Kicking clubs into gear: a student’s guide

By Frances Parrish
parrishp@mytjnow.com

There are about 145 clubs on campus, but there is still room for more.

The process of starting a club requires planning, but it can be done. Ashley Stowe, Graduate Associate for Student Organizations, said the process looks more “daunting” than it really is. 

“The process is similar to any other process for an organization outside of a university area,” Stowe said. “The intent of our process is to more or less guide our students into more realistic situations.”

The office of Student Organizations helps students start the process of getting their idea of a club to become a reality, but the final judgment of approval is left to the Council of Student Leaders (CSL) Board.   

It can take as few as three weeks if the members have everything in order  to start their club. However, it can take longer depending on the club and how long it takes to get all forms and signatures together.

To start a club, there are three very important steps to be completed. This checklist and all the forms can be found at www.winthrop.edu/studentorgs.  

Step 1

The first step is to fill out the Intent to Register Form and attend the Training sessions for New Student Organizations, Clubs and Organizations, Space Use and Student Allocations Committee (SAC), which is optional. The training sessions are open for any member of the club. 

Step 2

The second and probably most lengthy step is to fill out the Charter Packet which includes the Chart Form, Roster Form, Faculty/Staff Advisor Agreement Form, Constitution and By-laws, and email and website request form. By the third and final step, the group has affirmed that they have members attending the meetings, an advisor and a constitution. 

Step 3

To become an official club recognized by the school, the group must attend a CSL meeting which is held on Monday nights  at 7 in 114 DiGiorgio Center.  Kaitlin Sapp, Chair of Student Allocations Committee (SAC), said these meetings help with financial organizing and finding space for potential clubs.

“Becoming a chartered organization is essential for groups to be able to request student allocations money or put in space requests on campus,” Sapp said.  

During the meeting, the officers introduce themselves and their club. They then explain the background and purpose of their club, and the council then votes to charter the club; however, the council does not reject anyone. 

 Sophomore biology major Brittany Lawrence just founded her own club, League of Extraordinary Characters, an animae and cartoon club, even though she started the whole process in April of last spring. After going through the process, she had some tips for students who want to start their own club. 

“Start early,” she said. “The hardest part of the process is getting a good amount of members, and all you can do is hope for the best.” 

Lawrence said the process is very long, and there is a lot of paper work involved. 

“Most of it [the application process] wasn’t stressful, but going in front of the CSL Board was a little nerve-racking,” she said said.  

Lawrence also said there are many things to consider when starting a club: you must plan meeting times, places and a schedule of meetings.  

Lawrence added that having diversity among the meetings is a good way to get the maximum amount of members. The club will need an advisor, and the club must follow any copyright policies if movies or graphics are shown. 

“Make sure you know everything about your club, because CSL grills you with questions,” Lawrence said.  

Even though there are roughly 145 active clubs, Stowe encourages anyone who wants to start a club to do so. A club is considered registered and active if they stay updated on training sessions and resubmission of registration forms. Stowe and her colleague Alexis Clowney, the Student Coordinator for Leadership Intiatives, take in applicatons and help students fill out the forms, and they will hold their forms until all the paperwork is completed. Clowney will then meet with each club and ask them a series of questions ranging from what the organization is about to dues to goals of the club.  

“We have the capability to bolster any club,” Stowe said. “So, just do it.”