HOW TO START A CLUB

Mission San Jose High School

2013-2014

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Want to form a club? ..................................................................................................................................................... 2

The Constitution ............................................................................................................................................................ 5

Constitution Guidelines ................................................................................................................................................. 6

Tentative Plan Guidelines .............................................................................................................................................. 9

The Presentation ......................................................................................................................................................... 10

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) ............................................................................................................................ 11

Club Profile .................................................................................................................................................................. 12

Club Contact Information ........................................................................................................................................ 13

Club Advisor Agreement .............................................................................................................................................. 14

Club Petition ................................................................................................................................................................ 15

WANT TO FORM A CLUB?

HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW.

SHOULD I START A CLUB?

If you have an interest, a passion, or a hobby, that you’d like to share with your fellow students, a club is a great

way to do so.

Being an official club at Mission San Jose High School makes you part of the ASB, the governing body of our school.

Your club will be profiled in our planner and on our website, and will be able to promote yourself via posters on

campus, Orientation booths, weekly read meetings, etc.

HOW DO I START A CLUB?

The process of starting a club isn’t easy but the rewards that come with a club are definitely well worth it. Since

you’re already reading this handbook, you’ve taken a gigantic step in the right direction. One key thing about

making a club is getting help. Use any resources at your disposal (this handbook, experienced officers from other

clubs, your ASB Vice President, etc.) to make your club as successful as possible.

1. SOLIDIFY YOUR CLUB IDEA. MAKE SURE NO CLUB ALREADY EXISTS FOR WHAT YOU

PLAN TO DO!

Any student of the MSJ student body may apply for ASB-affiliated club status until the end of third quarter.

*Due the limited amount of space available for presentations, it is up to the discretion of the ASB Vice

President whether a club will be able to present during the current school year.

2. FILL OUT THE CLUB PROFILE.

Read the club guidelines and complete your Club Profile form before presenting it to your prospective advisor.

The officers identified during the club formation process will serve their position until the end of the current

school year if the club is passed. All clubs must have at least one officer that is a junior, sophomore, or

freshman during the year the club is established.

3. CHOOSE AN ADVISOR.

Obtain an advisor, who must sign his/her consent on the Advisor Agreement form. By signing this form, the

advisor agrees to supervise all club meetings and activities. He/she must be a certified employee of the

Fremont Unified School District and have a teaching degree.

4. WRITE A CONSTITUTION.

Once an advisor is contracted, it is the responsibility of the club to draft a constitution. The constitution must

detail the club’s policy on topics described in the Constitution Guidelines.

5. CREATE A TENTATIVE PLAN FOR THE CURRENT OR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.

After drafting a constitution, the club must also create a tentative plan of club meetings and events for one full

school year. For example, if you are completing the club formation packet in January, you must make a plan

that covers the current school year from January to June and the next school year from September to January.

The tentative plan must follow the outline described in Tentative Plan Guidelines.

6. GET THE PETITION SIGNED.

After publishing a Constitution, the club is required to submit a petition signed by 200 MSJ students

(approximately 10% of the student body) to demonstrate significant interest.

7. TURN IN COMPLETED PACKET TO THE ASB VICE PRESIDENT OR AT THE ACTIVITIES

OFFICE (N7).

The ASB Vice President will review the club constitution and ensure all paperwork is completed. The ASB Vice

President will then review the club with the other ASB officers who will then decide if the club should be

allowed to move to the next step.

8. MEET WITH THE ASB VICE PRESIDENT.

The ASB Vice President will contact the club via email about meeting about your club. Meetings will be held on

the 1st Monday of every month and a maximum of 5 clubs will be seen each month (based on a first-come-

first-serve basis). The ASB Vice President will ask clubs about details regarding the clubs’ constitutions,

tentative plan, or general purpose. If the ASB Vice President deems all responses satisfactory, he or she will

assign a presentation slot to the club.

9. PRESENT TO THE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL.

A representative of the club must distribute copies of the constitution to every ASB officer and every third

council member. He/she will then explain the club’s purpose and answer any questions. It is recommended

that the club provide a visual aid to aid the presentation. All clubs will be given access to a projector. The

constitution will be reviewed by the members of Leadership Council (Five elected ASB officers, one elected

officer from each class, one representative from each club/organization, Leadership 2), who will then vote

whether or not the club should be approved; majority rules. A club is not allowed to have meetings as an MSJ-

affiliated club until it is approved at Leadership Council. After the club has obtained official recognition, it must

request a copy of the minutes from that Leadership Council meeting.

