Alcohol Free Event Ideas

 

Four factors for success:

 

1)  Competition:   Within reason, nearly everyone enjoys competing in activities, especially when those activities are out of the ordinary.  Don’t play to the advantage of athletic members.  Give everyone a chance.

 

2)  Food:   Theme the food to the event.  Better: involve your guests and members in preparing food, such as a BBQ sauce competition or the ice cream sundae competition.

 

3)  Activity:      Get your members and guests moving around and doing something besides sitting.  Introductions are much easier when you are working together.

 

4) Different:    What’s the challenge in hosting a band party?  Developing unique

events and retrofitting old ideas for present day sends a positive message about your chapter—that you aren’t “just another frat”.

 

 

Reality TV night.

 

Invite everyone to your house to watch the final episode of a current popular reality TV series, such as  Survivor, The Bachelor, or Joe Millionaire.  Decorate the house like the theme and have games and awards for people who most resemble the show’s stars. 

 

Ice Cream Social

 

This is a great event to start off the fall term.  After you help move incoming freshmen and other students into the residence halls, invite them along with their parents to the house or a room you have reserved for an ice cream sundae bar.  Everyone makes their own sundae and prizes can be awarded to the most creative and best-looking sundaes.   

 

Bowling

 

Don't make this just another night of bowling.  Make it a more fun with costumes and themes. Invite a sorority or women’s sports team. The possibilities are endless.

 

Some possible theme ideas are

·        Hip hop stars- dress as your favorite rapper or R&B diva

·        Famous couples- bring a date and dress as celebrity couples.(Ben and J-lo, R2D2 and C3PO, George W and Laura)

 

Ice Skating

 

This can usually be done any time of year. Call the local ice rink and rent it out for a couple hours.  Make it an invite only event. It will really get the attention of the people on campuses that complain that there is never anything to do.

 

Theta Chi Olympics

 

This is a great way to have fun and build brotherhood.   Look for things that people do in 2003—cultural norms and trends, and use those as events.  Examples: Cell phone toss…….VHS tape toss or shuttle run……”Enron Excuse competition (best excuse for a failure)…..fastest route from a classroom building to a chapter house (walking, not running)…..a White Castle burger eating contest……(you take it from here).  Think twice about each event—potential for problems?  If it involves physical activity, is it something that is safe?  In these days and times, is the title or anything about the event something that might offend someone from outside the Greek system?  Take your time and ask if you want a second opinion.

 

Party Gras

 

Go to the local “dollar store” and buy beads and other decorations.  Serve a big dinner with Cajun cooking and live music.  Invite your neighbors and other non-Greeks to join the party.  

 

Tailgate for a football game

 

Decorate the chapter house in your school colors, have some BBQ or roast a pig. Then go and root your team to victory. This is a great way to have fun and support your college/university. See if the school mascot will make an appearance.

 

Study Treats

 

Have some cookies, brownies, and milk available at your house.  Call a sorority to set up a time for them to come over during mid terms or finals. This will give everyone a chance to get a break from the stress without losing several hours of time.

 

Card Tournaments

 

Have a card tournament and target those students who sit in residence hall lounges and play cards. Play hearts, poker or euchre. Get prizes donated to encourage competition.

 

Square Dancing/Ballroom Dancing

 

Contact a local dance instructor (usually found in the Yellow pages) and invite a sorority to join you.  You may surprise yourselves when you learn how many people would like to take the first step in learning a particular dance but don’t want to do it themselves.  Give them the opportunity.

 

Intramural Events

 

Co-sponsor intramural events with other fraternities: arm-wrestling, three point shooting, football toss, doubles volleyball, and 3 on 3 basketball.

 

Karaoke Night/Talent Show

 

Conduct a talent show or karaoke night. Ask sororities and other fraternities to participate. Hold an "open mic" night with local comedians and performers. Various fraternities and sororities or other campus groups can enter original skits.

 

Film Festival

 

Use a theme, or focus on films with a certain actor or director. Co-sponsor this with your campus programming board, and have different flavors of popcorn and soft drinks. You can even set it up like a drive-in, projecting the movie up onto a big screen made of sheets tacked up against a wall.

