Evening star., 1941-11-16
Members Run Club.

A DONS OF pIIlS CILU SllOulu d.
most always have an older person
as an adviser or counsellor. If it's
a school group, ask one OF your
teachers. If it isn't, get some adult
you all know and like Perhaps
teacher would serve, anyway. But
don't forget that the counsellor is
there TO advise you. and nothing
else. The members must run the
club. and do the work. or the bene-
fits of the organization are gone.
In setting up your administrative
procedure, never forget that II is
lust means TO the end Of attaining
your objectives. Long meetings
loaded with special reports, pages OF
minutes of the last session and 20
minute speeches by officers don't
promote the aims for which the club
was organized Unless you formed
the group for debates or study OF
parliamentary procedure, build up
the activities and cut down on the
length. Formally and number OF
meetings There are many strange
mortalS who join photography club
TO take and develop pictures. not TO
listen TO committee reports.
Above all. don't spend days turn
ing out long, involved constitution.
complete with reams of bylaws and
amendments. Just because some
other club has one. Use your Jude-
ment-if a constitution seems of no
earthly value. don't bother with one,
In many cases, of course, you Will
need one. II depends entirely on
the club. its purposes and its activi-
ties. Talk it over with your adviser
and discuss it at the first meeting.
Necessary Officers.
The constitution should cover the
clubs reason for existence: oo-
jectives: membership requirements
and limits; number and kind OF of
ficers, with their duties and tenure
of Office, and the method OF elect
ing them: any standing committees
time and place of meetings; size OF
! quorum, and provision for amend
ments. Skip the legal TECHNOLOGY
unless your members get kick out
of that sort of thing. There is little
chance that you'll have to go to
court over 1t.
The idea is to set up the ma
chinery for decision Of problems
and then decide them as they arise
Be sure there is a distinct need
for each officer you elect don't
elect a sergeant at arms and a cor
responding secretary just because
another club has them. A president,
vice president, secretary and treas
urer are standard, but one or more
of them may be dispensed with by
certain clubs. On the other hand,
your club may need officers that
other groups don't have.
1t generally adds to the club TO
name your officers something more
imaginative than president" OF
secretary" The head of handi-
craft group might be known as
foreman or superintendent ,
while a radio club would probably
call their president chief operator
Don't go out of your way for these
effects. however. If club Of youl
type would generally call its presi-
dent president" then don't name
him grand exalted ruler"
Orderly Meetings.
Keep standing committees at I
minimum. The officers should han
die all routine duties, and specia
committees should be appointed TO
special events. Spread the response
bility and work as evenly as pos
sible. Standing committees don
permit that.
Involved parliamentary procedur
is unnecessary, but the basic rule
should be observed. The idea is Il
keep meetings orderly. When a sub
ject is under discussion, no foreign
element should be introduced unit
the first question is settled. Thi
may be either by vote or approva
of motion to appoint a committe
to study it. or to defer conSidera
ton until another meeting.
Good luck to your club, and here
hoping you'll have plenty of ney
/ business!