Letters Connect Chapter Application Form

How do I start a club at my school?

If this is your first time starting a club, no worries! Here's a comprehensive guide that details starting a club.

Starting a Club

1. Find out your school’s club requirements

   1. Are there any forms you need to fill out to apply?

      1. When will these forms be due?

   2. Do you know if there are any important dates to be aware of?

      1. Is there a Club Rush (when all school clubs advertise their club)? If so, when?

      2. When is the deadline to apply to create a club?

      3. When are you able to start having meetings?

   3. What are the rules for clubs?

      1. Ie: Do you have to submit club minutes at your school? Are there restricted times you can’t host meetings?

2. Find your club advisor

   1. Whether it’s your Spanish teacher or orchestra director, find a teacher on campus who is willing to host their room for meetings.

      1. Before scouting out advisors, we suggest having a clear idea of the club's details. For example, when you're planning on hosting meetings (ie: every first Friday of the month), what Letters Connect is about, are you planning on giving food to members (some teachers prefer not to have food in the classroom so keep that in mind), etc. This will help prep you for when a teacher might have any questions and it makes you come off as more put together.

   2. Important things to consider:

      1. How is the teacher’s availability? Is there room easily accessible/easy to find? 

3. Decide on your officers

   1. Make sure that who you choose to be officers isn’t just because they’re friends or the first people who seem interested. Remember, your officers will be the people to help run your club for the rest of the year so you want to make sure they’re reliable, dedicated, and communicative.

4. Finalize your application and reach out

   1. Now that you have a solid team and club advisor, it’s time to raise awareness of your club. Here are some things to consider.

      1. Have you submitted all the paperwork for your club application? If not, this should be your top priority to complete before the deadline. Make sure to discuss the forms with your officers and keep them in the loop.

      2. How are you going to reach potential members? It’s highly recommended to open an Instagram account for your high school’s LettersCo to help spread the word. Introduce the club on your page and tag friends or anyone you think would be interested. 

      3. What’s your communication system for members? How are you going to remind members of upcoming meetings or important announcements? Most students don’t check email so we advise finding a system that people will check. You can always do a poll on what your members find work best. Here are some of our recommendations, Remind, Telegram, Discord, iMessage, WhatsApp, etc. (remember, this is all up to you and your officers so choose what’s best for the club).

      4. How are you advertising? Along with social media accounts, have you put up any posters? Have you spread the word among friends? 

5. Preparation for your first meeting

   1. Make sure to have a rough outline of the meeting events, objectives, and how it’s going to flow. Keep in mind how much time you have and stay realistic with setting objectives.

   2. Create the slide show for your first meeting. In this slideshow, include who you and your officers are (introduce yourselves!), what the club is about, why your club matters, and of course get them to join the communication system you decided upon. Stay creative with the slideshow and make it eye-catching!

Additional Things to Keep in Mind

1. Be respectful of the club advisor and make sure to clean up any mess your club leaves after each meeting.