Ideas for a Bash
Bash hosts select the location, type of food and fun for each event.  We don't want these gatherings to be a financial burden, so keep it simple.  Ask others to help share the costs, including ACU alumni or friends of the university and local members of the Board of Trustees and Alumni Advisory Board.  Use the event checklist to make sure all the details are planned.

Here are a few suggestions for food:
Light refreshments or snacks
Sandwich or salad supper
Potluck dessert buffet
Cook-out
Dutch treat - meet at a local restaurant (Be sure to cover costs for student honorees)

Bash Details
The ACU Office of Alumni Relations will provide a mailing list of alumni, current students and incoming freshmen in the area.  See ideas and text for a sample invitation.  Assistance in mailing invitations will be provided on request.

Alumni Relations will also provide a party box of purple and white goodies and give-a-ways to be used as door prizes or however party planners see fit.

Purple & White Party Box includes:
Blank nametags and Sharpie pens
Guest registration sheets
Purple and white ribbons and balloons
ACU goodies and give-a-ways
Blank blessing cards
ACU pens
A large envelope to keep the blessing cards for later delivery
Wildcat Parents information
Calendar of fall events
Abilene Christian & U forms
Alumni update forms
Admissions materials

The Bash Itself
Greetings and registration:  Have an outgoing person greet all guests as they arrive.  Make sure everyone has a nametag and signs the guest registration sheet.  Decide if you want guests to eat or snack immediately or perhaps play an icebreaker game to encourage interaction.

Devotional:  Sing a few songs and have a couple of alumni give testimonials about how attending ACU has blessed their lives, led to lifetime relationships or even brought them to God.

Student blessing:  Pray for God's blessing on the students from your group who will be attending ACU, along with wisdom and understanding for ACU faculty, staff and administrators.  During the party, make sure everyone writes a personal message on a blessing card for each student.  Collect all the cards in a basket or box and send them to the Alumni Office in the envelope provided.

Special favors:  We want this to be a personal experience for everyone involved, so hosts may want to provide special favors for each student - a memento or token to remind them of home.  For instance, a group from Southwest Houston provides T-shirts for incoming freshmen that attend their back-to-school event each year.  The matching shirts allow the students to identify each other on campus.

Take pictures:  We'll post them on our Web site, along with a brief description of your bash and any special stories you submit.

Wrap up:  Let us know how it went!  Complete the evaluation form and return it, along with completed registration sheets and any leftover cards and materials.

2006 Summer Parties
Austin - Aug. 7
Charlotte, NC - Aug. 12
Colorado Springs, CO - Aug. 12
Dallas - Aug. 6
Fort Worth - Aug. 7
Houston- Aug. 12
Lubbock - Aug. 10
Midland - Aug. 10
San Antonio - Aug. 6
Tyler - Aug. 14