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SCHOOL
GUIDEBOOK
WELCOME
Table of Contents
Getting Started
3
Resources and Trainings
Vision and Mission Statement
Constitution
Leadership Positions
9-10
Interest Meeting
Plan Your Year
Budget and Fundraising
Events
14-15
Sign Up and Attendance Sheets
Leadership Transitions
Retaining Members
Student Testimonies
4-5
6
7-8
11
12
13
16
17
18
19
Contact Us
Students for Life of America
9900 Courthouse Rd.
Spotsylvania,VA 22553
540-834-4600
info@studentsforlife.org
www.studentsforlife.org
For Life,
Kristan J. Hawkins
President
GETTING STARTED
The task of starting a club can be intimidating, but dont worry, we have your back! Heres
a list of things to do to get your new Students for Life group up and going!
Contact Students for Life of America
Pick a Name
HOST AN EVENT!
Topic Cards
We have topic cards for all of the tough questions! You can request any number of the
topic cards to hand out at events and counter demonstrations, use for tabling, and
distribute throughout your community. Email SFLA at info@studentsforlife.org to
order as many as you need.
Event-in-a-Box
Each month during the school year, SFLA releases a new theme for the month, along with
resources (flyers, event and speaker suggestions, talking points, and other
marketing materials) that your group can order and use. The monthly
boxes are announced in an easy-to-access blog post at highschool.studentsforlife.org/
event-in-a-box.
SFLA offers a number of flyers that your group can customize and print to fit your
needs.Visit highschool.studentsforlife.org/flyers and click on the flyers for an
enlarged image. Print these out and use them in your community! (If there are
flyers that you would like us to create, send your suggestions to
info@studentsforlife.org.)
Students for Life of America has an expert team of professionals to help students,
wherever you live! Our team is available to you! We are here to help you by
offering one-on-one support for your group. Check out our team page to find the
SFLA team member nearest you: highschool.studentsforlife.org/where-ourteam-is-located.
The Thaddeus Stevens Fellowship has been developed to raise the next generation of pro-life
leadership. The Fellowship trains high school student pro-life activists to be leaders at their schools
(and beyond) and helps network those student leaders with their counterparts in the national
pro-life movement to help further develop their skills. Simply put, the SFLA Stevens Leadership
Fellowship is the training you need for a future in the pro-life movement!
Write a short paragraph explaining what you want the group to become and share it with your club. Use it as
a reference as you plan events and measure your success. Establishing a common vision is important so that
you can keep your group on track and everyone on the same page.You do not want your group to become
disillusioned because the group is not what members expected it to be.
Mission Statement
As you are planning your vision, write out a mission statement to give your group a steady focus. The mission
statement tells people how your group aims to achieve your vision.
Here is an example that you can use:
CONSTITUTION
Developing a constitution can be overwhelming. But dont worry, we have a sample constitution your
group can adapt to make their own! Be sure to read through the whole document and make sure it
matches your groups needs!
(Your School) Students for Life
Constitution of (Your School) Students for Life
(Date)
Article 1: Name
Article 2: Mission
Article 3: Members
Section 1 (Your Group Name) is open to all (Your City) students, faculty and staff. No (Your School)
student, parent, or adult leader may be denied membership on the basis of race, sex, religion, ethnicity, national
origin, color, age, or disability.
Section 2 To become members, one must request membership verbally or via e-mail to president,
vice-president, or other executive officer. Members must provide adequate contact information and attend (#)
meetings.
Section 3 If official membership requirements specified in Section 2 cannot be fulfilled, a minimum of three
officers may consent to dismiss the requirement(s) for an individual to allow that individual official membership.
Article 4: Officers
Section 1 The officers will include a president, vice president (List your officers here. See pages 9-10 for
examples of officer positions and descriptions).
Section 2 Officers will hold office for one school year (AugustMay), starting and ending at 12:00 pm on the
last day of classes for the spring semester. For the first year of existence, officers will be appointed. No officer
should hold any position for more than two school years. However, they do have the option of running for
another office after their two years are over.
Section 3 Roles of Officers: List officer positions and their main responsibilities.
Section 4 The impeachment of any officer can only occur when two-thirds majority of official members are
present to vote for impeachment, or a unanimous vote is reached by officers. Officers must clearly state the
reasoning for impeachment and take a secret vote. Grounds for impeachment can include violence against
another member or other students, lying, inappropriate speech or actions, etc.
Section 5 In addition to the officer positions, it is at the presidents discretion to appoint students to
committees to coordinate specific events or activities.
Section 6 - Officers who maintain or advocate points of view regarding abortion and other life issues and
practices that are contrary to (Names) mission and stated goals, will be removed from their office until the
bahavoior and or/unorthodox views are corrected. The voting memers are responsible for removing and
reinstating officers who pursuant to this section. Removal and reinstatement require two-thirds majority vote
of the voting members.
