Many student leaders are on the board of one club or another, be it a cultural club or the underwater basket-weaving club. And if you are a club leader, then you know how frustrating it can be to get the students who show up at club meetings to pay attention, get engaged, and stay engaged.
Well never fear, I am here to help. I was on the board of a cultural club in college. When I first got elected, a friend of mine, who was always like a mother/big sister to me, gave me tips she had learned as a board member. Remember, the board is supposed to make it look effortless, but only with A TON of effort.
Here are 6 things that my friend taught me that I put to the test (and they passed!):
1. Have a couple of board members sitting with the general members during the club meeting.
For example, the treasurer and the PR, people that don’t necessarily need to be upfront with the Secretary and President, could take a seat. What this does is keeps the side conversations to a minimum during the informational parts of your club meetings. Having some authority figures as a reminder that whoever is speaking needs respect and attention is pretty effective. Even more effective, if that board member notices a side conversation, there is no harm in leaning over and POLITELY saying, “Hey guys, mind waiting to talk? Betty has some pretty important stuff to say. “
Being that person talking that no one is paying attention to is really, really hurtful and you should try your best to make sure everyone feels respected. It also doesn’t hurt to remind everyone before someone speaks by saying “Hey guys, next, our Treasurer is going to say a few words about this event, so let’s give him all our attention!!”
2. Have a board member stand near the door of the room.
This one is one of the more crafty tips I learned. Nothing is sadder than to see a potential loyal member get up and leave in the middle of the meeting because they are bored. (Especially because you are not boring.) Having the VP or the PR stand by the door makes it more difficult psychologically to decide to leave, because there is no way to sneak out. This is also helpful because the light switch is often by the door, which comes in handy when the lights need to be flicked on and off to signal a start of a meeting or a new agenda item.
3. Look for the quiet members.
If a student shows up to the first few club meetings but doesn’t really participate at all, chances are they want to be in the club but are shy or don’t feel included with the rest of the members. Find those students and be their friend. Make sure to go over before the meeting starts and chat with them about what classes they are taking, how their day was. As a board member, your friendship will make them feel included and special.
When you are having people sign up for committees for an event, for example, this is a great time to really hook the shy ones into your club family. Try something like this: “Ok, who wants to be part of decorations? I really need some help! What about you, [insert quiet member name here]? Can I count on you? Let me put you down here!”
If you gently give them less of a choice by making them feel like they are really needed to make your club successful, they stick around. I did this many times as a board member, and they never failed to come back. Remember, the vocal students are wonderful, but don’t underestimate the talents of the more quiet ones. They might be the students with the insane art talents to help you make props. A close friend of mine told me that if it wasn’t for me pushing him to get involved within the club during meetings, he never would have become part of the amazing family we had. If they show interest, help them be successful in joining the club.
4. Remember details and names of potential members.
This is particularly successful with freshmen. If you are talking to someone you think would be a good fit in your club at a club fair, around campus, or even at the club meeting, try really hard to remember their name and some details about them. That way, when you see them around campus and shout their name to say hi, or ask them how their math major is coming along, they feel connected to you and the club you represent. It is all about feeling welcome and that you belong.
5. Make members heads of committees within your club.
Successful clubs make their members feel valued. If you are planning a big event as a club, don’t put all the stress on yourselves as a board. Make committees for decorations, food, etc. Then choose an eBoard member and one general member to be the heads of each committee.
Never stop thanking members for showing up to practices and club meetings, and for all their help. Do everything you can to put each member in the spotlight at some point, to say, imagine how much worse off we would be without this person?
6. When doing group activities, find ways to really mix it up.
Cliques will inevitably form within your club. Break them up. Pair people together that don’t normally talk. Never make groups by dividing the room: everyone who sat together is already friends. Come up with creative ways to count off into groups. Instead of going around the room counting to 5, count to five in a new language, or use a color sequence. My favorite one that our secretary during my senior year used was a 5-word sentence that was a piece of information we wanted everyone to remember, and each member said one word of the sentence as we went around. For example: CONFERENCE, MONEY, DUE, ON, FRIDAY. Bam, two birds with one stone: mixing the group and burning information into their brains!
Everyone should know everyone in your club. It is an opportunity to meet new people, even if you don’t necessarily connect with them at first. The club should feel cohesive, not divided.
