a comprehensive guide to starting and sustaining a red ...€¦ · club in a box a comprehensive...

clubin a box

A Comprehensive Guide to Starting and Sustaining a Red Cross School Club

H20978

clubin a box

RedCrossYouth.org/club_in_a_box10/2011

School Club in a BoxAt a Glance

Laying the Foundation for Your Club I. Red Cross Club Constitution

II. Red Cross Club Bylaws

III. Red Cross Club Structures

IV. Working With Your Local Red Cross Unit

Getting Your Club Started I. Finding Club Service Opportunities

II. School Club Calendar and Important Red Cross Dates

Planning Your Club Projects and Building Visibility I. School Club Projects: Ideas, Planning and Budgeting

II. Social Media at Work

III. Communication in a School Club Context

Managing Your Club I. Recruit, Retain, Recognize School Club Members—

Essentials of Working With Your Peers

II. Making the Most of Your Meetings

III.SchoolClubOfficersTraining

A

B

C

D

Appendix

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i

Introduction

Make the Red Cross symbol relevant for your community. Dream big. Turn ideas into action.

Worldwide:• Morethan97millionRedCrossorRedCrescentvolunteers.• 186RedCrossorRedCrescentnationalsocieties.

Learn the value in lending a helping hand. Be a Red Crosser and do more. Change a life.

United States:• Therearemorethan600locallysupportedAmericanRedCrosschapters.• Morethan500,000volunteersandapproximately35,000employeesprovide

assistancetothevictimsofmorethan60,000disasters.• Morethan9.5millionpeoplearetrainedinlifesavingskillsthroughaRed

Cross class.

Inspireandenergizeothers,allwhilesocializingandhavingfun. Go grassroots and learn more about service. Get to know your community.

Youth:• Morethan125,000youthandyoungadultscallthemselvesRedCross

volunteers.• Youthrepresentmorethan23percentoftotalRedCrossvolunteers.

Joinadisasterresponseteam,teachaCPRclass,hostablooddriveorhelperadicate measles. Be a leader. Start a Red Cross Club in your school.

Red Cross School Clubs• In2010,thereweremorethan1,600K-12andcollegeRedCrossschoolclubs• Morethan54,000youthandyoungadultswereinvolvedwithaRedCross

club.

Where do you start? Right here. Thinkcreatively.Usethisresourcepackageandgetyourclubestablished.

School Club in a BoxIntroduction


clubin a box

ii

Introduction

About the School Club in a Box GuideWho is the guide designed for?• Studentsofhighschoolandcollegeage• Youthatanylevelofvolunteerexperience• YouthwhoarelookingtostartaRedCrosscluborstrengthentheircurrent

club

What will the guide provide?A comprehensive set of tools.

• Layingthefoundationforyourclub:– RedCrossclubconstitutionandbylaws– WorkingwithyourlocalRedCrossunit• Gettingyourclubstarted:

– Finding/creating club service opportunities– School club calendar • Planningyourclubprojectsandbuildingvisibility:

– Schoolclubprojects:ideas,planningandbudgeting– Social media– Communication in a school club setting• Managingyourclub:

– Essentialsofworkingwithyourpeers– Running effective meetings– Schoolclubofficerstraining

Downloadabletemplatesreadyfordirectuse.

Advice from experienced American Red Cross youth volunteers.

A collection of examples from your peers across the country.

YouandtheAmericanRedCrossTheAmericanRedCrossisoneofourcountry’slargestemergencyresponseorganizations.Aspartofaworldwidemovementthatincludesmorethan180nationalsocieties,inadditiontoprovidinghumanitariancaretothevictimsofwar,theAmericanRedCrossalsoaidsvictimsofdevastatingnaturaldisasters.ThecoreAmerican Red Cross mission is to provide relief to victims of disaster and help peopleprevent,prepareforandrespondtoemergencies.Therearesevenfundamentalprinciplesthatguideallhumanitarianinterventions,namely:humanity,impartiality,neutrality,independence,voluntaryservice,unityanduniversality.


clubin a box

iii

Introduction

Overtheyears,theAmericanRedCrosshasexpandeditsservices,alwayswiththeaimofpreventingandrelievingsuffering.Today,inadditiontodomesticdisasterrelief,therearecoreareaswheretheAmericanRedCrossprovidesspecificservices:supportandcomfortforservicemembersandtheirfamilies;thecollection,processing and distribution of lifesaving blood and blood products; educational programs that promote health and safety; and international relief and development programs.

YoungpeopleareanimportantpartoftheAmericanRedCrossfamily;theyare125,000strong,or23percentoftheAmericanRedCrossvolunteerworkforce.

YouthvolunteersareactivelyinvolvedineverylineofRedCrossservicedelivery;theyserveondisasteractionteams,teachhealthandsafetycourses,holdleadershippositionsonlocalboards,donatebloodandrecruitotherdonors,raisefundsfortheirlocal community or support international initiatives.

YouthvolunteershavearobustrelationshipwiththeAmericanRedCross;theRedCrosssymbolisperceivedascredible,trustworthyandcapableofhavingalife-changingimpactonpeople.Eighty-fivepercentofyouthvolunteersservingwithourorganizationsaidtheyare“verysatisfied”or“satisfied”withtheirvolunteerexperience;92percentare“likely”or“verylikely”tostayinvolvedwiththeRedCross(HBSstudy,2009).Youthvolunteersareveryimportantinsustainingourorganization,bothtodayandinthefuture.

Thebestwaytomaximizeyourtalent,energyandskillsandtomakeanimpactonyourpeersandyourcommunityistogetinvolvedwithAmericanRedCrossschoolclubs.RedCrossclubsallowyoutobeconnectedwithyourpeersfromacrossthecountryandaroundtheworldandserveunderthesymbolofthelargestinternationalhumanitarianorganizationintheworld.Itisspecificallytheabilitytoactlocallyandsimultaneouslytobepartofsomethingthattrulyimpactstheworldthrougheverydayinterventionsthatissopowerfulandinspiring.

Here are some ways your club can make a difference:

Disaster Services: Providesdisasterassistance24hoursaday,sevendaysaweek.Disasterassistanceisdesignedtohelpwiththeimmediatesufferingcausedinthefirstfewdaysafteradisasterhits.

Sampleschoolclubactivities:

• Conductshelterupdatesinyourlocalschool• RaiseawarenessofAmericanRedCrossDisasterServices• ReceivetraininginallaspectsofDisasterServices

Health and Safety Services:Providestrainingtocommunitymemberssotheycanacquirelifesavingskillsandbebetterpreparedintheeventofawidevarietyofemergenciessuchashousefiresorapersonchoking.

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Introduction

I. Red Cross Club Constitution

II.RedCrossClubBylaws

III. Red Cross Club Structures

IV.WorkingWithYourLocalRedCrossUnit

PartA–LayingtheFoundationforYourClub

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RedCrossYouth.org/club_in_a_box PartA10/2011

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I. Red Cross Club ConstitutionManyschoolsrequireclubstosubmitanofficialclubconstitutionbeforebeingapprovedasanofficialschoolorganization.Whetherornotthisisarequirementinyourschool,developingaconstitutioncanbeagreatassetforyournewclub,helpingyoudeterminewhatthestructureshouldlooklikeandhowtheclubwilloperate.

Theclub’sconstitutionisacriticaldocumentthatcoversthebasicsofhowtheclubworks.Ingeneral,theconstitutionisdevelopedandadoptedintheearlystagesofstartingaclubandtherearefewmodificationsmadeovertheyears.AnyRedCrossconstitutionshouldcoverthefollowingarticles:

Article I. Name

Article II. Authority

ArticleIII. Purpose

Article IV. Membership

ArticleV. Officers

ArticleVI. Chaptermentor(ifapplicable)

Article VII. School sponsor

Article VIII. Quorum and voting

Article IX. Amendments

Writingaclubconstitutioncanbeintimidating.Tomaketheprocesseasier,wehavedesigned a Template Constitution,whichwestronglyadviseyoutouse.

II.RedCrossClubBylawsClubbylawscovertherulesandregulationsandgeneralworkguidelinesthatenableaclubtooperateefficiently.Thebylawsserveasaworkingdocument,designedinaflexiblewaysotheycanbeeasilychanged.Bylawsshouldcoverthefollowingarticles:

Article I – Name and Location

Article II – Membership

ArticleIII–Meetings(i.e.,annualmeetings,officersmeetings,generalclubmeetings,quorumatmeetings,votingprocedures,etc.)

ArticleIV–Officers(i.e.,electionprocess,jobdescriptions,vacancies,removalfromfunction,etc.)

heads up! Theconstitutionisavitalresource for your club and shouldbecreatedwithother members. Make sure toincludetheclubofficersinthewrite-upprocessand collect feedback and recommendations from your club members.

http://www.redcross.org/cgi-bin/youth/constitution.pdf

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ArticleV–Committees(descriptionofspecificcommittees,keyresponsibilitiesandleads)

ArticleVI–MeetingAgenda(basicmeetingagendastructure)

ArticleVII–Amendments(itisimportanttoalwaysnotetheexactdatewhentheamendmentsweremade)

Asyourclubevolves,thebylawswillreflectamoredetaileddescriptionofrulesorgeneraloperationguidelines.Everyclubhastotakeintoaccountsomespecificsituationsandcircumstancesanditisextremelydifficulttocomeupwithanall-encompassingbylawsdocument.Instead,weoptedtodiscusssomekeyelementsthatwillbereflectedintheclubbylaws:theclub’sstructureandtheofficer’srolesand responsibilities.

III. Red Cross Club Structures Havingaconsistentfunctionalclubstructureiscrucialtoaclub’ssuccess.Astructurestateshowyourclubwillcommunicate,organizeandimplementprojects;itoutlinesthespecificrolesandresponsibilitiesofclubmembersandofficers.

Beforejumpingintodecidingwhichstructurewillworkthebestforyourclub,firsttakealookatthreemajorstructuresweidentifiedinthefield.Whenanalyzingthesestructures,keepinmindyourclub’scurrentsituation,yourmembers’commitment,growthplans,andtheexistingrelationshipbetweentheclub,school,localRedCrossunit and your local community.

Structures at a Glance

Fundamental Club Structure Astraightforwardclubstructure,frequentlyutilizedfornewlyfoundedorsmallerclubswithlimitedresourcesand/orasmallmembershipbase.

Intermediary Club Structure Suitableforanaveragesizedclub(nomorethan50-75members),theintermediarystructureoffersflexibilityinaddingnewofficer’spositionsinaccordancewiththeneedsoftheclub.Theclubpresidentplaysanimportantroleinthisstructure,servingastheconnectionwiththelocalunitandfacultysponsor.

Advanced Club Structure Ideally,itissuitableforlargeclubsthathavebeensuccessfulforafewconsecutiveyears. It offers opportunities for members to take on leadership roles and expand theirengagementwiththeclub.

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Someimportantthingstokeepinmind:

• Ifyouarejuststartingaclub,thereareacoupleofactivitiesthatwillgohandinhand.Forexample,youwillneedtoensureproperproceduresarefollowedtogaintheschool’sapprovalandalsosecureafacultysponsor.Youwillalsoneedtosetuppreliminarymeetings,identifypossiblecandidatesfortheofficerrolesandidentifythebeststructureforyourclub.Remember,youcanrevisitthestructureandmakechangeswheneverthesituationrequiresit,butitisrecommended that you limit changes during the school year.

• Ifyouarepartofanexistingclub,youprobablyalreadyhaveagoodsenseofwhatworkedwellandwhatneedstoberevisedinordertomaximizeyourclub’spotential.Makesuretoweighalloptionsandfindthebestsolutionforthe upcoming school year.

FindingtheStructureThatWorksBest for Your ClubThereareanumberofissuesthatneedtobetakenintoconsiderationwhendecidingyourclub’sstructure.Youcanusethefollowingguidingquestionswhengoingthroughtheprocess:

For New Clubs: • Whowouldbeinterestedinrunningforaclubofficerposition?• Howmanyclubmembersdoyouanticipatehavingfortheupcomingyear?• WhatisthegeneralinterestamongyourpeersinjoiningaRedCrossclub?• Howdoyouenvisiontherelationshipbetweenyourclubandthelocal

Red Cross unit?

For Existing Clubs: • Howmanyofficersdoyoucurrentlyhaveandwhatpositionsdotheyhold?• Howmanymembersdoyoucurrentlyhave?• Whatchangesdoyouanticipateinyourclub’smembershipbaseforthe

upcoming year?• Towhatextentdoyourofficers/membershaveathoroughunderstandingof

the Red Cross lines of business?• Doyouknowallthespecialskillsyourofficersandmemberscanbringtoyour

club? (TakealookattheactivitiesunderClub Officers Training Guide,in PartD,SectionIII.)

Afteransweringthesequestions,takeacloserlookateachstructureasoutlinedinthefollowing.Everystructurecanbecharacterizedthroughaseriesofadvantagesanddisadvantages,andoffersgenericinformationonthespecificofficers’rolesandresponsibilities.

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Learn From Your Peers In2006,theRedCrossClubatUCLAencounteredsomeuniquechallenges.Itstartedtheyearwithahandfulofclubmembersandfewofficers.Allinall,the clubhad15activemembers.Astheyearprogressed,itbecameobvioustoeveryonethatsomechangesneededtobemade,astherewasaneedformoreofficers.Awebmasterandachapterliaisonpositionwereaddedandtheclubendeduphavingtwelveofficers.Itwasmorethanobviousthatthissituationcreatedanimbalanceinmembershipandleftthethreememberswhodidn’thaveofficerpositionsunengaged.Asatemporarysolution,thethreemembersweregivenleadershipresponsibilities.Duetoanunexpecteddecreaseinmembership,the club needed to react and adapt to the current situation.

Thefollowingyear,inconformitywiththemembershipbase,theclubstructurewasrevisitedandtheofficer’steamwasreducedtofourmembers.Thisexperiencewasagreatlessonlearnedontheneedforflexibilityandfindingthebestclubstructureforaspecificdevelopment.

Club Structures

Fundamental Club Structure

The Club Structure in Practice:

Pros Cons Worksbestforclubswithasmallmembership base

Generalmembersmusthelpofficerswithduties

Expedites the decision and communicationprocesses,avitalelementforanewclub

Limitsthedecision-makingprocesstoafewclubmembers

Clear roles and responsibilities Increasedworkloadfortheofficers

American Red Cross Unit

President

Secretary TreasurerVice President

Youth Advisor

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Roles

Officers:• Officer’srolesincludepresident,vicepresident,treasurerandsecretary.• Thepresidentisresponsibleformaintainingtherelationshipwiththelocalunit

andwiththefacultysponsor.

General Members:• Attendmeetings,generateprojectideasandparticipateinspecificactivities.• Takeonspecificassignments,likewebsitedesignandfundraisingefforts.

Meetings• Theofficer’steamshouldholdregularmeetings,atleasttwiceamonth.The

purposeofthemeetingsshouldbetomanagethecurrentprojectsandinitiatives,dogeneraltroubleshootingandidentifygrowthopportunitiesfortheclub.

• Thegeneralmeetings(includingallmembersandtheofficers’team)shouldcoverprojectplanningandbrainstormingsessions.Itisrecommendedthatageneral meeting should be held at least once a month.

Structure Alternatives Ifyouhavetwostrongleaderswhoworkwellasateamandbringcomplimentaryskillssets,youmightconsiderhavingtwoco-presidentsinsteadofone.Often,fortheclubsthatjuststarted,thisprovestobeaviablealternative,especiallyifmultiplepeopledecidedtocreatetheclubtogether.

Forthepositiondescriptions,pleasevisittheRed Cross Club Template Constitution:

heads up! Thisstructurewasproven

tobeefficientiftheofficers’

team makes a sustained

effort to involve its members

by sharing all relevant

updates and having a

streamlined communication

process. Make sure to keep

your members informed and

engaged in the life of the

club.



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Intermediary Club Structure

The Club Structure in Practice

Pros Cons Efficientforclubswithamembershipbasenotlargerthan50-75

Facilitates a structure creep; that leads to anincreasednumberofofficers

Enables a promotion track for dedicated memberswillingtotakeonanofficerposition(i.e.,fromfundraisingofficer,tosecretary,andthenpresident)

Thedecision-makingandcommunicationsprocess is delayed as more members are involved

Roles

Officers:• Thepresident,vicepresident,secretaryandtreasureraretheprincipalofficers.• ThepresidentisresponsibleformaintainingtherelationshipwiththelocalRed

Cross unit and the faculty sponsor.• Allotherofficerpositionsareoptionalanddeterminedbytheclub’sspecific

needs(i.e.,webmaster,fundraisingofficer,publicityofficer,etc.)