CONSTITUTION
Article 5: Elections
Section 1 Elections of officers will take place at an election meeting to be held once a year during the
spring semester, at least one month before the last day of classes.
Section 2 Any official member may be nominated for office or nominate oneself.
Section 3 Members who are running for office must be nominated and accept their
nomination at the nomination meeting, which shall occur a minimum of one week prior to the election
meeting.
Section 4 Officers must be elected by a simple majority via secret ballot. Only active members are
eligible to vote. Members must be present to vote.
Section 5 Elections must be announced at least 2 weeks prior to them being held and advertised
through all official group commnuication channels.
Section 6 - If any officer decides to step down, nominations will be accepted at the next
meeting and a new officer will be elected one meeting later.
Section 7 In the case of no persons to fill the role of president or vice-president, an interim will be
appointed by the previous president. The interim president will hold the position until the fall semester
and new elections can be held. The interim president will have no authority to hold the position after two
months of the new semester has passed and can be removed from their office at any point by the adviser
or executive board.
Article 6: Adviser
An adviser will serve at the request of the president for as long as he or she is willing. However, if the
group finds that the adviser is not in agreement with the vision and mission statement provided in the
constitution, the executive board may vote to request a new advisor and must win by a two-thirds majority.
Article 7: Meetings
Section 1 The president must call a meeting at least once a month during the fall and spring semesters.
Any official member may call a meeting through the consent of the president and two officers.
Section 2 The secretary (or other assigned officer) will pass around a sign-in sheet and will keep
minutes on the meeting.
Article 8: Independence
(Your Group Name) is not associated with any national, statewide, or local groups.
Article 9: Amendments
In order to amend the constitution, an amendment should be submitted to the president or at least two
officers. At the next meeting, the president, or the two officers, will announce the proposal and a vote will
take place by secret ballot. Two-thirds of the official group members must be present to vote and a majority
is necessary for approval.
LEADERSHIP POSITIONS
It is important that your group has a strong core group of leaders. This is known as your
executive board. The executive board consists of your main officers and committee leaders.
This will help keep your group structured and organized. As your group grows, you can add
positions to your core, but it is important that you have at least a president, vice president,
treasurer, and secretary. Below are some sample descriptions of what positions you can have
and what their responsibilities can be.
Executive Board
President
Provides vision and direction, short-term and long-term
Oversees all other officers and helps them carry out their duties
Delegates tasks among officers and members
Runs meetings
Is the public face of the organization
Ensures all tasks are completed - If someone else drops the ball, the president's job is to pick up
the slack.
Sees that at least one officer meets individually with potential members
Motivates other members
Vice President
Assists the president in managing officers and members
Fills in for president when needed
Helps plan events
Meets every new attendee at meetings
Helps president develop ideas
Manage committees
(Note: Some larger groups have two vice presidents who split duties and assist the president in managing the
group.)
Treasurer
Manages finances
Coordinates fundraising by organizing events
Tracks donors and writes thank you notes
Develops budget
Pays bills
Keeps track of all banking information
LEADERSHIP POSITIONS
Secretary
Keeps minutes of meetings
Contacts and encourages inconsistent members
Sends updates to SFLA; we love to hear how youre doing!
Backs up all pictures and files in multiple places
Public Relations/Communications Coordinator
Makes life and abortion a topic of discussion in the community
Takes pictures/videos of events
Manages social media accounts - Keeps track of all login information forsocial media,
email accounts, and websites.
Handles media (local news, newpapers, etc.)
Develops relationships with local, regional, and national organizations, along with
president
Partners with other pro-life friendly groups, advertises to them and through them
The adviser or adult sponsor supports and directs the group. He or she will typically attend
meetings, assist in organization, and participate in events. The adviser or adult sponsor can
also be the mediator if a dispute arises between officers or members.
INTEREST MEETING
Be sure to choose a time and place that is convenient for as many students as possible. If you
can provide pizza or desserts, it will entice more students to attend. Make a flyer that is
simple and clear, stating the name of your club, the date, time, and location of the interest
meeting, your group contact information (create a group email account so you are not
advertising your personal information), and that will you will providing dinner or desserts!
Hang up your flyers with ample time for students to plan for it, preferrably about one week
in advance.
Create an agenda for yourself and the other leaders who will attend to keep the meeting
organized and running on time. (See below for a meeting agenda.)
Sample Meeting Agenda:
I.
Introduce yourself and other students who are helping start the club
a. Have each person say their name, grade, and why they are interested in the pro-life club.
b. Pass around a clipboard for everyone in attendance sign in with their name, grade, email
address, and phone number. (SFLA has a sample sign-in sheet on page 16.)
