[pics] 6 Tips and Steps for Starting a New Club!

At the point when our lives return to some sort of normalcy, remember that we are all in this together and we will get through it together!

Starting a New Club or Group

Starting a new club is a fun adventure filled with new faces and a few challenges. Being in a club adds new dimensions to our off-pavement world. Here are some tips if you are considering starting a new club or group.

First off, I do not advocate leaving an existing club just to start a new one because something was amiss. We should always try to fix what’s broken rather than further divide up the pool of resources. It’s better if we hang together.

Be that as it may if you just can’t fix what’s broken, or if you’re just new to the sport and want to start a club/group of like-minded folks, here is a proven formula.
Steps to starting…

Getting organized is the key to keeping public land use and access high on our list of options.

→Step 1: Do your homework (like you’re obviously doing) by following the links below and getting your ducks in a row (booklets, handouts, etc. from these great organizations).

→Step 2: Get the email addresses of all your friends and their friends that might want to be part of your club. Start emailing with them about issues in your area and why you need to think about getting organized. Don’t push too hard or too fast. Some folks take a little warming up to the idea of something new.

→Step 3: Get your friends together who recreate with you. Poke around on the socials, in your area, for folks who might want to team up. Hold an informal meeting somewhere fun (and hopefully not too noisy) and let them know the importance of being organized as a way of keeping our trails open for the future.

→Step 4: Start planning some (small) events and runs. And if you want to get all official, follow the lead of other similar clubs as to bylaws, procedures, etc. I suggest taking a slow pace here. Too much bureaucracy too soon might scare off some good peeps.

→Step 5: Get involved in (join) your regional, state and national group that represents your interests best. Learn from them. Share their info.

→Step 6: Build a club web site if appropriate, for sure a social network presence, as well as advertise in the local papers/flyers to get more members. Remember, not everyone is on Facebook. A simple website or blog is never a bad plan.

LINKS:

Here are 5 Steps to Organizational Membership Building.

NOHVCC has a great list of books and helpful resources here.

Here are some Secrets to Leading Volunteers. 

And of course, if you do not run a good meeting, you will immediately lose volunteers. Learn how-to here.

More tips and articles here.

SUMMARY:

We are a scattered and divided force way too often in our four-wheeling world. Frequently, personalities and egos (more on that here) get in the way of having fun. I hope that if you’re in that situation, you can find a fix.

If not, then the tips and tricks in this article should give you a great starting point for your new club/group.
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