How to start your own club
Last week at our Executive Board meeting, we approved four new clubs! The Club Operations Committee works with students all year to help create clubs, help them apply for starter budgets, make changes to existing clubs, or just offer advice to current clubs. Since there is so much interest in starting clubs, I thought I would quickly outline the process. You can always reach out to The Club Operations Committee at clubops@rpi.edu with any club-related questions.
To start a new club, the first step is to fill out the new club registration form which can be found on the Union website. The next step is to meet with a Student Activities Resource Person located in the Union Admin Office. A SARP can help you work through nuances of your club, like liability or risk management issues. After you fill out the new club registration form, a representative from the Club Operations Committee will reach out to you. This person will act as your guide throughout the process.
From there, you will have to hold at least three interest meetings for your club. You will need to take attendance and keep minutes for these meetings. Minutes are notes or a summary of what happened during the meeting. You will also have to create a club constitution. Your representative from Club Ops will send you a template to help guide you through how to write a good constitution.
Next, you will have to fill out a club evaluation sheet. This is some more general information about your club that helps the Board decide how we can best work together. Once you finish all of your required documents and submit them to your Club Ops representative, you will be scheduled to come before the Club Operations Committee. Here, you get the chance to tell the committee your reason for creating this club and why the Union and students would benefit from having it. The committee will review all of your documentation and ask any questions they may have.
If the committee feels your club is ready, they will recommend you come before the Executive Board. When you come before the Board, it is very similar to Club Ops. You will again explain why there is a need for your club and your club’s plans for the future. Some typical questions usually touch on the membership of your club, if you will be requesting a budget in the future, or how you plan to advertise this club to the student body. Then the Board will hear a motion that approves your group as a Union recognized or affiliated club. A recognized club has the ability to request a budget in the future. An affiliated club does not have that option.
If your club is approved, the Club Operations Committee will be in touch again with some next steps which include setting up a Club Management System page. Many benefits come with being a Union club, such as the ability to participate in the Activities Fair, hold a bank account in the Union, reserve rooms in the Union, use CMS, use the Union marketing staff, and use UPAC, as well as many others. As always, if you have any questions or suggestions, please reach out to me at pu@rpi.edu.