II.
Explain your vision for the club and what you would like to accomplish as a student group.
a. What events and activities would you like to do to accomplish this?
b. Ask for different event and campaign ideas from the group.
III.
Poll the students on the best time to meet and what interests them the most.
a. Make sure your official meeting time as a club is convenient for as many students as
possible. Take this time to ask the potential members when they would prefer to meet and
how often. (Twice per month is the suggested amount.)
b. Ask the students for their areas of interest. Do you have students that are more
interested in apologetics or pregnancy resources? Make a note of it so you can be sure
to include them when you host an event they would be interested in or give them
opportunities to lead new outreaches and projects.
Set aside some time for people to ask questions about the club.
V.
Set a date and time for your next meeting and decide on your first event. (See pages 14-15 for
suggested events for new clubs.)
VI.
Eat and socialize! Make time to get to know the people who came! Play a game or have an ice break
er so that students feel they have connected with each other.
IV.
11
2.
Next, fill in all national pro-life events and campaigns, such as:
Respect Life/LifeChain Sunday
National Day of Silent Solidarity
When deciding on events, use your vision and
Pro-Life Cupcake Day
mission statement to guide your discussion.
Fall and Spring 40 Days for Life Campaign
What events can you do that will help you
March for Life
accomplish your goal? This keeps your group
Students for Life National Conference
focused and makes event planning easier.
Students for Life Regional Leadership Summit
Pro-Life T-shirt Day
If you want to host a speaker, show a pro-life
National Pro-Life Pro-Life Chalk Day
movie, or find more ideas on exciting pro-life
National Community Baby Shower Day
events, visit highschool.studentsforlife.org.
National Adoption Day
Elections
3.
Now that you have an idea of what your year will look like, propose a few meeting times. Do you
want to meet twice a month? What day of the week works best for the majority of members? What
time? Go ahead and mark your meeting times on your calendar so that everyone can plan ahead.
4.
Next, plan recruitment events for the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. Have a tabling
display or event specifically aimed at recruiting new members. Plan to attend community fairs! (See
pages 16-17 for information on how to recruit)
5.
Most importantly, set goals for events. We recommend that your group has a least one event per
month. This can include a flyering campaign, a baby item drive or baby shower, a fetal
development diplay, etc. (See page 14-15 for more event ideas.) Propose at least two days per
month for possible events and ask your members what best fits with their schedules. Solidify those
dates as soon as possible so the group can plan.
1.
12
Fundraising
13
EVENTS
As a new group, it is important to start engaging your community immediately. Don't wait! The
purpose of your club is to educate your peers and ultimately abolish abortion.You need to be
visible in your community from the get-go and start dialogues about abortion. When people
talk about abortion, we win!
Here are a few event ideas (listed in the order we recommend for new groups to
have them) that are simple and easy, and will help your group gain momentum:
Flyering Campaign
Post flyers around your community on a specific theme. For example, basic abortion statistics, fetal
development, or Planned Parenthoods abortion business.Visit highschool.studentforlife.org/flyers for
pre-made, downloadable flyers you can use! Be sure to add your groups contact information at the bottom!
Ask your Regional Coordinator or a local pro-life leader to come and teach your group dialoguing skills. It is
crucial that your members are comfortable talking to other students about abortion and that they feel prepared to answer the hard questions.
Hang a large sheet of paper or set up a table with a tri-fold board in a high foot traffice area. Draw a line
representing fetal development and fill in descriptions of the babys growth in the appropriate places. Have a
member standing with the display at all times. Ask people to put a post-it note by the stage where they think
life begins. Based on their answer, your members can start a dialogue about the humanity of the pre-born.You
can request SFLAs Fetal Development Topic Cards to distribute at this event.
Pick a date and time that is convenient for the majority of your members. Drive to the nearest abortion
facility and spend a set amount of time in prayer or silent reflection. Be sure to use inclusive language and help
all your group members, regardless of their religious affliation, feel like they can participate. Download our
sample memorial service program at http://highschool.studentsforlife.org/how-to-organize-a-prayervigil-at-an-abortion-clinic/.
EVENTS
Cupcakes and Trivia
Let's face it, everyone loves cupcakes! Set up a table at you co-op or in a public park and provide free
cupcakes to everyone who can answer a question about abortion correctly. Be sure to have a sign-up
sheet and information about your club at the table as well.
Chalking
Find public sidewalks and write life-affirming messages on them! This is a fun and creative way to get
students active! Be sure to write contact information for your local pregnancy center or
post-abortive recovery counseling centers.
Call your local Pregnancy Resource Center and ask if you can bring a group of students by for a
volunteer day. This can include yard work, office duties, or babysitting!
