Club Survival Tips
ALLOW THE KIDS TO DO THE WORK.
YOU HAVE THE LAST WORD ON ALL DECISIONS.
Set up a system of pay for work. This can be club money rather than US $. If they sell candy, so many club dollars, help with the science fair or other activity so many club dollars. Your treasurer will have to keep tabs on all of this. For a large club you will need a treasurer and a couple of backups for auditing. Students running for treasurer should be screened by you - this is not a popularity contest.
Have a goal - field trips are always popular. Kids who have earned so many club dollars can go. Maybe they can buy part of their way to the field trip ( 5 US $ = 1 club dollar) but at least part of their cost should be paid for in club dollars. This is a great incentive to participate, the rich kids cannot just buy their way in without active participation in the club. Also field trips are a privilege not a right. If a student misbehaves or cannot be trusted they do not have the privilege of attending a field trip, no matter how many dollars they have earned. (read - There Are No Short Cutsby Rafe Esquith - somewhere in that book he has a discussion with a student who is not allowed to attend a field trip - great stuff.) This requires an account for each student - Need a good treasurer and some assistant tellers. Added advantage, they can learn how to keep a bank account of funds. Each student should keep his or her own bank statement. Students should do all of the work. There should be an "accountant" along with a couple of "auditors" and some tellers. If you have a business teacher in your school he or she might help you set this up.
You can print up club dollars and the students can deposit them in the "bank." Some students will even sell their club dollars. (I do not tell them this, but they figure it out themselves.)
Have students research the places they may want to go and present their findings to the group. Those making a presentation can earn club dollars. Their research should include where, what may be seen or learned about, when is the best time, cost, distance. They can vote on the places you approve. You might use a decision matrix with your students prior to the vote. See.
Have brownbag days - lunch speaker. This is a good time for looking at careers. Attendance at brownbag day earns a dollar. Kids can call to set up the speakers more science dollars. Be sure you have them prepare before the call with who, what, where, when, and why. You might want a practice session for shy or younger students. While a speaker may turn you down, few will turn down a student. The student should also call with a reminder to the speaker a couple of days in advance asking if their is any special equipment or needs. The student should also be responsible for a thank you note on science club letterhead. Speakers might include electricians, plumbers, and other blue collar as well as professionals. Don't forget police detective and county coroner. Each speaker should explain how their work connect to the subject.
Letterhead design contest - all who enter earn science dollars. Your executive team can choose the winner.
Christmas time, students pick some mistletoe put it in little baggies, tie it with a ribbon and a card to tell the story of mistletoe alone with some biology like it is poisonous. Students make the bags, bring in the mistletoe or supply bags, research information for the card, design the card earn science dollars. This can be one of your brownbag days.
Sell pizza at lunch or after school. PizzaHut delivers and will give you a break on large orders. Be sure to let the cafeteria people know the day you do this. There will be fewer students eating in the cafeteria on Pizza days. Students made enough money to fund an overnight field trip for 50 students with money to spare. This was at a very large high school and the pizza was sold during lunch. The first day 20 pizzas gone in less than 1 hour. Gotta love the appetite of teenagers!
Sell breakfast tacos, breakfast scones, breakfast (you name the ethnic group). Those doing the selling or bringing the food can earn club dollars. Advertising pays for these things, might be something like try a new breakfast. For science club, the materials in the food could be translated into science for example. NaCl for salt, lactate of Bos taurus for milk. For social studies something about the origin of the food. For Latin club, Latin of course.
At Christmas time students can design Christmas cards with a state theme or a subject area theme. The best five of these are printed on fairly good stock and sold in bundles of five with envelops. Very popular with parents and grandparents – my guess is the less then commercial look of the cards. Sell on Back to School night. Cards have lower profit margin then some other things, but a good sell. Noticed that kid drawings sell better than those completed on photoshop. If you cannot do Christmas perhaps seasons greetings, winter solstice card, birthday cards or thinking of you. Very popular with grandparents – my guess is the less then commercial look of the cards and many of them still write. Sell on Back to School night – lower profit margin then some other things, but a good sell.
Valentine - sell and deliver balloons. Lots of kids like to send things "from your secret pal, admirer, friend" The balloon could be delivered during your "home" room time or handed out at lunch. I would suggest all one color in the keep it simple mode. You can get a helium tank and fill your own cheaply. Another option, valentine cards designed, printed, and delivered by the club. For the anonymous minded students (you sell more if the students have the anonymous option) they buy the cards, fill them out and drop them in a box so there is no teasing. The same goes for the balloons. The balloon cards are dropped in a box then attached to the balloons the day before delivery. If you have lots of students, you will want to get the cards sorted by alpha a few days before delivery in order to expedited delivery. Advertise - Something like - Be sure all of your friends get something for valentine. Don't forget your teachers. Don't forget yourself.
We have a seed pod called “devil’s claw” decorated these with movable eyes, scraps to make Texas Mosquitoes. A high profit margin on these. If you live with pine cones, there is probably something you could do maybe kin to your school mascot. Some of your students might come up with ideas. Sweet gum balls also come to mind as possible high profit margin item.
If you have FFA in your school they can speak to you on Robert's Rules of Order. They have a great program. Students in any club should learn these rules as they will need them as they enter other clubs and boards they may work on.
Kids should also learn the rules of brainstorming
- All answers are acceptable
- No put-downs are allowed.
- Sponging from others answers is good (that is little twists to the ideas of others)
- The more ideas the better. No idea is "too far out"
They should be brainstorming ways to make money. You might give them some of the ideas discussed here so they can sponge.
On the constitution. Keep it simple. Keep it simple. Keep it simple.
The trick to surviving a club is to allow the students to do 99% of the work. You become the advisor rather than the leader. You will be teaching the students in your club more than science. They will learn that work has rewards, probably of greater value then all of the science you teach. They will learn the importance of getting along with others, definitely of greater value then all of the subject matter you teach.