Starting a Club at Your High School
Starting a club at your local high school should not be any of the follow: a free leadership position, to brag about how you started a club, or simply to look good on your college resume. When you actually have that impetus to start something at your school, it should really be sparked by something along the lines of the following: something that a group of people you may know would like to experience together, an activity that you love that hasn’t yet been founded yet, or doing something after school that you think would benefit the community. A goal is very important for yourself on what you plan to do with this club, the next step is to create an “internal” map or plan inside your head of what you aim to do. For example, plan out in your head on who to speak to for help or to get certain resources, or think of potential activities that you could direct in your future club.
Once you’ve planned out your mental roadmap, you next have to actually do the things you planned for. If the first step of creating a club at your school is to talk to the administration, make an appointment early on in the year or as soon as possible to talk to the administration to get approval; be sure to speak loudly/confidently to get success. Furthermore, in most schools, there is an adviser for the club – make sure you find a suitable teacher to help lead your club with you. There also may be some paperwork you must fill out before actually establishing your club, so be sure to get that all done in a timely manner. Once you’ve gotten the legal workload done, plan a reasonable calendar/agenda for your club. For example, if you are starting a debate club, make each weekly/bi-weekly meeting filled with speech drills and research sessions on debate topics.
A drama club may have activities that include acting or singing. Make sure you include activities that keep members attuned and happy so that they keep on coming back. The most important part of a maintaining a stable club is a healthy stock of club members. Lastly, after developing a “business plan” for your club, you must find members. Like stated above, members are an integral part of a club and they are obviously a necessity.
Certain tips for creating a club are listed in the following: using social media to make the word travel, email and talk to friends about the club, hand out fliers, or even get an announcement to be made in the morning/afternoon at your high school. Have confidence and passion in your club, as it is your own piece of work, and you’ll succeed.
