Guidelines for Success

In group settings, good leadership is fundamental! Thoughtful leaders motivate, inspire, and model good behavior for other group members. Before having the first all-group meeting, a group of core students (here called the Steering Committee) and the adult sponsor/advisor should meet to discuss leadership roles and responsibilities, and how these leadership roles will be filled in the future.

Student Leadership Roles

The following table lists six student leadership roles appropriate for any group. Use this as a guide as you create your own list of roles and responsibilities based on your group’s needs.

Leadership Titles & Respoinsibilities

President / Chairperson

• Oversees all of the duties and activities of the group
• Drafts meeting agendas
• Runs meetings (or chooses someone else to facilitate)

Vice President / Vice Chair

• Assumes President’s responsibilities in President’s absence
• May assist Project Coordinator with event planning
• Oversees the operations of any current club projects
• Organizes the planning of future endeavors
• Organizes fundraisers
• Coordinates with the President / Chair to set event dates
• Delegates specific event tasks to other group members

Project Coordinatior / Events Coordinator

• Oversees the operations of any current club projects
• Organizes the planning of future endeavors
• Organizes fundraisers
• Coordinates with the President / Chair to set event dates
• Delegates specific event tasks to other group members

Secretary

• Handles all group correspondence
• Takes notes on the business of the group
• Takes minutes of all meetings (or designates someone else to take notes in his/her absence)
• Keeps meeting attendance records

Treasurer

• Tracks the financial status of the club
• Deposits/withdraws all monies to/from the proper account

Public Relations Coordinator

• Notifies available media sources (newspaper, radio, etc.) of any upcoming events or announcements
• Sends photos/stories to the local paper or school newsletter to promote past events
• Creates flyers about events/activities, and is responsible for getting them posted

Adult Sponsor / Advisor

Your sponsor/advisor is an invaluable resource! For school-based clubs, the sponsor or advisor is usually a teacher or someone else employed by the school. For community-based clubs, you may choose an active adult volunteer outside of the local school. Sponsors ensure your club’s sustainability – students graduate or move, but dedicated sponsors are always available to keep the club running.

Sponsor/Advisor Roles and Responsibilities:

• Be supportive of group efforts
• Mediate areas of tension
• Offer suggestions when a group runs into a dead end
• Help with logistics (building reservations, administrative relations, etc.)
• Chaperone (when necessary)
• Brainstorm project ideas and ways to be involved in the community
• Offer resources and help gather information when necessary

Questions to consider:

• How active should the sponsor/advisor be at the meetings?
• How should disputes within the group be dealt with?
• Does the sponsor/advisor have a mediating role?
What is the sponsor/advisor’s role in upcoming projects and trainings (if relevant)?

Remember: Sponsor/advisors may assist with initiating projects or making group decisions, but students hold the main leadership roles!

Thank you National Wildlife Federation, www.nwf.org, for this information.