Forming a club can also give you great experience that you can use in the future. By starting a club and acting as a club officer, you will gain valuable experience that you can add to your college applications.
Sometimes, a teacher will start the first meeting and encourage students to follow through with organization. You may want a teacher to serve as advisor. If you are starting a club at school, you may need a teacher or coach to gain permission for using school facilities.
The most important requirements for starting a successful club are interest and commitment. Once you know you have a team willing to commit to a regular meeting time and a cause, you can manage the rest with ease. Next you will need clear organization. Structure will keep the club together in slow times (like during a few heavy months of heavy homework and testing) or in the event of a disagreement.
Steps to Forming a Club
- Appointment of a temporary chairman or president.
At first you will need to assign a temporary leader who will preside over the drive to form the club. This may or may not be the person who serves as permanent chairman or president.
- Election of temporary officers.
The members should discuss which office appointments are necessary for your club. Decide whether you want a president or chairman; whether you want a vice president; whether you need a treasurer; and whether you need someone to keep the minutes of each meeting.
- Preparation of constitution, mission statement, or rules.
Decide upon a committee to write a constitution or rule booklet.
- Register club.
You may need to register with your school if you plan to hold meetings there.
- Adoption of constitution or rules.
Once a constitution is written to everyone's satisfaction, you will vote to adopt the constitution.
Election of permanent officers. At this time you can decide if your club has enough officer positions, or if you need to add some positions.
Some of the positions you should considered are:
- President: Leads meetings
- Vice president: Plans events
- Secretary: Records and reads minutes
- Treasurer: Handles funds
- Historian: Keeps a picture book and notes
- Publicity Officer: Makes and distributes flyers, posters
- Web master: Maintains web site
You can use these steps as a guideline for your meetings. Your specific style can be less formal, or even more formal, according to your goals and tastes.
- Call to order by the president or chairman
- Reading and approval of the minutes from the previous meeting
- Discussion of old business
- Discussion of new business
- Program
- Adjournment