Members:• Attendmeetings,generateprojectideasandparticipateinimplementing

specificactivities.• Takeonadditionalassignmentsasdeterminedbytheclub’sspecific

circumstances.

American Red Cross Unit

President

Vice President

Fundraising Officer

Publicity Officer

Webmaster

Volunteer Coordinator

Secretary

Treasurer

Youth Advisor

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MeetingsThemeetingrecommendationsaresimilarwiththeonesapplicableforthefundamental club structure.

Structure Alternatives

Dependingoftheclub’sspecificsituation,additionalpositionscanbeaddedtothestructure(specialprojectsofficer,specialeventsofficer,serviceofficer,etc.).Itisrecommendednottoovercrowdtheofficers’teamwithunnecessarypositions.Keepingeveryoneengagedandconnectedwiththemainfocusoftheclubcanbecomeadifficulttask.

Specific Position DescriptionsForthepresident,vicepresident,secretaryandtreasurerpositiondescriptions,please visit the Red Cross Club Template Constitution:ArticleV,Section3.1-3.5

Additional Position Descriptions

Volunteer Coordinator (key assignments)• CoordinateswiththelocalunitcontactabouttheRedCrossvolunteer

orientation process• Keepstrackofmembervolunteerhours• Maintainsaconstantcommunicationwithvolunteersandsendsremindersfor

the activities they have signed up for

Publicity Officer (key assignments)• Releasesinformationonserviceprojectsandevents• Workswiththevolunteercoordinatorinrecruitingnewmembers• CollaborateswiththelocalRedCrossunitonmarketingandvisibility

opportunities

Fundraising Officer (key assignments)• PromotesandorganizesfundraisersinsupportofRedCrosscauses• Organizesfundraisingeventsdesignedtobringfinancialstabilitytotheclub

Webmaster• Createsandmaintainsawebsitefortheclub• Thewebmastermighttakeonadditionalassignmentsforincreasingtheclub’s

visibility in social media.


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Dependingontheclub’sgrowthprocess,youwillprobablyneedtorevisitthestructuresoitwillcorrespondwiththeconcretechallengesyouhavetoface.AfteryearsofworkingwithRedCrossclubs,werecognizethatthisstructureapplieswellfor an established Red Cross club. We consider a club to be established if it has run foratleasttwoconsecutiveyears,runsseveraleventsannually,andconsistentlyhasmorethan30activemembers.

Advanced Club Structure

School Club

Sponsor

President

American Red Cross

Chapter

Fundraising Publicity

Secretary

Webmaster

TreasurerOfficers

Disaster BiomedicalInternationalSevice to the Armed

Forces

Red Cross Service Committees

Vice President

Health and Safety

Volunteer Coordinator

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The Club Structure in Practice:

Pros Cons Offers a number of leadership development opportunities

Requiresalargemembershipbase,morethan75-100

Decreasestheworkloadforclubofficers Officersareengagedintheplanningprocess more than in the execution phases

Allowsclubofficerstofocusonsettingthe strategic direction of the club instead ofleadingandimplementingprojects

Decision and communication processes might be cumbersome at times

Has a strong focus on Red Cross mission-specificprojects

Roles

Officers:• Thepresident,vicepresident,secretaryandtreasureraretheprincipalofficers.

Some of their key responsibilities are related to facilitating and troubleshooting theworkofcommitteeleadsaswellassettingthedirectionfortheclub.

• ThepresidentisresponsibleformaintainingtherelationshipwiththelocalRedCrossunitandwiththefacultysponsor.

• Allotherofficerpositionsareoptionalandstrictlydependentoftheclub’sneeds.

Committee Leads:• MustbeknowledgeableinafocusedRedCrossareaofservice(Healthand

Safety,Disaster,BiomedicalServices,International,ServicetotheArmedForces)orinageneralsupportfunction(i.e.,communication,events,fundraising,etc.).TheyshouldalsobeabletomaintainperiodiccommunicationwithastaffmemberorvolunteeratthelocalRedCrossunitwhoworksintheirline of business.

• Leadtheprojectdevelopmentandimplementationprocessforprojectsthatfallunder their areas of service.

• Activelyinvolvethemembersoftheircommitteesinplanningandexecutingprojects.

• Maintainanactivecommunicationwiththeofficersandshareallrelevantprojectupdatesandconcerns.

Members:• Eachmemberisrequiredtobeactivelyinvolvedwithatleastonecommittee,

havingafocusonaspecificlineofRedCrossbusiness.• Membersshouldsuggestideas,leadorparticipateinprojectsandprovide

suggestions and recommendations on improving the general club activities.

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Meetings: Option1:

• Officersmeetpriortothegeneralclubmeetingwiththecommitteeleads.

• Officersgivetheirmajorupdatestothegeneralclubandthenthegroupbreaksoutintocommitteestodiscussspecificprojects.

Option2:

• Officersholdcompletelyseparatemeetingswiththecommitteeleadswhereofficersgiveupdatesandthecommitteeleadsgivethemprogressupdatesontheirprojects.

• Eachcommitteeholdsseparatemeetingstoplanprojects.

Structure Alternatives• Eachcommitteeleadisconnectedwiththespecificprogramatthelocal

Red Cross unit.• Generalmemberscanserveonmultiplecommittees.

Specific Position DescriptionsForthepresident,vicepresident,secretaryandtreasurerpositiondescriptions,pleasevisittheRedCrossClubTemplateConstitution:ArticleV,Section3.1-3.5

Additional Position DescriptionsThevolunteercoordinator,publicity,fundraisingofficerandwebmasterpositiondescriptions are similar to the one presented under Intermediary Club Structure.

CommitteeLeads:

• LeadagroupofclubmembersinplanningandexecutingprojectsinaRedCross line of business

• Maintainaconstantcommunicationwiththeofficersandshareallrelevantupdateswiththeircommitteemembers

Asyoucangather,therearedifferentstructuresthatcanhelpyoustreamlinethewayyourclubsoperate.Aboveall,itisimportanttoincludeallthesedifferentroles,responsibilitiesandgeneraloperationproceduresinyourbylaws.

Remember,inordertosetasolidfoundationforyourclub,youwillneedtohaveaconstitution,abylawsdocumentandaclearstructurethatdefinestherolesandresponsibilities.

heads up! Foranadvancedstructure,

youmustdecidewhether

youwantyourcommittees

to meet during the general

meetings or hold separate

meetings.

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IV.WorkingWithYourLocal RedCrossUnit

Providingassistanceforthoseinneed;empoweringlocalcommunitiestoprevent,prepare for and respond to emergencies; and collecting and distributing a critical bloodsupplyforhospitalsthroughoutthecountryarejustsomeexamplesofservicesdeliveredbytheAmericanRedCross.Inordertomaximizetheresponsecapacity,theRedCrossreliesonawell-establishedlocalstructurethatincludesmorethan600chapters,BloodServicesregionsandServicetotheArmedForces(SAF)stationsworldwide.

Thetremendousactsofservicearemadepossiblebythesupportofincrediblydedicated volunteers. All Red Cross units rely on volunteers to carry out their servicesinthelocalcommunities,andyouthvolunteersareacriticalelementinthisprocess.

YourschoolclubcanplayanimportantroleinhelpingtheRedCrossunitinyourcommunitydelivercriticalservices.Creatingastrongcollaborationandworkingwithyourlocalunitaddsvalueandbuildscapacityforyourclub.Youwillbeabletoreceiveupdatesaboutneedsinthecommunitythathavetobeaddressed,trainingopportunities,nationalinitiativesandmuchmore.ExperiencedRedCrossemployeesandvolunteerscanhelpyouexpandyourclub’soutreachandcapacityandensureyou are getting the support you need.

Inthefollowingsection,wewillguideyouonhowtobuildaconnectionwiththelocalRed Cross and make the most of your partnership.

Your Local Red Cross at a GlanceBeforewesendyouofftoknockonthedoorofyourlocalRedCrossunit,weneedtomakesureyouhaveagoodunderstandingofwhatalocalRedCrossunitstandsforandwhatistheeasiestwaytoconnect.

YourlocalRedCrossshouldbethenearestchapter,BloodServicesregionorServicetotheArmedForces(SAF)stationtowhereyoulive.

• A Red Cross chapter is the local unit that oversees Red Cross activitiesandservices(excludingblood)foragivengeographicarea.Dependingonthecommunityneeds,thechapterwillprovideservicesrelatedtohealthandsafety,disasterresponse,servicetoarmedforcesand international services.

• A Blood Services Region,ontheotherhand,overseesallRedCrossbloodcollectioninagivengeographicarea.Itcollects,processesanddistributes blood to hospitals and provides the gift of life for those in need.

heads up! ThethreefundamentalRedCross units previously outlined can be structured differentlyinthefield;theycan combine services or look different than you expect. It is important for you to becomeveryfamiliarwithhowyourlocalRedCrossunitworksandwhatkeyservices are provided in the community.

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• A Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) StationisaRedCrossofficelocated on a military installation or in a military hospital. SAF station employees and volunteers provide direct services to service members and their families.

Inordertodelivercriticalservices,thechapters,BloodServicesregionsandSAFstations are responsible for managing volunteers—and this includes you.

How Do You Find the Closest Red Cross Unit?Simply go to redcross.organdenteryourzipcodeonthetopright.NowyouhavefoundtheclosestRedCrossunittoyou.Themajorityofchapters,BloodServicesregionsormilitaryinstallationswillhaveawebsiteortheyhavelistedcontactinformation.Thebestwaytocontactyourlocalunitistoidentifythecontactinformationforthepersonmanagingvolunteersoryouthvolunteers.Someofthejobtitlesyoushouldbelookingforare:volunteerdirector,volunteermanager,volunteercoordinator,youthdirector,youthvolunteercoordinator,blooddonorrecruiter,etc.

http://www.redcross.org

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Working With Your Local Red CrossWhenconnectingandworkingwithyourlocalRedCrossunit,thereareslightlydifferentstepsyouwillneedtotakeifyouarejuststartingacluboryoualreadyhaveanexistingone.Thereareanumberofgenericstepsrecommendedineitherofthesituations:

Step 1. ConnectEstablishacontactwiththelocalunitandinitiateaperiodiccommunicationprocess.

Actions Recommendations

Find the closest Red Cross unit to your school.

Identify the contact person in the local Red Cross unit.

Note:Ifyouhaveanexistingclub,pleaseconfirmthecontactinformationforyourRed Cross unit at the beginning of the newschoolyear.

Great activity for the end of September as a kickoffforthenewacademicyear(inconjunctionwithSeptemberisNationalPreparednessMonth)

Initiate communication—express intent to start a club or continue your Red Cross club activities.

• Youcaneithercalloremailthecontactpersonin the local unit.

• Asamplecommunicationshouldcover:shortintroduction,yourintentonstartingaRedCrossclubandyourdesiretohaveajointmeetingwiththe local Red Cross unit.

Forexistingschoolclubs:Beforeschoolstartsandbeforetheofficersmeeting,pleasetouchbasewithyourlocalRedCrossunitandgatherrelevantupdates that might impact your school club.

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Step 2. InformSharerelevantinformationonyourclubmembership,structureandupcomingprojects.


ScheduleameetingwiththeRedCrosscontact person.

• Makesuretoprovideaccurateinformationonhowyoucanbecontactedandfollowuppromptly.

• Ifthemeetingistakingplaceatyourschool,make sure to secure the space.

• Inviteallyourpeersinterestedinstartingtheclub.Youcaninvitethefacultysponsortojointhe meeting.

• Prepareanagendaanddesignatetheitemsyouwanttodiscuss.

Forexistingschoolclubs:Ensurethattheentireofficers’teamwillparticipateatthismeeting.Itgives you the opportunity to coordinate your upcominginitiativeswiththelocalunit.

Gather information on existing requirements for starting a Red Cross club.

• Findouttherequireddocumentationforstartinga club.

• Verifythelocalunit’spolicyforbecomingaregisteredRedCrossvolunteer,ifyouarenotalready one.

• Makesurethatyourclubofficersareregisteredvolunteerswiththelocalunit.Iftheyareover18,thiswillincludeabackgroundcheck.

Forexistingschoolclubs:Verifywiththelocalunitifthereareanynewpoliciesonmanagingyouthvolunteers.

Register your club members as Red Cross volunteers.

• Itisimportantforthelocalunittohaveaccurateinformation on the number of youth volunteers involved.Yoursupportisvitalingettingeveryoneregistered.

• Clubmembersshouldeach:

-SubmitaVolunteerApplication,CodeofConduct,andIntellectualPropertyandConfidentiallyform.

-Takeyourlocalunit’s“NewVolunteerOrientation.”

-Gothroughanationalbackgroundcheck,ifover 18 years of age.

Forexistingschoolclubs:Makesuretohavethenewofficers’teamregisterasvolunteersandthemembersthatrecentlyjoinedtheclub.

http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.53fabf6cc033f17a2b1ecfbf43181aa0/?vgnextoid=3912b290a26b4210VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD&currPage=dd46b290a26b4210VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD

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ScheduleperiodicmeetingswithyourRed Cross contact person and school club members.

• Secureatimethatworksbestforyourclubmembers and for the Red Cross contact.

• Youcaneitherhavethemeetingatthelocalunitoratyourschool.Ifpossible,invitetheclubsponsortojointhemeeting.

• Discussupcomingprojects;askforguidanceand informational resources.

Conductjointneedsassessmentswiththe Red Cross contact person.

PleaseusetheFinding Club Service OpportunitiesdocumentinPartB,SectionI.

Forexistingschoolclubs:Ifapplicable,refertotheprevious needs assessments. Incorporate any significantchangesinthecommunity,schoolorRed Cross unit that can have an impact on the services delivered by your club.

Identifyjointprojectsandtheclub’sspecificsupportneeds.

Youshouldhaveaclub’sinventorycovering:

• Youravailableresources(e.g.,schoolfinancialsupport,accesstoprinting,meetingrooms,clubmemberswithtechnicalskills).

• Existingneeds(e.g.,someonewithmarketingexperience,accesstomeetingspace,someonetoprovideguidanceonyourfundraisingetc.)foryoutobeabletoimplementspecificprojects.

It is important to establish the availability of your resourcesandverifywhatisrealistictoexpectinterms of concrete support mechanisms from the local unit.

Developyourclub’scalendarofactivities and share the information withthelocalRedCrossunit.

• Basedontheidentifiedneeds,togetherwithyourclubmembersyouwillselectanumberofprojectstobeimplementedbyyourclubthroughout the school year.

• Developyouryearlycalendarofactivities.

• Makesuretosharetheclub’scalendarofactivitieswithyourRedCrosscontact.

If you plan to implement a larger scale event and youarerelyingonthelocalunit’ssupport,pleaseensure that you communicate all your support needswellinadvanceandyoufollowuponyourrequests.

Forexistingschoolclubs:Trytocapitalizeonrecurringprojectsandgainmoresupportinyourschool and at the local unit.

Step 3. CollaborateHoldjointneedsassessmentsessionsandidentifythebestwaytocollaborate.Maintainregularcommunicationandworktogetherinimplementingrelevantprojectsand initiatives.

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Informandcoordinatewiththe RedCrossunitallmajoreventsimplemented by your club.

• EnsurethatyoumaintainregularcommunicationwithyourlocalRedCrossunit.

•Whenappropriateandpossible,attempttocollaboratewithotherRedCrossclubsonprojectsandevents.

• Allowappropriatetimeforplanningeventsandschedulingtrainingclasseswithyourlocalunit.

• Specialnotesforfundraisers:

- CoordinatewithyourlocalRedCrossbeforesolicitingin-kindormonetarydonations.

- Carefullyreviewallwrittendonationrequeststoensurehigh-qualityadherencetobrandstandards before sending to potential donors.

- DocumentdonorinformationandforwardittoyourlocalRedCross,especiallyifthedonorrequested a tax receipt.

Note:Whenapproached,referallquestionsandcontroversial comments about the American Red Cross to your local unit.

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Step 4. ReportDependingonthespecificrequirements,youhavetoshareperiodicactivityreportswiththelocalunit.Youshouldsendatleastoneattheendofyourschoolyear.


Submit an activity report in accordance withyourlocalunit’sspecificrequirements.

Pleasemakesuretosharewiththelocalunittheaccurate information on initiatives implemented throughouttheyear,numberofvolunteers,etc.

Youcanfindareporttemplateattheendofthisdocument.

Note:

• CoordinatewithyourlocalRedCrossinordertodevelop an annual club budget at the appropriate time (preferably at the beginning of theyear).

