STARTING A CLUB
The WSU has a network of 100 Clubs. Societies and Rōpū Māori. That isn’t always a guarantee that you will find the right one for you. So if you don’t see the club, you are interested in, then you should look to start one for yourself.
The good news is we have a team of staff who can help.
AFFILIATION
To affiliate a club, it has to meet the following criteria and provide the information to prove it.
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You must have at least ten current student members.
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Included in those members, you must have at least three leaders.
One person can hold more than one office, but if they do, you need to add another position to still meet the Requirements for having a minimum of three leaders.
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You need to have a bank account either in your name or the clubs, but we will need receipts of any transactions so we can audit the money you get from us.
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You need to have a constitution outlining the name, purpose and affiliations of the club. It’s also the set of rules you’ll refer to in case of disputes.
A club can function on campus without affiliating; they just won’t receive the same benefits.
MEMBERSHIP
After you have met your minimum membership numbers, you are welcome to have as many members as you like, and that includes community members, alumni and staff because we understand that for your club to be successful, you need plenty of input and experience. You do, however, need to make sure that your club remains student focused by never having more than 50% be non-student members.
LEADERSHIP
Your minimum three leadership positions should probably consist of a President, Secretary and Treasurer. If you have a fourth or one person filling two roles, you can add a Vice President.
The President is the figurehead of the group. They are not solely in charge of making decisions but are sometimes the deciding vote.
The Vice President would step into the President’s role in case of absence or other special circumstances.
A secretary needs to deal with a lot of the admin for the club; they’ll take minutes, send out agendas and notifications and keep records.
The Treasurer looks after the money. And will provide statements, work on budgets and funding applications.
CONSTITUTION
We provide a template for this that you are welcome to use. You can modify it to suit the needs of your group, or you can create your own from scratch. If you do, it will still need to supply the basic information listed in the template.
The constitution will function as your set of rules for the club. It outlines the name and purpose. It has offices and each of its duties and should have a procedure for conflict resolution and how to dissolve the club.
MEETINGS
IGM, AGM, SGM and regular meetings. All of your meetings need sufficient notice periods, and they need to be delivered through the proper channels so that none of the club members misses out. A lot of this will be by email and Social Media. An IGM is the Inaugural General Meeting. This is where you officially open the club and sign the constitution, confirming the leaders and objectives. Have as many members there as you can.
You can hold your IGM before your affiliation is approved.
An AGM is the Annual General Meeting. At an AGM, the exec will report on the previous year to the members and pass any motions or strategies for the year ahead. The quorum for an AGM should be all board members + 20% or more of the club members.
If you want to make changes to your constitution, you’ll have to hold a Special General Meeting. You can put forward motions for changes, but your quorum needs to be all of the board + at least 50% of the club members to ensure that the proposed changes still represent the club.
RESOURCES
Now on to the fun stuff…
Aside from having your clubs name, bio and social media up on our website there are a number of great opportunities we need to talk about. Resources you get just for being an affiliated club or society.
GRANTS
The WSU has a pool for grants. In other words, the money you get to take your club from it’s creation to a point where it can be a thriving institution long after you have graduated.
There are several types of grants ranging from the Affiliation / Re-affiliation Grant you get just for filling out the paperwork to contestable event and activity Grants, Resource Grants and even Grants for some of the bigger clubs and Rōpū for conferences.
Because of the variation and the needs of each club we decided to throw out the idea of having a one size fits all form, and if you are ready to talk about the needs of your club, you can email our engagement team directly (engagement@wsu.org.nz) or just email Amber directly
SPACES
Throwing money at a problem isn’t always the best solution, so we have put a lot of time and effort into establishing spaces for you to book. These range from small spaces like The Fishbowl in the WSU Basement to larger meeting rooms like Guru Phabians, and The Basement itself. We even help book activities and events on the Village Green if you are one of those weird groups that enjoy fresh air and sunlight.
UNION AT THE DON
For events that require a little more mood lighting and some reasonably priced refreshments, we are currently operating UNION AT THE DON out of the Don Llewellyn Pavilion at Gate 3. Cafe by day student bar by night, and sports club in the weekend afternoons Union is our newest venue and is available for clubs and private bookings by emailing Tayladee
DIY OPTIONS
The WSU has a number of BBQ’s and access to Union Kitchen for those that want to cook for themselves or their peers. This usually required a kitchen induction so giving us a bit of notice is always handy.
VEHICLES
The WSU owns a 12-seater van available to clubs. We also have a two-seater pickup truck we call ‘The Beast’, but seldom is that of any use to anyone not delivering Nexus. We do, however, have access to help you book fleet vehicles as required, so talk to us about your transport needs. Not to go on about it but the more notice the better.
OTHER STUFF
It would take too long to list the plethora of things available to you because they range from speakers and mics to tables and chairs. We even have a 1987 Mac and an NZUSA Debt Monster costume somewhere in the back.
THE EASIEST WAY FOR YOU TO CHECK OUT RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO YOU AS A CLUB IS TO LOOK AT OUR BOOKINGS PAGE AND THEN TALK TO US
Lara Dashfield
Always on her phone
