Q&A for How to Start a School Club

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  • Question
    How should a high school club be organized?
    Alicia Oglesby
    Professional School Counselor
    Alicia Oglesby is an Academic Counseling Expert based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Education at the University of Pittsburgh and working as a Graduate Research Assistant. She was previously employed as the Associate Director of College Counseling at the Winchester Thurston School. Prior to that, she worked as a Director of School and College Counseling at 4 other secondary schools. With over twelve years of experience in academic counseling, Alicia specializes in academic advising, social-emotional skills, and career counseling. Alicia holds Professional School Counseling Certifications in both Washington DC and Pennsylvania. She has created a college counseling program in its entirety and developed five programs focused on application workshops, parent information workshops, essay writing collaborative, peer-reviewed application activities, and financial aid literacy events. Alicia holds a BS in Psychology from Howard University and a Master’s in Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology from Chestnut Hill College.
    Professional School Counselor
    Expert Answer
    It's sort of up to the teacher in charge and the club members. Some clubs have a democratic system where members vote on who does what, while other clubs are run and organized by the founder or head teacher.
  • Question
    Who should my club choose as president?
    Alicia Oglesby
    Professional School Counselor
    Alicia Oglesby is an Academic Counseling Expert based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Education at the University of Pittsburgh and working as a Graduate Research Assistant. She was previously employed as the Associate Director of College Counseling at the Winchester Thurston School. Prior to that, she worked as a Director of School and College Counseling at 4 other secondary schools. With over twelve years of experience in academic counseling, Alicia specializes in academic advising, social-emotional skills, and career counseling. Alicia holds Professional School Counseling Certifications in both Washington DC and Pennsylvania. She has created a college counseling program in its entirety and developed five programs focused on application workshops, parent information workshops, essay writing collaborative, peer-reviewed application activities, and financial aid literacy events. Alicia holds a BS in Psychology from Howard University and a Master’s in Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology from Chestnut Hill College.
    Professional School Counselor
    Expert Answer
    You should probably choose an outgoing student who is comfortable talking with adults. Clubs often need to reach out to teachers for support and help, so it helps to choose someone who can handle all of that.
  • Question
    Do you need a teacher to start a school club?
    Alicia Oglesby
    Professional School Counselor
    Alicia Oglesby is an Academic Counseling Expert based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Education at the University of Pittsburgh and working as a Graduate Research Assistant. She was previously employed as the Associate Director of College Counseling at the Winchester Thurston School. Prior to that, she worked as a Director of School and College Counseling at 4 other secondary schools. With over twelve years of experience in academic counseling, Alicia specializes in academic advising, social-emotional skills, and career counseling. Alicia holds Professional School Counseling Certifications in both Washington DC and Pennsylvania. She has created a college counseling program in its entirety and developed five programs focused on application workshops, parent information workshops, essay writing collaborative, peer-reviewed application activities, and financial aid literacy events. Alicia holds a BS in Psychology from Howard University and a Master’s in Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology from Chestnut Hill College.
    Professional School Counselor
    Expert Answer
    Every school has different procedures and rules for clubs, but yes, in most cases you'll need a teacher to sponsor the club.
  • Question
    What type of things can you do to make you seem more responsible so the principal will treat you as an equal?
    Community Answer
    Be sure your grades and behavior demonstrate that you responsible enough to manage a club. If your grades and/or behavior show otherwise, the principal will likely find it difficult to treat you as an equal.
  • Question
    I am starting a club, and I don't know what to say on the first meeting. Any suggestions?
    Community Answer
    Start by introducing yourself and having each of the members do the same. Lay out your objectives for the club and create some bylaws and rules. Choose board members, such as vice-president, treasurer, and secretary, or have the members vote on this.
  • Question
    What role does the club commissioner fulfill?
    Community Answer
    The club commissioner helps with starting the club and organizing the meetings.
  • Question
    How do I get club members?
    Community Answer
    First ask your friends if they would like to join. Once you get a few members, you can form your club. It will likely be small at first, but as you and your friends spread the word and more people from your school hear about it, you'll gain more members!
  • Question
    What sorts of things are done in school clubs?
    Community Answer
    All sorts of things! It depends on what the club is about. For example, a book club may hold discussions on a book that the members are reading. An anime club may show a movie, while an art club may have an arts and crafts project.
  • Question
    Will this work if I decide to make the club after the school year has started?
    Community Answer
    Yes, but it may be harder. Talk to the assistant principal or principal, and they will tell you. Worst comes to worst, you may be have to wait until the next semester or quarter.
  • Question
    What if I don't want any teachers/some students to know about it? Is it possible to have a cooking club in primary school?
    Community Answer
    It seems a little odd to have a 'secret' club with few members and little teacher recognition. To have a successful club, there should be lots of knowledge about it. We all have to put aside our fears of socializing eventually. And yes, a cooking club could be a candidate, as long as the school leaders approve. (There was a cooking club in my middle school/junior high.)