 

Board Game Night/Video Game Tournament

 

Hold a "Game Night" with board game competitions: Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit or The Simpsons trivia. Also include a video games competition with Playstation 2, Nintendo or Xbox.  Dust off your old 8 bit Nintendo or Sega Genesis and play the games you enjoyed growing up. 

 

Fortune Teller Night

 

Sponsor a fortuneteller, palm reader, or astrologer to come to the house to demonstrate his/her skills.

 

Pet Show

 

Work with your local Humane Society and show off some of the pets available for adoption. Students can bring their pets for a stupid pet tricks competition.

 

Celebrities Party

 

Everyone comes dressed as their favorite famous person, from presidents, to entertainers to other historical figures. Give prizes for the best impersonators.  Have the school newspaper cover it as a big time celebrity gala. 

 

Student Night Out

 

Set up a student night at local entertainment attractions: miniature golf, movie theaters, coffee shops, sporting events, and skating rinks.

 

"Tie One On" Party

 

This tie is actually a tie-dye party.  Get plastic vats and fill them with different color dyes.  Do it during the day so that everyone can let their clothes dry in the sun on ropes or cords hung between your house and a tree.

 

Local Trip

 

Sponsor a local trip to a nearby area attraction, beach, mountains, or mall. Go sightseeing, shopping or to a show.

 

Date Dinner

 

Host a semi-formal dinner at the chapter house or at a restaurant with dates.  This is an excellent time to present chapter or alumni awards. Invite an etiquette trainer to “walk” everyone through the meal while using proper etiquette and to answer any questions that may arise.  You will be surprised by the compliments you receive from seniors who want to know more about business etiquette and who learned a great deal from attending the dinner.

 

Greek Party

 

Every other Friday or on one Friday each month, hold a Greek party from 6-9pm. Have lots of great non-alcoholic drinks, contests, great music, and discount tickets to movies, bowling alleys and other types of entertainment, which do not include alcohol. Students say they drink because they can't think of anything else to do. Establish an award for the best alcohol-free social program each year.

 

Trip Giveaway

 

Have a weekend trip giveaway.  Have an event at which people attend with a bag packed for a weekend getaway. Draw names; the winning student and friend are whisked away from the party to their destination. This can be a great yearly event. Ask a local travel agency if they will donate two airline tickets for the publicity.

 

Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day

 

Recognize those who make your college “College”.  Give out apples or donated prizes from area businesses.

 

Outdoor Concert

 

Hold an outdoor concert featuring local performers.  Bring in a band from another city or have the music majors on campus compete in a battle of the bands style show.  Make sure to get all local and university permits first.    If alcohol is not allowed, you can advertise the event and invite the campus.

 

Host a Barbecue

 

Have a big barbecue. For a fee, students get food and a live band.  Make it an annual event or turn it into a competition and invite university faculty to come and judge the BBQ sauce or food. A “hottest chili” competition is great for publicity and involving local citizens as well as students.   Local restaurants may donate food for an ad on the t-shirts that the chapter gives out to participants.   

 

Cinderella Ball

 

This is a really great way to start a social event. Each woman donates a shoe prior to the beginning of the function. When the men arrive, they are instructed to choose a shoe from the large box. From there, the men must search for their Cinderella.  Once the match is made, the two can then participate in the various games against other couples.   Have a three-legged race, an egg toss, or play Trivial Pursuit.

 

Campus Feud

 

Based on the popular television show Family Feud, this event can easily turn into a wildly fun, fast and exciting time for the players, organizers and audience.  Have someone do the surveys a week in advance and use that info for your questions.  You can pit sorority against fraternity or any Greek against Greek. Have someone who is impartial, such as a coach or faculty member, act as judge and host.  

 

Campus Squares

 

Organize this event based on the popular television show Hollywood Squares. Solicit the assistance of your favorite Greek leaders, faculty, staff and administration to serve as the stars in the squares.

