Club Chartering Instructions

Each club at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (NMIMT) that would like to use school facilities and/or be eligible for Student Association (SA) funding must submit a Club Charter Form at the beginning of each semester and whenever the club changes officers. To be chartered, a club must also submit a signature sheet and a club constitution (the constitution is required only once per scholastic year). These documents should be attached together and may be submitted to Campus Box AA. All questions can be directed toward the SA secretary ().

Club Charter Form

A new Club Charter Form is needed every semester to keep track of the club's officers and faculty advisor. This form must be an original copy. The SA Government will use this information to keep club contact information updated, advertise your club to the student body, and to list clubs authorized to use institute facilities and equipment. The club's record of officers must match the SA Secretary's records. The SA Government requires that clubs have an executive officer (president, or equivalent) and a financial officer (treasurer, or equivalent). A club's executive and financial officers are required to provide all of the information requested so that the SA Government can readily contact that club.

Filling out a Charter Form

The first three fields on the form are for general club information. You should fill in the Club Name field with the name of your club, the way you want it to appear in all SA publications and communications. The Club Email and Club Website fields should be completed only if your club has an email or website, respectively.

The next set of entry spaces are for the club's advisor. The Work Phone and Email fields must be completed. Also, the advisor must sign in the space provided before the charter is considered valid.

The rest of the Charter Form is used to collect officer information. As stated above, every club must have a president (or equivalent) and a treasurer (or equivalent). The first field in each section, Title, is where you write your officers' titles (i.e. President, Vice-President, etc.). The Name space is for your officers' names. Officers are required to supply their phone numbers, email addresses, and CS Box (Box #) numbers in the spaces provided. Officers' information shall be made available to the general public, to help people contact clubs. Optional spaces have been added for additional officers your club may have.

Club Endorsement Form

The Club Endorsement Form is very important if your club wants to receive SA funds. The Student Association generally relies on the Club Endorsement Forms when calculating the amount of funds a club should be budgeted. All clubs are required submit a Club Endorsement Form. Additionally, a club must have at least five actual members (persons who request membership status on the signature sheet) before it is eligible to receive SA funds.

Filling out the Club Endorsement Form

The Club Membership Form was meant to be completed by several different people. As such, most of the fields are pretty self-explanatory. In the first space, the member's Name must be legible so that we can confirm the person's identity. Likewise, uniquely identifying information (Email address or CS Box number) must be provided in order to ensure a person's membership in the Student Association. Persons who endorse your signature sheet must also indicate their Student Status and sign in the Signature field.

The new signature sheets have two opt-in columns for club members. The first column, entitled, "Add to Mailing List?" is for students who wish to join club mailing lists. The second Check column is for people who wish to participate in your club. Remember: at least five people must check this column for your club to receive SA funds.

Club Budget Form

Clubs that wish to receive SA funds must submit ten (10) copies of their club budget, as well as cover letters for each budget form (the cover letters and budget forms should be collated and stapled). These forms will be delivered to the Finance Committee, which will then make budgeting recommendations to the senate. As of Spring 2004, we have set up a uniform budget form that will help us expedite the budgeting process. The form may seem a bit overwhelming at first, but when broken down, is much more manageable. If you need to list more items than the budget form allows, you can obtain a supplementary form online or at the SA offices.

Please note: An electronic version of the Club Budget Form is available on the SA website. The form, provided in Microsoft Excel (.xls) format, has self-calculating columns to expedite the form-completion process.

Filling out the Club Budget Form

The budget form is divided into three sections: the itemized budget list, the details section, and the budget summary. The dark gray areas are reserved for SA government use and should be left blank. The first part you should complete . before any other section . is the Club Name field. Write the current semester and year in the Term field. Instructions for the different sections are enumerated below.

Itemized Budget Section

The itemized budget list shall contain all of the items (goods and services) your club wants budgeted. Remember: you may not budget for tobacco or alcohol products. It is in your best interest to prioritize your budget (that is, to list the most important items at the top of your budget, and the less-important ones toward the bottom). When reducing a clubs budget, the Finance Committee will try to eliminate items at the bottom of list first.

The first column, entitled Budget Item, is for a name or short description of the item for which you are budgeting. The first item, operating costs, has already been listed for you. The second field, Quantity, is for the number of items you wish to purchase. For most service fees, quantity shall be one. Unit Price is the price for a single item. In the Total column, you shall write the complete price for the budgeted item (Unit Price multiplied by Quantity). If the quantity of items is one, the value in the Total column will be the same as the Unit Price for that item.

At the bottom of the budget list is a window labeled Budget Total. Sum the values in the Total column and write that value in the Budget Total window. This is the full cost of all the items (goods and services) that your club has budgeted. Transcribe this value into the first window of the Summary Fund Allocation section at the bottom of the budget form.

Budget Detail Section

The operating costs and travel costs have been separated from the itemized budget list for reasons of organization. The two Costs Detail sections are located in the middle of the form, just below the budget list. The Operating Costs Detail section is where you will budget for a TCC account and such. The Travel Costs Detail is for clubs that plan to have travel expenses paid for by the SA.

The Operating Costs Detail is where you list expenses associated with club operation. These costs include TCC fees, Printer Charges, and SA Copier Costs. The columns in this section are the same as those in the itemized budget list, above. As above, the Total column must be summed and that value written in the Subtotal window provided. You must also enumerate your club's operating costs in the budget list (it has already been listed as item 01 on the list).

The Travel Costs Detail requires a little more information than the previous section. Remember to prioritize your trips on the form. Van rental costs differ depending on from whom you rent. You will have to contact the organization (Gym or Physical Plant) to determine its charges. The SA will also allot up to five dollars per Diem for each student going on the trip. For assistance contact the SA Chief Financial Officer.

Once you calculate the Total for each trip, you must calculate the Subtotal for travel expenses. Simply sum the Total column to obtain the Subtotal for Travel Costs. You must then list Travel Expenses as an item on the budget list at the top half of the Club Budget Form.

The Club Budget Cover Letter

The Club Budget Form does not have enough room for you to fully express "whys and wherefores" of your budget. You are therefore required to include a cover letter with your budget form. In your letter, you should discuss what your club did in the previous semester, your plans for the upcoming semester, and why you requested the items in your budget. Be specific . do not be afraid to refer directly to items in the budget (that is why the list is numbered). You should also discuss your plans for supplementary sources of income (fund-raising plans, etc.). The cover letter will be your first step when defending your budget, so remember to keep it clear and concise.

Club Constitution

All SANMIMT clubs must have a Club Constitution on file with the SA. Normally, your club must only submit a constitution at the beginning of the fall term. All new clubs must submit a constitution when chartering, regardless of season. Before a club becomes chartered, its constitution has to be reviewed and approved by the SA Supreme Court.

Your constitution is the governing document under which your club functions. It dictates, among other things, how often your club meets and how you elect your officers. Your Club Constitution does not have to be very complicated. The SA requires that a few things be included in a Club Constitution. For ease of explanation, a sample Club Constitution is available on the SA website.

For More Assistance

Club chartering can become a potentially overwhelming experience, especially at the start of a semester. The Student Association has done its best to make club chartering as quick and painless as possible. Additional budget and chartering information is available on the SA website. You can also obtain additional forms online.

If you prefer to speak directly to a person, you may visit the SA offices. SA officers keep regular office hours and would be happy to answer any questions you may have. You can also contact members of the SA via email. Below is a list of a few people whom you may contact for assistance.