SEDS-USA College Chapter Starter Guide Version 2.0 July, 1994 Table of Contents I. The Chapter Starter Kit II. Introduction to SEDS and SEDS-USA III. The Structure of SEDS-USA IV. Chapter Basics V. Using Your Campus "Home" VI. Programming and Activities VII. Publicity and Advertising VIII. Communications: Computer Networks IX. Communications: Conventional Means X. Finances XI. Membership XII. The First Meeting: Pre-Meeting Organization XIII. The First Meeting: The Event XIV. Technical Projects XV. Chapter Constitution Published by Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, United States of America (SEDS-USA) Division of Publicatons Version 2.0 July, 1994 If you have any questions or comments, please send them to: SEDS-USA Division of Chapter Affairs Room W20-445 77 Massachusetts Ave. Cambridge, MA 02139 I. The Chapter Starter Kit Introduction This section is an introduction to this Chapter Starter Kit and how to use it. It includes contents of the Kit, notes on formatting, the uses of the folder, and ways you can alter it to fit your needs as you start your chapter. It is suggested that you read through the Starter Guide completely before initiating action. Note: this is the electronic version of the College Chapter Starter Guide. To see the complete kit, you man look on the SEDS web page (the URL is http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/seds/seds.html) or request a kit from the current Director of Chapter Expansion. II. Introduction to SEDS and SEDS-USA Introduction This section explains what SEDS and SEDS-USA is. It details the history and goals of SEDS in general, and explains what SEDS-USA chapters and members are. History of In the early 1980's, SEDS was founded on the campuses of the SEDS Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Princeton University to bring together students sharing a common enthusiasm - the concept of human expansion into outer space. SEDS has grown over the years into an international society with over 60 chapters worldwide. SEDS-USA is joined by UK-SEDS, SEDS-Canada and other chapters in Australia, Philippines, Russia, Taiwan and Uruguay. Goals of SEDS SEDS (Students for the Exploration and Development of Space) is primarily an educational organization, whose aim is to bring a wider understanding of the issues, the science and the technology behind humankind's exploration and use of space. This includes the members of the SEDS chapter as well as the community to which they belong. SEDS also seeks to give students and young people a launch pad into the space community. SEDS-USA and SEDS-USA is a federation of student space societies located Its Chapters throughout the United States and its territories. SEDS-USA's purpose is to unite chapters to move towards common goals, provide a central contact point for SEDS chapters, to facilitate communication between chapters, and to keep track of SEDS and space-related activities around the world. Members of SEDS-USA are members through their chapter. Chapters are composed of students or young people just making their way in the space community. SEDS-USA chapters are the heart of this organization. The success of SEDS-USA can be directly attributed to the success of its constituent chapters. Individual IDMs are members of SEDS-USA who do not belong to local Members chapters or wish to receive more benefits than a chapter member. There are three different categories of IDMs: Chapter, Student (non-chapter), and Non-Student. Chapter IDMs get personal copies of the SEDS-USA newsletter. Non- Chapter Student IDMs are the launch pad for new SEDS-USA chapters. They also get a newsletter and mailings encouraging them to start a new chapter. Non-student IDMs are usually alumni or older space community members who are interested in SEDS' goals. They get a newsletter and other benefits as well. Youth SEDS is the world's only youth-dedicated international space Involvement society. There are many space societies around the world but their leadership tend to be composed of accomplished and senior space professionals. SEDS in composed strictly of students and is a space interest group, not a professional society. All decisions and policies are determined by students, and all work is done by students. As a young person, SEDS is the only space society that will allow you to play an active and vital role in its future; it is our distinguishing quality. A fundamental principle behind SEDS is that one learns best by doing. We apply this by giving youth a chance to get valuable experience working with other SEDS members and industry professionals. You will find that you will make contacts and friends that last a lifetime. III. The Structure of SEDS-USA Introduction Before discussing how to set up your chapter, it is helpful to know more about the large-scale structure of SEDS-USA. This section explains the purposes and duties of various leadership organizations within SEDS-USA. The Executive The Executive Board of SEDS-USA is made up of the Chair, the Board Vice-Chair, and