Detailed step by step on forming the club itself?

[TheCzarMan]

I'm curious as to how long/how you begin the process with the college administration to create a Quizbowl club, or any club for that matter. I ask this in the knowledge that more than likely I will not be going to a college with a current QB program, but wish to create one upon entry to a school. However, I have no clue where to begin, I mean I know about the recruiting and stuff, asking local HS coaches who matriculated there, but what about actually being recognized, getting funding, etc.

[Matt Weiner]

Each school will have something called the "Student Activities Office" or the "Student Club Board" or something along those lines. You'll want to find their website and look for the general directions on registering a new organization. This will let you reserve rooms for practices and tournaments and also request funding. At most places, you will not get very much money nor will it be given in a prompt fashion (at best, you can plan for some long-term expenses such as buying buzzer systems) so you will look mainly to running tournaments to fund your activities. Some places will also let you rent university vehicles for free or for reduced cost if you are a registered club; others do not offer this service, or make it of limited value by requiring drivers to be 21.

[First Chairman]

Depends on whether you need a budget, need official university recognition, and require a staff/faculty advisor.

[Ondes Martenot]

As someone who is currently involved in starting a team, here's what I did
1. Talk to union/person involved in forming new clubs
2. Post flyers around campus (lie and say they'll be food to get more to show up)
3. Hold organizational meetings, introduce everyone to quizbowl
4. Present to union board and hope they approve
5. Hopefully get some money
6. Attend tournaments

I'm sure the process varies from school to school, but as long as you start early and are patient, you can start a successful team. Hope that helps

[Maxwell Sniffingwell]

2. Post flyers around campus (lie and say they'll be food to get more to show up)

YOU'LL BE FOOD.

Also, lying: not a good start. Actually bring food.

[Maxwell Sniffingwell]

6. Attend tournaments
3. Hold organizational meetings, introduce everyone to quizbowl
2. Post flyers around campus
1. Talk to union/person involved in forming new clubs
4. Present to union board and hope they approve
5. Hopefully get some money

Serious answer now: this is how I did it.

[Sen. Estes Kefauver (D-TN)]

Yeah, it's not that hard to just go out and buy some cookies and a 12 pack and bring them into the first couple meetings. Lying isn't cool.

[Golran]

I'm beginning the process of forming Club Quizbowl through the competitive sports office for better funding and facilities. Does anybody have experience with this type of thing? Basically we are planning on having The College Bowl Club at UCLA through ASUCLA be a group of people that get together to discuss quizbowl type things, and the UCLA Club Quizbowl be a group of people that compete at tournaments, even though they would essentially be the same members. We may eventually phase out of the College Bowl Club at UCLA part depending on our funding through the competitive sports office, but for now not in the agenda.

Any advice here?

[Terrible Shorts Depot]

I obviously have no experience with your situation, Ian, but, just looking at it from the perspective of tight fisted administrators, I'm not sure if that will work. I could see them saying, "Why do you need two clubs, when you could just combine them?". If you have a really good rationale for that, you should be fine. You should definitely give it a go either way.

[Important Bird Area]

I can't imagine why you'd need two different entities like that. (Compare, for instance, the constitution of Berkeley's club, also within the UC system.)

[Golran]

The main point would be so that we could get more funding, and maintain some funding for next year when we would be a "provisional" club sport which receives 0 funding from the school.

[Important Bird Area]

If you're in a more solvent part of the UC system that can afford meaningful funding for quizbowl, then multiply whatever entities you need and count your blessings!

[cvdwightw]

As I've stated multiple times, UCLA's club gets zero - zip - nada - even when we know people in student government. It looks like Ian's trying to take the club in a new direction and put it under the "Club Sports" banner rather than the general "Clubs" banner. To do this, they would need to form a new club and justify it as a sport (to, in the future, receive funding to compete at tournaments and such).

Ian, if you do end up getting this through UCLA, share how you do it with the rest of us - my guess is that the more clubs that are able to form through a club sports office, the more money we'll all be able to get.

[Golran]

Just bumping to say that I put in the application for club sports last week, as I had missed the deadline the last 2 years (Just totally forgot), and should find out by the end of March at the latest if we are becoming a club sport. All that was involved for us was filling out a packet with a mission statement, general information, and a proposed budget showing that we would be profitable, and now we'll be reviewed by Competitive Sports Office and decision/meetings will occur and then we should be a club sport. If all goes well, who knows - the next UCLA quizbowl tournament may be held in a gym with game rooms being racquetball courts (surprisingly good at insulating sound).