• Alwayshavetwoormoreclubmembers(atleastoneofficer)handlingmoneyatanygiventime.

• Maintainanaccuratelistofallfinancialactivities.

• GiveallreceivedfundstoyourlocalRedCrosswithin48hoursofreceipt.Besuretoalwayscount money before you deposit it.

• Makesuretomaintainrecordsofallyouractivities,howmanypeopleparticipatedandhowmanypeopleyouserved.

We hope you are in a better position to engage your local Red Cross. Following is a Sample Activity Report that you need to share with your local unit. You may download a blank form from here.

http://www.redcross.org/cgi-bin/youth/activityreport.pdf

American Red Cross Youth Services

Club Activity ReportSchool:PinewoodHigh City:Yukon Date:May8,2009

Completed by: Megan Mukler Position:President

Club Officers: (Please list names and email addresses) MeganMukler,President,[email protected] JoshArdinel,VicePresident,[email protected]

I. Club Meeting Attendance

DateTotal Number of

MembersTotal Number of New

Members Date of Red Cross Orientation for New MembersApril 17 16 N/A Nonewmembersthismeeting

April24 13 N/A Nonewmembersthismeeting

May4 22 N/A 2newmembers,Orientation,May22

II. Red Cross Club Activities

Date Activity and Location

Type of Presentation (i.e., Be Red Cross Ready, IHL,

Safe Kids, CPR, etc.)Number of Volunteers

Number of People Served

Number of Materials

Distributed

4/26PuppetShowatALBElementary School

Disaster preparedness information for young children 6

200 children 75

3/26 CPRtrainingTaughtadultCPRtoclubmembers 3 16 16

III. Fundraising Activities

Date Activity and Location$

(FundsRaised)

Target for Funding Event (NationalConvention,Club,DisasterReliefFund,ServiceActivities,Measles,etc.)

Number of Volunteers

4/21Bake Sale Fundraiser at Ralph’sinPaperland $200 Measles Initiative 7

5/11PeanutButterandJellySaleat school $83 Local disaster relief fund 6

IV. Upcoming Events

Date Activity and Location Description

Number of Volunteers

Supporting Event

Number Expected to Attend Event

5/1 TablingonCampusToadvertiseclub,firstaid/CPRclasses,andtakedonations. 25 Many

5/15 BloodDrive@PinewoodHS Blood drive in gym 7 + staff 40units

V. Updates/Current Developments: Other News/ Updates/ Questions (i.e., elections/change in officers or sponsor, etc.)

*Sam Floren has been elected treasurer.*WantstoworkwiththechapterontheProjectBand-AidNon-Violenceeventinthefall.*Need help from the chapter on creative fundraising activities.

clubin a box

Sample

19PartA10/2011

20

RedCrossYouth.org/club_in_a_box PartB10/2011

clubin a boxPartB–GettingYour

Club Started

I. Finding Club Service Opportunities


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I. Finding Club Service Opportunities AsaRedCrossclub,therearealotofthingsyoucando;thechoicesareendless.Whenplanningfortheupcomingyear,thefirstthingtokeepinmindis:Whatshouldbeyourclub’sfocus?HowcanyoubestrepresentandpromotetheRedCrossmissionandfundamentalprinciplesthroughyourclub’sinitiatives?Inaddition,youneedtocomeupwithprojectsthatareappealingforyourpeers,havearealimpactonyourcommunityandadvancetheRedCrossmission.Thiscanbeafarmorecomplicated task.

Inthissection,wewouldliketodiscusssometoolsyoucanusewhenidentifyingthebestprojectsforyourclub.

TheBenefitsofGoingThrough a Needs Assessment Process Goingthroughagroupexercisewheretogetherwithyourclubmembersyouidentifytheneedsofyourlocalcommunitycanbeafunandproductivewaytofindtheprojectsyouwanttodeliverintheupcomingyear.Therearetwomainbenefitsforyourclub:

• Benefit:Serviceprojectsthatrespondtorealneedsinyourcommunity

Yourprojectswillbemoremeaningfulastheyaddressrealissuesimpactingyourcommunityandtheywillbemorelikelytogainsupport and momentum.

• Benefit:RedCrossmission-specificprojectsyourclubundertakesrepresent the Red Cross symbol and principles in your school.

Youhavetokeepinmindthatyouarerepresentingoneofthemostrecognizedhumanitariansymbolsintheworld—theRedCross.YouwillneedtoactasRedCrossambassadorsandnotjustrepresentageneral service club.

Realistically,takingalookatyourcommunityshouldbedoneatthebeginning of the school year or ideally before school has even started so you can hit thegroundrunning.Ifyoufeelyourclubislosingfocusornewopportunitieshavearisen,youmightwanttotakeanotherlookathowyouarereachingoutandservingyour community.

advice from the pros! Youmightwonderwhenisthe best time to look at your communityneeds.Thebestadvicewehave:Allthetime!

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‘Must Haves’ Before You Start Beforeacting,youneedtodosomeresearchandgainanunderstandingofwhatishappeningaroundyouthatcanimpactyourclub.Therearefourmajorelementsthatyoushouldhaveinmindwhenplanningyouractivitiesandprojectsforthecomingyear:

The FOCUS• Your School—Yourclubisprobablyoneofmanyatyourschool,soyouneed

tohaveagoodunderstandingofwhatsetsyouapartfromtheotherclubsandto identify your unique attributes.

• The Local Community—Lookaround,seewhatishappeningwithyourpeers,yourneighborhood,townandregion.Identifywhowillbenefitfromyoursupportandwhereyoucanmakeadifference.Youcanfocusonreachingouttoyourpeers,children,elderly,diversepopulations,etc.

• The Local Red Cross Unit—Thelocalunitisagreatresourceyoushouldutilize.Checktoseewhatprojectstheyareworkingon.Seehowyoucancollaboratewiththemonsomeoftheirprojectsorgetsupportandguidanceforyourownprojects.

The TEAMWhoshouldworkonthis?

Ifyouarejuststartinganewclub,makesuretohaveallthefoundingmemberspresentataface-to-facemeeting.

Ifyourclubisalreadyestablished,youshouldinviteanumberofclubmemberstojointhemeeting(notjusttheclub’sofficers).Themorepeoplepresent,thebetterthechancestogatheralotofvaluableinsights.

The PROCESSTherearemanywaystogatherinformationaboutyourcommunity.Youcouldtakeasurvey,conductinterviewsorhaveagroupdiscussion.Complementarytoyourpreferredapproach,ourrecommendationistooptforagroupdiscussion.Thisisagreatwaytobringtheclubtogether,geteveryone’sagreementonthenextprojectsyourclubwillbeworkingonandmoveforwardtogether.

advice from the pros! Get your school club sponsor and Red Cross contactpersontojoin your club for this group discussion.Theycanbeavaluableresource,pointingoutmissinginformation,availablematerials,potentialsolutions,etc.

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The TOOLS Ouraimistomaketheprocessaseasyaspossibleforyou.Inthefollowingpages,youwillfindanumberofstraightforward,easy-to-usetoolsthatshouldguideyouthroughtheprocess.Togetherwithyourmembers,gothrougheachsection’sdiscussionpointsandusethetableonthelastpagetorecordyourfindings.Makesuretokeeparecordofit,sinceitwillbeinstrumentalforfutureplanning.

Mapping the Needs and Identifying the Best Service Opportunities

STEP 1: Finding the Needs GapsItisimportanttostartbylookingatthepresentdaygapsinyourschool,communityor local Red Cross unit. We developed a list of guiding questions to help in that process.Besuretocomeupwithyourownquestionsaswell.

SchoolGuiding Questions:

• Whataretheotherclubsatyourschooldoing?– Are there other community service clubs at your school? – Whataretheydoingthatmightimpactyourclub’sprojects(e.g.,runningblood

drivesortrainingstudentsinCPR)?• Whatgapscouldyourclubfillinatyourschool?

– DoesthefacultyneedtobetrainedinCPR?Maybeyourclubcouldtrainthem.– Isthereadisaster/emergencyplanattheschool?Ifnot,youcouldtakealead

role in creating one or promoting it around campus?

Onceyouhaveidentifiedallrelevantquestionsyoumightwanttodiscuss,pleaseusethe School Needs Assessmentandfilloutallrelevantinformation.Pleaseseethefollowingtable.

http://www.redcross.org/cgi-bin/youth/needsassessment.pdf

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Table 1. School Needs Assessment for the Clara Barton Red Cross School Club

Current Programs Offered by Other Clubs

Potential Service Opportunities for Your Red Cross

Schoolrepresentativeclubs:

• Key Club: Focus on community service,leadershiptraining(programs:babysittingservices,leadingcommunitygarden)

• Interact: Focus on community service (programs:help3rdgradersread,making Clara Barton High School “green”)

• Habitat for Humanity: Focus on buildinghomesforthelow-incomefamiliesinacommunity(programs:youthbuildteam)

• Associated Student Body: Focus on electedstudentgovernment(programs:runtwoannualblooddrives,incoordinationwithevents)

Blood drives/staffing and recruiting blood donors

Disaster preparedness

CPR, first aid and AED trainings

Exploring Humanitarian Law champions

Fundraisers—measles, disaster, supporting the local Red Cross unit, etc.

CommunityGuiding Questions:

• Whatarethegapsinyourcommunitythatyoucanrelatetoandrespondto?– DoyouhaveBoyScouttroopsthatneedtobetrainedinfirstaid?

– Arethereafter-schoolprogramsforsmallchildrenwhereyoucouldteachthembasic skills such as calling 911 or building a disaster kit?

– Are there any problems affecting your community that are not being addressed andthattheAmericanRedCrosscouldhelpwith?

Onceyouhaveidentifiedallrelevantquestionsyoumightwanttodiscuss,pleaseusethe Community Needs Assessmentandfilloutallrelevantinformation.Inthefollowingchart,youhaveanexample.

Sch

ool

Sample


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Table 2. Community Needs Assessment for the Clara Barton Red Cross School Club

Community Needs (relevant from your club’s

perspective)Community Needs

(addressing some community needs)

Potential Service Opportunities

for Your Red Cross

• Youthhealthandsafetytraining

• Firepreventioneducation(increased number of housefires)

• Disasterpreparedness(community prone to disaster)

• Outreachtounderservedgroups(diversepopulation,increased elderly population,groupsremotely located from the chapterheadquarters,etc.)

Salvation Army: Developing programs focused on elderly and diversepopulations,etc.

Local Volunteer Center: providing after-schoolprograms,serviceprojects,environmentcleanups,etc.

Boys and Girls Clubs: programs coveringfirstaidstationsatsportingevents,leadershipandpublicspeakingtrainingsforyouth,etc.

United Way: programs focused on education,lowincomeandhealthissues.

Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America: programs focused on training youth in responsible citizenship,characterdevelopment,andself-reliancethroughoutdooractivities and educational programs

Potential Projects:

• Youth mass CPR and AED trainings

• Fire safety education for K-12 (use a puppet show for elementary school)

• Youth leadership sessions

• Fundraising for the local Disaster Relief Fund

• Exploring Humanitarian Law champions

Local Red Cross UnitGuiding Questions:

• WhatgapsidentifiedbythelocalRedCrossunitcouldyouhelpfill?– AreanyofyourmembersCPRinstructorswhocanteachfortheRed

Cross unit?

– Are there any large fundraisers or events that the chapter needs volunteers for?

– Does your community have a language barrier that your members could helpfillsoyourRedCrossunitcanbettercommunicatewiththecommunity?

Onceyouhaveidentifiedallrelevantquestionsyoumightwanttodiscuss,please use the Local Red Cross Needs Assessmentandfilloutallrelevant information discussed.

Loca

l Com

mun

ity

advice from the pros! We recommend that the local unit’sneedsassessmentshould be implemented after mapping out your school and communityneeds.Again,itwouldbeextremelyvaluableif you could invite the local RedCrosscontacttojoinyoufortheunit’sneedsassessment portion.

Sample


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Table 3. Local Red Cross Needs Assessment for the Clara Barton Red Cross School Club

Current Programs Offered by the Local

Red Cross UnitPotential Service Opportunities

for Your Red Cross

Programsrelevantforyouthinvolvement:

Disaster Services

• CommunityDisasterEducation

• DisasterActionTeams

International Services

• MeaslesInitiative

• InternationalHumanitarianLaw/ExploringHumanitarianLaw

PreparednessandHealthandSafety

• CPRandAEDtrainings

• Homefiresafety

Blood Services

• Coordinatingblooddrives

• Volunteerstaffingforblooddrives

Service to the Armed Forces

• Volunteeringprogramswiththeveteranhospitals

Other:

• LeadershipDevelopmenttrainings

• HeroesCampaign

• Homefiresafetyforchildren

• ExploringHumanitarianLawchampions

• Measlesfundraisers

• Blooddrives(orvolunteeratablooddrive)

• Leadershipdevelopmenttrainings

• Supportchapter-drivenprojects

• HealthandSafetyawarenessweek

STEP 2: Filling in the GapsEarlierinthedocumentwelookedatwhatopportunitieswereavailableforyourschoolclub.Atthispoint,itistimetofillinthegapsandcomeupwithsomeconcreteprojectproposals.PleaseuseMap Your Red Cross School Club Programs and let’stakealookatsomeconcreteserviceopportunitiesforyourclub.YouhaveanexampleinTable4.

How to Use the Following Document • Lookattheopportunitiesyouidentifiedinrelationwithyourschool,community

andlocalRedCrossunit.PleaselistoneopportunityineachrowinthecolumntitledServiceOpportunitiesforYourClub

• IntheChecklist columninTable4,pleasemakesuretolookatbothcheckboxesandfillininformationasappropriate.

LocalRedCrossUnit

Sample

http://www.redcross.org/cgi-bin/youth/mapprogram.pdf

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YouneedtoverifyiftheopportunityrelatestothemissionoftheAmericanRedCross(toprevent,prepareforandrespondtodisasters)andfitsintooneofthecorelinesofbusiness(DisasterServices,HealthandSafety,InternationalServices,ServicetotheArmedForces,BiomedicalServices.Forexample,organizingausedclothingdriveisagreatcommunityservice,butdoesnotdirectlyrelatetothemissionoftheAmericanRedCross.Inthiscase,youwouldnotcheckthebox.

Check the second box if your club has the skills or resources to take advantageoftheopportunity.Forexample:Thereisnoyouthinformationonthechapter’swebsite.Thisisanopportunity,butbeforesaying‘yes’tocreatingit,doyouhaveanyoneintheclubwiththerightskillstocreateit?If‘yes,’thencheckthebox,ifnot,leaveitblank.

• IntheComments columninTable4,pleasewriteanyadditionalremarksorreminders,highlightingthesupportyoumightneedfromthechapter,opportunitiestocollaboratewithotherclubsatyourschool,etc.

Onceyouhavegonethroughtheseconsecutivesteps,youshouldhaveaheftylistofpotentialprojectsthatcanbeimplementedbyyourclubthroughouttheacademicyear.Inthisresourcepackage,youwillfindoutmoreonhowtoorganizeyourprojects,whatshouldbeonyourcalendarandmore.Getreadytolearnmoreonhowtoplan,communicateand,eventually,makeanimpactonyourcommunity.

Attheendofthisprocess,youshouldhaveagoodunderstandingofhowyourclub’sprojectsareconnectedwithyourschool,communityorlocal RedCrossunitandhowyoucancontributetoexpandingtheRedCrosspresence.

heads up! Thecheckboxesserveasawarningflagthattheopportunities found might notbeagoodfitwiththetype of initiatives your club should be implementing. Both boxes need to be checked in order for you tomoveforward,comeupwiththeprojectplanandget ready to implement the initiative. If only one boxischecked,keeptheopportunity on an alternative listandseehowyoucanmeet all requirements.

advice from the pros! • Makesuretokeeparecordoftheopportunitiesyouhaveidentifiedastheymightbetranslatedintoconcreteprojectsatalaterdate.

• Payspecialattentiontoserviceopportunitiesthatyourmembersareparticularlyfondof.

• Keeptheneedsassessmentdocumentsonhandandusethemwheneveryoucomeupwithanewprojectidea.

• Verifyifthereisconsistencywithyourpreviouslyidentifiedneedsanddecideonthebestwaytoproceed.

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Table 4. Map Your Red Cross School Club Programs

Service Opportunities for Your School Checklist

Comments (Chapterspport,partneringwith

otherorganizations,etc.)

YouthCPRandAEDtrainings

TheopportunityisRedCrossmission-specificandlinkedtoalineofbusiness.

Theopportunityfoundissomethingtheclub could possibly do.

