ten Network is launching in August 2007 and will be a 24/7 television sports network focused exclusively on the Big Ten Conference and its member institutions. The Big Ten Conference and Fox are working hard to secure agreements with cable and satellite providers across the country to ensure that the Big Ten Network is as widely distributed as possible to the four-million-plus Big Ten alumni across the nation. IUAA chapter leaders can have a major impact on this process by supporting these efforts. Please send an e-mail to Meredith Powell, Big Ten Network, at meredith.powell@hillandknowlton.com to show your support and share your contact information with her. In turn, you will receive Big Ten Network support cards to distribute to your chapter members at your upcoming chapter gatherings. The postage-paid Big Ten Network support cards should be distributed to your chapter members for completion. Individuals sending in the cards will also be added to the Big Ten Network e-mail list to receive exclusive information and important updates regarding the Big Ten Network. For more information about the Big Ten Network, visit http://www.bigten.org.

Rocker John Mellencamp performed before IU's Homecoming game against Michigan State on October 28. IU's football team made great strides this season, and chapter leaders, especially those in warmer regions, should start thinking about an IU post-season bowl game in 2007!

Promote IUAA Membership at Your Chapter Events
Chapter events are great places to promote IUAA membership! You may offer a Special Event Price of $10 off a single or joint annual membership at your chapter's events. Recent graduates are still eligible to join or renew at the half-price annual rate of $20 ($25 for joint) if their first IU degree was received within the last five years. Offering a $10 discount on annual membership is a nice way to thank alumni for attending your chapter's events. Contact your IUAA chapter director for special event membership forms and signage. Please contact Joan Hall, director of membership, with any questions at jchall@indiana.edu.

Chaper Financial Reports Due in November! Don't forget!
Twice each year chapter treasurers are responsible for submitting financial reports to the IUAA. These reports detail how chapter funds are being used, and are required of all chapters. Please remember, chapters that fail to submit financial reports on time risk losing their status as active IUAA chapters and subsequent dues allocations. The first financial report of the current fiscal year (Mid-Year Report) is due no later than November 30, 2006. This report covers activities taking place between May 1 and October 31, 2006. Mid-year report forms and instructions were mailed to all chapter treasurers in late October. A copy of the reporting form is available online. For more information, visit the Guidelines for Alumni Chapter Treasurers or contact Aimee Hansell at ahansell@indiana.edu or (800) 824-3044.

Trivia Time!
Indiana has appeared in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament 33 times. What is IU's win-loss record in tournament games during those 33 appearances? The first person to respond to mskirvin@indiana.edu with the correct answer will receive two tickets to the IU-Charlotte Men's Basketball game on Saturday, December 2, 2006!