seven directorships. The Chair is responsible for coordinating the directorships and representing SEDS-USA to the outside world. The Vice-Chair represents the Executive Board to the Board of Advisors, and assumes the Chair if the current Chair is ill or resigns. The seven directorships are: Finance, Chapter Affairs, Chapter Expansion, Publications, Educational Outreach, Special Projects, and High School Affairs. Each directorship is headed by a director who coordinates the actions of a committee. The Executive Board is responsible for SEDS-USA business, and acting on chapter desires. The Executive Board is elected by the chapters every year. The Council of The Council of Chapters is composed of Chapter Representatives, Chapters elected by the individual chapters. The Chapter Representatives express their chapter's views on the Council by voting on issues and ensuring the Executive Board is doing its job satisfactorily. The Council is one place where members can make their opinions known on a given issue. The chapters, through their representatives on the Council, have ultimate authority over the Executive Board. Meetings of the Council happen rarely, but communication is maintained between members of the Council. The Board of The Board of Advisors (sometimes referred to as the BoA) is a Advisors committee made up of SEDS alumni, space industry professionals, and other interested adults. They provide guidance, support and continuity for SEDS-USA, and advise the Executive Board on matters brought before them. The vice-chair of the Executive Board is the liaison to the Board of Advisors, providing a path for communication between the two groups. The BoA is appointed for terms as established in the SEDS-USA Bylaws, currently set at three years. Regional There exist regional organizations which provide more cohesive Organizations support for chapters at a local level. Such bodies are very effective for developing projects, events or activities that no single chapter could do alone. These local SEDS organizations have been developed by chapters which are geographically close or share common interests. Current regional SEDS bodies include California SEDS (or CalSEDS) and TexSEDS. SEDS-USA The leaders of SEDS-USA are there for you. They want to hear Leadership your ideas and input on any issue you feel need to be addressed. Most of the SEDS leadership are involved in their chapter leadership, and all the students of course have their load of course work and exams. The main thing is to persistent. The leadership positions also come up for yearly re-election, so if you want to make a difference, run for an office! It is a very rewarding experience. IV. Chapter Basics Introduction The most important time in the history of your chapter will be its earliest days. If you succeed during this time, you will be well on your way to creating a permanent organization at your host institution. In the first few months, you and the other charter members of your chapter will need to create the support structure required for your chapter to build upon in the future. SEDS-USA will advise and intervene only if consulted or if a chapter is moving away from the spirit and goals of SEDS. SEDS-USA will strive, in any way possible, to assist chapters in communicating with each other, creating new programs, or finding resources. Other Each chapter operates according to the rules and regulations, Institutions not only of SEDS-USA, but of their host institutions and the wishes of its members. It is important to remember all of the organizations that you will be interfacing with as a chapter. For example, SEDS-USA requires three chapter designates, of which the chapter representative may or may not be one. Your chapter rep will probably also represent your chapter to any regional organizations and other SEDS-USA chapters. Student Group You, as a chapter leader, should be very aware of a problem Problems common to all student groups, not just SEDS. Our membership is primarily students, and students are notoriously lacking in two major resources: time and money. Unfortunately, these are often prime ingredients for any successful group. Possibilities for funding are covered in Section VIII. Also, SEDS members should always remember that they are students first and foremost and that their academic careers must have priority over SEDS activities. Chapter SEDS-USA chapters can exist either independently or as Affiliations chapters of other organizations. Affiliations may not change the fundamental relationship with SEDS-USA, however. For example, some SEDS-USA chapters are also chapters of the National Space Society. A pre-existing club or society, such as a astronomy, engineering or physics club may join SEDS-USA as a chapter. SEDS-USA must always be informed of any affiliations with other organizations. Chapter The chapter responsibilities that SEDS-USA set forth are as Responsi- follows: bilities - When your chapter begins, a signed letter of intent by the chapter to commit itself to the