49 Supporting Clubs & Societies
REQUIRED READING
- Clubs & Societies Charter Kit
- All student clubs & societies who wish to be recognized by NSCC for their campus must go through the ratification process outlined in the document above.
Being a Chartered Club or Society
By going through the Student Association's ratification process, all Clubs and Societies will become officially chartered and registered with the appropriate college departments. This ensures that there is only Club or Society of that type per campus, and that all NSCC affiliated Clubs and Societies are held to the same operational standards.
What is the difference between a Club and a Society?
While both Clubs and Societies are student-led groups that follow similar initial ratification processes, their purpose and goals may vary. With these variables comes different levels of support that the Student Association may provide.
| SOCIETIES Annually reoccurring student groups with staff advisors |
CLUBS Interest based, independent student groups |
TEAMS Sports or recreational teams with coaching staff |
|---|---|---|
| Staff / faculty advisor required | No staff advisor required | Staff / faculty coach required |
| Access to Student Association seed funding | Access to request funding | May requires a participation fee |
| Access to society specific bank account through student association | No club assets | Waivers required for participation |
| Access to fundraising supports | Property and supplies may be borrowed or requested from the Student Association | May require fundraising |
| Access to Society specific email and property | Access to Student Association social media marketing and email promotions through VP communications | Access to Student Association seed funding with a fund raising plan |
| Access to student association liability insurance | Access to student association liability insurance | Access to student association liability insurance |
| Chairperson leadership training | May be eligible for a team specific bank account through the Student Association | |
| Requires annual audit and financial oversight by VP | Requires annual audit and financial oversight by VP Finance. |
Ratification Requirements
| SOCIETY RATIFICATION | CLUB RATIFICATION | TEAM RATIFICATION |
|---|---|---|
| Initial one time ratification approval required | Annual ratification required | Annual ratification required |
| Orientation event options | Filing through VP Services | Filing through VP Services |
| Annual Society leader election in March | Ratification vote in October-December | Ratification vote in October-December |
| Continuation into spring and summer terms through re-filing process in April | Club term ends when Student Association Executive term ends (currently April 30) | Team term ends when Student Association Executive term ends (currently April 30) |
| Student Chairperson reports to VP Services Financial report to VP Finance |
Student Chairperson reports to VP Services | Team Capetian reports to VP Activities Financial report to VP Finance |
Application Process
Prospective Student Chairpersons should submit the Student Association Clubs & Societies Charter Kit (above), which should include:
- their purpose and goals;
- full charter application including the name and contact email for their staff/faculty Advisor (societies only) or Secondary student contact (clubs only);
- tentative activities/games schedule outline;
- signed indemnity agreement; and
- a completed fundraising plan (if seeking funding from the Student Association).
All sections must be completed in full and submitted to the VP Services to apply for ratification. If any sections are left blank, you should connect with the Student Chairperson to have them complete the kit.
Clubs & Societies Charter Kit
Upon receipt of a Clubs & Societies Charter Kit, you should then:Review the Kit to ensure it is completed in full:
- Confirm the Fundraising Plan has been completed if the Society requires Student Association funding or banking (societies only).
- Connect with VP Communications to have the ratification vote added to the next Students' Council meeting agenda.
- Invite the Student Chairperson to the Students' Council meeting to present their case for ratification and answer any questions.
Length of Terms
Clubs may vary from year to year, and as such are ratified by vote of the Students' Council on an annual basis. No matter the ratification date, all Club terms end on April 30.
Societies must go through the same initial ratification process by vote of the Students' Council. Ratification for returning Societies is done through a re-filing process in March/April at the end of the outgoing Student Association Executives term of office. This allows Societies to remain active from May 1 until the following April 30 or the following re-filing process, if that takes place first.
It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the Clubs & Societies Charter Kit to fully understand the logistics of the re-filing process.
Society Events & Fundraising
Societies are encouraged to host campus events and fundraisers to help raise awareness and funding to offset their expenses. The general guidelines for Society events and fundraisers are:
- Societies should coordinate with VP Services for planning and risk management
- They must follow NSCCSA Risk Management and Activity Planning Manual guidelines when applicable.