How to Start a New Club

By René Schiltz

There is a need out there. A need for people with a vision and people willing to serve.  You do not need business skills or an MBA (certainly not). You don’t need to have a marketing degree or a communications degree.  You do not need a degree at all.

You simply need a prayer and if the Lord says go, you need a “Yes”.

In 2014, our very large speech and debate club was, well, large.  And there was the very difficult decision to consider splitting - which was quickly rejected - and instead the desire to start another club was suggested.  I was involved in some of these discussions and I did believe we should help start another club, but I didn’t realize early on that in my prayers the Lord would eventually call on me, yet He did.

Our club was well organized, had a beautiful and very large facility, we had numerous friends there, and we were not looking for a new club.  Yet there it was in my lap.  The call to go.  My kids had developed friendships that I certainly did not want to risk losing  but the call was there - to go. 

I was a bit nervous to leave after only two years of learning behind me and I certainly didn't know everything about NCFCA or speech and debate, not by a long shot.  I was still a rookie. 

But as necessity is the mother of invention, I soon learned how to learn what I needed to know and I embarked on the mission: to start a new club in our very large Metropolis where, at that time, there were only two clubs.

My motivation came from several places but generally, the idea was that I wanted others to understand and experience the blessings that my kids were receiving from speech and debate.  I had realized that there were some activities that could teach logic, history, and government in a way that made it instantly come alive for the kids. As a homeschool mom I knew no book could do what debate was doing for my kids.

In the same way speech made writing a personal journey of passion, where my kids could write papers on subjects of interest that they enjoyed talking about; and of course, there was theater in the form of interps.

So there I was; I had a mission and the passion.  What next?

You might think finding a facility is necessary before inviting people to join a club.  I highly recommend not adopting this stance.  Once you have a group of people interested, the facility is much easier to find because you have more people looking!

Now a “club” can be 2 families or 20.  The idea that you have to meet some imagined criteria of numerical proportion to be a club is unnecessary and not recommended.  The first club I formed as a leader had 18 families - crazy big.  They were all new families except for my family and 1 other.  We struggled because there was so much to teach. The learning curve was like Mount Everest rising before me and I was one small person trying to share all of the information and teach speech and debate. 

I had no experience as a club leader and after the second year, we lost a large number of students that graduated and two families moved away.  We were down to two very tired and exhausted moms that needed a break. So we both took a year as independents to refill our cups and rethink the goal.

 As I have said, the goal is to share with others an activity that has blessed your family and help others to see if it might bless theirs. But there is another goal: help parents and students to capture the vision of service and leadership.  I had not asked parents to share the load the first time around because I was too busy planning and doing everything to think of it.  And when multiple parents are not working to help run the club, they are not as vested in it because they think it all happens automatically.  They cannot see all the behind the scenes work that the leaders are doing.

The next attempt to form a club was far more successful.  This time we started with 5 families and as we went along, I threw parent jobs out onto the table and they were picked up and the ball was rolling.  Many hands make light work, but people won’t work if you don’t ask them to.  This club is now rolling into its fourth year, consistently growing, with numerous parents ASKING to help to make it continue to run smoothly.  

The goal is to help any club you join or start to be able to thrive well after you are gone! So if you are in a club, ask how you can help.  There are light duties as well as some that take more time and effort at home, but the blessings will come back to you when you put your hand to the wheel!

So here is my “list” of to-do’s for starting a new speech and debate club. Just imagine, if every club birthed a sister club, the growth would expand the options each year for homeschool families, regional practices together, as well as social fun.  There are many families wanting to get involved in speech and debate and they might be nearer to you than you think.

What follows is my list of how to’s that have been learned and practiced for over 10 years.  While there is always room for improvement or trying something different, I have found these methods to be effective and to provide parents the information they need to have to decide if speech and debate is the right activity for them.

STARTING A CLUB: 101

1.  Tell your friends and post online.

   1. Use the “Interested?” approach instead of the “You Should Come” approach. 

      1. The “interested” method generates questions from those who do not know what speech and debate is.

         1. It respects that parents can listen and decide if this is actually the best thing for their kids.

      2. It allows for booking demonstrations and discussions.

      3. It clearly informs that there is no commitment asked in advance.  Just a “Come and See” approach

      4. Post on FB or Insta using a photo of your own child and a description of the event. 

      5. Here is a sample ad I made in Canva…note I used a photo of my daughter - you cannot use student photos without parent permission…(PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS PHOTO - THANK YOU!)

         

6. WARNING: DO NOT POST THE MEETING LOCATION on a public feed.  Always prioritize safety on the internet.  Use a “contact me” option through the messenger feature on FB or an email and vet the folks with a phone call if you can get their number after a few texts.  If they won’t share a number they are not that interested.

2. Explain the club location…

   1. Serving the ________________ areas

      1. List the towns that surround the hub where you hope to form the club.

      2. The location may change a bit later when you find your facility - but people will drive if they see the value in it.

3. Demonstrate the value of speech & debate in your posts - prioritize the WHY.

   1. Homeschool moms are not interested in all the awards - they want to see the lifelong values, so explain in short sound bites, demos, or photos…the WHY behind speech and debate.

