Here are strategies to encourage your officers to take a risk, step up and lead.  

  • Build a positive relationship. Create an environment where club officers feel comfortable being themselves. Establish meeting rules at the beginning of the year. Ask officers to share what they want club meetings to look like. (For example: “We want members to feel welcome and to treat each other with kindness.”) Also ask how they will respond to anything challenging during club meetings. If someone feels uncomfortable or someone is not being kind, what should officers do? Use this feedback to create a guide for holding meetings — then share with members and ask for their input. 
  • Educate officers and help them bond. Use the Aktion Club Officer Guides to teach officer responsibilities. Understanding roles will help them learn how to support each other. Training is the perfect time to introduce icebreaker and teambuilder activities so officers can bond while learning about their strengths. Consider asking your sponsoring Kiwanis club or a local Circle K International club to assist with club officer training.  
  • Learn what service interests them. Conduct a community assessment using the Aktion Club Conducting a Project Survey Guide to determine needs that could be addressed by a service project. Discuss the results with officers and members to determine which needs they most want to address and what types of service projects they would like to plan.  
  • Energize the start of club meetings. Ask officers to brainstorm activities they can lead at the beginning of each meeting. Tell a joke, conduct a sing-along, dance, draw a picture, do jumping jacks — any activity Aktion Club members love to do. Rotate turns at leading the activities.  
  • Look beyond club activities and events. Encourage officers to be leaders in different settings — for example, by serving their families, friends, neighbors and other groups. Take time to discuss what it’s like to serve outside of club meetings. Ask members to share any good deeds they do on their own.  
  • Open the officer roles to more members. Some clubs get creative with the officer structure. For example, club officers might be elected for half-year terms, allowing more members to serve in those roles.  

For more helpful resources about how to empower and train your officers, visit aktionclub.org.