Interested in starting a club? Here’s what you need to know

SUNY Geneseo hosts a multitude of unique clubs tending to a wide range of interests, where like-minded individuals can talk and befriend each other through their passions. As the number of clubs on campus continues to evolve and expand, The Lamron thought it useful to give a quick run-down on how to start (or restart) a club of your own, according not only to the Student Organizations webpage, but personal experience of our staff as well.

The first thing to do, obviously, is make sure that your idea has some sort of backing, both within the student body and faculty body as well. You’ll need a roster of at least a few other students (the website says 10-15) as well as a faculty advisor. Assuming that you are the president of this up and coming club, you’ll need at least one other student willing to take on the treasurer role; clubs are not, however, required to have a vice president or secretary. 

With this group in mind, you’ll have to either create or review the club’s constitution. If you are reactivating a club, the Student Organization will likely have a copy of the constitution in their records. If you’re new, you’ll need to use the constitution template to create one, outlining not only your mission statement, but the roles of the officers and the purpose of the club. This goes hand-in-hand with the Sustainability Plan, wherein you’ll detail your goals and plans for keeping the club active over a prolonged period, and perhaps even after you and your fellow e-board members graduate.

With a basic constitution and structure in place, you’ll want to start thinking about being the best leader you can be. Club e-board members will need to take the Officer Training Course on Canvas as well as the Kognito Training. The Officer Training will go over the logistics of running a club at Geneseo, and the Kognito on how to be available for your club members in times of crisis, if the need were to arise. 

You’ll likely want to advertise your new club, and the best way to do so is through the semesterly Club Expo. To participate in the expo, make sure to have your Intent to Register Form in by Sep. 1, 2023 of next semester!

To see the making of a new club in action, look no further than the work of our Opinion Editor, Kaitlin Anzalone. Anzalone is working to create a group where students who identify with a disability are able to meet and connect with each other, as well as the opportunity for allies to become more active in making Geneseo a welcoming environment. While the club is still in very early development, you can actually use this as an opportunity to put your voice in about the future of this new club. Anzalone has created a Google Form that will be used to decide not only the name of the club, but the times for its meetings and topics that will be covered. Fill out the form here: https://forms.gle/iYT2FL2Y2jbrghpS9

We hope this article will help you feel more confident in your ability to create a club and positively impact the Geneseo campus. It only takes one club to benefit the lives of dozens of members.