responsibilities below: - Twice-yearly reports from each SEDS-USA chapter informing the national leadership of what your chapter is doing. Note: very active chapters tend to submit reports more often than that. - Someone who will actively participate in national business, (i.e. the chapter representative) and three chapter designates. - Each chapter should also be able to volunteer its address as a contact point for SEDS-USA. - Pay annual chapter dues to SEDS-USA. V. Using Your Campus "Home" Introduction A great boon to new and existing SEDS chapters can be found in creating a positive relationship with the student union or student government. You will find that the people in the offices that coordinate student activities can solve nearly any problem you face in starting your chapter. Get to know the members of your campus administration as people. If you take the time to explain, they may become interested in SEDS and its activities and go out of their way to help you and support the group's endeavors. Always remember to approach these people with courtesy and respect. Administration Though many campuses are different, you will most likely need and Paperwork to take care of the following: - File a SEDS Constitution with your host institution, (more about this in section XV) - Fill out campus registration forms, - Attend student/union government committee meetings. Your SEDS chapter's establishment, continuance and campus-wide reputation are all directly related to your chapter's handling of these responsibilities. Facilities and Campuses may have various services and facilities for student Resources groups. A little research, time and effort could supply your chapter with the following: - Office space and mailboxes, - Financial assistance, - Meeting rooms, - Printing and copying, - Audio/Visual equipment, - Computer accounts. Responsibilities come with each of these, but through organization and distribution of responsibilities, challenges can be met with few complications. Other Space Sometimes, your new chapter will have to compete for resources Groups and members because there are other space groups on campus already. One option is to merge your two groups so that they become a chapter of SEDS-USA and of the other organization. In this case, be sure that SEDS-USA is aware of your joint chapter status. Another option is to meet with the other group to discuss the focus of each organization. When you leave, be sure that you and the other chapter's leaders know which activities each group will sponsor so that there is minimal overlap. Be sure to continue communication with that and other chapters. In all cases, cooperation and friendly relations are very important for the health of all space organizations on campus. VI. Programming and Activities Introduction Good programming and activities in the early days of your chapter are essential to your chapter's eventual success. A successful first year of well-planned and executed activities will establish a strong and devoted membership for the group and greater community awareness. This will lead to more exciting activities in the years to come. A team of chapter members assigned to pursue, plan, and schedule these activities is the best way to accomplish good programming for your chapter events. No publicity campaign can boost your chapter's campus visibility more than by having a worthwhile program of activities and events. Doing a job well is the very best form of advertising. Ideas for - Speakers/Guest Lecturers: local professors; researchers; Activities space industry professionals; government/NASA and Programs officials; authors (space history, sci-fi, etc.); astronauts; your chapter advisor. - Research/Educational: design contests; star parties/astronomical event observing sessions; model rocketry; technical projects. - Social/Entertainment: pizza or ice cream parties; science fiction film parties; shuttle launch parties (viewed on TV). - Field Trips/Tours: planetariums; observatories; industrial, research and academic facilities; IMAX, OMNI theatres; museums; shuttle launches/landings; rocket launches. - Fundraising: soliciting funding from corporations; SEDS merchandising (T-shirts, folders, mugs, etc.); space-a-thons. - Campus/Community Events: campus space art contests (best pictures can be put on a t-shirt or used for posters with artist's permission); high school educational events; environmental activities ("Mission to Planet Earth"); radio, newspaper or TV interviews with astronauts, space officials, industry leaders, etc.; conferences; science fairs. - Joint Efforts with Other Campus Organizations: other campus groups (astronomy, physics, math, chemistry, music, art, etc.); national or international space societies. Further Brain- This is by no means a complete list. We encourage you to lead Storming your group in a brain-storming session to come up with new ideas. We'd love to hear any ideas you come up with! VII. Publicity and Advertising Introduction SEDS-USA chapters should use the excitement of their