Starting a Club

Treasury Chartering Commission Guidelines

The Treasury Chartering Commission (TCC) serves as the Bowdoin Student Government (BSG) governing body on club recognition and manages the chartering process. The TCC will use this document as guidance on what we see as essential for an organization or proposed organization to be considered for recognition as a chartered student organization, and what should disqualify a club or proposal from being recognized. Please remember that these are just guidelines, not fixed rules. The TCC withholds the right to make chartering decisions at their discretion. Please contact the Student Government Charterer if you have any questions.

1) College and BSG Policy
All clubs and organizations on the Bowdoin College campus, chartered by the TCC or nonexistent otherwise, will submit their amended club contracts to the TCC. These contracts will adhere to the following requirements:

• Be fully inclusive and open to all students. They must admit all students regardless of race, religion, age, ethnic or national origin, gender, ability, or sexual orientation. They may not be exclusive in any way, shape, or form. This policy is all-encompassing and will be enforced by the BSG and the Student Government Charterer without apology. Any reason for concern will result in a meeting with the Student Government Charterer to resolve the issue in conjunction with the Assembly and action the College administration deems necessary and appropriate.
• Abide by the Bowdoin Social and Academic Honor Code.
• The entirety of the Student Handbook as put down by Bowdoin College. This handbook will remain as the parameters and framework of each and every club contract. The Student Handbook may be found at the following link: http://www.bowdoin.edu/studentaffairs/student-handbook/
• The By-Laws of the BSG (http://students.bowdoin.edu/bsg/about/) will remain as further parameters of each and every club contract.
• The formatting of each club’s contract will remain in alignment with the Rules and Regulations of the TCC.
• No group, if part of a greater local, regional, national, or international organization, will allow said group’s guidelines to supersede College and BSG policy.

2) General Policies

• Official meetings may not take place by a club that has not been chartered, that has a suspended charter, or that has been stripped of its charter.
• Informal meetings may be held by non-chartered clubs to gauge interest. They may not program.
• Clubs and organizations cannot sign any contracts on behalf of the College
• Active clubs and organizations must:
  Offer an opportunity to hear diverse viewpoints and enhance the cocurricular life of the college
  Benefit the Bowdoin student body and enhance student life on campus. Events and activities should not primarily occur away from campus or exclusively benefit off-campus groups.
• Adhere to the following advertising rules:
  a. Official Bowdoin logos and wordmarks (i.e. the Bowdoin seal) may not be placed on any advertisements without the express permission of the Communications Office.
  b. Club posters and advertisements must have the full name of your organization easily visible.
  c. Online conduct by all organizations through social media must still abide by the College’s Social and Academic Honor Code.
• Adhere to the following Accessibility rules:
  a. At least the first two club meetings must be held in an accessible location
  b. It is at the committee’s discretion to decide who remains in an accessible location
  c. If a student organization is meeting in an inaccessible location, they must state on all platforms (i.e. Blink, posters, etc.) that students can get in touch with any member of the TCC or club leaders to discuss accessibility issues

3) Managing Your Club
Active student organizations must:

• Be run by currently enrolled Bowdoin Students
• Hold events that benefit and are inclusive to all club members
• Not hold events that cause students to skip classes or other academic-related events. Clubs must always support an “academics first” mentality.
• Not be dependent on a national organization for campus activities, guidance, or support. Clubs may be chartered as a chapter of a national organization if it allows for access to resources not otherwise found at Bowdoin.
• Not place the bulk of the work and leadership responsibilities to an advisor. Advisors support student leadership and can provide a historical perspective.
• Submit re-charter forms every year. By this time, new leadership should have been elected. Because the recharter form includes vital details necessary for the rechartering process, including the names of the new leadership, negligence of this deadline will result in the suspension of a club’s charter for one semester. If a club is on its probation period, it will not be given a full charter.
• Meetings should be held at least once during the following months: September, October, November, February, March, and April. The inability to accomplish this will risk a charter suspension.
• No events, meetings, or programming of any kind by TCC-chartered clubs may take place after the first two days of Reading Period.

4) Club Contracts
All Club Contracts will contain the following articles, except Article (A), followed by articles that may be amended by the club.

A) Club Charters

• To be chartered, each club will go through the TCC Charter Process. This includes filling out the online forms and meeting with the TCC. At the semester end re-chartering Process, successful clubs will receive a full Charter.
• Clubs can be chartered as either Charter A or Charter B. Charter A clubs will have access to full TFC funding, reserving campus spaces, etc. Charter B clubs will have access to reserving campus spaces and are limited to funding for the snacks, vans, and posters.

