Established clubs offer advice to new clubs

The Paly Voice asked experienced club leaders what their advice for new clubs was. Senior Leila Tjiang, junior Andrew Shih and junior Caity Berry offer their insights. "If you want to make a club, you're going to have to expect yourself to invest a good amount of time into making sure the club is successful," Shih said. Photo: Angelina Wang. — The Paly Voice asked experienced club leaders what their advice for new clubs was. Senior Leila Tjiang, junior Andrew Shih and junior Caity Berry offer their insights. “If you want to make a club, you’re going to have to expect yourself to invest a good amount of time into making sure the club is successful,” Shih said. Photo: Angelina Wang.

After Palo Alto High School’s Club Day, The Paly Voice asked leaders of second year clubs for their advice on how to avoid new club pitfalls.

According to junior Andrew Shih, co-president of History Bowl Club, the importance of good club advertisement is vital for recruiting members.

“Don’t be afraid to go and advertise,” Shih said. “Go all out with promoting what your club does, and the fun things that your club has planned for the year.”

Senior Leila Tjiang, co-editor-in-chief of Anthro Magazine, a foreign policy publication, echoes Shih’s advice.

“I would suggest getting all the publicity you can,” Tjiang said. “This includes flyers, ads on inFocus, and social media. This is important not only for recruiting members, but also for gaining recognition throughout the school and establishing your club as a reputable organization.”

Tjiang also advises that clubs with upperclassmen leadership focus on reaching out to underclassmen who are interested in joining.

“I would also encourage you to focus on recruiting underclassmen, because if you graduate without a group of underclass[men] students committed to carrying on the club, then your club will cease to exist,” Tjiang said.

Junior Renle Chu offers advice on keeping club members engaged and interested. Aside from clear communication, "snacks are [also] a great way to get more students to attend meetings," Chu said. Photo: Angelina Wang. — Junior Renle Chu offers advice on keeping club members engaged and interested. Aside from clear communication, “snacks are [also] a great way to get more students to attend meetings,” Chu said. Photo: Angelina Wang.

After Club Day, club leaders are tasked with the challenge of motivating members to consistently attend their club. According to junior Renle Chu, co-president of the Medical Society, the best way to keep members coming back is good communication with them. She does this by sending out reminder emails before meeting dates.

“I like to send out an email detailing the plans of the next meeting a couple days before we meet,” Chu said. “Then, I send out a reminder email the day before to just remind everyone that there is a meeting tomorrow.”

Junior Caity Berry, co-president of Ukulele Club, recommends bringing food to help “motivate people to come to meetings.” However, “showing people that they are welcome and having unique activities will incentivize people to come [too],” Berry said.

Lastly, Berry offers her thoughts on staying grounded while leading a club.

“I would say that the biggest piece of advice… is to set reasonable goals and not to bite off more than you can chew,” Berry said. “Though it is good to shoot for the stars, it is better to focus on one event or one activity you want to do for the club. That way it can be of the highest quality.”