      1. Overcoming the fear of public speaking (#1 phobia in the world).

      2. Confidence in giving presentations - mastering the use of Power Point is a must nowadays.

      3. Colleges LOVE these kids and they tend to get better scholarships and have leadership roles in college

      4. These kids become EXCELLENT writers! And they learn to love writing.

      5. These kids can communicate well - the #1 skill that corporations are looking for in hiring.

      6. Speech & debate students know how to research. They learn the benefits of finding and using credible sources to become more informed when speaking on important topics.

7. Notice here I just slightly changed the previously shown ad in canva.  I deleted the photo and background and added a list of skills learned - the WHY behind speech and debate..  The header is a simple statement to generate interest.

8. Your social media posts can do the same without the ad: It’s the statement that generates interest: who doesn’t want their kids to gain these skills?

9. Meet with people - invest your time in people.

   1. Book small meetings at local restaurants or coffee shops that are quiet and have an isolated meeting area or…

   2. Reserve a room at the library… (for small or larger groups)

   3. Schedule a zoom session online…

   4. Meet with small groups of 3 families or fewer (I find this better as it is more personal and people feel more comfortable asking questions).  

      1. Give a general overview of club time and tournaments then let them ask questions. 

      2. Always keep in mind the big picture items - if people balk at the idea of the work or time that goes into it, they may not be a good fit.  People who can capture the vision will understand the need for the time and work.

         1. Be sure to mention the homeschool coursework that overlaps - writing courses can be combined with speech writing

         2. Political Science, Government, Economics, & Civics often can overlap with debate topics.

         3. Interps provide drama credits

         4. And of course speeches result in a speech credit

   5. Hold an informational meeting similar to an Open House

      1. Libraries have large rooms for free with connections for slide presentations (reserve these in advance then share info to gain attendance - remember location only via email or phone)

      2. Live performances are best so ask your kids and others to come and do a short (15 min) sample debate and a speech. Your kids are also better able to relate to other kids who attend.

      3. Prepare to talk about the benefits of speech and debate.

         1. Talk about your experience in 20-30 minutes divided by student performances.

         2. Then focus on the lifelong benefits above and mention alums and “what they are doing now”.

            1. If you have a local alum who can come and talk, that is awesome too!

         3. Power Point presentations are not needed, but can also be effective if you want to make one.

      4. Briefly explain membership

         1. Have information ready to hand out to those interested  (NCFCA can supply flyers - ask your Logistics Coordinator)

            1. Handout Club Membership forms that explain club rules and cost.  

            2. Or provide a digital link to an online form that people can submit online

      5. Suggest follow-up by sharing contact info.  Let people know how to contact YOU and vice versa. 

         1. You need phone numbers now! Have a sign-in sheet for all gatherings with fields for name, emails, phone numbers, kid’s names and ages.

      6. Thank everyone for coming and speak to everyone who is hanging around for Q and A time…

         1. If your kids or another interested family can help out here that is a bonus

         2. Just get to know people - ask them questions and let them process the info or answer their questions

            1. QUESTIONS are “buying signals” (Zig Ziglar said that).  It demonstrates interest - so spend time with those who have questions and give them the info they need.

   6. Generate your Membership list

      1. Keep track of all conversations and dates on one document

      2. Create a potential membership list

         1. Cross off those who say no (do not delete as sometimes they change their mind!)

         2. Make sure you have:

            1. Parent names and emails/phone #’s

            2. Senior level competitor names & ages

            3. Junior level names & ages (even if you do not have  a jr’s program)

            4. Note membership forms submitted and payments (now you need a bank account - just open an account at the bank with the club name and yours.  You can add another name once you have a treasurer)

            5. Should club be free?

            6. Paying generates more commitment

            7. Allows for pizza parties and yearbooks or tshirts or both

10. Find a Facility

    1. Now that you have members - look for a facility

       1. Try to book the library until you find a facility

       2. Or meet in family homes until one is found

       3. Generally, the best option is to ask churches for a room

          1. Starting with 1 large classroom allows for teaching

             1. Later, see if the church will allow the use of classrooms when the time comes for breakout debates and speech practices

             2. Asking for too much all at once can quickly generate an instant “no”.

          2. You want free! - Paying for a facility is costly

             1. Explain the benefits of speech and debate to the pastor

             2. Offer that students can perform for church seniors and youth in the spring and summer

             3. Remember the mission of speech & debate and share those interps and speeches that are appropriate

             4. Offer membership in your club to church members that homeschool

    2. Plan your first meeting date

       1. Maybe have a pizza party at a park to let the kids have fun and get to know each other

          1. Plan a few games to get it going

       2. Start club meetings

          1. Plan your first official club meeting date

As you can see, forming a new club takes some time and requires meeting with people and tracking information.  But if you truly feel that doing this is for a good purpose and that you feel the calling upon you to spend the time doing it, the result is rewarding and may provide the community you have been praying for.

Remember, starting small and growing organically by word of mouth is best.  You do not want to exhaust yourself like I did the first time around.  Think of it, you will gather with people you like and who all see the vision that you see, and together you will form friendships and build a club that has strong roots and a passion for the mission.  

This is the blessing and it is worth the time and effort!