Hiatus PSA!

Hey everyone, just a quick note! The blog will be on a hiatus period during this month for AP testing. Please be patient until we return and apologies for any inconvenience. If you have any questions, comments or concerns or articles you would like us to write, please leave them on the blog and we will address them once AP testing is finished. Best of luck to you all taking your finals and AP tests!
~Dream Dealers
~Marilyn Nguyen

Bingo Book: Shoot 'Em Down and Get 'Em Hooked

(Goal of Article: Guide readers with useful tips to retain members.)

~Let's take a journey together, and let reality mix with the dream realm~

It’s the Wild West, you're in a saloon

on one hot and lax afternoon.

On the table a glass of Ol’ Red Eye

in your pocket a tattered book filled with wanted posters of brothers gone awry.

The bartender bazoos up a conversation

hinting about criminals and bunko artists revered across the nation.

In the corner sits one of them; chiseling a deadbeat out of his dinero.

Heeled and determined by hook or crook,

that this is shody four-flusher is going to calaboose.

You flannel mouth the crook and lure him outside,

to fight like Kilkenny cats.

You draw your gun

A bullet swims through the air and as the smoke clears…

By now, we can assume that you have already have had a successful recruitment period and you got people in the door but now we must beg the question of actually keeping these members. Your number one goal should be to get people in the door and to stay in the room as long as possible - try to make them smile and laugh and hang out after meetings. When you ask people to recount events, call on the people you think will hype up the events the most.

The first thing you should worry about is first impressions. Show them how passionate you are without scaring them off. The first thing you should do is introductions! Keep it brief, time is of the essence.

An introduction normally goes something along the lines of…

1. Name
2. Class (You can say Freshman, Sophmore, etc. or Class of ___)
3. Position/1 sentence of what your position does if it’s not a normal position.
4. Division/Faction/Region/District and mascot if you have one.
5. A quirky fact about yourself.

After that, you can explain what your club is and what you do, the function/structure, and some major annual events that you have as well as any miscellaneous information you think will help peak their interest. Keep your introduction brief - at least 1 minute and at most 3. Try not to to talk about any benefits that will “buy your members.” Your members should be as dedicated to the club as much as possible - not to the benefits. You can always talk about the more positive aspects or surprise members with food so it becomes a cherry on top.

On a normal basis, when you need to talk about informational events, I suggest if you can use a powerpoint, do it! Use your powerpoint sparingly - it’s supposed to function as a tool to aid you, not cripple! Your powerpoint is a visual representation that helps present a professional image to your meetings while aiding the members to help catch on with what you are actually saying. On your powerpoint should be any official business that members may get caught up in like pledges or cheers; you can put them on the first few powerpoints, but try to wean members off it so they can learn for themselves. It should include upcoming events, days, times, and places as well as the function or what members will be doing at these events. I think that a really good tip would be to include a certain goal for some events like attendance rates or something along those lines. Here are some tips to keep your powerpoint game on point!

Tips

• Create a template powerpoint to just copy and paste to save you time in the future.
• A good thing to do is to have a private email you pass down to future boards, so they can see what you’ve done and be able to look at your past work as references.
• Make your powerpoints the same format - changing the format can confuse members.
• Decorate your powerpoint! Make it look nice - even if it seems like its doing extra work, decorating your powerpoint can serve to emphasize your point and draw eyes to important information.

I generally don’t recommend icebreakers or a long lecture. A rule of thumb should be if you get bored or tired during your powerpoint, it may be better to forgo the powerpoint. A good tactic for the first few meetings would be to break members up into groups depending on how many are on the board you have and have them explain this information themselves to add a more intimate/personal touch.

Keep your members active! Give them plenty of opportunities for socials, community service events/projects, competitions, and fundraisers so that way they can back that they are making good use of time during dead periods where members are least active. Thank them for coming and when you recount it praise all the members for coming by talking about attendance rates, if anyone won something or something positive that will make them look back at it as their job well done.

Have someone contact members and talk to them to see if they need rides, if they are doing anything that day, and basically gun them down (talk them) into going to the events (this should usually be a very persistent person). For clubs that have more deadbeats or leeches have your stronger board members persist with them. Be understanding if they are busy, but there will be some members who don't want to go to events and end up doing nothing at home - then you want to do some Sherlock Holmes level investigation and try to get them to slip.

