Starting a Club

Step 1 –
Cycles for New Club Applications

AMS New Club Applications will be open 

• January 8th to February 8th
• June 17th to July 17th
• September 15th to October 15th

Fill out the New Clubs Application form.

Operations Committee Policy Manual is used to certify or deny new potential clubs. We recommend you thoroughly read “Section 4-Clubs Policy” prior to submitting your application.

Your application will consist of a petition attached to an application form with details of your proposed club.

• Petition with 25 UBC signatures (can be either digital or physical)
• New Club Application Form
• Tip: copy and paste the questions from the New Club Application Form in case your answers are not saved
• Tip: check spelling and grammar

After receiving the applications, the Clubs and Societies Working Group will recommend to the Operations Committee which clubs to certify.

Emails will be sent out detailing if the club was successful or unsuccessful.

If your club’s application was approved, all rights, responsibilities of a certified club apply immediately upon notification of the decision

Step 2 – Orientation

Within 60 days after receiving notice of a successful club application

Your club’s treasurer must attend a “Treasurers Orientation”. This is delivered via an asynchronous Canvas course. For more information, email vpfinance@ams.ubc.ca

Your club’s president plus one other executive must attend an “Executive Orientation”. This is delivered via an asynchronous Canvas course. For more information, email vpadmin@ams.ubc.ca

Step 3 – IGM, Constitutions & Bylaws (including election of executives)

Within 60 days after receiving notice of a successful club application

60 days after receiving notice of a successful club application, we require that clubs:

1. Host an Inaugural General Meeting (IGM) and ensure proper minutes are taken.

• Tip 1: Proper minutes must be taken at an IGM including the student numbers of all members in attendance
• Tip 2: The bylaws and executive elections must be passed by a recorded majority vote
• Tip 3: It is always good practice to create meeting agendas to be sent out prior to the meeting
• Tip 4: Quorum must be met (please refer to the Operations Committee Policy Manual for rules regarding quorum)

2. Create a set of club bylaws

3. Create a club page on CampusBase.

Questions? Email clubsadmin@ams.ubc.ca.

Step 4 – Review

After completion of step 2 and 3.

The Clubs Administrator will review your documentation (Bylaws and IGM minutes) to ensure it complies with the AMS’s frameworks.

If you pass this stage, you will be a fully certified club. If you do not pass, you will receive feedback from the Clubs Administrator.

As an AMS-constituted club, you receive many benefits to support your initiatives:

• Free room bookings in the Nest: AMS club bookings take priority over external organizations when making booking requests at the Nest.
• Financial management and legal support
• Grants and benefits: including the Club Benefit Fund (up to $10,000 in financial support)
• Equipment rentals: clubs can rent microphones, stands, portable speakers, and other A/V gear from the Commons in the lower level of the Nest
• Free boothing space in the Nest: including the annual AMS Clubs Fair in September and AMS Club Days in January