10. MAKE A CLUB ACCOUNT & MAKE SURE ALL PAPERWORK IS UP-TO-DATE.

In order to establish an active financial account with MSJ, the club President and Treasurer must make an

appointment with the Business Office. You should have the minutes of the council meeting during which the

club was passed.

Also, the following forms should be in the possession of the ASB Vice President and the Club President at all

times:

Club Profile & contact information for all officers

Club Constitution

Advisor Agreement Form

Minutes from meeting when club was passed

11. THE TRIAL PERIOD

After a club is passed, it enters a trial period, the length of which will vary from club to club, and will be

decided by the ASB Vice President and the Club officers. If the club follows all guidelines, it will automatically

become an official club. A Leadership 2 representative may attend random meetings; if he/she finds that the

club is violating guidelines, the issue will be brought up at Leadership Council. Each incident and each club will

be dealt with individually.

SUMMARY: You fill out the forms, you meet with the ASB Vice President, you present to council, you make an

account and go through a trial period. Keep in mind that it’s not only your ASB Vice President’s job to help you with

this, but he loves to do so. See the end of this document for his contact info.

THE CONSTITUTION

YOUR CLUB’S CONSTITUTION IS THE CORE OF YOUR CLUB. THIS IMPORTANT DOCUMENT DETERMINES HOW YOUR CLUB IS ORGANIZED, RUNS, AND OPERATES.

1. The Constitution Guidelines (found on next page) are JUST GUIDELINES. It’s YOUR constitution. Feel free

to add articles, change the ordering of sections, whatever makes you happy. Remember, people WILL be

reading your constitution during your presentation so don’t do a sloppy job when writing it.

2. If you are planning to create a local chapter for a regional/national organization (example: Junior State of

America) please do not use just the pre-existing constitution for the larger organization. You must create a

new one tailored to the specific chapter at MSJ that you are planning to form. If you’d like, you may

attach the national organization’s constitution to your own.

3. Keep the appearance professional. Avoid using flowery fonts or weird colors and make sure that it can be

easily read (use Times New Roman, Tahoma, Arial, etc.).

4. Before you start writing the constitution, understand the demands of your club. Read through this entire

handbook to understand exactly who needs to do what in your club (especially important when writing

the duties of the officers.)

5. The typical club officer set-up consists of: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Activities

Coordinator. But remember, because this is YOUR constitution, you make the rules. If you think that your

club needs less/more officers, make it so! However, you MUST have at least three officer positions with

the titles of President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Keep in mind when creating officer positions that what

you write affects what your club does and how it runs.

6. PROOFREAD! Treat your constitution like a college admission’s personal statement: write it, proofread,

let it sit, proofread, let it sit again, proofread, print it out, proofread etc. We aren’t grammar-Nazis and

sticklers of spelling, but make sure that it is readable. Check for both language and logic errors. Don’t

make silly mistakes like stating that there are to be four officer positions when your constitution lists only

three. You want your constitution to be as professional as possible.

7. At the end, please be sure to include room for the signatures and contact information of all club officers

and your advisor.

CONSTITUTION GUIDELINES

The constitution adopted by a student body organization must state the name and purpose of the organization and

must present the framework within which the organization will operate. Please title article/sections to create a

clear, comprehensive constitution. The following outline should be followed roughly in developing a constitution:

TITLE AND SCHOOL YEAR (EX. MSJ RC CLUB CONSTITUTION 2012-13)

ARTICLE 1: ORGANIZATION

SECTION 1. NAME OF ORGANIZATION

- If applicable, include information about club’s state/national/international branch

SECTION 2. PURPOSE AND MEANS OF ACCOMPLISHMENT

- How the club aims to serve the student body

- Activities and events the club will carry out to fulfill its purpose

ARTICLE 2: MEETINGS AND EVENTS

SECTION 1. MEETING PROFILE

- Proposed time and day of the week the club will meet

- Place (room # or other location)

- Frequency of meetings

SECTION 2. ANNOUNCEMENTS OF MEETINGS

- Who (and by what means) will members be notified of upcoming meetings?

SECTION 3. DEFINITION OF QUORUM

- # of officers/members necessary to constitute a meeting

ARTICLE 3: MEMBERSHIPS

SECTION 1. ELIGIBILITY FOR MEMBERSHIP

- Specify if any application/fee is required, if open to all students, etc..

SECTION 2. MEMBERSHIP DUES (IF APPLICABLE)

- Will there be a discounted price for returning members?

