by gilliebean

So your campus doesn’t have the club you’re looking for. How inconvenient. You’ve got two options:


1. Bitch about it.
2. Do something about it.

I highly recommend Option Two. Starting a club is a way to make the most out of your education—meet friends, share interests, learn new things, stay active or act on a cause.

Visualize It

• Decide the goal of the club. Is it to share an interest, like music or computer programming? Is it about acting on a cause, like lobbying for human rights or advocating “No Pants Fridays”? Be able to describe the club in a 30-second spiel.
• Think of a name for your group, unless you want to wait to do it at the first meeting.

Make it Official

• To create an official school club (which usually allows you free meeting space and other perks), you’ll need The Man to sign off on it.
• Find out whose approval you need to start a club (the principal, university president, student government, etc.) and what the requirements are.
• If you need a staff adviser, ask a favorite teacher or professor to support the club.
• Turn in any necessary paperwork, and get the scoop on details like meeting space and funding (some campuses give a small amount of money to student clubs).

Recruit It

• Spread the word like wildfire. Post flyers around campus. Use your powers of persuasion and really sell it. Be sure to list contact info, as well as when and where the first meeting will be.
• Leave flyers or informational postcards in popular student hangouts – coffee shops, restaurants, college bars.
• Send a letter to the school newspaper.
• Publish a mention in the school announcements.
• Never underestimate the word of mouth: tell five friends, and ask them each to tell five more. Watch the game of Telephone pass the word for you.
• Make announcements in classes (yours or any related to the club).
• Start a Facebook group for the club, and recruit your friends and your friends’ friends.

Want it to be an online group? Try one of these:

• Post messages on message boards, such as the YN NOISEboards.
• Start a blog.
• Sent out an e-mail to friends and relatives.
• Use your other online networks (Facebook, MySpace, Bebo) to recruit members and get publicity.

Kick it Off

• Schedule your club’s first meeting to explain your vision and to brainstorm future activities with new members.
• Try to stay open to new ideas, and facilitate the discussion so everyone gets a chance to talk.
• Decide how you want to break up responsibility within the club (don’t try to do everything yourself; sharing is caring). Form committees, elect officials or divide tasks by interest.
• Hint: offering food (“I was told there would be punch and pie”) is a surefire way to get people to come to the first meeting. Bribery, what?

Fund It

Does your group need money for uniforms, trips, supplies or other materials? Chances are, your club might need a little start-up money. Consider holding a fundraiser, asking people for donations or charging a membership fee.

• Raising Funds and Having Fun

• Organizing a Fundraiser