1. Find Your People: Starting a Club

Find Your Core Group

Activity #1A:
Find Your Core Group

  1. First, you’re going to need to find your core group. Think of the names of some people who might be excited about tackling climate change with you.
  2. Next, meet with each person for a quick “one-onone.” Purpose: Build your team by asking them to come to a preliminary meeting. See pages 83-85. [Insert link]
  3. Then, get the ball rolling with a preliminary meeting.

HOW TO ASK PEOPLE TO JOIN YOUR CLUB:

“I’m starting this club to take action on climate change. I could really use your help. Would you be willing to show up for our initial planning meeting?”

Get people’s contact info and remind them when you’re meeting.

CHOOSE YOUR LEADERSHIP TEAM

Start by matching a few people to specific leadership roles and fill in your crew from there

ROLES

DESCRIPTIONS
Chair/Co-Chairs Runs and supervises club with help from other team members.
Vice Chair Fills in when Chair isn’t available. Helps with events and activities.
Secretary Takes notes during club meetings, maintains club records, files appropriate paperwork.
Treasurer Manages club’s budget and expenses.
Administrative Liaison (optional) Meets with administrators, handles paperwork, and lets club know what needs to be done for official business.
Outreach (optional) Works with other leadership team members to increase membership and participation in club events.
Communications (optional) Keeps members updated on club activities. Provides press releases and social media posts.
Other (optional) Create roles that fit your vision and match the strengths of your team.

Environmental Club Basics

Purpose of a preliminary meeting:

Gather a small group of people interested in taking action on climate change and start outlining ideas for a club.

 

Environmental Club Basics

  • What do you want to call your club?
  • How often will the club meet?
  • What’s the best time to meet?
  • Where can the club meet?
  • Choose leadership roles at preliminary meeting or wait until a larger group meets?
  • What do you want to accomplish, in general terms? (See STEP #2: Find Your Passion)
  • Club promotion and recruitment
  • Kick-off event
  • Who would be a good fit as your club advisor? Who will ask them? What’s the back-up plan?
  • How to make your club official?
  • Next Steps?

When communicating, get back to people within 24 hours.

Utilizing Your Advisor/Mentor

Hold a Preliminary Meeting

Activity #1B:
Hold Preliminary Meeting

Download Blank PDF of Agenda
Sample Agenda

  • Agenda

    Create an agenda with items to discuss. List time allotted for each topic.
    Send out agenda to people in advance of meeting (and ask if they’d like to add anything).

  • Notetaker

    Until there’s an official “secretary,” ask someone to fill in as notetaker.
    Include:
    • Meeting Date
    • Who was present?
    • What decisions were made?
    • Who committed to do which tasks (and will complete by when)?

  • Intros

    Around the room: start with a fun question:
    If you could protect any place in the world, where would you protect?
    Ø What type of weather represents your mood?

  • Check in

    Ask each person:
    “What excites you about taking action on Climate Change?”

  • Discussion Items

    List items you checked off in sample discussion ideas on page 4:

  • Next Steps?

    Who will do what and by when?
    Date of Next Meeting?

Meet: Megan Phelps MEA High School, San Diego

HOT TIP:

“It took me a long time to realize how effective one-on-one meetings are for increasing engagement and membership. Now I meet with people one-on-one and listen to their interests or answer their questions. This has allowed me to ask them to step into leadership roles based on their own interests.”

WHAT I’VE LEARNED:

‘I should have started my club with a leadership team in place—instead of trying to do everything myself.”

Megan began her first eco-club,’Gaia & Terra,’ when she was 8.

Activities: Podcast and weekly get togethers with her friend, Sophie, which always included lots of laughter.

Highlights: Starting environmental clubs in high school and college, where she recently organized 24-hours of continuous climate action with speakers, performers & food.

Developing an environmental education program for local elementary school students.

 

Quick Guide #1

  • FIND YOUR PEOPLE: GET THE WORD OUT:

    Create an agenda with items to First goal is to build your club—use the tips on how to the word about your club.

  • ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS:

    Meet individually with people and ASK them to join your club. For a successful club, you need all sorts of people: to post on social

  • AIM FOR DIVERSITY IN YOUR CLUB:

    Ask a variety of students to join your club—with diverse skills, backgrounds, and perspectives.

  • KICK-OFF:

    Start off strong with a kick-off event or informational meeting to let people know about your club. Consider introducing Your Roadmap at the Kick-off to get new members excited.

  • PLAN AT LEAST TWO EVENTS AHEAD:

    Even if you don’t plan out the entire semester, schedule at least two events ahead so people will stay interested and involved.

  • EMPOWER YOUR TEAM:

    Allow others to come up with ideas for actions or events. Ask them take the lead on those events. This empowers the club! (89)

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