Then get 'em hooked! Play off popular trends like Hunger Games/ Divergent, or classics like Harry Potter/ Lord of the Rings to get people interested. Be creative with the way you do things. Keep it simple and classy! It’s more fun to do when you aren’t stressing about every last detail. If one member is enthusiastic and you join in, then people will bandwagon with you; it feels a lot more powerful and fun than if you were doing it solo. Usually it’s not always about the content, but how you present it that makes it important. My school for example has this “too cool for anything and everything vibe,” frankly irritates me. Pretentious, my behind. A majority of people whittle their time away, are disrespectful and don’t get involved in school at all and yet they constantly complain about it. Just a while back some guy started throwing his backpack in the air and people started cheering him on for it. HE WAS JUST THROWING A BACKPACK. He did that for the entirety of lunch, as people egged him on for doing it. Many people kept on watching and it was almost like someone started a fight. As they egged him on, he did the same for them. Imagine if my school was more active, the things we could do, the ventures we can achieve, the legacy we can leave. So, what legacy do you want to leave behind and how will you convince these members to work with you together, hand-in-hand, to achieve it?

Until next time dreamers-sweet dreams,

Marilyn Nguyen

Rolling with the Big Boys: From Washington to Woodrow Wilson

~Let's take a journey together, and let reality mix with the dream realm~

It’s a sweet spring afternoon and letters begin to arrive.

From horse to bicycles to cars to your email and television.

All addressed to you!

Many from George Washington

and Lincoln too.

A dozen from Benjamin

to just one from Woodrow Wilson.

All of them invitations to one specific party.

To go or to reject invitations that were sent so hearty.

No matter where you are, money is hard to come by - even if you do try! Personally, I like money but I think it's scary. Fundraisers are not easy to set up, but when you get in the groove of doing them, nothing can stop you! Doing fundraisers for your club or whatever you are fundraising for is like opening up your own business -  you have to get clientele and get their trust, and it’s easier to lose them than it is to get them!

Note: Fundraisers are similar to socials and going to any events; your club's credibility can either fall or spike depending on how well you do it. The more credible your club the easier time you’ll have retaining members and getting your club out there.

One thing to keep in mind is what you want to fundraise for. Is there a specific event or cause you want to fundraise for and how much you want to fundraise? Are there several? Ask yourself the 5 W’s and the H. Here are some questions you should ask yourself. Try to answer them in a few sentences.

1. Why?
1. Why do you want to fundraise?
2. Why (am I) are we doing this?
3. Why is this reason important to others?(Consumers? Volunteers? Community?)
2. What?
1. What are the goals I hope to achieve in doing this? (Sometimes, you can even set little goals and incentives for each one achieved. Like say... $700 for someone to do something silly like dressing up as Elsa)
2. What will this money be directly going to?
3. What needs to be done?
4. What is a suitable fundraiser for my area?
3. When?
1. When will the fundraiser be? (Season? Month? Day?Time?)
2. When are all the deadlines? (Setting deadlines in increments is helpful)
3. When do I need the money? (Set the deadline earlier than you need it, so that way you can have it early)
4. Where?
1. Where would be the most suitable place for your fundraiser?
5. Who?
1. Who are the people who would feel the most strongly (positively) that will donate to this fundraiser?
2. Who do I have to talk to in order to make this happen?
3. Who would be willing to participate and be on the team to make this happen?
6. How?
1. How is this fundraiser correlated to your cause?
2. How will I explain this to customers/people who donate?
3. How will you use the extra money to set up for future fundraisers (because fundraisers are an investment)?

These are just the basic question you need to know. Sometimes, it’s necessary to do things that put you out of your comfort zone to make money. By no means do I refer to selling your body, but instead to things like creating little incentives i.e. dressing up in a silly costume if 100 people attend an event or singing a song or making a bunch of food before Monday, even talking to people to use their venues.

After you ask these and many more marginal questions you should be able to rule out a few fundraisers and think of different ideas for FUNdraisers. Try to come up with out of the box ideas - playing off hypes and classics help. Fundraisers shouldn't be solely about the money but having fun while you do it - from what I see a crew that is having fun and doing their work makes twice as much than a crew that does their work - and I don't mean in monetary terms. I remember when I was a sophomore we would always splash each other with soap and hose water at those car washes; we made a MINIMUM of $600. Now we do car washes and barely scratch $100. Funny story to add: my friend Amara told me how success is all about her attitude when she bakes or cooks food - I mean who wants angst brownies? Would you care for some awkward ice cream? Tear cookies a la mode? Do something you want to do. Not a fundraiser you have to do.

