How to Start a Chapter
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==Why do you want to start a chapter?== | ==Why do you want to start a chapter?== | ||
Revision as of 21:32, 2 July 2007
Contents |
Why do you want to start a chapter?
Everyone has their own reasons for wanting to start a chapter of Nourish International. For some it's the opportunity to lead summer projects. For others its a means of exploring their entrepreneurial ambitions. Being the founding member of a chapter of Nourish International is a invaluable leadership opportunity but its one that requires extraordinary dedication & hard work. In order to succeed, you must know what drives you. When things get tough, you need to be able to answer the question of why you want to start a chapter and why you want to make an impact on the world. If your desire to start a chapter is rooted in something deep you'll be able to weather the occasional storm and stand as a beacon of inspiration for your whole team. Staying strong when the going gets tough is what leadership is all about.
General Interest Meeting
Building Interest
You've decided to answer the challenge. You want to start a chapter of Nourish International. Now what do you do? Well, your next step will be to hold a general interest meeting to get the word out about Nourish. Ideally you'll already have a couple of people who you know are interested. If not you, should probably try to find a couple people to help you out with publicizing & setting up for the interest meeting. Starting early is a must since people begin to make commitments early on in the school year.
How does one build up interest for a general interest meeting? Simply follow any or all of the strategies outlined in the Sales & Marketing article with a special focus on direct solicitation, classroom presentations & seeking out freshmen.
The Meeting
Introduction/Welcome – 15 minutes
- Who we are/our mission: explanation of NI history and our goals, as well as describing the student-driven aspect of our structure
- How we do it: brief explanation of Venture-Project format, noting the difference between seeking charity and providing goods and services to fund our efforts
- Summer Project presentation: slideshow/documentary to accompany description of our previous projects
Committee Explanation and Interest Assessment – 15-30 minutes
- Break into equal groups, each group being directed to a short presentation of the various committees and the tasks/opportunities involved in each
- Rotate until all groups have seen all the committees
- Pass out Interest Assessment cards to collect name, email address (very important), phone number, major, year in school, and in which committees each student would be interested in participating
Reconvene and Close the Meeting – 3 minutes
- Thank everyone for coming and let them know they will be contacted about upcoming committee meetings
- Encourage them to attend/participate in/volunteer at upcoming Ventures (always be promoting!)
- Let everyone know that the NI members will remain for 30-45 minutes to answer questions, explain more about the program, or to just hang out
Important: At this point, students will engage in conversation with themselves and with us. It is important not to discourage this by ushering everyone out of the room at the “end” of the meeting. By showing them that we’re willing to answer questions if they like or just hang around and chat, we’re demonstrating what makes us different from all the other organizations that want their membership too. Remember, we stand out from every other organization because a) we are a completely student-led and -driven international movement and b) we form great relationships with everyone we work with.