SECTION 3. TERMS OF MEMBERSHIP

- One school year? All years at MSJ?

SECTION 4. MEMBERSHIP EXCLUSION

- When and why would members be excluded from meetings/events?

ARTICLE 4: OFFICERS AND ELECTIONS

SECTION 1. TITLES AND DUTIES OF OFFICERS

SECTION 2. ELECTION OF OFFICERS

- Specify if nomination, majority rule, interview or other selection process

SECTION 3. REQUIREMENTS FOR ELIGIBILITY

- For example, open to all members, or if any, number of years required as a member, specialized

knowledge/abilities

SECTION 4. TERM OF OFFICE

SECTION 5. OFFICER REMOVAL

- Reasons for and methods of impeachment

SECTION 6. VACANCY OF OFFICE

- What to do if an officer leaves his/her position during his/her term

SECTION 7. APPOINTMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE TO LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

- Must be an officer of your club

ARTICLE 5: ADULT ADVISORS

SECTION 1. NAME OF THE ADULT ADVISOR

SECTION 2. DUTIES OF ADULT ADVISOR

- Specify duties of the club advisor as detailed in club advisor guidelines (must supervise events, held

liable for club members, etc.) and those only pertaining to this club

ARTICLE 6: SAFETY AND LIABILITY (IF APPLICABLE TO YOUR CLUB)

SECTION 1. PHYSICAL INJURY

SECTION 2. PROPERTY DAMAGE

SECTION 3. LIABILITY (WAIVERS)

ARTICLE 7: FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

SECTION 1. REVENUES AND FUNDRAISERS

SECTION 2. EXPENDITURES

- Club’s voting procedure for expenditures

SECTION 3. TRANSACTIONS

- Presence of Treasurer required

ARTICLE 8: AMENDMENTS

SECTION 1. PROPOSITIONS

SECTION 2. REQUIREMENTS FOR AMENDMENT TO BE PASSED/ RATIFICATION

OFFICER AND ADVISOR SIGNATURES AND CONTACT INFO

TENTATIVE PLAN GUIDELINES

PLEASE USE THE FOLLOWING FORMAT TO CREATE YOUR TENTATIVE PLAN.

CLUB MEETINGS

- List every club meeting you plan to have for a full school year. For example, if you are completing the club

formation packet in January, you must make a plan that covers the current school year from January to

June and the next school year from September to January.

- You must include as many entries as mandated by your constitution (weekly, biweekly, monthly, etc.).

- Entries should be formatted like this.

9/18/12 – Meeting in N5 at Lunch

One sentence description of what the meeting will be about. Include what activities could be planned,

information could be given, etc. Because you may have to write a lot of entries, you do not need to go

into specifics. However, this should also help you make a plan for the year, something that you will find

very useful going forward.

CLUB EVENTS

- List at least two events that you will plan over the course of the school year. Events are anything planned

outside of school hours. Unless your club’s focus is fundraising, fundraisers do not count as events.

- Entries should be formatted like this.

9/23/12 – Cycling Trip up Mission Peak

One paragraph description of what the event will be about. Include who, what, where, when, and why.

Include briefly how you will publicize this event as well.

Separate Club Meetings and Club Events with headings. Each section should be in chronological order.

THE PRESENTATION

SO YOU’VE GOT YOUR PAPERWORK COMPLETED, YOUR ADVISOR FOUND, AND YOUR PRESENTATION DATE SET. NOW WHAT? IT’S TIME TO PREPARE FOR THE PRESENTATION!

The presentation is considered by many to be the most difficult part of the club formation process. During this

meeting, you will need to distribute your constitution, present your club to the student council, undergo a Q & A

session, and have your club put to a vote. Before the presentation day, however, you’ll need to prepare!

1. Your presentation will be held on a Wednesday at lunch in C-120, as scheduled by the ASB Vice President.

It should be 4-6 minutes long. (This is a STRICT time limit.) You present to the Student Leadership Council.

What is the Leadership Council? The Leadership Council consists of all ASB officers, all class officers, all

Leadership 2 students, and one representative from each club. Yes, that means if your club is passed you’ll

be part of student council. Leadership council is part of ASB and makes important decisions such as

passing checks for the school and whether to pass new clubs.

2. There is a STRONG correlation between quality of presentation and passage of clubs. Excellent

preparation and good public speakers are key components to the overall quality of the presentation.

3. Before you present, make sure there is a microphone ready for you. Even if you are already an excellent

public speaker, a microphone will greatly help you increase your ability to be heard.