There's also the idea of taking financial ventures and playing it safe. Try to experiment!  If you are feeling adventurous, don't invest all your efforts in one risk just to lose it. Test the waters; maybe try gauging opinions. Fundraisers are not a lottery ticket: they are INVESTMENTS. You put in a little money, a ton of effort and that's all you need! Try not to be petty like this fool. He's crying because he won't make money. Don't feel sorry for him. AT ALL (at least not in this context). On the other hand, there is playing it safe. Playing it safe, is where you'll be comfortable and you'll make the same amount of money you usually do. There's nothing wrong with it, it's just not the typical type of adventuring I do. Playing it safe, you're old clientele will return to you and  you may get a few newbies! It's a perfectly fine manner to build credibility step by step; only problem is that it takes time to build that credibility. A financial venture is not something you should be dependent on, but something you do if you need to make cash by a deadline. Both sides have their own validity in getting to the same goal. 

You can make money from practically anything - where there is a skill, there is a way. Look at all your members. If you know them personally or not, you should realize that each member has something that they can bring to the table - even you bring something to the table yourself! You should play off whatever the strongest coordination of cards on the table are. If you have a musically-talented group, then have them put on a benefit concert. If you have a group that is skilled in home economics (cooking/making clothes/organizing) then do a cook-off or sell food or have a fashion show. You could always do a hire-for-a-day. The only thing that you need to worry about when you start to reject is reality. Yeah, reality can throw you off your groove a lot.

You'll need to think in terms of your consumer market and get to know what is in demand in your area; think in terms of economics. What will make the customers go like...

Sometimes simple common objects can make the most money - school/office supplies, lessons, a unique and out of the ordinary fundraiser. Something that will make the people "holla for a dolla."

Constantly think about the next step. It doesn't need to be your priority, but you've already set your goals and thought of what kind of fundraisers are feasible for your area; now it's just a matter of knowing what to do with relaying tasks and advertising.  Figure out what you need to do, items you may need, and see who is best suited. Set increments on how you want to get something done. A fundraiser is definitely something you don't want to procrastinate on. Money is basically like a second relationship to all people: you have to ensure them that the trade-off is beneficial to them as well.  I know as well as anyone when I spend money my thoughts are 

something along the lines of...

Who wouldn't be like that? You think of all the potential that 100 Lincolns have to offer you. Really keep on working at it to convince them that this is a matter that is important to them - no matter how big or small and don't give up. 

        Now you'll need to think of how you are going to get the word out. You can always get word out through presentations, promotions, posters, and social networking. You can even ask a favor of your popular friends that make even the simplest things a big deal. That's why it's especially important for you to network wherever you may be. Even if you have days where you feel unsocial and like you just can't deal with the world right now - as shady as it sounds - having good connections and relations with others helps a ton. No matter how independent you may be, doing something yourself is not as great as doing it with people (who know what they are doing); allowing everyone to focus on one task is much more productive and less stressful on your side. 

After that, you have your fundraiser! So just be sure someone who knows the basic rundown is there at all times supervising what is going on and that there is constant activity going on until it's time for a break. You want the activity to be off the charts pandemonium - but you don't want to be a slave-drive and not have any volunteers for future events; so just try to have fun while you work, crack a few jokes, get people together, and do an icebreaker to shake off any awkwardness from the start. If you have to do your little eager dance, pep-talk, or a little cheer to get everyone hyped to work, then do it! Better to try than not right? 

When you finish, to tie off any loose ends (if this event was a more formal one) by thanking people for participating in this event with a specialized card where you just write their name and send it to them. Be sure to post results and thank everyone for coming out or buying or whatever it may be. 

We're finally finished and you're ballin' with the big boys now! Let's wrap this article up by celebrating for a dollar well earned.

Until next time dreamers-sweet dreams,

Marilyn Nguyen

P.S. No matter what you do, make sure that you're fundraising by LEGAL means. There's no use in making money off something that puts you at risk of going to jail or being suspended.

Disclaimer: Pictures courteous of tumblr!

Middle School Vs. High School: When Should I Start Extracurriculars?

In short, my advice is to start ASAP-to begin early means to invest early. Make no mistake-extracurriculars are an investment in yourself as well as your future, especially in regards to a future position (I'm focusing on the person, not necessarily the environment/service/etc, since extracurriculars encompass many different things-sorry!). It's better to start early than to start late.
But should you start junior high early?