 

Caddyshack

 

Design an indoor miniature golf course in your chapter house or student union. Have guests pair up and compete for the highest and lowest scores.  Construct a clubhouse to sell food and drinks.   

 

Dating Game

 

Conduct this event along the lines of the popular television game show of the same name. This is simple to organize and produces hilarious situations for both members and guests. Those people who sit in the audience usually have just as much fun watching as participating as a bachelor or bachelorette.

 

Start by finding both men and women who will agree to participate prior to the beginning of the function. Be sure to keep the identities of those individuals who will be the bachelors and bachelorettes a secret. Find an outgoing individual to play the part of the MC. Those participating should prepare questions in advance and have actual prizes for the winning couples.

 

Be sure to specify that the date will involve a dinner only.

 

Day at the Driving Range

 

This activity is exactly that:  a trip to the driving range. Check with a campus or local golf course for a driving range for group rates and availability. Clubs will also be available to rent there.

 

Golf pros may also be available to assist your members with their swing. Contests such as longest or shortest drive may also bring competition and excitement to the outing. A thematic pre-or post-outing idea would be to watch movies such as Tin Cup, Caddyshack or Happy Gilmore.  Consider prizes for longest drive, most whiffs (completely missing the ball), or most ridiculous (authentic) golf outfit.

 

Decades

 

The 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s. Decorate each floor or room in a house, lodge or student union as a different era. Everyone can dress like his or her favorite time period and awards can be given to the most realistic and funniest costumes. 

 

Drive - In

 

Secure about six white sheets together to create a movie screen. Hang the sheets on the side of the chapter house or from the balcony. Rent the appropriate projection machines so that members and guests can view a movie in a drive-in environment. Machines are available through most rental stores.

 

The event can be designed as an actual drive-in where the sheet is hung on the side of the house facing the parking area. Members and guests will be able to sit in parked vehicles and view the movies, eat snacks and relax. The sheet could also be hung facing the roomiest part of the yard. This would allow members, guests and any passers-by an opportunity to view the featured movie  Guests can throw down blankets and  sit on the lawn.  Be sure to check with the local authorities to make sure that, for example, showing a film on the front of the house will not be a distraction for motorists, and be aware of your neighbors in terms of noise at night.

 

Slam Dunk Contest

 

Check with your campus recreation center or local charity event sponsors for adjustable height basketball hoops. Set the hoop to the desired height and make sure that the base is steady and secure. Breakaway rims are a must. Have the men’s and women’s basketball players judge the dunks and have small trophies for the winners. 

 

Fast Food Mixer

 

Contact your favorite local fast food establishment to see about using the facility for an evening of fast food fun. Ask the manager about after hours activities. You may want to go directly to the owner with your idea. They may be more open to the suggestion.

Round up the troops and head out to the fast food restaurant for a late night dinner and dance. All participants should plan to eat at the restaurant. This will help when you negotiate with the manager/owner. Once everyone has finished, start the music. Dance right there in the aisles, round the tables and in front of the windows.

 

Five Dollars Senior Prom

 

Men and women are paired and must dress in typical formal attire, the catch is that each person cannot spend more than five dollars on the outfit. In other words, use your best shopping skills at the goodwill store, Salvation Army Shop, second-hand store or vintage clothing store to find an outfit that is, or was used previously as, formal attire.

 

All the traditional prom activities should be observed. Be sure to go out to dinner prior to the dance, but remember: no more than five dollars for dinner. Fake flowers (you cannot afford real flowers), Polaroid photos, and cheap snacks are essential.   At the prom, be sure to elect a prom king and queen and the best-dressed couple.

 

Garage Sale

 

Find yourself a large area to decorate like a garage. Pack it full of old bikes, newspapers, toys, jars, memorabilia from different generations, clothes, knick-knacks, buttons, hats, pins, appliances and anything else you can obtain through donations.

 

To help with this, inform all partygoers that they need to bring donations of all the aforementioned items. Once they arrive, price the items they brought and scatter them throughout the location. Each member and guest also receives a pre-determined amount of funny money to spend.

 

Golden Years

 

This event highlights the typical American lifestyle that begins after retirement.  Play games like bingo, shuffleboard and bridge.