4. Do you want to make a power pint presentation? Often, PowerPoint slides result in a dull overall

presentation because speakers are less prepared or they simply read off the screen. But if you feel that a

PPT presentation would add something unique to your presentation, go for it. Please let your ASB VP

know to get the projector and keep it ready for you!

5. You’ll need to distribute copies of your constitution to every ASB officer and every third council member.

Make at least forty copies to be safe.

6. Expect a Question and Answer session after you present. Prepare to be asked difficult questions. At least a

week before your presentation date, start thinking about what kinds of difficult question you might

expect. Consider these questions: Will you get enough student interest? Will you have succession? How

are you different from existing club offerings?

7. After the Q & A session, all the presenters will be asked to leave the room. Council members will have a

discussion period and then vote. You need more “approves” than “disapproves” in order to pass as a club.

Abstentions will not count.

8. Once your club has been approved, ask the ASB Secretary for a copy of that meeting’s minutes. You will

need those minutes to form a club account at the Business Office in order to become “official”.

9. In the event that your club does not get approved, see the ASB VP to schedule another presentation date.

Between presentations, find ways you can improve your presentation. The VP will help you with this

depending on comments made during the council discussion about your club. Remember if your club

doesn’t pass there is a minimum length of two months before you can present again. So get ready and try

again!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS)

Q: WHY IS IT SO MUCH WORK TO START A CLUB?

A: Believe me, if you want to be the officer of a club, you better get used to it.

Q: BEING A CLUB OFFICER LOOKS GOOD ON COLLEGE APPS, DOESN’T IT?

A: Sure it does. But if this is the only reason you’re forming a club, be careful. For your club to be

successful, you really must be passionate about what you’re doing. If you’re passionate about your club

and what it does, your club will be all the better for it… and so will your college application. But make sure

you’re doing this for the right reasons!

Q: CAN I JUST BE AN UNOFFICIAL CLUB?

A: Yes, of course. As an unofficial club, you can meet with a bunch of like-minded people at your own

time, and avoid the formalities of being an official club. For some interests, this actually works out better.

But if you’re not an official ASB – affiliated club, you can NOT publicize on school grounds, make any

announcements at the school, and you will not be featured in the planner or the website.

Q: WHAT ARE THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CLUB ADVISOR?

A: The club advisor has to be present at ALL club meetings and events. He or she is also the one who

conducts elections. Please give your club advisor a Club Advisor Information Packet, located in the

Activities Office.

Q: WHY THIS “TRIAL PERIOD” THING?

A: Once clubs are passed, they often become inactive. The trial period is to make sure the club has its act

together for a while after it is passed. Every once in a while, even after the trial period, you may receive

spot checks at your meetings from Leadership 2 students or ASB officers, just to make sure you’re doing

stuff.

Any more questions? Your ASB Vice President is always available!

Dustin Chiang

ASB Vice President 2013-2014

msjclubs13.14@gmail.com

CLUB PROFILE

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Please write a brief description of the club, objectives, and activities:

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Intended meeting place/time: _____________________________________ Membership Fee: $_____________

I agree to the terms and conditions outlined in the club guidelines. I recognize that my failure to adhere to these

guidelines will result in my club’s dissolution.

________________________________________

Club President

**** FOR ASB PURPOSES ONLY *******

DATE Received: ___________________ Leadership Council Presentation Date: ____________________________

Approved: _______

Denied: _______

Approved with amendments (specify):

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________

ASB Vice President

CLUB CONTACT INFORMATION

CLUB NAME: _____________________________________________________________

CLUB OFFICER CONTACT INFORMATION

Position Name Grade Email Address Phone Number

ADVISOR INFORMATION

Name Room Number Email Address Advisor for any Other Clubs/Organizations?

CLUB ADVISOR AGREEMENT

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY.

Club Name: ____________________________________ Date: _________________________

I, _________________________, hereby agree to be the advisor for the aforementioned club. I

will take full responsibility for this club. I will attend every meeting/activity sponsored by the

club, oversee all club finances, and perform all duties assigned to the advisor as detailed in the

club constitution and in the ASB club advisor guidelines.

_____________________________ ____________________________________

Name of Advisor Signature

_____________________________ ____________________________________

Name of Club President Signature

Club president is responsible for the above two signatures.

_____________________________ ____________________________________

Activities Director Signature

_____________________________ ____________________________________

ASB Vice President Signature

CLUB PETITION

CLUB NAME: _____________________________________________________________

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