CELEBRATING OUR HISTORY: TOGETHER AS ONE, FOREVER UNITED AS ONE CREW
As is true every year, BBG Founders’ Day is April 22nd and AZA Founders’ Day (effectively, BBYO’s birthday) is May 3rd. We will celebrate exactly how Sam Beber and Anita Perlman would have wanted—as a movement, through chapter experiences all over the world.
Our Founders of both our Movement and chapters have built a platform for us to have a voice and make a real difference in the world. On Founders' Day this year, let's build the celebration they deserve.
Founders’ Day marks a critical and exciting time for our Movement to mobilize in honor of our history, shared successes, and future. If you would like additional consultation on building your Founders' Day celebration, we are here to help—reach out to azabbg@bbyo.org anytime.
We encourage you to learn more about the rich history of the Aleph Zadik Aleph and B’nai B’rith Girls—from 14 boys in Omaha, Nebraska to a growing global movement of 725+ chapters in 55 countries.
We want to know how your community is going big for Founders' Day. Be a part of the worldwide celebration by filling out the form below. Make sure to mark that it’s a Founders’ Day program—we’ll send you a celebratory chapter charter and digital celebration pack to help you level up your program!
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There are endless ways you can join us in the global celebration of Founders' Day.Below are a variety of program ideas that you can easily implement for your local Founders' Day celebration. Feel free to contact International S'ganim for additional planning support. Don't worry, we've got your back.
If you need funding for your event, apply for a Gamechanger Grant.
Explore fun opportunities to celebrate the past, present, and future of AZA and BBG. Let your imagination run wild!
Celebrating our history means celebrating our legacies. There's no better way to mark the anniversaries of AZA and BBG than inducting your chapter or region's new members. Check out induction templates for AZA and BBG that you can customize locally and be sure to issue all new members inductions certificates as well (AZA, BBG, and BBYO). We also encourage you to celebrate your new members by place a lawn sign on their front yard for all to see!
Invite local gamechangers to a virtual program and run honorary inductions to honor their status in your community.
Run a brotherhood, sisterhood, or siblinghood program to honor the connection and foundation of our movement. Need some inspiration? Check out our guide on building a strong Separates experience. You can also plan a Good and Welfare ceremony or Big/Little experience.
Co-host a shared virtual program on BBYO On Demand with a chapter from a different country. Need help getting connected? Reach out to mazkir@bbyo.org and mazkirah@bbyo.org.
Send your chapter mascot on a trip from house to house via the mail or being placed in a mailbox. Create a journal of all the photos and stories in the end; just remember: keep your mascot safe and healthy with some Clorox wipes!
Invite your Chapter N’siah/Godol (President) to deliver a State of the Chapter as an opportunity to celebrate and reflect on the wins and successes of the past year. Build out your plan with this States Ceremony Script. How will we be even stronger by the time BBYO turns 98?
Celebrating Founders’ Day with your chapter is easier than ever before. Just host one of these ready-made programs. Follow the script, or get creative—there’s plenty of room for you to customize!
AZA, BBG, and BBYO's birthdays are nothing short of impressive. Celebrate our birthdays featuring trivia using the Blue/Red books, historic photos, matching party hats, and more. Here’s a sample program that you can run!
Invite your chapter’s gamechangers of the past to join you for a program, conversation, or panel. Do you know what your chapter was like through the decades? Learn more through these interview questions!
Assemble a digital BBYO time capsule or archive full of chapter notes, photos, and memorabilia. A capsule is specific to the year it's made and marked with a designated open date for future Alephs and BBGs, while an archive is a documentation of decades of history available to anyone! Check out Timecaps as an option to make your own.
Founders' Day is a fun and meaningful way to celebrate BBYO's birthday through parties and chapter gatherings. Explore ways you can celebrate with your community.
Throw a BBYO birthday bash to celebrate our history – featuring trivia using the Red/Blue Books, historic photos, alumni speakers, and more
Celebrate new chapters and/or ‘charter-versaries’ by printing an enlarged copy of your charter and inviting all members to sign (#picsoritdidnthappen)
Co-host a shared virtual program over Zoom (or another video chat platform) with another chapter from one of our global communities around the world.
