Start an Aquarium or Pond Club
Aquarium Society Formation Checklist
Planning Stage
- Contact FAAS for additional support and list of active clubs in your area.
- Contact nearby clubs for sample rules and guidelines.
- Make contacts in your local area
- Possible members
- Possible meeting places
- Possible supporters
- Local pet shops and hobby outlets
- Local sources of ribbon awards
- Local sources of publishing materials
- Possible sources for loan of publishing equipment
- Advertising mediums
- TV
- Radio stations
- Newspapers
- Formulate a plan of attack:
- Draft a sample constitution and bylaws
- Draft bowl show rules
- Draft committee structure
- Draw up a workable time schedule of formation
- Prepare your publicity (letters, posters, press releases)
- Join FAAS
Formation Stage
- Hold your first organizational meeting
- Elect interim chairman and secretary
- Select a name for your society
- Introduce constitution and bylaws
- Keep members interested by frequent contact and reminders
- Actively solicit support from pet shops and hobby outlets
- Confirm a site for the general meeting
- Continue formation meetings as required
- Plan for general meeting date, place, time and schedule of activities
- Introduce bowl show and/or other activity guidelines
- Plan additional meetings in advance.
- Decide on a meeting format and schedule
- Set goals, desirable to urgent and from immediate to long-range with emphasis on easy to difficult
- Renew publicity campaign for this first meeting
Your First General Meeting
- Submit constitution and bylaws for approval.
- Nominations for office with elections at the second meeting
- Fully brief all those present as to schedule of events, plans andexpectations; solicit actively for memberships
- Distribute free door prizes to encourage future attendance at meetings
- Encourage support in bowl show and introduce the planned auctions, etc., as part of all future meetings
- Keep the meeting interesting and play down business
- Request all present to attend planning meetings/business meetings to input for formation phase
- Encourage maximum membership involvement in all areas
Follow up to Meeting
- Carefully assess what has happened, what has been accomplished, possible changes and introductions for future meetings and activities.
- Determine the degree of interest expressed by the attendees and place emphasis on the areas of greatest interest.
- Develop plans and activities quickly if it is seen that the activity in question might be well accepted. Proceed with caution where less interest has been displayed.
- Organize a newsletter to all members (even a single page which announces the next meeting will suffice). Increase this as you obtain additional funds and interest.
- Maintain interest with new ideas and by actively soliciting membership participation.
- Keep in touch with FAAS as things develop and as problems are seen to develop.