subject of interest - space - in a positive and respectful manner in promoting and developing their campus image. Good advertising is essential for a strong chapter; your ads should be placed in busy areas. Always include the place, date and time for any event notices. If you include a telephone number, make sure there is a person or answering machine there to take any calls. There are some ideas below that will help you get started: Ideas for - Asking artistic members to design poster announcements will Publicity and give you that "professional" look and gives a Advertising favorable first impression. Plaster posters on all buildings on your campus, especially buildings where students socialize most often. Also, banners are very effective and serve as very large posters. Always check with student activities to see where it is appropriate to hang posters or banners. Posters also benefit from an added picture or graphic like the Space Shuttle or Saturn - something to catch the eye of the passerby. The use of large lettering describing what the event is about in exciting terms. (for example: "Interested in Space? Help launch our SEDS chapter!") - A SEDS "start up" announcement article in the campus newspaper with the names and phone numbers of contact people for those interested in becoming involved will raise the groups visibility. Subsequent periodical articles on space-related topics will keep the visibility going and will attract new students. - Use any other campus media (radio, TV, magazines, events calendars, etc.) aggressively. See if you can get advertising donated or set up radio or TV programs. You can also set up a bulletin board near the student union or other heavily trafficked areas showing upcoming events. - Advertise on Electronic Bulletin Boards (or BBSs) or electronic newsgroups. Be sure to follow netiquette when posting ads or events notices. Make sure newsgroups are local to your area before posting to them. More Ideas As before with the programs and activities section, we suggest that you develop within your own group new ideas that maybe your group can better accomplish. When you do, SEDS-USA would like to know what your group is doing so other chapters can try their hand at it. VIII. Communications: Computer Networks Introduction Many SEDS-USA chapters, in utilizing resources available through their host institutions, have derived tremendous benefits by accessing the international computer networks (e.g. Internet, Janet). These networks provide a means for finding out what is going on in the space world and communicating between SEDS-USA chapters and other groups. For example, the Executive Committee holds biweekly teleconferences via telnet utility. The "SEDS-L", SEDS-USA has its own mailing lists. They are the SEDS-L, "SEDSNEWS", SEDSNEWS, and SEDSEXEC. The SEDS-L has information and "SEDSEXEC" concerning business and general communication for SEDS-USA. To subscribe to the SEDS-L, send an email message to "listserv@tamvm1.tamu.edu", leaving the subject line blank, and write "SUB SEDS-L [your username]". To post a message to the -L, just send your post to "seds-l@tamvm1.tamu.edu" or simply post using your local newsreader. Or, to subscribe to SEDSNEWS, send an email message to the same address as above with the subject line blank, this time with the message "SUB SEDSNEWS [your username]". News and information cross-posted from other space-related newsgroups gets posted to SEDSNEWS. The SEDSEXEC mailing list is for the National Executive Board and the presidents of SEDS chapters. If your chapter would like to subscribe, send a message to jeff@astron.mit.edu asking that your chapter be included on the SEDSEXEC mailing list. FTP Sites There exist a number of FTP sites from which you can access information for your chapter. NASA has an FTP site at "ames.arc.nasa.gov" from which NASA information summaries and images can be obtained. SEDS-USA has its own anonymous FTP site from which SEDS information and images can be obtained. The address is: "seds.lpl.arizona.edu". World Wide Web There is also a home page on the WWW for SEDS-USA. The URL is "http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/seds/seds.html". It is being constantly updated and contains new and accurate information about SEDS-USA. It also introduces SEDS-USA to those who are not familiar with our organization. Electronic Email is one of the most important tools that SEDS-USA Mail members use to keep in contact with each other. The address (e-mail) for the Executive Board is "sedsexec@athena.mit.edu". This is a list that will send mail to all members of the Executive Board. There is a list of the Executive Board members and their email addresses as well as their postal addresses and their phone numbers on a sheet included with the Kit. For more information about the computer networks, just email "seds@seds.lpl.arizona.edu". Computer We suggest that you first get access to the Internet if you Communications don't already have it. From there you can communicate with Within