 

Greek Island Camp Out

 

Rent a large party tent from the local rental store. Set the tent up in either the front or back yard of a fraternity or sorority house, or use a location on campus. Check with the proper authorities about getting permission first.  You’re camping out, so bring the S’mores, hot dogs, and grills.

 

GYM Class

 

Talk to the university official responsible for the gymnasium to see if your group can use the facility after hours on a Friday or Saturday night. This is a wonderful activity for a chapter to do as a team building/brotherhood night. However, this idea works equally well with both a fraternity and sorority together.

 

Remember those things you used to do in gym class when you were about ten? Forego the normal athletic activities like basketball or volleyball and try the activities that you did as a kid: relays, kick-ball, dodge ball, tetherball, earth ball, hula hoops, obstacle courses, limbo contest, floor hockey, and others.

 

Murder Mystery Party

 

Create a fictional murder and have your house be the crime scene.  Give your guests a packet with a fake badge and clues and have them search the house to try and solve the mystery.  Games are available from ToysRUs and other stores.

 

Newlywed Game

 

This is an increasingly popular social event with students across the country. Arrange this event just like the game show. But since there are not too many married couples in college, use couples that have been dating for a long time. It's amazing to see how much couples who have been dating already know or don’t know about each other.

 

 

Progressorama 

 

Call your interfraternal friends and organize a Progressive Dinner party night during which men and women from different fraternities and sororities travel from one location to another  for appetizers, the main course, and dessert.  Some possible themes are

 

·        Have a year in one night progressive theme. Each fraternity or sorority that chooses to participate will decorate its site around one specific holiday. So, New Year's Eve, St. Patrick's Day, Valentines Day, and Halloween could all be celebrated in one night, but at different locations.

·        70’s to the 80’s to the 90’s.  Each location would be playing the music of that decade and people would dance like they would at that time.

 

Rent-A-Theater

 

Check with your local movie theater to see about renting out the theater after hours or for the latest showing (generally less crowded) of a particular movie. Try to work out a deal with the manager/owner or get a fixed price per person or couple that includes admission, and all the popcorn and soda pop you can eat.

 

Crazy Ball

 

Sponsor a joint softball game with a sorority. Prior to the game, the women establish crazy rules; making the men run backwards, hit the ball with one hand, etc. Top off the afternoon with a cookout.

 

Hawaiian Luau/Theme Party

 

Decorate the house in a tropical motif with leis, rented tropical plants, Hawaiian shirts and posters. Roast a pig and serve pineapple and coconuts.

 

Other Party Themes:

 

Beach Party                          Chartered fishing trip          Roaring 20's Party               Rocky Horror Picture Show Party

Sadie Hawkins                     Smurf Party                           Cowboy Party                       Farmer Party

Star Trek                               Superbowl                            Midnight Truck Stop           Dream Date

                                                Oldies but Goodies

 

Tradition Night

 

Show prospective members and friends a part of your heritage, tradition, and pride. Set up tables of chapter memorabilia, pictures, scrapbooks, trophies, etc. Invite alumni over and sing fraternity songs. Either dress formally or have the whole chapter wear lettered shirts.

 

Laundromat Night

 

Select a local Laundromat frequented by students and ask the management for an opportunity to spice up a boring evening of washing clothes. Give away mocktails, food and educational pamphlets. You might even give away soap and other laundry materials. Get a nearby sandwich shop to give coupons so people can eat while they wash.

 

Talk Show

 

Conduct a talk show on a hot topic on campus. Have an energetic campus celebrity play host. If you have a community access television station, see if they can broadcast the program live or replay it later.

 

Brothers, these ideas, and many others, will work if you approach them with the attitude that you are going to have fun and enjoy the event.  If you want Theta Chi to be known as the chapter that hosts the best events, and your members know that women’s groups will attend because the events are fun and enjoyable, you will succeed.  One attitude brings about the other.

 

If you have ideas for social events, with or without alcohol, that have worked for your chapter, please share them with us at: ihq@thetachi.org   We can all learn from each other.