Clubs provide an easy way to get involved at Citrus College. Even if a student is unable to find a club that he or she likes, starting one from scratch is not a very difficult task.
Gabriel Nadeles, 19, founder and former president of Young Americans for Liberty’s chapter at Citrus College, went through this process out of a desire to share his ideas with others on campus.
“There are often times when you feel like you need something to build a message and student clubs are a great way to do it,” Nadales said. “They’re simple, they’re organized and it’s a great way to meet people who share your own interests.”
The first step in starting a club is defining its goals. Daniel Celebertti, 27, Inter-Club Council president, said that a lack of a strong focus is one of the most common pitfalls new clubs stumble upon.
“If it’s very vague as to where they want to take the club, it ends up hurting them in the long run,” Celebertti said.
With this in mind, the club founders can draft a constitution. Those who want to speed up the process can find a sample, fill-in-the-blank constitution on the Citrus College website.
In order to verify that other students are interested in the club, the club creators also have to convince at least 10 Citrus College students to sign a copy of the Petition to Organize a New Club.
The club approval process begins when the petition and constitution are turned into the Office of Student Life in the Campus Center.
Adrienne Thompson, supervisor of the Office of Student Life and Leadership Development, encourages new club founders to attend Club Orientation, a reoccurring event that teaches students how to organize and run a new club.
“We show them how to fill out forms, where to find them, how to turn them in, and how to be a successful club,” Thompson said.
The next and final Club Orientation takes place on October 9 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Campus Center’s east wing.
After these forms are turned in, a club must have a representative attend the next ICC meeting.
The representative will be asked to describe the club to the council before the approval process goes any further within the approval process.
ICC meetings take place every Monday at 2:40 p.m. within the Campus Center’s executive boardroom.
Club founders must also turn in member rosters. At least two-thirds of students listed on this roster are required to be present at club meetings in order for quorum to be met.
Most of the club members are typically recruited at Club Rush, an event that happens once a semester that allows all of the clubs to set up booths outside the Campus Center in order to present themselves to the student body.
This semester’s Club Rush took place on Sept. 18 and 19.
At this point, the club is on its way to be approved. However, there are a number of other documents recommended in order to keep the club running smoothly.
Each club is required to have a Citrus College faculty or staff member attend all of their meetings and events. As such, it’s wise to have at least one college staff sign an Advisor Agreement, a contract that gives that person the power to direct the club.
An officer roster lists who’s in charge of the club. This roster includes the contact information of club’s president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and ICC representatives.
One of the club’s ICC representatives is required to attend all ICC meetings. If three ICC meetings pass without the representative present their club will be deactivated. Clubs deactivated this way can typically apply for reinstatement after one month.
All club advisors and at least one club member should sign a document named the Authorized Signatures for Associated Student Organization Accounts. This contract specifies who is able to withdraw funds from the club account.
Club members who sign the ASO agreement typically consist of the club president and treasurer.
Any required documentation can be found on Citrus College’s website, linked here. Further quests can be directed to the Office of Student Life at 626-852-6444.
Micro manage much?