Great activity for the end of September asakickoffforthenewacademicyear(inconjunctionwithSeptemberisNationalPreparednessMonth)

Fire safety education forK-12(usepuppetshowforelementaryschool)



Potentialactivityforthespringsemester

Health and Safety awarenessweek



Needtojoina“trainthetrainers”session for the club members

Youthleadershipsessions



Potentialtohelpthechapterorganizea Leadership Development Camp in summer

Fundraising for the local Disaster Relief Fund



March Heroes campaign can be a good opportunity to implement the fundraiser

Fundraisers:MeaslesInitiative,localRedCrossunit-ledfundraisers,etc.



Exploring Humanitarian Lawchampions



Needtodiscusswiththechaptertheprocess of becoming an EHL champion. Great potential.

Blooddrives/staffingand recruiting blood donors



Usedclothingdrive



Sample


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Whenstartinganewschoolyear,thereareanumberofthingsalreadyonyouragenda:toimplementrelevantprojects,buildanefficientteam,increaseyourclub’svisibilityintheschoolorlocalcommunity,etc.Equallyimportantistokeepyourmembersengaged,haveagoodnumberofprojectsimplementedeachsemesterand stay mission focused.

AgreattooltohelpyouinthisplanningprocessistheSchoolClubCalendar.Thereareafewelementsthatyouneedtoconsiderbeforeidentifyingyourmajoreventsandwritingdownthedates.

• Researchandidentifywhatishappeninginyourschoolandwhataresometraditional events for your campus. (If you plan a blood drive the same day as thecareerfair,youwillgetlowparticipationrates.)

• Identifytheeventsthataretakingplaceinyourcommunityandtakethemintoaccountwhenplanningyouractivities.(Sellingfirstaidkitsataparents’event/weekendasopposedtoduringalunchbreakcanmakeallthedifference.)

• Conductaneedsassessmentandidentifysomerelevantneedsinthecommunity,schoolorspecifictoyourlocalRedCrossunitthatyouwouldliketofocusonintheupcomingschoolyear.(Keepinmindthatyourinitiativeshavetobemission-specificandyouhavetohavetheresourcestoimplementthem.)

• Comeupwithanumberofprojectsyouwanttoimplementthroughouttheyear.(Agoodnumbertokeepinmindistwoorthreeprojectspersemester.)

• Identifyanonlinecalendarthatiseasytocustomizeandupdate.Ensurethatyouhaveawaytosetupe-mailalertsandremindersforupcomingevents.(YoucanconsiderusingGooglegroupsorincorporatealternativeSocialMediaresourcestohelpyoubuildandcustomizeyourcalendar.)

Building Your School Club CalendarInthefollowingsection,wewillwalkyouthroughastep-by-stepprocessthatwillenable you to build a customized calendar for your club. Feel free to set up your calendarinaccordancewiththeeventsthatarerelevantforyourschoolandcommunity.

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Step1. Lookatyourschoolcalendarfortheyearandmarkdownallmajorschoolbreaks.Youshouldkeepinmindthesummer,winterandspringbreaks.Withsomeminorexceptions,youshouldavoidschedulingeventsduringschoolbreaks.

Step 2. Markdownonyourschoolclubcalendarallmajorholidaybreaks.Someoftheofficialholidaybreaksgainahugemomentumandrepresentgreatserviceopportunities,i.e.,MartinLutherKing,Jr.DayofService,VeteransDay,etc.Youshouldconsiderthefollowingevents:

• MartinLutherKing,Jr.DayofService

• Presidents’Day

• MemorialDay

• LaborDay

• VeteransDay

• Thanksgiving

Step 3.Listallmajorschoolevents.Thereareacoupleofplaceswhereyoucangetthebestinformation:lookattheschoolwebsite,taskclubmemberstocoverthesportsevents,socialactivities,etc.Beasspecificaspossible.Thefollowingaresomeeventsyoushouldlist:

• Clubregistrationday/week

• Freshmenorientation

• Sportingevents(i.e.,homecoming,playoffs,etc.)

• Schoolholidays(teacherservicedays)

• Finals,midterms

• Otherclubs’events(majorfundraisers)

• PSAT/SAT/ACTtesting,AP/IBexams

• Specialschooldays(careerfair,Seniors’Day)

• Peprallies/school-wideassemblies

• Dances

• Careerfairs

• Volunteerfairs

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Step 4. Identifyalllocalmajoreventsforyourcommunitywithspecialrelevanceforyourschoolclub.Thebestplacestofindrelevantinformationarethelocalcity,countyandstategovernmentwebsites.Thefollowingaresomeoftheeventsyoumightconsider:

• Festivals

• Sportingevents

• Town/citymeetings

• Holidayevents

• Parades

• Statefairs

• LocalRedCrosschapterevents

Step 5.MarkallRedCross-relevantdatesonyourcalendar.Eachyear,RedCrossnationalheadquartersissuesaVisibilityCalendar.PleaseconnectwithyourlocalRedCrossunitandmakesureyougetasampleofthecalendar.PleasetakealookattheVisibilityCalendarforthecurrentfiscalyearandmarkalltheimportantdatesonyourcalendar(link).Inaddition,youmightwanttoconsider some additional dates that have a special relevance for youth volunteers:

• WorldRedCrossDay—May8

• GlobalYouthServiceDay—usuallythe4thweekendinApril

• InternationalYouthDay—August12

• MakeaDifferenceDay—4thSaturdayinOctober

• NationalYouthInvolvementMonth—November

Step 6.Listallprojectsandinitiativesyourschoolclubisplanningtoimplementforthe upcoming year.

Onceyouhavegonethroughallthesesteps,youshouldfindacalendartemplate you could use. We recommend building your calendar for the entire school year.

Belowyouwillfindanexampleofhowtoincorporatethedatesmentionedabove and develop a functional calendar for your club. Each month is broken intofoursectionssoyoucanputprojectswheretheyaremostlikelytofall.

advice from the pros! One great thing about building your calendar for the entire year is that you should be able to see if your club has too many events planned in a short time span ortofindsomesignificantgaps that you should take advantage of. A good calendarwillofferan“ataglance”perspectiveofyourworkload,keyinitiativesand,moreimportantly,itwillhelpyoustayontrackwithallprojects.

Don’t forget to make time for social activities and other items like recruitment or awards ceremonies.

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Aug

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clubin a box

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RedCrossYouth.org/club_in_a_box PartC10/2011

I. SchoolClubProjects:Ideas,Planning and Budgeting

II. Social Media at Work


PartC–PlanningYourClubProjectsandBuildingVisibility

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I.SchoolClubProjects:Ideas,Planningand Budgeting

Why Plan Your Projects? Throughoutthesemester,youhavetobalanceschool,yoursociallife,familytimeandnumerousextracurricularactivities,oneofthem—yourRedCrossvolunteeractivities.Asyouknow,it’snoteasy.Runningaschoolclubisjustoneofthemanythingsyouneedtokeeponyourradarscreen.Often,itseemsthatyouarewastingprecioustimeontheplanningprocesswhenyoucouldsimplyrollupyoursleevesandstartworkingondeliveringaproject.Ifyouwanttoavoidunnecessarycomplications,confusion,conflicts,procrastinationandotherissues,the keyistohaveagoodplanandateamthatisonboardwithwhatneeds to be done.

Herearesomeofthebenefitstobegainedwithgoodprojectplanning:

• Clear Objectives—Togetherwithyourpeers,youcouldestablishwhatismostvaluabletoaccomplishthroughyourprojects.Inaddition,involvingteammembersintheplanningprocesswillenablethemtobemorecommittedandmotivated to succeed.

• Accurate Timeline—Youwillbeabletosetadeadlinefordeliveringyourprojectandestablishsomeimportantdatesforimplementingtheproject’sactivities.

• Clear Roles and Responsibilities—Youcouldavoidduplicatingtheworkandpreventpotentialconflictsandmisunderstandingsbyhavingclearlydefinedrolesandresponsibilitiesfortheprojectteam.

• Identify Potential Gaps and Risks—Bymappingouthowyouwillexecutetheprojectstepbystep,youwillgainagoodhandleonwhatresourcesaremissing and some of the critical support needs.

• Track Work Progress—Atanygiventime,youwillbeabletoseewhereyouareintheprocessandwhatneedstobedoneinthefuture.

Before Starting to Plan Your Projects

Previouslyinthisresourcepackage,wediscussedanumberoftoolsthatcouldhelpyou identify the gaps in your community and school and develop a comprehensive calendar of activities.

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Preliminary Steps to Organize Your Project:

STEP 1. Map Out Your School Club’s Potential Projects and Initiatives

Beforethebeginningoftheschoolyear,youshouldhostameetingwithyourclubmembers,identifytheexistinggapsinyourschoolandcommunityandcomeupwitharealisticlistofprojectideas.PleaseusetheFinding Club Service OpportunitiesdocumentinPartB,SectionItolearnmore.

STEP 2. Decide on the Projects to be Implemented by Your Club During the Upcoming School Year

Dependingontheprojectopportunitiesidentifiedandthemanpower/skillsyouhaveintheclub,youshoulddecideonthefinallistofprojectstobedeliveredbyyourclub.Youshouldstrivetoimplementtwoorthreeprojectspersemester.

STEP 3. Develop a Yearly Calendar of Activities Onceyouhavenarroweddownyourlistofprojects,youshouldfindthebesttimeframe and develop a School Club CalendarinPartB,SectionII.Thecalendarwillprovidean“ataglance”perspectiveofyourworkloadandyourmembers’availability,andshouldhelpyouplanforyourspecificprojects.

Developing a Project Plan Wheneverimplementinganewproject,itisextremelyimportanttohaveageneralimageoftheprogressofyourprojects.Equallyimportantistohavethecapacitytomanageallpertinentprojectdetails(e.g.,havingtheprintedmaterialswhenneeded,enoughvolunteersshowingupattheevent,informingallclubmembers,etc.).Agoodprojectplanwillhelpyoucoveralldetailsaboutactivities,roles,responsibilities,deadlines and such.

Elements of a Good Project Plan

1. Preliminary Information: •Project Summary:Offersan“ataglance”perspectiveoftheproject,

coveringinformationontargetaudience,goals,mainresultsandcosts.Theprojectsummaryshouldnotexceed100words.

• Project Team:Listallindividualsinvolvedindeliveringtheproject.Whenselectingtheprojectteam,pleaseverifyifyourpeershavetheskills,timeandenergyneededtofinalizetheprojectimplementation.

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•Target Audience:Spelloutwhowillbenefitfromyourproject.Knowingyourtargetaudienceisextremelyimportant;yourprojectwilllookcompletelydifferentiftheaudienceisrepresentedbyacross-sectionofyourpeers,theelderly,militaryveterans,adultblooddonors,etc.

2. Project Goal: Thegoalconsistsofaclearandconcisestatementoftheproject’spurposeandintendedresults.Itoffersabroadvisionofwhatyouwishtoaccomplishthroughyourinitiative.Allmembersoftheprojectteammustsharethegoal,anditshouldberelevanttoyourtargetaudience.Somepossibleexamples:helpstudentsK-12tobebetterpreparedtorespondtosingle-familyfires,orempowerstudentstogaincriticallifesavingskillsthroughfirstaidandCPRtrainings,etc.

3. Project Objectives: Thiscanbeviewedasthebattleplanthatyousetinordertogetthespecificresultsprojectedthroughyourinitiatives.Akeyforthesuccessofyourprojectistohaveclear,well-definedobjectives.TheSMARTtechniqueisaneasywaytoverifyifyouhavetherightobjectiveforyourproject:

• Specific—Objectivesshouldbeconcrete,welldefined(e.g.,deliveratrainingevent,hostablooddrive,fundraiseforDisasterReliefFund,etc.).

• Measurable—Easytomeasure(e.g.,numberofpeoplewhobenefitedfromyourproject,amountofmaterialsdistributed,etc.).

• Achievable—Theobjectivesshouldbefeasibleandattainable(youhavethecapacitytodelivertheprojectinarealistictimeline).

• Realistic—Theobjectivescanbeaccomplishedwiththeresourcesavailableandbytheteammembersworkingontheproject(e.g.,collect30unitsofblood,raise$100foryourlocalunit).

• Timely—Youhaveaspecifictimelinethatmarksthestartandenddateoftheproject(e.g.,implementathree-weekcampaign,onedayhealthandsafetyawarenessfair,etc.).

4. Project Outcomes: Coverwhatyouaccomplishedthroughyourproject,specifyingallresults,activities,servicesorproductsdelivered(e.g.,aschoolclubblog,leadershiptraining,$500raisedforthelocalDisasterReliefFund,etc.).

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5. Project Timeline: Capturesthedurationoftheproject,statingtheprojectstartandenddatesandalldeadlinesassociatedwithsomekeyactivitiesintheproject.Inordertosetarealistictimeline,itisessentialtohaveagoodunderstandingofwhatneedstobeaccomplished,whatsomekeyactivitiesareandwhatresourcesareneededoravailable.

6. Communication and Marketing Strategies: Streamlines the process that enables you to generate attention and to bring visibility toyourproject.Youhavetokeepinmindthebeneficiariesofyourprojectandidentifythebestwaytoconnectwiththem.Makesuretoshareinformationwiththepeersinyourschool—anddon’tforgettocelebratetheaccomplishments.

7. Resources: Capturesthematerials,equipmentandpeopleyouneedinordertoaccomplishtheintendedresultsofyourproject.Itisimportanttohaveaclearunderstandingofalltheworkthatneedstobedoneinaprojectinordertomapallneededresources.RemembertocheckwiththelocalRedCrossunitwhenplanningaproject;theymight be able to provide some critical informational and/or material resources.

8. Budget: Representsthetotalamountofmoneynecessaryforprojectimplementation.Youneedtolistallexpensesandtherevenuesources,especiallyinthecaseoffundraisers.Forexample,ifyouplanafundraiser,youmightneedtoprintmaterials,topurchaseT-shirts,toadvertisetheevent,etc.WedevelopedaProject Budget Templateyoucanusewhenplanningorkeepingtrackofyourexpenses.

WhetheryouareusingyourowntemplateortheProject Plan template proposed inthisdocument,thetimespentonmappingoutallthesecomponentsisprobablythebesttimespenttowardthesuccessofyourprojects.Yourtimeislimitedandprecious,souseitwisely.

http://www.redcross.org/cgi-bin/youth/projectbudget.xls


http://www.redcross.org/cgi-bin/youth/projectplan.pdf

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TheProcessofDevelopingaProjectPlanThetaskofdefiningandmappingallelementsofaprojectplanmightseemdauntingatfirst.Below,wewillguideyouthroughaprocessthatsimplifiesthetaskandturnsprojectplanningintoafungroupactivity.

There are two common ways of creating a project plan.

The “Bottom-up” Approach—

Therearetimeswhenyouhaveavagueideaaboutaprojectthatyoushouldimplement.Forexample:AclubmembercomesupandsaysthatsheisinterestedincreatingaprojectforPreparednessMonthinSeptember.Shedoesn’thaveanideaofwhattodo,buteveryoneagreesthisisagreatopportunity.Intheseinstances,itiseasiertoplanifyoustartfromlistingconcreteactivitiesandadvanceintheprocess,endingwithspellingouttheobjectivesofyourproject.

Followthestepsbelowtoseehowyoucancomeupwithasoundprojectplanwhenstartingfromageneric/vagueidea.YoucanalsousetheBottom-up Project Plan template to capture the information.

Bottom-up Project Planning Approach

Steps Example 1. Schedule a project meeting• Ifpossible,inviteallclubmemberswhowanttoworkontheprojecttojoinyouforaplanningsession.Theentireprocessshouldn’tlastlongerthananhour.

YouhavefourclubmembersinterestedinhelpingtoimplementtheprojectforRedCross Month. Schedule a meeting and invite all of them for a planning session.

2. Come up with a concrete project idea

•Startingfromagenericidea,decideonaspecificprojectorinitiativeyouwillbefocusing on.

TheprojectyoudecidedtoworkonisDoMoreThanCrossYourFingers—HealthandSafetyAwarenessWeekinYourSchool.

3. Define the goal of the project

• Statetheprojectgoal.Paintthebroadpictureandcomeupwiththevisionofwhatyouwouldliketoaccomplish.

IncreaseawarenessofHealthandSafetyissues among students.

http://www.redcross.org/cgi-bin/youth/bottomUpProject.pdf

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4. Brainstorm potential activities

• Holdashortbrainstormingsessionandlistall possible activities that come to mind relatedtoahealthandsafetyawarenessweek.

Atthisstageyoushouldnotworryaboutthetimelineorresourcesavailable,justbecreativeandwritedownallideas.

