A   C o m p r e h e n s i v e   M a n u a l

Find A Place To Meet.  

Decide on a

Create a Constitution or Charter.  

A

place to meet.  Check with your campus

Constitution or Charter contains your by 

to see if they have rooms that you can

laws, or procedures for operating.  It is

use.  Sometimes you must be a Regis 

the basic framework of your group s

tered Student (or Campus) Organization

structure.  It includes the group s name,

to use these rooms.  Find out what it takes

purpose, leadership structure, voting pro 

to become one.  If meeting on campus

cedure, membership requirements, and

isn t feasible then check with local

anything else that your group feels is per 

churches and synagogues.  You may want

tinent to its successful functioning.  Your

to consider meeting in someone s home,

school may require that certain things be

such as a supportive faculty member.

contained in the constitution.  Make sure

Think about issues of accessibility, both

that you check with an advisor if you

to people with disabilities and also those

want to qualify as a Registered Student

on a bus line or a short distance from a

Organization.

central campus location.  Choose one

meeting site and stick with it.

Remember that your Constitution or

Charter is not a static thing.  It can be

Decide On A Meeting Time.  

Decide on

changed.  It will need to be changed, and

a time to meet for the upcoming weeks

it should develop and grow as your group

and then stick to that time.  It will be

develops and grows.  

helpful for people to know exactly when

and where they need to be each week.

Establish Basic Guidelines.  

It will help

Word of your group will spread and the

create trust and safety if your group

easier it is for folks to find you, the more

norms are clear.  Decide how you want to

likely that they ll get involved.

operate together, and what you can

expect from each other.  Talk about con 

Find an Advisor.  

Some campuses

fidentiality. This is a big issue to consid 

require student groups to have advisors,

er.  This issue is especially sensitive for

but even if there is no requirement, it may

lgbt people who are in different places

be helpful in the long run to have a facul 

with respect to their coming out process.

ty or staff person be affiliated with your

Some people aren t out on campus, and

group.  Make sure that you pick someone

don t want to be out, while others may not

who is comfortable with lgbt issues.

care.  It is important to not make assump 

tions and accidentally come out for some 

Consider Establishing Dues.  

Some

one.  When this happens the sense of trust

groups decide to raise money by estab 

and safety is decreased for everyone in

lishing dues.  Something to consider is

the group.  Therefore, limit the number of

whether you want to have members who

people who handle your membership list,

can t afford the dues participate.  Will

don t put anything identifiably queer on

their status be the same or different?

the outside of mailings, don t give/lend

Some groups do not choose to have dues

your membership list to any other group

and instead throw a fund raiser.  What

or leave it lying around the office.  You

ever you decide, raising money and how

may want to establish other basic guide 

your group will do it, is something you

lines for how you will deal with conflict

should consider.

or gossip, etc.  Whatever agreements you

D e f i n i n g   Y o u r   G r o u p

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