With committees, clubs have a structure to help meet their goals and members have a place to do work that interests them. If you’re not sure what committees to establish, start with the goals that your officers, members and advisors have for the club. Then form committees that can help your club meet those goals. And remember: Committees can work to accomplish more than one goal. Learn how to connect goals to related committees and connect members with committee work they’ll enjoy!
Here’s an example of how to connect committees to common club goals:
| Club goal | Committee | Committee responsibilities |
| Promote the club to the school community. | Marketing
|
Informs the school and community about the club’s service projects and causes, the club’s accomplishments and ways students and adults can support the club. |
| Create informative posters that inspire students and teachers to give to donation drives and fundraising projects. | Marketing
|
Informs the school and community about the club’s service projects and causes, the club’s accomplishments and ways students and adults can support the club. |
| Recruit new members.
|
Recruitment
|
Increases club membership by raising awareness in the school (or organization) about what the club does and its benefits to students. |
| Develop partnerships with organizations in the community.
|
Community Partnerships
|
Assists the club with connecting to organizations and places in the community where the club may do hands-on service, donate items, raise money and more.
|
| Earn Builders Club awards, like the Distinguished Club award or Scrapbook Contest award. | Awards & Contests | Keeps track of the club’s progress to meet the submission deadline; prepares club award and contest entries; and helps members, officers and advisors with entries for individual awards. |
| Conduct a teacher and school staff appreciation event.
|
Service Projects | Organizes planning and specific tasks for service projects. |
| Establish a Little Free Library on school grounds.
|
Service Projects
|
Organizes planning and specific tasks for service projects.
|
| Volunteer regularly in the school garden. | Service Projects
|
Organizes planning and specific tasks for service projects.
|
| Help with school recycling.
|
Service Projects
|
Organizes planning and specific tasks for service projects.
|
| Raise funds for the local animal shelter. | Fundraising | Organizes planning and specific tasks for fundraising service projects and fundraising for club activities. |
Committees give members specific roles, which can help them feel that they belong. These four steps will set up your committees for success:
- Post a committee sign-up sheet. Allow members to select the committee that most interests them.
- Establish committee meeting rules. Ask all members to participate in establishing rules that will help the committee be productive and help committee members feel safe and comfortable. Post the rules where everyone can view them.
- Conduct a committee chair training session. Use suggested topics and information in the “Training new officers and committee chairs” section of the Builders Club Advisor Toolkit (pages 21-22) to prepare chairs to lead their committees.
- Encourage talent and peer mentoring. Have members reflect on and record their talents using the “Know your talents and strengths” activity in the Builders Club Member and Officer Toolkit (pages 10-11). Ask them to share their lists with fellow committee members. Encourage them to use this information when assigning tasks and to learn from people with different skill sets.