Samplebrainstormedtopics:

• Selectfivehealthandsafetytopics(e.g.,floodsafety,fireprevention,etc.)andcoordinateaschool-widecontestwithpostersshownatlunch

• Organizeascavengerhuntthatwillfeature safety items in your school

• Inviteaguestspeaker

• OrganizeafirstaidandCPRtrainingevent

• Makesureeachlunchbreakhasathemed activity in the cafeteria

• Designpostersaboutwashinghands

5. Organize activities in general categories

• Revisitthebrainstormedactivities.Decidewhichideasarefeasibleandwouldworkwelltogether.

Lookforawaytogrouptheinformationsoyou can obtain a couple of categories. If you hadaproductivebrainstormingsession,capturingfourorfivecategorieswouldbeideal.

Category 1. Develop materials (information aboutthefivetopics,postersabouthandwashing,prizes)

Category 2.Safetyawarenessevents(speaker,scavengerhunt)

Category 3.Training(CPR,firstaid)

6. Assign resources

• Refertotheactivitiescategory.Listallhuman and material resources needed to implementtheproject.

Category 1. Develop materials (informationaboutthefivetopics,postersabouthandwashing,prizes)

Peopleneeded Budget items

Twovolunteerstodesign posters

Threevolunteerscollecting information onthefivetopics

Five volunteers distributing materials

Printingcapabilities

Prizes

Internet access

InDesign suite

Category2.Safetyawarenessevents(speaker,scavengerhunt)


10 volunteers running scavenger hunt

20volunteersstaffingthe speaker series—distributingfliers,staffingH&Sbooth,etc.

Prizesforscavenger hunt

Money for printing

Money for refreshments for the speaker series

Giveawayitems

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6. Assign resources (continued)

• Refertotheactivitiescategory.Listallhuman and material resources needed to implementtheproject.

7. Identify project results

• Lookattheactivitiescategories.Theresultsofyourprojectshouldbededucedfrom the categories already listed.

Allactivitiescategoriesshouldleadtospecificresults.

Category 1 Results: Engage students in teaching their peers about health and safety.

Category 2 Results: Guest speaker series onHealthandSafetyawareness.(RedCrossguestspeaker)

Category 3 Results:AmassfirstaidandCPRtrainingforstudents.

8. Map project objectives

• Onceyouestablishthedesiredresultsofyourproject,thenextstepistodetermineexactlyhowyouwillbeabletoachievethem.

Thisprocesswillleadyoutoformulatingtheobjectivesofyourproject.Itisrealistictohave3or4clearlydefinedobjectivesforyourproject.

Objective 1: Develop educational materials customizedtohelpstudentsacquirenewhealth and safety skills.

Objective 2: CollaboratewithlocalRedCrosschapterindeliveringfirstaidandCPRtraining in the school.

Objective 3: Host a series of events designedtoraiseawarenessonhealthandsafety topics in the school.

9. Verify the logic of your project plan

• Verification:Lookbacktowhereyoustartedtheprocessandverifythelogicofyourplanningprocess:

Besureyouestablishedyourprojectgoalcorrectlyand—

• Brainstormedagoodnumberofactivitiesrelevantfortheprojectyouhavein mind;

• Followedaspecificlogicingroupingtheactivitiesincategories;

• Identifiedtheproject’sresultscorrectlybasedontheprojectactivities;and

• Formulatedtheobjectivesinaccordancewiththealreadyidentifiedresults.

• Thentheobjectiveshavetobespecificallytiedtotheinitialgoaloftheproject.Youwentfullcircleandyoutransformedageneralideaintoaconcreteprojectplan.

Category3.Training(CPR,firstaid)Depending on the size of the training


Number of instructors

Number of volunteers recruiting and registering participants

Number of volunteers for logistic support

Trainingmaterials

Location

Money for advertising the event

Refreshments for participants

heads up! Capture the information in a

Project Plan and you are all

set to make a difference and

put the Red Cross mission to

work.


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The “Top-Down” Approach Thisapproachfollowsatraditionalmodelofplanningyourprojects.Youwillstartbystatingthegoalofyourproject,establishtheproject’sobjectives,identifytheresults,andintheenddevelopalistofconcreteactivities.Thisapproachhasprovensuccessfulwhenyouhavetoplanprojectswithawell-definedendresult.Forexample:YouliveinConnecticutandavolcanoeruptsinIndonesia.Youhavebeenaskedtoraise$500tohelpthevictimsoftheeruption.

Follow the steps below and see an example of a “top-down” project planning process.

Steps Example 1. State the goal of the project • Youwillneedtoestablishthebroadvisionofwhatyouwouldliketoaccomplishbyimplementingtheproject.

Providefinancialreliefforthevictimsofthecurrent volcano eruption in Indonesia.

2. Formulate the project’s objectives

• Thinkofthemajorstrategiesthatwillhelpyou achieve the goal and deliver the project.

Objective 1: Raise$500fortheIndonesianvolcano eruption victims.

Objective 2: Energize and expose the students from high school to an international humanitarian action.

Objective 3: Disseminate information on American Red Cross International Services and Disaster response operations.

3. Identify the project results

• Taketheaboveobjectivesandidentifythedesired results.

Result 1:$500forvolcanorelief.

Result 2: A better prepared school and community.

Result 3: Strongercollaborationwiththelocal unit.

Result 4: Enhanced Red Cross visibility in the community.

4. Map out the specific project activities

• Listtheconcretestepsyouneedtotaketoachieveyourobjectivesandgetthedesiredresults.Youcanstartbydescribingthegeneralactivitiesandgetasspecificasneededwhendesigningthedetailedprojectplan.

Action 1: Contact the local chapter for current information and the amount of support it can provide.

Action 2: Comeupwiththespecificfundraising idea.

Action 3: Gather your team.

Action 4: Select the date and location.

Action 5: Run the fundraiser.

Action 6: Celebrate and inform your community of your success in building visibility.

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5. Identify resources

• Lookatallprojectactivitiesandmapoutthe people and the budget needed to successfullyimplementyourproject.

People needed:

Number of volunteers the day of the fundraiser.

Number of volunteers developing the marketing materials.

Number of volunteers disseminating the information on American Red Cross services.

Budget items:

Special Red Cross apparel for the volunteers.

Printing capacity:

Logistics—space,refreshments,transportation,etc.

Regardlessofthespecifictechniqueused,youneedtoverifyifthereisaconnectionbetweendifferentelementsofyourprojectplanandifthereisalogicflow.Onceyouhavecapturedthekeyelementsofyourproject,youcanmoveforwardanddevelopthe Project Planforyourproject.Youareallsetnowforasuccessfulplanningsession.


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II. Social Media at Work WeknowthatmostofyouarefrequentusersofsocialmediaandInternettools.It’stime to make the most of your savvy skills and get your club in the spotlight. Social mediaenablesyoutoalmostinstantlyconnect,trackandupdateallyourfriendsaboutwhatisnewinyourlife.Inaddition,thesetoolshavebeenproventobeefficientincommunicatingwithfellowofficers,publicizingyourevents,sendingoutalertsformeetingsororganizingyourcalendarswithactivities.Inanotherwords,itcanhelpyouorganizeyourwork,communicateefficientlyandbuildvisibility.

Facebook,Twitter,YouTube,Flickr,etc.aresitesyouprobablyarealltoofamiliarwith.Ifyouwanttolearnmoreorhaveaccesstoin-depthinformationonsocialmedia,pleasevisitthefollowingtworesources:

• American Red Cross Social Media Guidelines • International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Social Media Toolkit

Social Media and Your Club Whenusedaccordingly,socialmediacanbeatremendousassetforyourschoolclub.Youcantakeaproactiveroleinpromotingyourachievementsandbuildasolidonline presence and a sound reputation for your club.

Before you take a deep dive into exploring the features and capabilities of different sitesandtools,wewouldliketowalkyouthroughaquickplanningsectiononhowtointegrate social media in your school club.

ThegenericstepsareadoptedfromAmericanRedCrossSocialMediaGuidelines:

• Select a number of social media avenues you want to establish a presence on. Duetothehugevariety,differentfunctionalityandresourcesavailable,youshouldn’tusemorethanthreeorfourdifferentsocialmediasites.

Thespecificstepsyoucantake:

– ResearchwhatotherlocalRedCrossclubshaveapresence on social media sites.

– IdentifylocalTwitteraccounts. – IdentifylocalFacebook,YouTubeorFlickraccounts.

• Set up your social media goals. Togetherwithyourmembers,decidewhatsocialmediatoolsyouareplanningtouseandwhatyouaretryingtoaccomplish.Forexample,youcanusesocialmediatoimproveyourclub’s

http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.d8aaecf214c576bf971e4cfe43181aa0/?vgnextoid=24f1cb2d6c15b110VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default

http://www.ifrc.org/

http://www.ifrc.org/

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internalcommunicationortobuildagoodonlinereputationandattractnewmembers.

• Develop your social media strategy. Makeafinaldecisiononthesocialmediasitesyouplantouse(askyourmemberstovotefortheonestheywidelyuse),setupanactionplan,assignresponsibilities,etc.Makesuretoshareallrelevantinformationwithyourclubmembers.Sendinvitesandensurethesocialmediastrategywilltrickledowntoalloftheclub’sprojectsandactivities.

Implement your social media strategy and learn from experience. Dedicate enough timetoexploredifferentfeaturesandbeconsistentinusingtheselectedtools,updatingprofiles,blogging,etc.Measureyourimpactandkeeptrackofthenumberofhits,Twitterfollowers,videovisualizations,etc.

How Can Social Media Help Your Club? TherearetwofundamentaldirectionstotakewhenusingsocialmediaforyourRedCrossclub:

I. Building Your Club’s Internal CapacityYoucanimproveyourclub’scommunicationcapacityby—

• Settingupanonlinediscussionboard(considerusingFacebook,Google,YahooGroups);

• Directlymessagingallgroupmembers(considerusingFacebook,Google,YahooGroups);and

• Havingadedicatedemailaddresstosendmessagestoallmembers(considerusingGoogle,YahooGroups).

Organize Your Club• Worktogetherondevelopingandreviewingdocuments(Google

Documents).• Haveavirtuallibrary—postminutesandotherfiles(GoogleGroups).• Evaluatetheworkdone,designsurveys(GoogleGroups—forms).

Make sure you have genuine peoplejoiningyourprivateclubpageand/orgroup.Alwaysverifythatthepeoplewhohavejoinedyoursocialgrouparethosewhoareaffiliatedwiththeclub.Asalways,privacyisabigissue;useyourbestjudgmentinacceptingclub members online and posting private contact information. All club requests should usually pass through the page creator and/or administrators.

heads up!

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II. Building Your Club’s Reputation and External Visibility

Club Page Creating a public group (considerusingFacebook,GoogleGroups)

Suggesteditemsthatshouldgoonyourmainclubpage:

• TheRedCrosslogo(http://www.redcross.org/en/brand)• AbriefexplanationoftheRedCrossmission• Informationontheclub’sscheduleofevents• Shortdescriptions,imagesand/orvideosfromrecenteventshostedby

the club• Contactinformationforclubofficers

heads up! Aclub’shomepagecanbeagreatdrawfornewmembers,but if it is not managed correctlyandupdated,itcanactually damage your club.

advice from the pros! AdviceFromthePros:Wecannotstressenoughthe importance of having relevant and current informationpostedontheclub’swebsite.Inordertomaketheprocessmanageable,werecommendthattheentireofficers’teamhaveadministratorrightssothattheycanmakechangesaswell.

http://www.redcross.org/en/brand

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Create a blog (considerusingWordPressorBlogger)

• Decideifyouhavethetechnicalcapabilityandthehumanpowertoset up a blog for your club.

• Visitotherschoolclubblogsandgetasenseofwhatmightworkbest for your club.

• Experimentandlearnmoreaboutblogging by submitting stories to www.redcrossyouth.org and asking for feedback and advice.

• Thenfollowthetechnicalrequirements and go live.

Event Advertising

• CreateaneventwherepeoplecanRSVP,uploadvideos,pictures,linksand send reminders to attendees (Facebook).

• Hostvideosyouhavecreated(YouTube).

• Sendshortmessages(Twitter).

Other Commonly Used Internet Resources

• Schedulemeetingseasily(Doodle).• Invitegueststoanevent(Evite).• Hostpicturesfromeventstoshare

(Flickr,Picassa,Facebook).• Sendlargefiles(e.g.,videos)

(RapidShare,YouSendIt).

learn from

your peers! Takeavoteinyourclubtoseewhichwebsiteorsocialnetworkyoushouldusetopostyourclub’sinformation.It may be that most club members use one site over another.Makeadecision,form a plan and go live.

advice from the pros! Agreatwaytopublicizeevents is to have all club memberschangetheirprofilepictures to the event graphic or have everyone change their status to the same message.

www.redcrossyouth.org

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Allyoursocialinteractionswithfamily,friendsandschoolarebroadlyconditionedbyhowyoushareandinterpretmessages,data,feelings,non-verbalcues;overall,howyouexchangeinformation.Thetopicofcommunicationisextremelybroad;forthepurposeofthepresentdocumentwewilldiscussonlythoseissuespertainingtocommunicationinthecontextofaschoolclub;fromprojectcommunication,involvementtogeneralworkatmosphere.

Thecommunicationexchangeswithyourpeers,yourofficersteamorgeneralmembers,facultysponsororyourRedCrosscontactplayakeyroleindeterminingthe success of your group.

Dependingonthesizeofyourschoolclub,themajorityoftheworkwillbedoneinsmallteams.Inordertoensureefficientteamwork,youwillneedtopayspecialattentiontohowthememberscommunicateamongthemselves,aswellashowtheyshareinformationwithexternalgroupsoridentifyopportunities.

Efficient team communication will impact:Project planning and execution• —fromsettingthegoalsortimelines,tothefinalevaluationofyourproject.Itisvitaltocommunicateallaspectspertainingtoefficientprojectplanningandensurethatallteammembersarebringingtheircontributions in the process. Decision-making process• —gathering relevant information or identifying creativesolutionsaimingtoovercomeprojectbarrierswillrelyheavilyonhowtheinformationissharedaswellasontheactiveparticipationofteammembers.Roles and responsibilities• —goodteamcommunicationwillensureclearroledescriptionsandtaskassignmentsandavoidingconflictsandduplicationoftheworkthatneedstobedone.Development opportunities for team members• —club members can acquire newskillsetsastheygetexposuretonewleadershiprolesortakeonadditionalroleswithincreasedexposuretointeractions.Overall work atmosphere• —club membership should be in an atmosphere of trust and accountability and in a creative and fun environment.

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CommunicationTypesWhenreferringtocommunicationinthecontextofaschoolclub,wecanidentifytwomaincommunicationtypesthatneedextraconsideration:

• Internal communicationreferstoallcommunicationexchangeswithyourofficers,clubmembers,facultysponsorandRedCrosscontact.

• External communicationcoverstheinformationsharedwithyourschoolofficials,localcommunitypartners,organizations,media,etc.Therearespecificrequirementsforbothtypesandyoushouldusedifferentstrategieswhenemploying them.

Internal Club CommunicationThiscanbecharacterizedaslessformalizedcomparedtotheexternalcommunication;ithastobestructuredonanongoingbasis,enablingaconstant,transparent exchange of information. It is important to have a strategic approach to yourinternalcommunication.Inotherwords,donotjustreacttoconflictsituationsorcrisesinyourclub.Youneedtohaveagoodhandleonwhatiscommunicatedandhowthingsarecommunicatedwithyourpeers,officers,andclubmembers.Keepinmind,itisimportanttoconstantlyshareupdateswithyourgroups.

Some specific tips for communicating within your club:

Officers to Officers • Holdanofficersteammeetingbeforethebeginningoftheacademicyear.

Assignanddiscussthespecificrolesandresponsibilitieswithyourteamandstreamlineaclearcommunicationplan.Setclearobjectivesandresponsibilitiesandyouwillkeepyourclubmeetingsfocusedandyourprojectsontrack.

• Setclearcommunicationexpectations.Atthefirstofficersteammeeting,decideandagreewhatwillbetheprevalentformofcommunication(i.e.,email,Facebook,etc.).Makesureeachofficeragreestoregularlycheckhisorheremail,etc.

• Useeverymethodpossibletostayincontact.Calltheirphones,sendtextmessages,anduseinstantmessagingandothersocialmedia.Remindthemtoperiodicallychecktheirmessagesandbeawareofrecentdevelopments.

• Listen,listen,andlisten!Youdonotalwayshavetodoallthetalking.Listentoothers’ideasandcommentsandkeepinmindwhatyouwanttoaccomplish.Guide the discussions and cover all topics that need to be discussed.

