Most of us have found ourselves scrolling through the long list of clubs offered here at North. Even with the almost endless options, many students still haven’t found one that interests them. Luckily, students can choose to start their own club.
The first step in the club-starting process is picking up a Pilot Club Application in the Student Life Office, found across from the cafeteria. Students will need to find at least 15 people that are interested in the club, a Faculty Adviser and an outlined purpose for the activities the club would be participating in. It will also need to be disclosed if the club will require any funding.
Once these basic requirements are gathered, the form will be turned in to be reviewed by Mrs. Sutherland, and she will confirm all initial aspects of the proposal are met. Then, it’ll be sent to Mrs. Manheim, who contacts the founding students and proposed Faculty Advisor to draft their Constitution. After the Constitution is drafted there will be a meeting that is set up with Mrs. Manheim and the 15 students to review the constitution, making any ratifications deemed necessary. The Constitution is sent over to Dr. Roberts, and the club founders will have a meeting with her to go over everything for their club. If Dr. Roberts agrees that the club fills a gap in the current student activities, she will put the application through to the North Administration weekly meeting for an official approved vote. Once approved there, the pilot club can start.
Clubs are in pilot status for one year. They must hold meetings at least twice a month, and must maintain an average of at least 15 members attending the club’s meetings.
The ease in the process of starting a club will vary from student to student. Factors such as student interest, getting an advisor and having all necessary equipment all have impacts on the success of getting a club up and running.
“Most volunteer Faculty Advisors for pilot clubs are not paid for years. Being supportive and showing appreciation
for the volunteer advisors is important for a pilot’s success,” said Manheim.
While some clubs take years to actually start meeting, some can get started in a month or less.
“The process itself was smooth, there were just speed bumps, things that slowed it down,” said Irhaan Iqbal, senior and founder of archery club. For example, he experienced some scheduling issues regarding the initial meetings about the club, although he was able to fill out the application very quickly.
Students can have many different reasons for why they want to start a new club rather than choosing from the large list of clubs currently offered. If a student notices that there isn’t a club or community at North for a certain subject, they can decide themselves to create that club and community.
“This is my third semester taking [Adventure Ed]. I asked [my teacher] again, ‘Hey, how’s archery club going?’ He said, ‘No one’s [started] it yet.’ So I thought with my experience in starting the eSports club, I said sure, I’ll take initiative for it,” said Iqbal.
In order to create a strong club, it’s important to think through all the details about how your club will run.
“Plan for way ahead in the future. The strongest pilots are ones that plan for years down the road, when the founding members are already graduated and succeeding in life. They create a structure, plan and purpose that is so clear students will want to continue it even after they are gone,” said Erin Manheim, Assistant Director of Student Activities.
If any student is thinking about starting a new club, the best thing they can do is to follow these steps. Chances are, if one student wants a new club, other students have thought of it as well.
“Actually go for it. Don’t sit around waiting. Start as soon as you have your idea,” said Iqbal.
