According to soccer star David Beckham, "Being at a club that supported me meant a lot." Clubs are a great way to share activities and support with others who have similar interests. One of the major steps in creating a club is the formation of a charter. Created at the formation of a club, the charter outlines the rules and procedures that the club will follow. A well organized charter allows the organization to run efficiently and reduces conflict.

Hold a Meeting

Arrange a meeting of interested individuals to create the charter. Schedule the meeting.

Attend the meeting. Begin with the discussion of the charter. Have someone take down decisions as they are made.

Determine a name for the club. Record suggestions and then vote on the favorite.

Brainstorm the club's purpose. Record the ideas. Work collaboratively with the ideas to form a statement of purpose. Record the results.

Determine the club officer positions. Possible positions might be president, vice president, treasurer and secretary. Record the results.

Brainstorm on the requirements for membership. Work collaboratively to determine the membership requirements. Membership requirements might include age restrictions, a membership fee or other requirements. Record the results.

Decide on a regular meeting location. Record the results.

Determine a schedule of meeting dates and times. Record the results.

Brainstorm any other club rules. Record the ideas and vote on each idea. Record the results.

Review the charter components. Set a meeting for voting on the final charter.

Collect an email address from each member. Tell the members that the completed charter will be emailed to them before the next meeting. Conclude the meeting.

Document Creation

Open a new document on a computer word processor. Name the document something that will identify it as your club's charter.

Use the recorded notes from the meeting to write the charter. Separate and organize each section into an outline.

Print the finished charter. Email the finished charter to members to preview before the meeting.

Voting and Conclusion

Attend the next meeting. Hold a discussion on the charter.

Read each section of the charter. Vote on the section. If the section is rejected vote on changes.

Read the final charter as a whole. Vote on the charter as a whole. If the charter does not pass hold a discussion on what needs to change. Repeat these steps until a final charter is approved.

Conclude the meeting. Open a computer word processor and load the saved charter. Make any changes to the charter from the meeting. Print the finished charter for club records and e-mail the charter to all members.

Tip

If the club is associated with a national organization, college or university check to make sure that the charter fits within the regulations of the organization.

Tip

Vote on a provision for changing the charter should a change be needed.

Things You Will Need

  • Computer

  • Word processor

  • Printer

  • Meeting room

  • Writing pad

  • Pen or pencil