Eh. This really depends, and I'm sure my two other fellow co-authors have a strong opinion on this topic, but from my point of view, it's okay to not do extracurriculars in middle school. As someone that did not participate in extracurriculars then, I have to invoke my bias in this and let you know that I turned down an offer for membership in NJHS (National Junior Honor Society). My reasoning (stupid, I know) back then was that I had no clue what it was-I should have done some research. I don't regret not joining it, and I'll talk about why later in this article.
Yes, that means you SHOULD be doing extracurriculars in high school.

Anyways, here are some of my views on why middle school might be a bit too early to begin extracurriculars:
1) There may not be a wide enough offering of choices for you to choose from. 
In my area's middle schools, there simply is not enough types of extracurriculars to choose from. (disregarding extracurriculars outside of school-Boy/Girl Scouts is great, I hear!) What had happened to me personally is that almost nothing offered by the school interested me (not that my interests then were as developed as now). It would have also be very difficult (and may be so in your area too) to convince a teacher to become a faculty advisor for a club organization, as, in my experience, clubs aren't as prevalent in junior high, and a teacher may not be willing to put time into one (that being said, extracurriculars in high school are much more intense than junior high).

2) You may or may not be mature enough to handle extracurriculars.
Study time? Higher-end organization skills? Sometimes high schoolers lack these more mature aspects of growing up! Now, chances are if you've found this blog as a middle schooler, you're more than mature enough (this mainly pertains to those going after important positions) if you can understand many of the concepts on this blog! I remember how at the time I personally was more withdrawn, shy, and quiet-had I tried to run for a position or something along those lines and lost, I would have been crushed, never to try again. I also didn't "take risks" or do anything new until the time leading up to walking into high school (and I never regretted starting to do so!). Not only did I know I wasn't interested in becoming a member of any extracurricular at the time, I knew that I wasn't ready to work towards becoming a leader too!
If you have developed enough to be confident and have a wonderful understanding of group dynamics, then by all means, go for it! Otherwise, you are more than welcome to become a member, because everyone has to start somewhere, and you have to be willing to work to improve yourself.

3) Resumes usually "start over" once you reach a new educational level.
This is a for-sure, guaranteed thing. Whatever your current educational level, you will be expected to list things done after you began your current educational level. Yes, it's okay to have some middle school stuff on there in your freshman year of high school, but following that year, people will wonder why you placed something that, while was important to you, was very far in the past and usually has little pertinence to whatever you're applying to. Not to say that everything from the past educational level should be deleted immediately, but it's very difficult to justify keeping something on your 1-page advertising sheet...when you probably have many more recent, amazing things. This advice is coming from someone that helped a friend in college write a resume, to find out that only one thing from high school was on there-the magic time eraser WILL reach you!

I hope this helps someone out there, because I often didn't have anyone to ask for advice like this! Feel free to disagree with me, but again that's just my opinion. Look forward to comments below!
~SQ

Let's become the Avatar! -Bending the Elements to your Will

~Let's take a journey together, and let reality mix with the dream realm~

"Water

Earth

Fire

Air

Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony, then everything changed when the fire nation attacked.

Only the avatar, master of all four elements could stop them, but when the world needed him most, he vanished.100 years passed and my brother and I discovered the new avatar - an Airbender named Aang and although his airbending skills are great, he has a lot to learn before he's ready to save anyone; but I believe that Aang can save the world." - Avatar, the Last Airbender

"Water is the element of change. The people of the Water Tribes are capable of adapting to many things. They have a sense of community and love that holds them together through anything."-Iroh

You need the fluidity of a Waterbender to be able to take whatever unforeseen articles come at you. Just as how water can easily change and adapt from low to high tides, you'll have to learn along with your board members to adjust to new situations and different members accordingly. Just as how a Waterbender can blood bend, try to connect with other members and understand their perspective - you should be able to foresee different aspects and ask their opinions and ideas. As a Waterbender, bonds and trust are needed to be create a functioning continuing tribe. As a leader, there should be some sort of bonds between you and all your club members; be it in or outside the club, try to become that friend and be that person they go to when they're need: it'll just lead to a bigger and better bond as a club's tribe. Water is the element of restraint, so if you need something done, encourage it rather than command it - because then it becomes an option and not a demand. Water can be gentle or strong, so once you learn how to control it, it'll be easier to manage; as a Waterbender there is never manipulation but pure persuasion and suggestion, never control. So go with the flow but keep your cool, be open and inviting to all, create bonds that should never be broken and lastly, don't be a control freak but a friend that is there to give insight to people.