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General Members• Welcomemembersateverymeetingandcultivateapositive

environment for interactions.• Stayintouchwithmembersandcheckinwiththemperiodically.• Emailthemeetingminutesimmediatelyafterthemeeting,before

peopleforgetwhatwasdiscussedatthemeeting.• CreateaFacebookgroup,oruseothersocialmediaoutlets.Many

studentsdon’tcheckemailregularly;useotheronlinetoolstostay in touch.

• Sendmeetingremindersandotherimportantannouncementsovertheschool communication system.

• Askforapprovalfromadministrators;ifgranted,postflyersofupcomingevents in approved areas of your school.

• Makephonecallstomemberswhenyouneedtoshareimportantand/or urgent information.

• Encouragememberstovoicetheiropinionsonhowtheclubmightimproveitsactivity.Youmightgetusefulsuggestions,andthememberswillfeeltheybringsuggestionsthataretakenintoconsideration.

• Remembertolearnfromyourpeers.Listentoothers’ideasandcommentsandseehowyoucanimprove.

Faculty Sponsor • Wheneverappropriate,inviteyourfacultysponsortojointheofficeror

general meetings. • Copyyourfacultysponsoronallrelevantemailssothatheorsheis

awareofallclubactivities.• Trytohaveaperiodicdialoguewithyourfacultysponsor.Heorshecan

be a valuable resource for your group.

Local Red Cross Unit Contact• Atthebeginningoftheyear,establishthespecificexpectationsand

requirementsyouhavetoconsiderwhenworkingwiththelocalRedCrossunit.Fordetails,pleaseseethe“WorkingWithYourLocalRedCross”document.

advice from the pros! Sometimes,whenyouhavetodealwithtime-sensitiveissues,youcanopttomeetonlywithyourofficerteam.Therearetimeswhenyouhaveclubmemberswhomissmeetings.Howdoyou keep them informed? Moreimportantly,howdoyou keep them engaged andconnected?Youmightconsider sending a brief email update to all members covering the key topics thatwerediscussed.Itisanefficientwaytoshareinformation and ensure all members have access to latest developments on the projectsorissuesrelevantforyour club.

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School Administrators• Communicatewellinadvanceanyrelevantinformationonfundraisers

andotheractivitiesthatneedtheschool’sofficialapproval;thepaperworkmighthavetobeapprovedbyseveralpeopleanditcanbeatime-consumingprocess.

• Meetschooladministratorsinpersonratherthanusingemail,whenappropriate.Emailscaneasilygetoverlookedinoverflowinginboxesorbe sent straight to spam mail.

• Keepagoodrelationshipwiththeassociatedstudentbody/studentgovernmentatyourschool.Theyarejustlikenormalschooladministrators,becausetheyruntheschoolactivities.Reportclubactivitiesasnecessary,andfollowtheirspecificcommunicationrequirements.

• Informtheschoolnewspaperorwebmasteronwhat’sgoingonintheclub and share the dates for all upcoming events.

External Club CommunicationExternal communication refers to all messages and information exchanged withotherorganizations,groupsorindividualsoutsideofyourclub.Independentofthespecificcommunicationoutletsused,fromsocialmedia,toanewsletterorwebsite,therearetwosignificantaspectsthatshouldbeofinteresttoyourclubwhenitcomestoexternalcommunication:

• Building your club’s image and reputation—yourhumanitarianworkgainsmomentumwhenitisshared.Youhavethepowertoinspireandmobilizeothers.Makesuretoshareupdateswithyourpeersonyourcurrentprojectsandcelebrateyouraccomplishments.ItisagreatwaytopromoteinformationontheRedCrossandbuildnewpartnerships.

• Expanding your club’s membership—showcasingyourkeyaccomplishmentsandsignatureeventsmakesapowerfulstatementontheimpactyouhaveinthecommunity.Sharingrelevantupdateswithexternalaudiencescanworkasyourmostpowerfulrecruitmenttool.

Representingoneofthemostrecognizedsymbolsintheworld,youshouldpayspecialattentiontowhatyouarecommunicatingwithexternalaudiencesandhowyouaresharingtheinformation.Inthefollowingsection,wewillguideyouthroughadiscussion on Red Cross brand guidelines and the importance of having a consistent andunifiedmessage.

Red Cross Brand GuidelinesTheRedCrossstandsasaworldwidesymbolofgoodwillandhumanitarianism.Atrustedandrespectedemblemisinvaluable;throughconsistentusage,ourorganizationisstrongerandabletocommunicateaunifiedmessage.Inthis

learn from

your peers! Theremaybetimeswhenyou have a hard time getting club members to keep track of all events and Red Cross-relatedactivities.Apossible solution is to create anewofficer’spositionofcorrespondingsecretary.Thissecretary keeps track of all clubmembers’phonenumbers,contactsthemthedaybeforeameeting,andshares reminders. A small innovation can improve members’attendanceatevents and get many more people involved on a larger scale.

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document,youwilllearnthebasicsofhowtousethelogoandthespecificRedCross language in order to maintain and cultivate its credibility.

Red Cross LogoAllyourRedCrossclubexternalcommunicationswillneedtodisplaythespecificRedCrosslogo.Commonusesinclude:T-shirts,buttons,webpagesandflyers.TheRedCrossbrandconsistsoftwomainparts:

-TheAmericanRedCrosslogo.

-TheAmericanRedCrosslanguage(style).

AllRedCrossunitsfollowstandardAmerican Red Cross Brand Guidelines. PleasetakesometimeandreadmoreaboutkeyrequirementswhenusingtheRedCross logo.

Inaddition,wehaveincludedthe“cheatsheet”inthisguide,whichyoucanusewhentalkingtoT-shirtvendorsorotherswhomaybeworkingwiththelogo.Seethedocument titled “Brand Standards at a Glance”

HerearethebasicguidelinesyouneedtofollowwhenusingtheAmericanRedCrosslogo:

• Thecrossshouldberedandthetypeblack.• Thecrossshouldappearonlyonacleanwhitebackground(includingon

coloredT-shirts)(exceptions:jewelry).• Nothingshouldbesetontopofthecross(text,pictures,etc.).• Thecrossshouldnotbealteredinanywayexceptshrinking/enlargingwiththe

same ratio.A standard Red Cross logo should be used at all times.

http://www.redcross.org/brand



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Here are examples of improper uses and what to avoid:

Style Guidelines

WhentalkingabouttheAmericanRedCrossonyourwebsiteoronanyofficialmaterial,itisimportanttofollowtheofficiallyapprovedRedCrossstyle.Herearethebasicguidelines:

• RefertotheorganizationastheAmericanRedCrossonfirstreference,andthe Red Cross thereafter.

• Don’teverusetheacronymARCtorepresenttheorganization.• ThelegalnameoftheorganizationisTheAmericanNationalRedCross.(Note

thattheword“The”iscapitalized.)Usethelegalnameonlyinlegallybindingdocuments and in publications committing the Red Cross to the expenditure of funds.

• Inmaterials,youshouldusetheAkidenz-GroteskorGeorgiafonts.

Ourlogoisanincrediblypowerfultool.Ittellsastoryaboutcommitment,humanitarianism and service. Misusing it dilutes the value of the Red Cross logo. It is inourpowertouseitaccordingly,andtouseitproperly.

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RedCrossYouth.org/club_in_a_box PartD10/2011

I. Recruit,Retain,RecognizeSchoolClubMembers—Essentials of Working With YourPeers

II. MakingtheMostofYourMeetings

III. SchoolClubOfficersTraining

PartD–ManagingYourClub

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I.Recruit,Retain,RecognizeSchoolClub Members—Essentials of WorkingWithYourPeers

Therearemanydifferentstagesinthelifeofaschoolclub.Someofyoumightjustbestartingaclub,whileothershaveawell-establishedprogram.Regardlessofhowadvancedyourclubis,memberrecruitment,retentionandrecognitionarealwaysachallenge.Inthefollowingsection,wediscusssomestrategiesthatwillenableyoutorecruitnewmembers,doabetterjobofkeepingexistingonesandrecognizethosememberswhohavemadeadifferenceandfollowedupontheircommitments.

I.1. Recruiting New Club Members Atthebeginningofanewschoolyear,togetherwithyourofficers’teamyoushoulddeveloparecruitmentplanandsetsomespecificdirectionsforrecruitingandinvolving your peers in the activities of your club.

Things you should keep in mind before deciding on your recruitment strategy: Why do young people volunteer?

Whenmakingthepitchtoyourpeersaboutjoiningtheclub,itisimportanttoknowwhatexcitesthem.Whataretheyinterestedin?WhywouldtheydecidetoembraceyourcauseandjointheRedCrossclub?

HerearesomereasonswhyyouthdecidetovolunteerwithAmericanRedCross:

• Theabilitytomakeadifference• Feelinggoodabouthelpingothers• BelievinginthemissionandvaluesoftheRedCross• Gainingleadershipskillsanddevelopmentopportunities• Doingmeaningfulworkthatisfun,withfriends

What are your real membership needs?

Beforeplanningtorecruitnewmembers,youhavetohaveasolidunderstandingofyourclub’spresentsituationandgrowthpotential.Ifyouarejuststartinganewclub,youwillmostlyrelyontheofficers’teamandahandfulofenthusiasticmembers.Aconsistentrecruitmenteffortwouldprobablytakeplaceattheendofthefirstsemester,onceyouhaveabetterunderstandingofhowyourclubfunctionsandyourreal membership needs.

Ifyouhaveanalready-existingclub,itisimportanttodistinguishbetweenactiveclubmembers(attendingallclubmeetings,heavilyinvolvedinimplementingnewprojects,etc.)andvolunteersneededforimplementingaspecificproject.Themostimportant

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elementindeterminingyourmembershipneedsisrepresentedbyyourclub’sworkload.Youwillneedtotakealookatthenumberofprojectsplannedfortheentireschoolyearandattheadditionalfunctionsneededtobecovered(i.e.,developing/maintainingaclubblog,designingmarketingmaterials,fundraising,etc.).Theseelementswillplayanimportantroleindeterminingthenumberofmembersneededforimplementingallabove-mentionedprojectsandensuringasolidgrowthof your Red Cross club.

What would be the best avenues to recruit new members?

Eachschoolbringssomeuniqueopportunitiesandresourcesthatwillhelpyouinyourrecruitmentefforts.Yourclub’ssocialnetworkisalwaysagreatresourcetoconsider.Makesuretoincludeyourpeerswhoexpressedinterestinlearningmoreaboutyourclubandthosepeoplewhohelpoutoccasionally.Also,connectwithotherclubsinyourschooloratyouth-servingorganizations.Inaddition,wordofmouthisagreatavenuetouse;donothesitatetopersonallyaskfriendsandclassmatestojointheclub.Talkingtopeopledirectlyabouttheclubandtellingthemwhytheyshouldjoinisapowerfultool.Inaddition,takeadvantageofallopportunitiestoadvertise,evenwhenyouarenotconductingaspecificrecruitmentcampaign.Itisimportanttouseflyers,postersandotherpromotionalmaterialstobuildvisibilityforyourclub.

Designing Your Recruitment Strategy Yourrecruitmentstrategywillvarygreatlybasedonthereasonsyouareconductingarecruitmentcampaign:fromrecruitingnewmemberswhowillbeengagedwiththeclubforthelong-termtorecruitingvolunteersforasingleprojectimplementedbyyour club.

Regardlessofthespecificobjectives,allrecruitmentstrategiesshouldhavetwomajorcomponents:

1. Creating “the ask”

Wheneveraimingtorecruitnewclubmembersorvolunteersforaspecificproject,youshouldhaveastrongcase.Togetherwithyourofficersand/orgeneralclubmembers,developsomekeytalkingpointsthatwouldbeusedwhenrecruitingnewmembers.

Yourpitchshouldcoverthefollowingissues:

• Theclub’smissionandvalues• Theclub’sservice-deliveryfocus(i.e.,blooddrives,CPRtrainings,etc.)• TheelementsthatsettheRedCrossclubapartfromotherservice

organizationsoryouth-ledgroups• Keyresponsibilitiesfornewschoolclubmembers• Benefitsandincentivesassociatedwithjoiningtheclub

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Somespecificrequirementsthatyouneedtokeepinmindwhengeneratingtherecruitmenttalkingpoints:

• Presenttheinformationinthemostconcreteandspecificwaypossible.Giveexamples and share success stories.

• Emphasizetheexciting/engagingaspectoftheprojectassignments;presentthefun,enjoyableelementsassociatedwithbeingaclubmember.

• Capturetherewardingaspectsofprojectsandinitiatives;stressthechallengeto make a difference and the commitment to represent the Red Cross symbol. Tiethisstepinwiththeinformationonwhatmotivatesyourpeerstovolunteer.

2. Making “the ask”

Therearedifferentapproachesyoucanusewhenrecruitingnewmembers,dependingonyourspecificmembershipgoalsandneeds.Regardless,youshouldscheduleatleasttwomajorrecruitmentcampaigns—oneinthefallandtheotherinthe spring.

Thereareanumberofavenuesusedtoshareinformationonyourclub,buildvisibilityandgenerateinterestamongyourpeers.Outofthehugevariety,youshouldconsiderthefollowing:

Face-to-facemeetings:youcanscheduleaspecificinformativemeetingandinviteallyourpeerswhoexpressedaninterestinyourclub.Makesuretoplananinteractivepresentation,shareinformationonyoursuccessesandinspireotherstojoin.Inviteyourseniormemberstobepresentatthemeeting.

Serviceprojectsorspecialevents:thebestwaytomakethecaseforrecruitingnewmembersisbythepowerofexample.Inviteyourpeerstojoinsome of the events implemented by your club on campus or in the community;demonstratethatyoucanhavefunwhilemakinganimpactandhelping others.

Inadditiontothedirectinteractions,youcanusesocialmediaandotheravenuestorecruitmembers.However,makingflyersandpostersshouldaddto,notreplace,thepersonalask.

Thefollowingaresomesuggestions:

• Placeflyersandpostersinbusyareasinyourschool.• Makeannouncementsadvertisingtheclubovertheschool

communication system.• Getonyourschool’svideoannouncements.• Getanarticleinyourschool’snewspaperornewsletter.• Passoutsmallgiveaways(e.g.,bookmarks)withinformationabouttheclub.

heads up! Awordofcautionaboutthe

lastsuggestion:Creatinga

stand-alonewebsitetakesa

lotoftimeandeffort,needs

constant updating and

usually helps in

communicatingwithexisting

members rather than

recruitingnewones.Maybe

you should consider

integrating alternative social

media resources like a

Twittergroup.

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• StartaFacebookgroupandinviteyourfriendstojoin.• Spreadthewordthroughothersocialnetworkingwebsites.• Emailfriendsaboutjoiningtheclub.• Createawebsite.

Whenusinganyofthesemethodsofcommunication,makeeverythinglookprofessionalandensurethattheAmericanRedCrosslogoisusedcorrectly.Thisisimportant in creating a good image of your club. Some tips and resources can be found in the Social Media at Work(PartC,SectionII)andCommunication in a School Club Context (PartC,SectionIII)documents.

Recruitment Follow-UpAftertakingthesesteps,makingtheappealandconnectingwithyourpeersthroughface-to-facemeetingsorindirectcommunication,followupandaskpeopleiftheywouldbeinterestedtojoinyourclub.Ifyougettheircommitment,givedetailsonthenextstepstobecominganactivemember(meetinginformation,sharingcontactinformation,etc.)anddon’tforgettointroducethemtotheteamandthankthemfortheir pledge.

Collaborating With Other Youth OrganizationsIfthereareotherserviceclubsororganizationsatyourschool,suchasNationalHonorSocietyorKeyClubforhighschools,asktheleadersoftheseclubsaboutsharingwiththeirmembershipinformationaboutvolunteeropportunitieswiththeRedCrossclub.Thisapproachwillworkbestintheinstanceswhenyoucanimplementsomejointinitiativesoryoujustneedvolunteersforaspecificproject.CollaboratingwithothergroupswillhelpspreadthewordabouttheRedCrossclubandallowyoutogetstartedonserviceprojectswithoutbeinglimitedbyalackofvolunteers.

II.2 Retaining Club Members Retentiondemonstratesyourclub’sabilitytokeepmembersactiveandengaged.Mostschoolclubshaveafluctuatingmembershipbase.Whetheryouareinyourfirstyearoryouhaveaprestigiousclubwithyearsofexperience,youmightstrugglewithretention issues for various reasons.