B) Leadership

• All clubs will vote for exactly two members to top leadership positions. These position names may be supplemented by the club and may be Co-Presidential, Presidential-Vice Presidential, or any other combination or terminology that the club thinks appropriate. These positions MAY NOT be liaison positions to the BSG. This will serve to establish quick, effective, and direct communication between club leaders, the BSG, and the College.
• If applicable: ALL leadership, current and newly voted for the next year, will be present at TFC operating budget meetings at the end of the academic year.
• All clubs must have at least two leaders attend the mandatory club leadership training prior to holding any club events or activities as well as any other mandatory Student Activities-BSG-run Leadership Development Series. If the TCC strongly believes a certain club should be in attendance, the TCC reserves the right to include a mandatory attendance article for the leadership in a club’s contract.
• All club leaders will be required to attend an annual hazing workshop at the start of the year, hosted by Athletics or Student Activities.
• Leadership must be updated as appropriate on CampusGroups. This includes any electoral changes or changes in leadership due to a student’s abroad status.
• The TCC reserves the right to remove individuals from leadership positions, call for elections within a club, and establish a new leadership in the case of violations of the TCC Rules and Regulations. Club members may petition the TCC to commence an inquiry to evaluate the effectiveness of the current leadership.

C) Membership

•  If a club has not attained sufficient membership, is experiencing funding difficulties, etc., the TCC reserves the right to examine the benefits of re-chartering a club. This may be due, among a variety of reasons, to the following:

1. A club with low student interest and high cost-per-student, may not be chartered or re-chartered if the TCC believes they will be unable to provide a club the support it needs without sacrificing the support of other clubs.
2. The existence of another club that has greater membership and fulfills the same or a similar mission statement as the club in question.
3.  Lack of interest in a club from the student body.
4. Because “sufficient membership” and “funding difficulties” are subjective, clubs are assured that the BSG and TCC understand that each club is different. A majority vote from the TCC and the opinion of the Chair of the Treasury will be taken into account when making final decisions.

D) Mission Statement

• Each club is required to have a mission statement that includes what the club is and some goals that it hopes to achieve. It must highlight how each club on campus is unique and diverse from others.
• The mission statement reflects the purpose of the club and therefore will be used to help the TFC make funding decisions in that items that do not help the club’s mission will only be funded at the TFC’s discretion.
• Mission statements may be revised through a meeting with the TCC.
• Mission Statements must:

1. Be distinct and unique from all other clubs on campus.
2. Explain how the club helps the Bowdoin community.
3. Ensure that the club will have continuity from year to year. Clubs should not have a potential end in their mission statement.
4. Not include any events that the club will hold that could possibly lead to a liability for the college. Any mission statement that includes events that could potentially be dangerous to students will not be approved.

Active student organizations must have:

• At least ten active members
• A staff or faculty advisor who is actively involved in the affairs of their organization. The advisor should not control or make decisions for the club but rather help organizations make informed decisions. Groups are free to change advisors as needed.
• Two club leaders who are on campus in order to ensure proper leadership and continuity for the club
• Logistical requests that are within the ability of the campus to support your needs. This includes the ability to reserve practice space, storage space, etc.

6) Club Sports

Club Sports must:

• Establish the season or seasons that they will be active in with the TCC. Club sports are chartered for only one season and may only have club events, practices, and competitions within that season.
• Not consist of individual events or competitions and must be team-based. Club sports must be competing for Bowdoin College.

Policy for Starting a New Club Sport

1. Eligibility: Students are welcome to propose new club sports but should be mindful of two conditions for eligibility: If a varsity team or intramural program for the proposed sport already exists, the proposed sport is considered ineligible; and/or The proposed sport will not be approved if it is considered very high or high risk (see below for detailed list).
2. Space Availability: Separate approval from Bowdoin Athletics is required to ensure adequate field or gym space is available.
3. Insurance Coverage: The sport must be or be able to be covered by Bowdoin's insurance. Approval of sport is contingent on the actual purchasing of insurance which will take place over the summer.
4. Contact Sports: For contact sports, approval from the Head Athletic Trainer Dan Davies is required to ensure adequate staffing for safety.
5. Cost Per Student: The cost per student participating in the sport will be taken into consideration.
   Once a proposed sport meets these requirements, the Treasury Chartering Commission must issue the final approval. Club sports will be approved on an annual cycle in the spring, so that the College can add them to our insurance policy in anticipation of the upcoming academic year. List of Very High Risk and High Risk Sports List Provided by our Insurance Company VERY HIGH RISK: Boxing Tackle Football Gymnastics Ice Hockey Polo Rodeo HIGH RISK Rock Climbing (not indoor on a wall but real mountain/rock climbing) Diving Field Hockey Martial Arts/MMA Lacrosse Roller Hockey Snowboarding Surfing Wakeboarding Wrestling

7) Political Activity Policy Established Student Groups (such as the College Democrats and Republicans):

• May use Bowdoin resources for partisan political purposes, reserve rooms, tables, and TFC funding. 
• May endorse candidates or an issue.
• May invite candidates to hold rallies or speak on campus.
• Cannot accept funding or donations from outside organizations or campaigns.
• Must clearly state the sponsoring student organization in all posters. Placement of posters must be in accordance to the poster display policy in each building and must contain the following statement: “The views or support stated are of those of the (Student Organization) and do not express the position or view of Bowdoin College.”
• When Working with an Outside Political Organization: Student organizations can reserve rooms and Smith Union Info tables to support these causes and organizations. A student member from the sponsoring organization must be with the candidate or members of the outside organization at all times.