"Earth is the element of substance. The people of the Earth Kingdom are diverse and strong. They are persistent and enduring." - Iroh

You'll need the realistic and hardworking spirit of an Earthbender to make your goals a reality. Earthbenders are powerful but also have the most temperamental element that requires strength - both mental and physical - to manipulate it. Just like Earthbenders, you want your board members to have strong leaders that can guide members as well as a strong foundation so that the tribe (club) can build on and doesn't comes crashing down later. Not only does a Earthbender have to be strong, they also have to be organized so that the board has structure and so the club does too. The board should understand that it takes 100% effort to even start to get 1% back and that sometimes your efforts will not always be fruitful; however, one failure does not mean everything is a complete failure - you just have to look at what may have caused your tumble and get up and try again.

"Fire is the element of power. The people of the Fire Nation have desire and will, and the energy and drive to achieve what they want."- Iroh

The diligence and ambition that fuels Firebenders is what first comes to mind when you think of them - but fire is also the element of life, vitality of pursuit of happiness.  Firebenders are very straightforward, emotional, and react on impulse, so be aware of everything and everyone and leave nothing unattended so it can't get out of control and lead to corruption. Even though you have this bond with your members, you should remember to keep a line between friendship and being a board member. Make sure your members know that you are there for them, but they also need to respect that you have responsibilities as a board member and that they are not exempt from rules and regulations. As much as you hate rules, they are there for a reason, and many times they are there as safety precautions. A fire left unattended can easily set ablaze a whole forest.

" Air is the element of freedom. The Air Nomads detached themselves from worldly concerns, and they found peace and freedom. And they apparently had great senses of humor." - Iroh

You’ll need the Airbenders' focus on tranquility and spirituality as well as otherworldly details rather than worrying about materialistic issues. An Airbender has a level of humility and idealistic point of view that engages and charms you to push yourself above and beyond the stars into things you never thought plausible. They have a detachment from the world that makes it seems like they are off on their own little ventures. Similar to this, I've heard numerous recountings of “greatness being thrust upon people,” and how they believed that they were unsuited for the position and how they made it through. Only with a detachment to the world will you be able to find new perspectives, open your mind to new experiences and understand others perspectives. One thing that you could follow that Airbenders do is to get to the root of an issue, isolate it, and remove it as to avoid any unnecessary fights or arguments. If fights do happen to break out, handle it calmly with a swift hand.

That’s all I have for you at the moment.

Until next time dreamers-sweet dreams,

Marilyn Nguyen

P.S. Thank you to Gabrielle Copeland, Gabby Baniqued and Bernardo Ortega for their contributions to this article. I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender or any of the pictures used in this article. Many of them come from tumblr. Okay, all of them come from tumblr.

He’s dying! Quick, time to revive your club!

~Let's take a journey together, and let reality mix with the dream realm~

(Board members are starting to slack) -COUGH, COUGH COUGH-

Hey are you okay? Hello?

(Less events for members)-SPUTTER SPUTTER-

The members are becoming less involved, I think he's having a heart attack!

-GASP GASP GASP-

 He's losing members, quick perform CPR.

Somebody help! What are we going to do? How are we supposed to save this club?

Here come the paramedics to help!

                So your club needs reviving, or it just needs some electricity to bring it back to life. Your situation may vary depending on what club you're from or whether it's lack of interaction between your higher ups to members or board members being selective in what they choose to exert themselves in (which would be anything but your club), but there is a lack of communication in some area. If you don't have any events outside your meetings, your club won't stick out to members (though it's not necessary in all clubs, it's useful to have a social, or service event or competition to exhibit what the members bring to the table.)
             Your goal as a board member is to exhibit and be shown to these members in the best light possible. No matter how much they may bring to the table you want to show them that they can put in a little bit of effort (or a ton) to contribute to an overall group's work to make something amazing (and I mean more amazing than those last minute group projects in school where it's always pulled together in one session). Talk to as many members as possible and see what they are interested in doing and what they can/feel comfortable doing. Sometimes it's good to push members slightly out of their comfort zone, to encourage them to try new things.
            One of the most important things you should remember is you shouldn't forget the meaning and purpose of why you are in that club, why you joined/created this club, and why you are passionate about it. It's crucial that you try to make your meetings fun instead of just informational - try to do silly little challenges - such as if you can cheer louder than me, then I will do the worm. For example, one that I happen to be doing is if my school's Key Club (Rodriguez High School) raises $700 for maternal/neonatal tetanus, I have to dress as a baby for a day and sit in a stroller and let people push me around (if they can push me around, I'm pretty heavy.) - which reminds me, try to present your goals and events in a fun way and play up the best parts and keep your rewards/challenges relevant or if they aren't relevant try to make them really good AND APPROPRIATE. Members like a good laugh, but there's points where you should know when not to do something lest you get in trouble.
           I think a good goal is to get as many members to smile as possible before the bell rings. The more members that hang around in your room the better! The more likely they are to get involved since they know more friendly faces. Smiling friendly faces really send enough volts of electricity to bring a club back to life. If something happens where you have to start from scratch, have one friend come and encourage them to bring their friends and those people to do the same, then you'll eventually get a good core amount of people going in your club to start back up again.