First Name
Last Name
Phone Number
School Year
LEADERSHIP TRANSITIONS
Successful leadership transtitions are crucial to your groups long term ability to impact
your community.You are building a movement and legacy that will last long after you
graduate. The key is to start early! Be on the look out for upcoming leaders from day
one.
Finding Future Leaders
Once an officer knows he or she will be transitioning or graduating, begin to plan for a replacement.
The transitioning officer should identify the potential leaders and begin working with them throughout
the year in order for the transition to happen well. The transitioning officer should be training the new
potential leaders for an extended amount of time before the transitioning officer has finished his or her
time, in order to see that the new leadership is confident and ready to assume the leadership role.
Delegate Tasks
As a leader, you must know the importance and value of delegating tasks. Delegation take a great deal
of trust and time up front, but in the long run you will have members who have input and buy-in
because of the trust you have placed in them through delegation. This not only builds up the clubs
membership, but you will have more committed members (see page 18).
Elections
Elections should take place in the spring semester. At the end of the fall semester, announce the
election date and give a brief description of each position that will need to be filled. Invite members to
begin thinking about a position for which they may want to run for, and highlight the value the current
officer and the position has brought to the club. Most clubs work best by electing certain positions and
allowing the executive board to appoint the rest of the positions.Your club can decide what works best
for your group.The president should be elected first, and then the other roles. This way if someone
runs for president and is not elected, he or she is not prevented from seeking another position.
Candidates
In the spring semester, current officers should focus on encouraging their replacements to take more
responsibilities and begin thinking about taking over a leadership role. Current officers should help
potential officers realize their capacity to make an impact and nominations should be taken a week
before the election.
Transition
Celebrate
Find time as a club to celebrate the new officers and thank the ones who are graduating or moving out
of a position. This is a fun time to socialize as a group and get to know members better.
The new officers should receive their official responsibilites on the last day of classes, but begin to
transition them into the role before the end of the school year. A transition time allows for new
officers to learn and slowly take over the role from the current officers, which helps make a smooth
transition.
17
RETAINING MEMBERS
Retention is a crucial part of your groups success. Not only do you want to
create an active group in your community, you want your pro-life club to last!
Build Relationships
The most important factor to retaining members is developing relationships. Core team members
should develop personal relationships with other group members so that each member feels
welcomed and valued. By getting to know each person, the officers will be able to identify individual
passions and strengths. These relationships will build community, and they will help bolster a positive
attitude among your members.
Have Socials
When a person gives his/her time and helps the club succeed, he/she deserves
recognition. Building a bond between club members will increase their committment to the group. Be
sure to thank members and to get to know them on a more personal level. One good way to do this
is to have socials! Assign someone within the club to host and plan the event and use that time to get
to know your group members.You can play games or make ice cream sundaes! But remember, this is
not a time for business. Keep the social focused on celebrating your members and having fun! Leave
the event planning and strategizing for a meeting. Socials should take place at least twice a semester.
Delegate
Another good way to keep members involved is to delegate responsibility. When members have
responsibility, they take ownership of the group and become more invested. Delegation requires
leaders to come prepared to the meeting with an idea of what needs to be accomplished. Assign tasks
to members according to their gifts and areas of interest. For example, if a student is good at math,
ask her to help the treasurer with the budget! One common mistake when delegating is trying to
delegate to anyone willing. The better technique is to use the personal relationships developed to
assign tasks to the appropriate individual with the ability to get the job done.
18
STUDENT TESTIMONIES
You did it! Congradulations on starting a new club! Be sure to contact your
Regional Coordinator and tell us your success story! We love hearing how you
are impacting your community.
Here are a few testimonies from high school students, just like you!
Sam B. - Conneticut
Learning how to better plan my year, coordinate members of my group, how to be a better apologist
and activist has helped me in all aspects of my pro-life activism. I learned much from other students,
and have a great support community to refer to if I need advice or help on my groups activism.
Gabriel V. - Ohio
Students for Life of American has taught me so much and pushed me to always live to bring about a
culture of life at my high school, in my community, and in my city.
Kaitlynn W. - Arizona
Students for Life of America has helped me get a realistic glimpse into the movement which I hope
to eventually work in and it has given me the training, knowledge, and connections I need to really be
able to make a difference in my community.
Adam G. - Alabama
My SFLA Regional Coordinator has been by my side through my walk with starting my group. She
has helped me a lot!
19
NOTES
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21
AND MORE!
Email us at info@studentsforlife.org or contact your Regional
Coordinator to request a FREE training from SFLA!
www.CBRinfo.org
Visit our booth at the SFLA National Conference!
Check out
humanlifealliance
www.humanlife.org
STUDENTSFORLIFE.ORG