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Therearetimeswhenyouwillhaveepisodicvolunteersormembers,orpeersinterestedinworkingwithyouonaspecificproject,andyoushouldbepreparedtodealwiththesespecificinstances.

Ingeneral,youthandyoungadultstendtocommittheirvoluntaryservicesforalonger period of time and take on the challenges of building a sustainable Red Cross clubtogether.Whengrowingyourmembershipbase,togetherwithyourofficers’team,youwillneedtoreassesstheclubstructureandexplorehowyoucanexpandthe leadership team and adopt a more advanced club structure. For more information,pleaseseeRed Cross Club StructuresdocumentinPartA, Section III.

Inevitably,noteveryonewillstaywiththeclubthewholeyear,buttherearesomestrategiesyoucanusetoimproveyourclub’sabilitytoretainmembers:

• Communication is key.Betransparentinsharinginformationwithyourmembers.Keepthemup-to-datewithallmajordevelopmentsforyourclub,requestfeedbackandmakethempartofthedecision-makingprocess.Learnfrompastmistakesandimproveyourinteractionswiththegeneralmembers.Students lead busy lives; do your best to make sure that your volunteers are in the loop at all times.

• Be proficient in managing club meetings.Hostwell-structuredmeetingsand pay close attention to the general atmosphere. Make sure to use icebreakers,establishawelcomingworkenvironmentandmanageconflictsinaprofessionalmanner.PleasecheckRunning Effective Meetings in Section II and ensure you cover all details.

• Monitor your members’ workload. Burnedoutorboredmembersaretwoextreme situations you need to avoid. It is important to involve the entire team startingwiththeplanningstagesoftheprojectandempowerclubmemberstotakeownershipoftheprojecttheyareimplementing.

• Get started on service projects.Mostnewclubstendtohaveplanningmeetingswithoutgettinginvolvedinrealserviceprojectsintheschoolandcommunity,andthenlosecriticalmembersalongtheway.Trytofindprojectssuitableforsmallnumbersofvolunteersassoonaspossible,somemberscanfeelthattheyaremakingadifference.Trytohavesmall-scaleserviceprojectsatgeneralmeetings,likemakingcardsfor veterans.

advice from the pros! Consider creating an agenda to pass out that includes exactlywhatthemeetingwillcover.Thisway,memberscanmakenotesandhaveatake-awaytoremindthemwhatthemeetingwasabout.

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• Create leadership and development opportunities. Often,duringstressfultimes,thepresidenthasthetendencytotakechargeofeverything,butwheneverpossible,letotherofficers,committeeleadsorclubmemberstakesomeresponsibilitiesaswell.Thiswillallowyourvolunteerstotakeownershipoftheclub,haveasenseoftheimpactanddifferencetheymake,andcultivatetheiroverallpersonalandprofessionalgrowth.

• Have fun! Ensureyouhavetheopportunitytoknoweachotherandsocialize.Therearetimesyourmemberswillstayforthefriendship.

I.2TrackingClubMembersInformationHavingaccurateinformationonyourclubmembers,thevolunteerhoursyourclubdedicatedtoaproject,thenumberofhoursservedbyaclubmemberduringasemester,thebestwaytocontactaclubmember,etc.,allrepresentimportant elements in ensuring volunteer retention.

Ideally,allyourclubmembersshouldberegisteredvolunteerswiththelocalRedCrossunit.TheyshouldhavetheirrecordsatthelocalunitandshouldhaveattendedanofficialRedCrossorientation.

Asaleadershipteam,youshouldhaveanaccuraterecordofvolunteerhoursandcontactinformationforallyourclubmembers.Thereareanumberoftoolsandsoftwaresolutionsonthemarketthatcanhelpyoutrackyourvolunteers.TheeasiestandmostconvenientwayistouseanExcelspreadsheet.Ifyouarenotfamiliarwithbuildingspreadsheets,youcanfollowan Excel tutorial and learn some of the basic functions.

Whentrackingvolunteers,youshouldkeepinmindthree different sets of information:

• Overall volunteering information: essentialforyouractivityreports,recruitmentcampaignsorwhenwritingfunding/smallgrantsproposals.

You should collect data on the following items:– Number of club members– Numberofvolunteeringhours(persemesterorperyear)– Numberofspontaneousvolunteers(yourpeerswhojoinedforalimited

periodoftimetohelpoutimplementingaproject)• Contact information for club members: should cover relevant

informationonyourofficersandmembers,coveringprimarycontactinformation,roles,attendanceandvolunteerhours.Youmightalreadyhaveatracking mechanism for capturing information on your members. We developed an Excel template for tracking club membersthatmightbevaluable,especiallyforclubsthatarejuststartingtheiractivity.

heads up! Trytoplanlargeeventsduring parts of the semester/quarterwhennotmuchisgoing on. If members are concernedaboutabigfinal,youmayhavefewervolunteers than you need to pull off a big event.

advice from the pros! Retention is key to any grouporclub.It’seasytogetpeopleouttoonemeeting,have them put their contact informationonasign-upsheet and then never hear fromthemagain.It’scrucialto have a retention strategy thatworksandthatyoumakeconsistent.Themostimportantpieceofadvicewehaveisthatiftherearen’tmeaningfulserviceprojectsandactivities,memberswon’tstickaround.Yourretentionrate is often a key indicator inhowsuccessfulyourclubwillbe.

http://www.redcross.org/cgi-bin/youth/MembershipDatabase.xls

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• Information on prospective club members: obtained as a result of attendingschoolfairsorarecruitmentcampaignforyourclub.Thisinformationisvitalforyourrecruitmenteffortsandforrenewingyourclubmembership.

You should track the following items:- Alistwithpeoplewhoexpressedinterestinjoiningyourclub(namesandcontact

information)- Datestheinformationwascollected- Follow-upstatus–follow-upactionswithindividualswhoexpressedaninterest

injoiningtheclub

I.3 Recognizing Club Members Recognizingtheworkdonebyyourclubmembers,thetimeandenergycommittedtoimplementprojectsmustbeapriorityforyourleadershipteam.Asageneralrule,itiscrucialtorecognizeallmembersfortheircontributionsandgoodwork.

Anindispensabletoolinrecognizingthepeoplewhowalkedtheextramileandstoodout through exemplary commitment and service is provided by your capacity to track the volunteer hours and activities reports. Make sure you have a system in place that enables you to monitor the hours and involvement of your members.

Recognizingyourpeerscanbeassimpleassendingathank-younoteafteraneventoracertificateofappreciationattheendoftheyear.Throughrecognition,youcanshowyourmembersthattheirtimeandeffortisvalued.Therearemanywaystorecognizeyourmembers,butattheveryleast,personallythankthemgenuinelyfortheircontribution.Remember,praisetheperson,nottheworkthatwasdone.

Somerecognitionideas:

• Presentmemberswithpins,certificatesandT-shirts.• Recognizea“VolunteeroftheMonth.”• Createanend-of-the-yearrecognitioneventforyouroutstanding

membersinconjunctionwithotherRedCrossclubsinneighboringschools.

• ShareoutstandingstoriesofmemberswiththelocalRedCrossand/orschoolnewspaper.

• NominatevolunteersforAmericanRedCrossorotheroutsideawards.

learn from

your peers! Youshouldconsidersmallgesturesthatwillbringnewenergy to your executive meetings,suchasbuyingcoffeeforyourclubofficerseveryweek.Ithasproventobeanefficientwaytoshareappreciation,andsmallrewardslikethiscangoalongwayinbuildingacohesive team.

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II.MakingtheMostofYourMeetingsTherearenumeroustypesofmeetingsyoumightneedtoholdasaRedCrossclub.First,thereareofficers’meetings,whichservetostrategize,solveproblemsandorganizeandplanclubactivities.Youalsohavegeneralclubmeetings,whichallowallmemberstocometogetheranddiscussideas,planeventsandgetrelevantupdates,ormeetingswithotherschoolclubsorfacultytodiscussissues.Eventhoughyoumighthavedifferentreasonsforholdingmeetings,therearesomegenericstepsoutlinedbelowthatapplytoawidemajorityofsituations.

Strugglingwithlimitedtimeandconflictingpriorities,itisimportanttoplanyourmeetingswellinadvanceandhaveaclearcalendarwithdatesandlocations.Therearefourdifferentphasesthatyoushouldfollowwhenplanningandrunninganeffectivemeeting.Inthefollowingsection,wewillguide you through the process and discuss some resources you might use.

II.1 Planning the Meeting Itisextremelyimportanttoclarifywhatyouaretryingtoaccomplishthroughyourmeetings.Beforesettingyourobjectives,pleasetakealookatthefollowingissuesandtrytoidentifywhatismostrelevantinyourcontext:

• Purpose of the meeting—decide on the reason you are holding the meeting:sharinginformation,brainstorming,planningnextstepsonaproject,receivingstatusupdatesonclubactivities,troubleshootingandsolvingconflicts,etc.

• Outcomes—whatyouaretryingtogetoutofthemeeting:member’sagreement,projectplan,newideas,sharedinformation,updates,etc.

• Topics to be discussed—prepare a meeting agenda and make the most out of the limited time you have available. Cover as much informationaspossiblewithoutrushing.

• Attendance—decidewhoshouldattendthemeeting.Isthemeetinglimitedtoclubofficers,foraspecificcommitteeoropentogeneralmembers?

• Date, time and location—lunchbreakorafter-hours?SchoolorlocalRed Cross unit? Make sure to select a time and location convenient for themajorityattendingthemeeting.

The next step you need to take is collating these answers into a neat, structured meeting agenda.

advice from the pros! Before deciding that you needtohaveameetingwithyourmembers,youneedtocarefullyreviewsomethingstoavoid.Aface-to-face meeting is not the best format for—

• General updates on the club’sprojects:youcanrequest this information via e-mail;

• Reenergizing your members’commitmentfortheclub:youcanscheduleseparateone-on-onemeetingsandhaveanin-depthconversationwiththemembersstrugglingwithsuch issues; or

•Gettingeveryone’sagreementonanissue:youcanassigntheprojectleadtohavespecificconversationswithmembers.

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What is a meeting agenda? Ameetingagendaisanoutlineofthetopicsthatwouldbediscussedduringameeting,givingparticipantstimetopreparebeforehand.Agendasaresentoutpriortomeetings—typicallyadayortwoinadvance.

Developing a Meeting AgendaThereareanumberofthingstoconsiderwhencreatingameetingagenda.Focus on the critical things that need to be discussed and make sure to set clearpriorities.Therearesomeimportantelementstobecapturedinameetingagenda,namely:

• Start by establishing the time frame for your meeting. If you haveanumberoftopicstocover,insteadofrushingthrough,youcansplitthemupandeitherhaveaseparatemeetingorfollowupwithanemail.

• Use an icebreaker.Startoutwithsomethingthatbooststheenergylevelandcreatesaproductiveworkenvironment.Yourmembersshouldfeelwelcomeandtheircontributionsvalued.

• Announce the topicstobecoveredduringthemeetingandreviewpastactivitiesorissuesthatneedtobewrappedup.

• Tackle the most important/time critical item on the agenda first. It is important to discuss the most important item at the beginning ofthemeeting,makingsureitgetsasmuchtimeasneeded.

• Address the remaining items on your agenda. • Ifyouneedtocomeupwithnew ideas and brainstorm on some

topics,placetheitemlastonyouragenda.Itmighteatupallyourtimeandyoumighthavecriticalitemsthatweren’taddressedduetothetimecrunch.

• Reiterate all decisions madeandallitemsonyourmembers’agendas.Remindeveryoneofthenextmeetingtime,dateandlocationand thank everyone for their participation.

Themeetingagendashouldserveasyourtimekeeper.Monitorthetimeallocated for each of the topics; if there are delays or the discussion takes longerthanplanned,consideradjustingtheagenda,expeditingsomeconversations,pushingforadecisionorassigningthetopictobewrappedupinanofficers’meeting.

heads up! Creating agendas for each meeting is a responsibility of the club leadership team. Thiswillallowtheclub’sofficerstofocusonspecifictopics and use the club time effectively.

learn from

your peers! Make sure your agendas account for lag time—budget aboutfiveminutesforpeopletogetthere,signinandwrapup extended discussions. It is realistic to have some time set aside for these situations; theywilloccurinvariably.Make sure you have enough time to cover all items on youragendaandallofficersare on board.

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Following is a Sample Agenda for your club’s first meeting of the year.

Note: If applicable, indicate the break times and the names and roles of guests joining the meeting.

Setting Up the Meeting Priortothemeeting,youneedtoensurethatyousecuredthefollowingaspects:

• Location• Time• Audiovisual• Guests—facultysponsor,RedCrosscontact,othersifapplicable

Itisextremelyimportanttocommunicatetoyourpeers,induetime,informationaboutthemeetings.Inanidealcase,yourclubshouldhavea calendar of meetings for each semester developed in collaboration withyourofficers’team.Remindersareproventobeefficienttoolsforkeeping everyone informed and ensuring good meeting participation.

Mostimportantly,youneedtouseanumberofdifferentcommunicationavenuestoshareinformationwithallofyourclubmembers.Youshouldconsidersendingmessagesviae-mail,phone,schoolannouncementsand Facebook.

Oncedeveloped,themeetingagendashouldbesharedwiththeclubmembers,allowingtimetoprepareinadvance,ifneeded.

Running the MeetingStartingyourmeetingontimealwayssendsaprofessionalmessage;attheverylatest,youneedtostartyourmeetingnomorethanfiveminutesafterthetimeannounced.Don’tconfuseyourmeetingwithalecture.Thinkofitasastructureddiscussionorconversation;ensureactiveparticipation,positivefeedbackandagreatgroupdynamic.

Therearesomeimportantelementstocoverduringeachmeeting:

• Make introductory remarks:welcomeparticipants,sharewhatyouaretryingtoaccomplish,addresshousekeepingissues,reviewcommunicationrules,andassignatime keeper and a note keeper.

• Focus on your agenda: cover all items captured in the agenda; make sure to stay on time and focus on the desired outcomes.

heads up! If you have a guest speaker joiningyouforthemeeting,remember to remind them oneweekinadvanceandwithin1-2daysbeforetheactual meeting takes place. As the speaker might be jugglingabusyschedule,youarejusttakinganextraprecaution ensuring that they willbemorepreparedtojoinyour meeting.

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• Manage difficult situations or participants: address complaints,ensureequitableopportunitiesforallmemberstobringtheircontributions,andfacilitateapositiveenvironmentfordiscussions.

• Wrap up the meeting: summarize key discussion points and decisions,remindkeytasksassignedtomembers,announcethenext meeting and thank participants.

Youmightbewonderingwhatmeetingminutesare.Theyaredetailednotestakenduringthecourseofameeting,documentingallkeytopicsdiscussedforfuturereference.Inanutshell,youwillaskthenotetakertofollowtheagendaandfillintheblankswithsomekeydeliverables.

Thereareanumberofbenefitsassociatedwithcapturingtheinformationdiscussedduringyourclubmeetings:

-Informationforthememberswhocouldnotattendthemeeting-Servesasareferencedocumentfortheofficers’team-Follow-uptool—(useasareminder)formemberswhocommittedto

workonspecificassignments

Meeting Follow-UpEspeciallyaftergeneralclubmeetings,makesuretomeetwiththerestofyourclub’sofficersandgettheirspecificfeedbackonthegeneralatmosphere,inquireifthemeetingmetitspurposeandiftherewereanyoutstandingitemsthatyouneedtofollowupon.

Besuretosendoutthemeetingminutesnolaterthantwodaysafterthemeeting.Highlightallassigned tasks and deadlines you agreed on.

Tips and Strategies for Improving Your Meetings Remember,alleffectivemeetingsshouldhavethefollowing:

• Afacilitator• Astructuredagenda

Inotherwords,thereshouldbeareasonwhyyourpeersarecomingtogethertobeapartofyour Red Cross club.

advice from the pros! When moderating a discussion(i.e.,brainstormingideas for possible service projects),itisimportanttosharewiththeparticipantsthescopeoftheproject,andhowtheyshouldapproachtheproject.Avoidunclear requests and share information on the relevance and context of your request in order to move the discussion forward.

• Acleartimeframe• Specificobjectives

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Thefollowingisachecklistyoucanusetoensurethatyoucapturedsomeessentialaspectsofaneffectivemeeting:

✓Meetwithyourleadershipteampriortoeachclubmeeting;haveajointdecisionontheitemscoveredbytheagendaandgeteveryone’sagreement of the purpose and outcomes of the meeting.

✓ Createafun,interactiveatmospherebyinvolvingallparticipantsatthebeginningofthemeetinginanicebreakerorteam-buildingactivity.