Until next time dreamers-sweet dreams,

Marilyn Nguyen

A New Tot on the Block - Infant clubs

~Let's take a journey together, and let reality mix with the dream realm~

There you are, sitting in a tree

k-i-s-s-i-n-g

first comes love,

then comes marriage,

then comes your club in a baby carriage!

• Infant clubs - where you're in for stressful days, sleepless nights and loads of responsibilities.

      So if you didn't already get my reference, an infant club is basically a club that has yet to be founded at your school, or has died out for a long time and you are trying to resurrect it.  It's difficult to start a club from the bottom up and build the foundation, and usually a successful club will take years until it is stable- even then it's not always safe. The amount of members and their dedication is dependent on the amount of work and passion that the board puts in that year. You have to at least give 1 percent to even get anything back.
      Honestly there are numerous clubs that are started because someone was passionate about something and genuinely wanted to start it, but there are infant clubs that are created with ill will - usually those that are created as another part on a resume. Starting a new club is a huge responsibility and the responsibilities are similar to that of a child. You can't just have it to have it - nor can you play off your popularity alone. You have to be prepared to handle any situations that come to you, study your stuff about your infant club, know how to build a proper foundation for it so that way when you leave, and have someone to properly take care of the club themselves; it tends to take a period of 3 years to determine whether your club will live or burn out, so make sure to build a strong foundation.
Steps to raising an infant club

1. Check with whoever is in charge of handling your school's extracurriculars and see if the club has not been founded already. If you don't know who that is, check with your counselor - they'll be able to show you the way from there.
2. Find a teacher/staff who is willing (and suitable) to be the adviser and will let you use their room. Make sure you don't mind interacting with them all the time and that they are comfortable with you using their room.
3. Plan what day to have your meeting with that teacher. This takes more thinking than you would imagine. I.E. Mondays tend to be overtaken when we have 3/4-day weekends, Tuesdays are leadership class meetings (which are required), Wednesday tends to have shorter lunches, Thursdays tend to have the most clubs and on Fridays there are the most events at lunch. Stay away from planning your club on a day with a ton of clubs or with clubs that have a ton of members. You don't want to get into the competition yet. The days may vary from school to school.
4. Find and train your board/Write or revise your club constitution This is the moment you want to take to find a strong board to help you - no matter how strong a president, if the rest of his/her board falls, so does he/she. You only are as strong as your greatest weakness.  Some advice is plan ahead, get underclassmen to be on the board so they'll know how it works and be able to know what to do in the future. You also want to write your club constitution and get any paperwork out of the way during this period, this includes registering to the professional organization so you can go to events in the future. 
5. After all your paperwork has been approved you want to work on advertising - whether it's by word of mouth to huge blown-out posters posted on the walls of your school everywhere, this is where you'll work the popularity you have worked up for - talk to your friends and have them come and bring their friends. Have cute little promotions for example you can make a giant talk bubble that says "Speech and Debate 2014" or a highway sign that says "I can speak 100 miles a minute!" for people to take pictures with. One very useful event to debut your club is the club fair - when all the clubs introduce themselves to incoming underclassman and high schoolers looking for something to get involved in.
6. Plan events/attend events- you need something to update the members on, from competitions to scholarships to socials and fundraisers; there's a wide array of things you can do that will suit your club.
7. Find potential new board and install them/vote them in- I know this sounds shady, but you will want to keep an eye out for a competent person to keep the club together after you finish your term.

That's pretty much most of what you need to know. If you feel like it's necessary you can prepare specific binders with instructions and tips or journals of how events have gone and pass it on to the future board or you can have ready made power points that the new board can use.

Until next time dreamers-sweet dreams,

Marilyn Nguyen