How to Make Your Own Club
Decide on what kind of awesome club you'd like to have., Organize and plan., Create a calendar., Choose an interesting name., Find an area where your club can meet., If you would like, you can have club uniforms., Develop a website, wiki or other...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Decide on what kind of awesome club you'd like to have.
Do you want an animal club, a sports club, a collector's club or maybe a club of super fans of a music group or a movie,or a nature lover club, or maybe just a club to hang with your friends? Maybe even a tree house club! There are many reasons for forming a club, but the most important thing is to follow your passion.
Ask your friends for their ideas too. -
Step 2: Organize and plan.
Get a binder or folder to keep all of your club documents in.
Maybe decorate it to make it colourful and customised.
We will add more to it later. , Put all the club meeting dates, locations, and trips on it.
Let all of your members have a say in it.
You should probably have a scheduled "planning meeting" so you and all of your club members can plan together when everything happens. , An interesting, fun, attractive name will help to attract members.
Maybe all your names put together or something to do with the club like Book Buddies.
You may also like to consider whether it is possible to abbreviate your name so that it sounds great when shortened.
For example, M.U.S.I.C. might stand for Mixing Universal Soul Inspiration Club. , It is best if you can use the room or area regularly and even better if you can decorate it to make it look like your club.
But this isn't always possible, so you might like to develop a portable kit of signs, banners and other club objects that you can set up anywhere to make any room or space transform into your club when meeting.
If you want you can meet in somebody's bedroom, den or treehouse.
If you have permission from an adult then you could meet at the park or a local cafe. , If you know somebody who can make clothes, you're in luck.
Make your own club colors, too.
However, some club members may not like the idea of a club uniform, so make sure to ask their opinion about it first.
Uniforms increase the cost and effort of members.
Keep that in mind before insisting that there be one.
A simple t-shirt with the club's logo or name might suffice and is an affordable way of developing a "uniform" of sorts. , A club website or wiki can be really helpful for arranging meetings and passing on all communications.
You can use a free service such as Yola or Google Sites to make a website.
Or, you can start a wiki. , Many formal clubs have a "constitution".
That is fairly formal, so you might like to just start with a basic list of rules that apply to your club; if your club becomes more developed, a constitution could be created and voted on at a later stage.
Consider things such as:
Membership fees Office positions and who can hold these positions Meeting dates, or regularity Annual general meeting requirements Funding Volunteering Activities (what the club exists to do, what activities it promotes, what activities it does not want, etc.) , Make sure that all members are aware what the club does and what they can and cannot do.
This is especially important if someone keeps breaching the basic rules and making the club unpleasant for others; you can point to the rules and say "no more or you're out". , People will want to join if you tell what the club and its reason-for-being are all about, so prepare some fliers or posters with this information.
Make a list of people.
Take all of the members that you came up with before and make a nice looking list.
Make sure you have lots of room to add more people. , If you don't have lots of ideas yet, don't worry, just let them know this.
It is better to be honest and find people who can help build up your club than to have people scratching their head about why you cannot provide all the things that you told them the club offered.
Many people like to join a club when it is just starting, as they can get a position in it easily and help build it up with you.
You can also have the existing members list some ideas. , You might ask the members for a small donation or contribution.
Maybe you won't need money but can ask members to donate time, food for meetings, paper for posters, skills such as drawing / painting / sign creation etc.
The more who pitch in, the less money will be needed for running it.
Money is more likely to be an issue as the club grows in size and activities. , When your club is small, it is important to ensure that everyone is free to come at a set time.
If your club grows in size, still try to accommodate as many people as possible but realize that the more members you have, the harder it will be to ensure that everyone can make the same meeting time. , This will help everyone to know in advance that something is happening.
The agenda doesn't have to be long or even closely followed; it is just a great way of organizing the meeting time so that it benefits all the members.
Consider having different things to do at each meet-up, to keep things fresh and interesting. , Ensure that there are plenty of places for members to sit, that it's easy to hear or see demonstrations and that there is actually enough room for everyone.
Bring refreshments like chips and soda to meetings.
Members can be asked to donate something each meeting, and occasionally you might even have a potluck supper or a shared picnic. , Accomplishments help make a club better and give the members a sense of purpose.
Accomplishments could be things such as being a good friend, self improvement, creating things, providing help, etc.
These achievements could be acknowledged through badges, certificates, ribbons and even trophies, depending on what the achievement is. , If your club has a focus on something that you and all the members really care about, you might like to raise money as a club to send to a larger, more official organization such as the ASPCA in New York or SPCA in Canada if you like animals, or the Sierra Club if you care about the environment or a local tree-planting group if you care about trees and your neighborhoods amenities etc.
Schools, local hobby groups, local sports teams etc. are other possible target groups for your club's fund-raising efforts.
Make sure people know your club exists. -
Step 3: Create a calendar.
-
Step 4: Choose an interesting name.
-
Step 5: Find an area where your club can meet.
-
Step 6: If you would like
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Step 7: you can have club uniforms.
-
Step 8: Develop a website
-
Step 9: wiki or other online club portal.
