ASB needs to adjust club member mandatory minimums

Another 16 new clubs have been approved by ASB this school year, adding to the 42 carried over from last year.

But this approval is conditional — each club must have at least 11 members at every meeting to avoid getting cut. The 11-member figure is one less than the 12 required members clubs needed last year, but it’s still not ideal.

To be fair, the club member quota policy was enacted with good intentions: It’s a tangible way for ASB to monitor which clubs are making a concrete impact on campus.

However, while the member quota can measure a club’s appeal to students, it doesn’t truly assess the magnitude of a club’s impact. Through these mandatory minimums, ASB can potentially axe clubs that appeal to  smaller niche groups of passionate, committed audiences.

If, say, only 10 students on campus are American history buffs and want to create a club for their interests, ASB would have no other option than to shut it down if it follows its stated rules, no matter how enthusiastic the 10 members are about the subject.

So how can ASB fix this problem? For one thing, they shouldn’t completely retract the member quota policy — it does a fairly good job maintaining club legitimacy by preventing club officers from hosting terrible, unappealing meetings. But instead of universally enforcing club quotas, ASB should balance it with another club requirement that gauges member enthusiasm instead of member attendance.  

The ASB claims that throughout the year, they will randomly drop in during club meetings to evaluate a club’s performance. If they are already monitoring clubs through unannounced visits to check on student turnout, they can surely determine whether  a club is delivering on its club mission during meetings as well. Are members talking about topics related to the club? Are they just hanging out and eating lunch? Does each meeting have a real purpose?

In addition to the meeting minutes club secretaries must fill out every time a club meets, they should also complete a form that describes the club members’ enthusiasm for the club’s activities in more detail. That way, ASB won’t shut down small clubs that can have a big impact on students.