✓ Ifpossible,havesnacksatyourmeetings(therecanbeasign-uplistamongclubmembersforthis).

✓ Make sure that all members have the opportunity to actively participate inthediscussionsandthattheircontributionsarewelcomedandvalued.

AdditionalinformationonhowtoeffectivelyrunameetingcanbefoundintheSchool Club Officers Training document in Section III.

advice from the pros! Designate one point person to take the minutes at every meeting and an alternate to assistwithdocumentationshould the primary note taker be unavailable. If both are unavailable,thenotetakercan be determined on a voluntary basis.

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III.SchoolClubOfficersTraining

PlanningfortheOfficersTrainingAtthebeginningofeveryschoolyear,anewleadershipteamisgettingreadytotakeresponsibilityfortheschoolclub;tocommittheirtime,energyandpassion;aimingtodomore,reachfurtherandincreasetheRedCrosspresenceintheschool.

Beingaschoolclubofficerisnotaneasyjob.Youshouldbereadyto:

• Findagoodbalancebetweenschool,sociallifeandyourcommitmentsasaRed Cross volunteer.

• Inspireyourpeersbythepowerofexampleandbuildareliableteam.• ImplementprojectsthatrespondtorealneedsandaretruetotheRedCross

mission.• Identifywhatresourcesareavailable,becreativeandworkonashoestring

budget.• Assesstheskillsyourclubmembersbringforwardandidentifyhowyoucan

make the most of them.

Itisrecommendedthatbeforethestartofthenewschoolyear,youhostatrainingsessionfortheclubofficers.Therearesomespecificthingsyoushouldconsiderwhenplanningtorunanofficerstraining:

• Ithelpsyoubuildasolidteamandsetsupthefundamentalsofworkingtogether as a leadership team throughout the year.

• Itprovidesthenewofficerswiththeopportunitytoplanameetingandgaininsightonwhatworksandwhataresomeareaswheretheyneedto improve their skills.

• Itgivesofficerstheopportunitytothinkproactively,setrulesforefficientcollaboration,andclarifyrolesandexpectations.

• Itcreatesanenvironmentforopendialogueandprovidesofficerswiththeopportunitytoaskquestionsandgetpreparedforhandlingdifficultsituations.

How should you use the guide? Inthefollowingsection,youwillfindresourcesandguidanceonhowtorunaschoolclubofficers’training.Ideally,anexternalperson(facultysponsororlocalRedCrosscontact)shouldbethefacilitatorforthissession.Ifthisoptionisnotavailable,theclubpresidentoraseniorclubofficercanfacilitateaswell.

Therearetwoseparatemodules,andeachofthemhasrecommendationsforthecontenttobecovered,aswellasanumberofexercises.Theguideisself-explanatory and gives you the opportunity to customize the content according to the needsofthegroupyouareworkingwith.

advice from the pros! Inanidealsituation,theformerschoolclubofficersandthenewofficers’teamshould be present at the training session. In order to allowfullparticipationfromallmembers,itisrecommendedthat the training should be facilitated by the faculty sponsor or the chapter contact —the youth and/or volunteer coordinator.

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SchoolClubOfficersTraining–FacilitatorGuide

1. IntroductionTime:15minutes

Issuestobecovered:• Brief introductionoftheparticipants(clubofficersandpossibleguests—schoolclub

sponsorandRedCrosscontactperson).• Create an engaging atmosphere – Consider using a fun icebreaker you learned

duringyourpreviousleadershiptrainings.Formoreresources,youcanfollowthelink to Icebreakersorsimplyresearchanexercisethatwillbestfityourpurpose.

2. Purpose and ExpectationsTime:10minutes

Issuestobecovered:• Training purpose—Whydidyoudecidetohostthistraining?Whatdoyouwanttoget

outofit?Sharewiththeparticipantstheagendaforthedayandensuretheyarecomfortablewiththeproposedschedule.

Possibleexamples:– UnderstandthemissionoftheAmericanRedCrossandhowittranslatesintoyourclub’sactivity

– Discussthegeneralstructure,rolesandresponsibilitiesofmembersandofficersofyour club

– Strengthenyourofficers’team

• Member expectations —Engagetheparticipantsinadialogueandfindouttheirspecificexpectationswithregardtothisspecifictraining.Trytounderstandwhatwouldbethemostvaluableinformationtotakeawayfromthistrainingsession.

Note: It is important that at the end of the exercise you clarify what will be covered and what is unrealistic to expect. Take down all ideas and look into topics that need to be covered during another meeting.

3. Decide on a Module and BeginWeunderstandthattime;spaceandparticipationmightbeanissuewhenyouaretryingtohostaday-longsession.Becauseofthis,wedecidedtosplitthistrainingintotwomodules.Althoughwethinkitisbesttosetasideafulldayandcompletebothmodules,weunderstandyourpossibledifficultiesandmadeiteasiertoconducttwoseparatetrainings.Enjoy!

http://www.ultimatecampresource.com/site/camp-activities/ice-breakers.html

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Module I. Red Cross Club at a Glance

Thepurposeofthemoduleistoensureacommonunderstandingamongtheclub’sofficersofthespecificnatureofyourclub,structure,andkeyinitiativesdeliveredandtohelpthembuildacompellingcaseforyourRedCrossclub.

I. Red Cross School Club at a Glance

I.1. The Red Cross School Club – Who Are We? Time:10minutesIssuestobecovered:

• DiscusstheAmerican Red Cross Mission and Fundamental Principles– ReadaloudtheAmericanRedCrossMissionandFundamentalPrinciples.Useanumberofresourcesthat

exemplifythepoweroftheFundamentalPrinciplesandmakesureeveryonehasagoodunderstandingoftheimportance of our mission and fundamental principles.

– Givespecificexamples(thinkofconcreteprojectsimplementedbyyourlocalRedCrossorevenyourclub).– Include a brief history of the American Red Cross and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent

Movement. • DiscusswhatsetsyouapartintheschoolasaRedCrossclub

– YoumightwanttotalkabouttheuniquethingstheRedCrossdoesinyourcommunity,oratthenationalorinternationallevels.(PleaselookattheFinding School Club Service OpportunitiesdocumentinPartB,SectionIandyoushouldgetabettersensewhatisuniqueaboutyourRedCrossclub.)

I.2. The Structure of the Red Cross School Club – How We Function? Time:15minutesIssuestobecovered:

• Club’s independence—asaRedCrossclub,youreceivesupportandguidancefromyourschoolandlocalRedCrossunit,but,ultimately,itisyouwhodecidethespecificfocusofyourclub.Besuretorememberthatyour club represents the Red Cross symbol in your school and act accordingly.

• Club’s structure—please visit the document Red Cross Club StructuresinPartA,SectionIII.Ifyourclubalreadyexists,discussyourcurrentstructureandanyrelevantchangesthatneedtobemade.Ifyouarejuststartingyourclub,identifythestructurethatfitsbestwithyourspecificsituation.Atthispoint,youshouldhave your club constitution available to propose any relevant changes.

• Relationship with the school—discussthespecificrequirementspromotedbyyourschool,therolesandresponsibilities,andsharethenameandcontactinformationforthefacultysponsor.Ifpresentatyourmeeting,allowyourfacultysponsortheopportunitytobringclarityonanyrelevanttopics.

• Relationship with the local Red Cross chapter—share the name and contact information for the local RedCrosscontactpersonanddiscussrolesandresponsibilities.Ifpresent,inviteyourlocalcontacttobringclarificationsandshareanyrelevantinformation.

http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.d229a5f06620c6052b1ecfbf43181aa0/?vgnextoid=f5195032f953e110VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD&vgnextchannel=d18859f392ce8110VgnVCM10000030f3870aRCRD

69PartD10/2011

Module I. Red Cross Club at a Glance (continued)

I.3. The Service Delivery of the Red Cross School Club – What Do We Do? Time:10minutes

Issuestobecovered:

Ifyouareanewclub:

• DiscussinitiativesspecifictoRedCrosslinesofbusiness:DisasterServices,BiomedicalServices,HealthandSafetyServices,InternationalServicesandServicetotheArmedForces.Givespecificexamplesofprojectsfor each line of business and identify initiatives that can be implemented by your club.

Note:Researchwebsitesforalready-existingRedCrossclubs.Findoutwhattheyaredoingandlistideastobringupandpossiblyimplementwithyourpeers.

Ifyouareanexistingclub:• Listallsuccessfulactivitiesimplementedbyyourclubinthelastcoupleofyears.• Discusshowyoucandiversifytheservicesdeliveredbyyourclubandrespondtosomeneedsspecifictoyour

school and/or local community.

Note:Makesurethatafterthismeetingandbeforeeachschoolyear,youreferencetheMap Your Red Cross School Club ProgramssampleinSectionBtoidentifyandexploreotherprojectideasyourclubcan put into practice.

I.4. Our Red Cross Story—Making the Case for Your School Club Time:1hour

Issuestobecovered:

• Makethecaseforyourschoolclubandcustomizeitforvarioustargetaudiences.Pleaseuse:Your Club – Your Story exercise.

SessionDebrief:beforewrappingupthesession,makesuretofollowupwiththeparticipantswithanumberofquestions.Someissuesyoumightconsiderdiscussinginclude:

• BrieflymentionwhatsetsyourclubapartasaRedCrossclubinyourschool.• Namethefacultysponsorandsomekeyrolesassociatedwithhimorher.• Clarifythemission-specificrequirementofallschoolclubprojects.• Explaintheimportanceofhavingaunifiedmessagethatspellsouttheveryessenceofyourschoolclub.

http://www.redcross.org/cgi-bin/youth/YourClubYourStory.pdf


70PartD10/2011

Module II. Building a Team and Running Effective Meetings

Thepurposeofthemoduleistohelpschoolofficersgainabetterunderstandingoftheuniqueskillsandtalentseveryonebringsforward.Inaddition,theywillgainsomerelevantinformationonhowtocommunicateefficientlywithclubmembersandhowtoruneffectivemeetings.

II. Building a TeamTime:1hour40minutes

Issuescovered:

• Discusstheuniqueskillssetsyourclubofficersbringtotheteam.Makesuretoasktheofficerstomentionthethingstheyarepassionateabout,eveniftheyarenotconnectedtotheirRedCrossexperience.Pleaseuse the “In a Nutshell”exerciseorcomeupwithyourown.

• AddressthespecificskillsandcompetenciesacquiredbytheofficersduringtheirRedCrossvolunteeringexperience.MakesuretogainagoodunderstandingofthedifferentRedCross-specificskillsyourteambringsforward.Usethe“As a Red Crosser”exerciseorcomeupwithyourown.

Identifysomeofthetraitsspecifictoaneffectiveleader;discusswiththeparticipantsconcreteexamplesthatapplytotheirnewleadershiprole.

Somethingsclubofficersshouldkeepinmind:

• Demonstrate competency—alwayspreparebeforeaclubmeeting,doyourhomeworkandresearchtheissuestobediscussed.Itisimportanttobeknowledgeableandearntherespectoftheothers.

• Inspire trust and honesty—bereliable,demonstrateaccountabilityandfosteranopendialoguewithyourpeers.

• Be creative and open-minded—comeupwithinnovativesolutionsandlookatwaystoimprovethecurrent initiatives.

• Boost up the group’s energy and inspire your peers in their service delivery.

Discussthespecificrolesandresponsibilitiesofschoolsclubofficers.Pleaseusetheexercise“School Club Officers Roles and Responsibilities.”

Session debrief: Putasideacoupleofminutesattheendofthissectionandrecapsomeofthekeyissues.Theclubpresidentshouldensurethateveryoneiscomfortablewiththeirresponsibilitiesanddocumenttheskillsandexpertisetheclubofficershave.Somequestionsyoumightconsiderusinginclude:

• Whataresomeimportanttake-a-waysfromthissection?• Howimportantisittohaveclearrolesandresponsibilitiesinaleadershipteam?• Nameonethingtheofficersweren’tawareofthattheyareresponsiblefor,etc.

http://www.redcross.org/cgi-bin/youth/InaNutshell.pdf

http://www.redcross.org/cgi-bin/youth/AsaRedCrosser.pdf

http://www.redcross.org/cgi-bin/youth/Officers.pdf


71PartD10/2011

Module II. Building a Team and Running Effective Meetings (continued)

II.2. Running Effective Meetings Time:2hours

IssuesCovered:

• Brieflydiscusstheimportanceofeffectivecommunicationwithinyourcluband/orwiththeschoolandlocalRedCrossunit.Pleaseusethe“The Road to an Effective Communication”exercise(30minutes).

• Usethe“Making the Most of Your Meeting”exerciseandhaveadialogueoneffectivemeetings.Beasspecificaspossibleandcoverexamplesthatapplytoyourspecificsituation(30minutes).

• Discussaplanofactionforconductingyourmeetingsandassigngeneralresponsibilities(35minutes).Youshouldcoverthefollowingelements:

- Establishthefrequencyoftheofficers’meetingsandthegeneralclubmeetings.Mapoutthemeetingdatesforthenext1-2monthsandsynchronizeyourcalendars.

- Revisittheofficers’rolesandresponsibilitiesanddiscussindetailwhateachofficerisexpectedtodo(whoisdevelopingtheagenda,sendingreminders,coveringallthelogistics,etc.).

Session debrief: Beforewrappingupthetraining,besuretoreiteratesomeofthethingsdiscussedduringthissection.Youshouldrecapthestepsforyouractionplanonrunningeffectiveclubmeetings,andthespecificrolesandresponsibilitiesassignedforyourteammembers(10minutes).

Session evaluation: Whenwrappingupthemeeting,pleaseasktheparticipantstoshareinformationonthefollowingissues(15minutes):

• Whatisthemostimportantthingtheylearnedduringtheofficers’training?• Whatdidtheylikemost?• Whataresomeareasthatcanbedonedifferently?• Whataresomeissuesthatneedtobefollowedupon?

Ifyouhavespecificrecommendationsorexercisescustomizedforyourofficers’training,wewouldlovetohearfromyou.Pleasesendyourfeedbackandinsightstoyouthinvolvement@usa.redcross.org.

©2011bytheAmericanNationalRedCross.TheAmericanNationalRedCrossname and emblem are registered trademarks of the American Red Cross.

http://www.redcross.org/cgi-bin/youth/EffectiveComm.pdf

http://www.redcross.org/cgi-bin/youth/Meetings.pdf

mailto:[email protected]

clubin a box

American Red Cross National Youth Council SeungjunKimVice ChairNationalYouthCouncil

SwethaPrabhakarOutreachOfficerNationalYouthCouncil

AnjuliSastrySecretaryNationalYouthCouncil

SandyTeschChairNationalYouthCouncilAlumniBoard

StewartZellarsMember NationalYouthCouncil

PatWestChairNationalYouthCouncil

Francesca WeaksMemberNationalYouthCouncil

National Headquarters Consultants

Cheryl SearcyDirector,HumanitarianServicesOperations

Sarah BunchAssociate,YouthandYoungAdultProgramsHumanitarian Services Operations

Nathan GroceYouthSegmentMarketingAssociate Consumer Marketing

Resource Development CoordinatorAmelia MarianBusiness ConsultantOfficeofVolunteers

Aspecialthank-youtotheyouthspecialistsandyouthvolunteersfromthefollowingfieldunitsfortheirfeedbackandsupportduringthevalidationprocess:

•AmericanRedCrossSanDiego/Imperial Counties Chapter

•AmericanRedCrossTulsaAreaChapter

•AmericanRedCrossGreaterRichmondChapter

•AmericanRedCrossGreensboroChapter

•AmericanRedCrossLosAngelesChapter

H20978


Acknowledgments

clubin a box

73

PartA

List of Attachments Template Constitution

Sample Activity Report Part

School Needs Assessment

Community Needs Assessment

Local Red Cross Needs Assessment

Map your Red Cross Clubs School Programs

Project Budget Template

Project Plan Template

Bottom up Project Plan

Project Plan

Tracking Club Members

Your Club Your Story

In a Nutshell

As a Red Crosser

School Club Officers Roles and Responsibilities

The Road to an Effective Communication

Making the Most of Your Meeting

H20978


Appendix


http://www.redcross.org/cgi-bin/youth/activityreport.pdf







http://www.redcross.org/cgi-bin/youth/bottomUpProject.pdf


http://www.redcross.org/cgi-bin/youth/MembershipDatabase.xls


http://www.redcross.org/cgi-bin/youth/InaNutshell.pdf

http://www.redcross.org/cgi-bin/youth/AsaRedCrosser.pdf


http://www.redcross.org/cgi-bin/youth/EffectiveComm.pdf

http://www.redcross.org/cgi-bin/youth/Meetings.pdf