Assemble a BBYO time capsule full of notes and other chapter memorabilia (whether tangible or digital), marked with a designated open date for future Alephs and BBGs
Founders' Day is an incredible opportunity to bring together alumni, parents, friends, and supporters of BBYO. There are hundreds of thousands of BBYO alumni out there and this is a great way to engage them.
Plan an alumni barbecue and/or flag football game, using these fun and interactive events to engage all ages; invite former members (especially those now doing big things in the world) to share their stories of BBYO and beyond.
Host a formal chapter banquet (complete with dressy attire and maybe a +1 guest invite) to include a nice dinner plus ample time to reflect on BBYO’s past, celebrate the present, and get excited for the future.
Offer a mother/daughter or father/son experience (brunch, Shabbat dinner, Havdallah program, etc.) to celebrate your chapter’s accomplishments together across generations.
Founders' Day offers a special opportunity to align an upcoming AZA or BBG ritual or tradition moment with the Founders' Day initiative.
Deliver a State of the Chapter address to give your fellow Alephs/BBGs an opportunity to celebrate and reflect on the wins and successes of the past year
Run a brother/sisterhood program to honor the foundation of our movement; whether something traditional like Good and Welfare or a Big/Little ritual moment, or something different like a nice chapter dinner outing or community service project (w/ new swag!)
Host a special induction ceremony to officially welcome your newest class of AITs and MITs into AZA and BBG, offering a powerful moment for celebration and connection to the full global history of our movement
Show your AZA and BBG spirit on Wednesday, April 26 by wearing your favorite AZA, BBG, or BBYO swag as part of the seventh AZA & BBG International Letters Day.
Tag @bbyoinsider in your posts for a chance to be reposted.
Design Tools
Utilize the Founders' Day Brand Kit to get the word out about your event! The Brand Kit includes digital flyers, Instagram story templates, letterhead, header, footer, share squares, slide templates, and zoom backgrounds. We've linked some of the examples from the kit below. Get creative and let us know if you need any help. You can access the designs via Google Slides or Canva (contact your local staff about Canva access).
Event Environment Enhancements
Go all out to make your Founders' Day celebration special and memorable. Be sure to order these items at least two weeks before your event to avoid any rush fees.
Suggested Vendor: Best Flag
Instructions: Order a 2'x3' single-sided flag and upload your artwork.
Ballpark price: $50
Suggested Vendor: Rush Order Tees
Instructions: Email evan@rushordertees.com asking for AZA and BBG hats with quantity, shipping address, and shipping timeline.
Ballpark price: $11/item
Suggested Vendor: Totally Promotional
Instructions: Select one of the 'best sellers' and find a size that works for your budget. Upload the AZA and BBG seal or BBYO logo for the front.
Ballpark price: $30/item
Suggested Vendor: Rush Order Tees
Instructions: Use these designs to order a t-shirt, long sleeve, or embroidered crew neck as a swag give-a-way at your celebration.
Ballpark price: $10-20/item
Suggested Vendor: Rush Order Tees
Instructions: Use these designs to print t-shirts and celebrate our Founders.
Ballpark price: $7/item
Suggested Vendor: Promotion Choice
Instructions: Select 1 color print, quantity, balloon color, production notes, and upload the art. Get ready to 'wow' your participants with this one.
Ballpark price: $0.54/balloon
Suggested Vendor: Zazzle
Instructions: Select "customize," upload and size your art, select the color of your hat, and finalize your order.
Ballpark price: $2/hat
Suggested Vendor: With Logos
Instructions: Select your colors and quantities and upload the BBYO logo.
Ballpark price: $3/item
Explore options for doing small to large scale AZA, BBG, or BBYO foam letters to enhance your environment.
Planning Tools
International Awards are one of many ways we celebrate members for their commitment to our chapters and communities worldwide.
Our third wave of International Awards for this programming year will be announced during Founders' Day. Apply by April 11 to make the cut!
When you're recognized for your award, download one of our celebration templates to humbly brag on social media.
Share all of your Founders' Day posts with the hashtags #BBYOFoundersDay, #AZAFoundersDay, and #BBGFoundersDay to showcase all of the incredible events happening around the world.