8) Other Chartering Source

• Proposed organizations must look at what other departments they could be chartered through before approaching the TCC. Generally, if the mission statement falls within an obvious college department or creates a duplicate event that is already sponsored by a department, the club should work within that department to sponsor these events.

• If your proposed organization falls under one of these categories, please look into academic departments that you could be chartered through or sponsor events through instead:

1.  Is only open to students within an academic department.
2. Consists of members whose makeup falls solely within the same major.
3.  Pre-professional and academic groups

• If your proposed organization falls under one of these categories, please look into working with the
  McKeen Center to pursue your mission instead:

1. Has a mission that has a primary focus on fundraising.
2. Has volunteer or community service as the focal mission of the club.

9) Role of the TCC

• The six voting members of the TCC are the four Class Council Vice Presidents and the two At-Large representatives. The Student Government Charterer only votes as a tiebreak.
• The Chair of the Treasury may participate as a non-voting member with the privilege to participate in TCC deliberations.
• If a TCC member is attempting to charter an organization, they must abstain from votes pertaining to said club. They may participate in deliberation but must make their role known to the TCC.
• The TCC, in collaboration with the Office of Student Activities and Chair of the Treasury, works to grant and deny proposed charters as well as review existing charters.
  ○ Charter and rechartering requests may receive an approval, conditional approval, or denial following TCC review.
  ○ Leaders of an application receiving a conditional approval must satisfy expressed requirements from the TCC and notify the committee in order to gain access to next steps in club establishment. Leaders may also appeal the decision through further communication with the committee.
  ○ Leaders of an application receiving a denial may reapply and may do so at any time the new club application remains open.

• The TCC will assist clubs throughout the year in event planning and advertisement as well as advocating on behalf of club leaders in dealing with the administration and larger policy changes. Historical examples of changes include the following.
• Name Change - Clubs must provide proper justification and detail concerning the choice to change the club name and the choice of the new name. Proper approval must be expressed by the Treasury Chartering Commission to enact such a change.
• Charter Change - Clubs that wish to change between Charter A (general club subject to general funding guidelines outlined by the Treasury Funding Commission) and Charter B (clubs with funding access restricted to vans, posters, space reservations, and snacks) must seek approval from the Treasury Chartering Commission to process the conversion.
• Constitution Change - All publications and revisions of club constitutions must be reviewed and approved by the Treasury Chartering Commission before they may be publicized on the club CampusGroups page.
• The TCC is responsible for updating records of club members by administering a Club Census near the conclusion of each semester. Data from the census will be managed by the Student Government Charterer and shared with the TFC for funding regulation purposes.
• New Club Charters

All new club applications should adhere to the following in order to achieve a successful charter.

• Adhere to all terms described in the guidelines thus far.
• Applications in the spring semester must be led by two student leaders who are not seniors.
• Establish a club name that avoids the potential to be polarizing, derogatory, or directly misleading.
• Non-mergeable with any existing campus organization.
• Clearly define a club leadership structure and transition process.
• Clearly define recurring meeting activities or set of potential events.
• Funding and resource demands to run club operations that are realistic under TFC guidelines.

10) Revoking a Charter

The TCC holds the right to revoke the charter of any organization on campus. A charter can be revoked through a vote of the TCC. Chartering of a club may be revoked for the following reasons:

• Failure to comply with the guidelines and policies mentioned above
• Failure to comply with the TFC guidelines and policies and misuse of funds received from the TFC
• Failure to comply with Bowdoin College’s policies and procedures
• Acting outside of a club’s mission statement
• Holding events or fundraisers that have not been approved by the Student Activities Office
• Requiring members to pay dues

The organization’s club leaders will receive a notification from the TCC of the revocation of the organization’s charter and shall be given the chance to defend their case. Any club that violates the TCC guidelines three times will be automatically unchartered for the year.

Effective Date: April 18, 2025

Contact: TCC Email (tcc@bowdoin.edu)
Tyler McGrath (tmcgrath@bowdoin.edu) Chair of TCC

Meetings & Important Dates for Student Organizations  

There are several meetings that Chartered Student Organizations must keep in mind:  

•  Fall Mandatory Club Leader Training  
•  Fall Mandatory Club Sport Captain Training  
•  Fall Student Activities Fair (held during the second week of classes Fall Semester)  
•  Newly Chartered Organizations Mandatory Leader Training (held monthly starting in October)  
•  Spring Student Activities Fair (held during the second week of classes Spring Semester)  
•  Re-Chartering of Student Organizations (typically held in April each year)  
•  Operating Budget Meetings (for student organizations on operating budgets- held in April/May for the following academic year)  

Please note: Organization activities end on the second day of Reading Period and don’t begin again until the start of the next semester. No programming can take place after the second day of Reading Period.