7 Officer Positions
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Officer teams make or break a chapter
- This tip comes from both myself and others I’ve talked with. As the advisor, you are trying to get “buy-in” from your students, and it isn’t always easy. But when you have students that are truly passionate about the work you are doing, it seems like the chapter runs itself. You want students on your leadership team who care about the organization and can truly take initiative. If you’re lucky enough to have these students in your organization, enjoy it. If you don’t, keep working at it – you are in the process of creating students who will love your CTSO and want to be part of it.
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Let the students run the show and believe in them
- In general, CTSOs are designed to be student organizations – not teacher or advisor organizations. So let them run the show! They are capable of so many things. But what does this look like? Do you have your first meeting and just let them do whatever they want to do? Likely, the answer should be no. Give them a skeletal structure – teach them how to run their own show! If they’ve never made an agenda, give them an outline and let them know what things they should be covering in meetings. Prepare an activity or offer them something (for example, a visit to a business once a month) and let them know that you’ll support them in anything they’d like to do together (for example, a movie night).
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Pick a president that is dedicated to your organization
- The CTSO president will set the tone for the chapter. Just like we mentioned above, your officers will make or break your chapter. Sometimes, you might have a lot of great students that want to be a part of your organization. If that is the case, you have a couple of options when it comes to selecting the officer team.
- Applications: Have students apply for a certain position, or for the officer team in general. Then, select the best candidates for each position based on their applications.
- Voting: Hold an election wherein students come prepared with a short speech that they deliver to their peers. Hold an election (and utilize parliamentary procedure, preferably!) and allow the students to choose their officer team.
- Advisor selection: This method can be utilized at any time, but it is especially recommended for advisors who are starting a new chapter. Offer personalized invitations to students that you think would do well in an officer position, and if they accept, help them onboard.
- The CTSO president will set the tone for the chapter. Just like we mentioned above, your officers will make or break your chapter. Sometimes, you might have a lot of great students that want to be a part of your organization. If that is the case, you have a couple of options when it comes to selecting the officer team.
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Let the officers run meetings, plan activities, and communicate with the chapter
- As mentioned previously, you might need to guide your students to get started. However, over time, the students should be running the meetings, sending out the reminders to the chapter, and organizing and executing events. You can give reminders and help keep the pace, but your members will be more likely to respond if the chapter officers are the ones leading them.
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Students will make mistakes – let them learn
- Just like their time in the classroom, CTSO membership is an opportunity for students to try, fail, learn, and try again. Be a resource during times of growth.
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Set early due dates
- This is just a practical tip, but things will almost always take longer than you expect them to. If affiliation is due at the end of the month, have your students submit their information to you a week to two weeks in advance. The same goes for nearly any deadline in the CTSO world – you’re likely going to have students that wait until the last minute, so make sure to leave a little buffer.
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Have fun with them
- These students will likely only have the chance to participate in a CTSO once in their lives. Make it a welcoming environment that they want to be part of.
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When involving the booster club, community, or parents, have the students do the talking
- Make your students the face of your chapter and its efforts. The community wants to know what they’re working on, and it’s best for them to hear from the students themselves.
