ASB getting tough on clubs

Charged with monitoring over 60 clubs, ranging from the French Club to the App Developers’ Club, the ASB has its hands full keeping up with auditing existing clubs and making room for new ones. 

This year, and continuing into next year, the ASB is taking steps to make sure dormant clubs are no longer recognized by the school.

“This year we really wanted to limit the number of clubs [because] there are always people that want to start clubs, and we want to make room for these clubs,” ASB Club Commissioner senior Tiffany Yung said. 

Though the ASB declined to provide a list of cut clubs to the Falcon, the following clubs were listed in the PTSO directory at the beginning of the school year, but are no longer listed on the ASB website: the Culinary Club, Faith Walk, Democracy Matters and Aviation Club. 

As a way of monitoring how active a club is, the ASB has implemented a new policy this semester of having club presidents turn in their club minutes, a log of what the club has been doing at each meeting. 

“[Club minutes] are required by the state auditor, and they tell us what clubs have been up to,” Yung said. “In first semester, before the club minutes, we would audit many clubs and go to their meetings just to check up on them.”

According to Yung, the transition to the new form of monitoring clubs is running more smoothly than expected.

“I think [club minutes] are pretty effective, but there are always several clubs that need several reminders to turn them in,” Yung said.

At the end of the school year, each existing club will need to fill out a form indicating whether they will remain a club for next year and include details on the next year's officers and goals.

“This is a more efficient way to identify how many clubs will continue in the next year and eliminate dead clubs that no longer want to continue or have the manpower to continue,” ASB Treasurer senior Benedict Chiu said. 

Junior class president Anup Kar said he thinks the cuts are beneficial.

“I think [cutting dormant clubs] is good,” Kar said. “If clubs are serious about what they do, then they should be following through on their responsibilities.”

Junior Eric Kao also expressed support of the recent steps taken by the ASB.

“I think a diverse amount of clubs is good, but it is necessary to get rid of the obsolete ones,” Kao said.

Additionally, the number of commissions is being cut down next year. The ASB is looking to either cut commissions or fuse two of them into one so the commissions can be more productive and effective.

Combining Homecoming commision and Spring Fling commission into a single commission was one example of how the ASB was streamlining the commission teams. 

“For the second semester, Homecoming commission doesn't really have anything to do and the same goes for the spring fling commission in the first semester,” Chiu said. ”Therefore, commissions would be more productive because they are contributing to the school all year instead of just certain parts of it. ”