"Great leaders are people who do not seek power but take responsibility because they have the capability and empathy to help others".

- Theodora Lai

Welcome Leaders!

Thank you for being here and taking on your role. None of this could be done without you. Whether you feel born for this or so outside your comfort zone, know you are perfect for it. Your club elected you for your specific talents and skills. Leadership is executed in 1000 different ways and no one way is perfect for everyone.  Find what feels authentic to you and you'll be the best leader.

Know Your Mission & Environment

Clubs are created and maintained for different reasons. Make sure you know what the main purpose of your group is: Professional development or athletics or maybe it's something fun and stress relieving? Perhaps it's multiple things.

Keep your mission in mind as you begin planning meetings, creating events, and recruiting new members. What are other students gaining from your club? What experience are you curating?

Setting The Tone

  • Be welcoming, especially to those who look out of their element
  • Listen and ask for feedback from your peers
  • Prepare ahead of time for events and meetings. Make an agenda. Event should have a clear sense of what to do and what is happening - they shouldn't feel chaotic and rushed
  • Notice the body language of those around you, intervene when necessary
  • Ask the group what they want to do, control does not always mean good leadership
  • Ask for help! If you don't know what do OR if you feel like you're doing everything. Communicate with your group.

Don't Re-invent The Wheel

If there are are processes or systems that your club has used successfully then make sure you understand them well from your predecessor.

If you have questions about a Student Activities or SGA form/process reach out to them. Odds are you aren't the only one with the question and they may be able to help you better navigate it and save you time!

And Sometimes You May Need to Create the Wheel

Just because you've been doing it that way "forever" don't think you can't change it. The beauty (and curse) of college clubs is that leadership and membership switches yearly. Often as changes at the college or with websites occur, clubs don't get updated with it as they should

As the leader, it's within your role to change things for the better. If it doesn't work, you can always go back or ask for feedback on how to make it work.

Club Meetings

Frequency

Depends! Some clubs meet weekly, biweekly or monthly due to what type of club it is, how often your members want to meet, and when events are happening. It may fluctuate also depending on upcoming events.

Agendas

Create an agenda so others know why you're having a meeting and publish ahead of time on SaintsLife. Share meeting minutes/notes afterwards via email and/or SaintsLife. It's a great way to make sure everyone is on the same page, especially if you delegated tasks.

Recruiting Tips

  • Club Crawl is hosted towards the start of each semester and is designed to catch students before the semester demands begin filling up their much of their time. We highly encourage all clubs to participate in the Fall and Spring!
  • However, don't doubt that students won't join throughout the semester! Continue to advertise all meetings and events on SaintsLife and in physical spaces on campus. Tabling in the union is always an option.
  • Don't be afraid to spend money on recruiting. Yummy snacks at meetings, cute merch on tables, and door prizes at Club Crawl will entice students to stop and learn more.
  • Know your audience! Ex. Academic Clubs focused on professional development can contract a guest speaker to visit and give advice and guidance. Students interested want and need those opportunities to network and learn. Remember the mission of your club and center your gatherings around it in order to  attract the right people to your club.
  • Word of Mouth! It's so huge. If you think someone in class or in sitting in Storm's would be interested in your club - invite them. It might be just what they needed to get involved.

Staying Organized

  • Google Drive is an easy way to create and share documents, powerpoints, send polls, and surveys!
  • Create a template for the meeting agenda and copy it over each meeting for consistency
  • Use Google Sheets to help track budgeting expenses closely -  club account balances are not updated immediately as pcards are used by all groups and not individual to each club.
  • Block of time in your calendar to work on club stuff - academics, work, other extracurriculars, fun & free time are all important too. Some weeks may favor some more than others and that's okay. Setting aside time, ahead of time can help ensure necessary tasks are complete.
  • All important club deadlines and dates for the school year are on the Club Hub Home Page to help you plan.
  • To-do lists! Whether it's digital or real-life post it notes daily to-do lists can be helpful when prioritizing and remembering important tasks
  • Remember after transitioning others may lose access to Google Drive items. Upload all important files to SaintsLife as you transition leadership