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Step 10: Decide on basic rules.
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Step 11: Be clear.
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Step 12: Get some members to join your club.
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Step 13: Be ready to explain when people ask about the club's purpose.
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Step 14: Think of ways to get some money to put into your club.
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Step 15: Determine meeting times according to the availability of the club's members.
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Step 16: Have an agenda for meet-ups and meetings.
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Step 17: Make the meetings comfortable.
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Step 18: Put in place a way to achieve things by being part of the club.
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Step 19: Raise money for a cause.
Detailed Guide
Do you want an animal club, a sports club, a collector's club or maybe a club of super fans of a music group or a movie,or a nature lover club, or maybe just a club to hang with your friends? Maybe even a tree house club! There are many reasons for forming a club, but the most important thing is to follow your passion.
Ask your friends for their ideas too.
Get a binder or folder to keep all of your club documents in.
Maybe decorate it to make it colourful and customised.
We will add more to it later. , Put all the club meeting dates, locations, and trips on it.
Let all of your members have a say in it.
You should probably have a scheduled "planning meeting" so you and all of your club members can plan together when everything happens. , An interesting, fun, attractive name will help to attract members.
Maybe all your names put together or something to do with the club like Book Buddies.
You may also like to consider whether it is possible to abbreviate your name so that it sounds great when shortened.
For example, M.U.S.I.C. might stand for Mixing Universal Soul Inspiration Club. , It is best if you can use the room or area regularly and even better if you can decorate it to make it look like your club.
But this isn't always possible, so you might like to develop a portable kit of signs, banners and other club objects that you can set up anywhere to make any room or space transform into your club when meeting.
If you want you can meet in somebody's bedroom, den or treehouse.
If you have permission from an adult then you could meet at the park or a local cafe. , If you know somebody who can make clothes, you're in luck.
Make your own club colors, too.
However, some club members may not like the idea of a club uniform, so make sure to ask their opinion about it first.
Uniforms increase the cost and effort of members.
Keep that in mind before insisting that there be one.
A simple t-shirt with the club's logo or name might suffice and is an affordable way of developing a "uniform" of sorts. , A club website or wiki can be really helpful for arranging meetings and passing on all communications.
You can use a free service such as Yola or Google Sites to make a website.
Or, you can start a wiki. , Many formal clubs have a "constitution".
That is fairly formal, so you might like to just start with a basic list of rules that apply to your club; if your club becomes more developed, a constitution could be created and voted on at a later stage.
Consider things such as:
Membership fees Office positions and who can hold these positions Meeting dates, or regularity Annual general meeting requirements Funding Volunteering Activities (what the club exists to do, what activities it promotes, what activities it does not want, etc.) , Make sure that all members are aware what the club does and what they can and cannot do.
This is especially important if someone keeps breaching the basic rules and making the club unpleasant for others; you can point to the rules and say "no more or you're out". , People will want to join if you tell what the club and its reason-for-being are all about, so prepare some fliers or posters with this information.
Make a list of people.
Take all of the members that you came up with before and make a nice looking list.
Make sure you have lots of room to add more people. , If you don't have lots of ideas yet, don't worry, just let them know this.
It is better to be honest and find people who can help build up your club than to have people scratching their head about why you cannot provide all the things that you told them the club offered.
Many people like to join a club when it is just starting, as they can get a position in it easily and help build it up with you.
You can also have the existing members list some ideas. , You might ask the members for a small donation or contribution.
Maybe you won't need money but can ask members to donate time, food for meetings, paper for posters, skills such as drawing / painting / sign creation etc.
The more who pitch in, the less money will be needed for running it.
Money is more likely to be an issue as the club grows in size and activities. , When your club is small, it is important to ensure that everyone is free to come at a set time.
If your club grows in size, still try to accommodate as many people as possible but realize that the more members you have, the harder it will be to ensure that everyone can make the same meeting time. , This will help everyone to know in advance that something is happening.
The agenda doesn't have to be long or even closely followed; it is just a great way of organizing the meeting time so that it benefits all the members.
Consider having different things to do at each meet-up, to keep things fresh and interesting. , Ensure that there are plenty of places for members to sit, that it's easy to hear or see demonstrations and that there is actually enough room for everyone.
Bring refreshments like chips and soda to meetings.
Members can be asked to donate something each meeting, and occasionally you might even have a potluck supper or a shared picnic. , Accomplishments help make a club better and give the members a sense of purpose.
Accomplishments could be things such as being a good friend, self improvement, creating things, providing help, etc.
These achievements could be acknowledged through badges, certificates, ribbons and even trophies, depending on what the achievement is. , If your club has a focus on something that you and all the members really care about, you might like to raise money as a club to send to a larger, more official organization such as the ASPCA in New York or SPCA in Canada if you like animals, or the Sierra Club if you care about the environment or a local tree-planting group if you care about trees and your neighborhoods amenities etc.
Schools, local hobby groups, local sports teams etc. are other possible target groups for your club's fund-raising efforts.
Make sure people know your club exists.
About the Author
Matthew Taylor
Brings years of experience writing about DIY projects and related subjects.
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