How to Start a Club

One of the best parts about SSMU is the ability students have to take a direct role in student life and create new clubs. However, if you’re interested in starting a club, first make sure that the club you want to create doesn’t already exist yet! Check out the club listings page, where you can look through clubs by category or search for one. It’s always a good idea to contact clubs with similar mandates and activities to the ones you have in mind, and to see if you can work with clubs that are already established to pursue the goals you’re interested in.

New clubs must apply for interim status with the SSMU, which allows clubs to book rooms in the Shatner building, have a table at Activities Night, and have a club mailbox. After three months clubs are eligible to apply for full status, which comes with benefits such as being able to apply for an office.

How to Apply for Interim Club Status

This is the checklist of the official procedure for creating a new club. Make sure you read this carefully and go through all the steps. Please fill out and submit this application package (doc).

  • Find at least 10 other students (graduate or undergraduate) who share your interest.
  • Prepare a constitution for the group, including name, mandate, organizational structure (executive team or non-hierarchical collective) and membership. Your constitution should follow the Sample Club constitution. Each club under the SSMU should have a constitution that is specific to its own mandate and mission.
  • Because of the Memorandum of Agreement between the SSMU and McGill Universtiy, club names are now required to use a certain formula. Please review the choices here and make your club name conform to these formulations.
  • If you have any questions about your club’s constitution, you can submit questions to the Interest Group Coordinator (igc@ssmu.mcgill.ca), who will ensure that your constitution doesn’t conflict with the SSMU constitution or overlap with any other currently active SSMU group.
  • Submit your complete Interim Status Application forms to igc@ssmu.mcgill.ca.  Click here to see the Interim Status Application forms.
  • Your application will be reviewed by the Interest Group Committee, which is a committee of SSMU’s Legislative Council. This Committee will then make a recommendation to Council, which will give the final stamp of approval. You will be notified of every step of the process and if your club is approved, tabled (for any reason), or rejected.

How to Apply for Full Club Status

Once a group is granted interim recognition, it maintains that status for 3 months. During that time, you will need to sign up 25 members and fill all executive, coordinator or other formal positions mentioned in your constitution through the appropriate channels. You must also host at least 3 substantial activities during that time. After three months of being an interim status club or more if necessary, if the club has met the above requirements, you may apply for full status by submitting a Full Status Application, which consists of:

  • A cover letter
  • Member list of 25 members
  • and the details of three events you have held. If more than 3 months elapse after the approval of the club for Interim Status and the VP Clubs and Services is not contacted, the club may lose its status. If more than 3 months are needed, please contact the Interest Group Coordinator with an estimate of when the group will be able to apply for full status.

Click here to see the Full Status Application forms and here for Full Status Member List Form.

Full status event form.