  • Question
    Is it the same in elementary school?
    Community Answer
    It all depends on the school. Some elementary schools have clubs made by adults. Some let kids do it. Others don't have clubs.
  • Question
    How many people are usually in a small club?
    Community Answer
    It's entirely up to you. Small clubs at school generally have about 3 to 7 people.
  • Question
    My daughter would like to start a club. Can she get a form from her school?
    Community Answer
    Every school handles club suggestions differently. It's best for her to go to the main office and ask. They will tell her what she has to do to form her club. Often she will need a faculty member to oversee it as well.
  • Question
    How do you find things to do in a fan club?
    Community Answer
    For a fan club, you could do quizzes, word searches or anything that would make you and the rest of your group have fun that still relates to the fan topic. Fan clubs are a great way for people with common interests to get together.
  • Question
    How can I start a charity club that runs in multiple schools across our country?
    Community Answer
    Start by getting the club founded in your own school. Once you have the guidelines and policies in place, talk to nearby schools about starting chapters there. Once those schools have chapters in place, try to get them to establish chapters in other nearby schools and it will build from there.
  • Question
    How should I deal with misbehaving members?
    Community Answer
    First, have a calm, straightforward talk with those individuals about how their behavior is distracting and frustrating for the other members. If the behavior doesn't stop, then you may need to go to whichever faculty member is in charge of the organization and ask them to remove those individuals from the club. If your club doesn't have a faculty adviser, you may have to ask the members to leave yourself.
  • Question
    What if I don't want to be inside during the summer?
    Community Answer
    If you have a state park near you, ask the staff if they know of any outdoor clubs that already exist.
  • Question
    Is is legal to create a club for a school?
    Community Answer
    Creating a club for a school is completely legal, as long as the club is appropriate and abides by all of the rules and policies of the school.
  • Question
    How old do I need to be to make a club in school?
    Community Answer
    You do not have to be a specific age to create a club. You can start running a club at any age. If very young, then make a club about superheroes or a mini dance studio or singing studio rather than anything serious.
  • Question
    What's the best way to approach a teacher asking about organizing a club? I want to make an anti-bullying or bully victim support club.
    Ruby
    Top Answerer
    Tell them your ideas for the club and how your school will benefit from it. If you want to start an anti-bullying club, read the article Start a School Defenders Group for more information.
  • Question
    How many people should be in a club to be considered a "club"?
    Leo French
    Community Answer
    3-4 people is a very small club, 5-8 a small club, 9-18 an intermediate club, 19-24 a intermediate-large club and 25+ is considered a large club.
  • Question
    What sort of jobs need to be available in a club?
    Community Answer
    It's best to have a president to keep everything on track and in order; a vice president to fill in for the president and help carry out their duties; a bookkeeper to keep track of any money or donations; an event planner to help plan, organize, and setup for events; and an organizing group that's dedicated to making sure everybody else has what they need to get their jobs done.
  • Question
    What kind of activities can be held in a Physics Club?
    Community Answer
    An activity for a Physics Club could be building/doing a STEM project. Also, you could examine things people have built that have failed, and rebuild them or figure out why they didn't work.
  • Question
    What about trying to start a club specifically about your sexuality?
    Community Answer
    Many schools have LGBTQ+ clubs. Instead of pitching it as a club about your sexuality, pitch it as a safe space for non-binary youth to talk about their experiences and to educate the community on LGBTQ+ issues.
  • Question
    Can I start a poker club at school?
    Community Answer
    No, because it is illegal to gamble if you're under 18. It's possible they might let you if you played for chips or something, but it's unlikely, because they won't want to encourage you to gamble.
  • Question
    Can I make a club based around a specific show?
    Community Answer
    Yes, that would be a great idea! You can pick a favorite show, and base your club around it.
  • Question
    Can I start a club as a freshman?
    Community Answer
    Yes, you should be able to start a club no matter what grade you are in. You can contact your school administration to see if they have any specific rules against this, or check in your student handbook to find out for sure.
  • Question
    What should I do if it is a high school French club in an English-speaking country?
    Silas McNeally
    Community Answer
    If your school has a French teacher, that might be a good person to ask for advice. Otherwise, try to find an adviser who has been to France, or wants to, and ask for help. If you can't find an adviser after that, then try talking to your parents and friends' parents about it. Finally, try hanging fliers or signup sheets to raise awareness that you want to start a club. This will get more people interested.
  • Question
    What if the principal doesn't allow me to do this?
    Community Answer
    Move on. Maybe try to join some other clubs. If you’re still looking to start a club, try a different way to run the club and try again.
  • Question
    What if I want to start a club but I have no friends?
    Community Answer
    Ask around to find out who might be interested. Invite some acquaintances. You can also post signs advertising your club around school, stating what kind of club it is and when and where you will be meeting. You never know who might show up!
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