Your others in your club, region or SEDS-USA. We also suggest that Chapter you compile an electronic mailing list of your members and other interested people. A local newsgroup can provide a forum for debate and discussion about space-related issues. IX. Communications: Conventional Means Introduction The other means of communicating within SEDS are more conventional and easier to access for many people. Newsletters Each chapter in SEDS-USA receives a monthly newsletter either published by SEDS-USA or by another newsjournal. Currently SEDS-USA has a special SEDS section in the Journal of Space Development published by the Houston Space Society. Regional organizations may also publish their own newsletters dealing with local issues and events. Most chapters publish their own newsletters to keep their members informed of upcoming events. Telephone Communicating by telephone is expensive over long distances, but calling chapter members to remind them of upcoming events or meetings is extremely effective. One method of doing this is a phone tree. Each member is assigned two people to call, starting at the top with a single person, usually the secretary, and working downward until all the members are included. If someone cannot be reached, then the person calls the two people below the absent person on the tree. Postal Mail Postal mail is fairly self-explanatory. It is a desired medium for regional organizations who cannot visit each other or call because it is too expensive. Even large and complex conferences have come together through the US mail. Direct Above all means of communication listed above, including the Communication computer networks, direct face-to-face communication is the best form of all. Whenever possible, go to talk with those who you want to communicate with. Within regions and chapters, this is much easier than with the entire national organization as we are students and typically don't have expansive budgets. X. Finances Introduction Speakers, trips, publicity and other activities cost money. Some SEDS chapters have substantial annual budgets, which allow them to own their own computer(s), video and book libraries, publications, telescopes, or even to pay travel expenses for members going to conferences. This is the result of careful planning, budgeting, fundraising, and bookkeeping. Campus Support Campus organizations can provide funding or equipment donations for your SEDS chapter. Most campuses have a student union or student government, residence hall associations, Dean of Students or Student Activities, or staff members hired by the university to coordinate student activities. They will usually want a detailed item-by-item budget, with the number of students you plan to involve. Sometimes, campus organizations have travel or special events grants that may be used by your chapter. Thank you letters will encourage future donations of money, equipment or time. Membership Your chapter may want to consider charging a modest (3 to 5 Fees dollars) membership fee. This can be much needed source of funding for new chapters and can provide a stable income source for future endeavours. Disadvantages are that it may scare off potential members; of course, people may take it more seriously if they have a financial commitment, however small. Merchandising Your chapter can sell neat looking posters, you can get a local artist (or better yet, get an art student in your chapter) to design a poster and sell them for whatever your bookstore sells posters for. You can also sell t-shirts based on the same idea, even the same artwork. Pencils and key chains are cheap, but sell only moderately well. You can probably also contact space film producers for rights to sell space documentaries on videocassette. Soliciting Your chapter can send letters soliciting donations to alumni Donations of your school or (once it gets going) your chapter. You can also ask the various space-related departments of your college or university (e.g. engineering, astronomy, physics, math, etc.). There exist several space grant consortiums that fund space organizations like a SEDS chapter. You can also send letters to corporations in your area (esp. space-oriented). You will be surprised what local businesses will donate. Send letters of thanks immediately after you receive donations. Event Fund- Many of the events that your chapter puts on can charge a raisers nominal entry fee. The higher level the event, the higher the fee it will command. It is good to make a lot of your chapter's events be free, but people tend to think higher of events which have an entry fee. A good range is from about $1, for movie (documentary showings) to $5 for speakers and forums or debates by officials. Members get in free, of course; this gives an added incentive to join your chapter. Bookkeeping It is very important that your chapter keeps records of your finances. This can lead to further funding and confidence in the chapter. Some of the organizations that will support your chapter may require rigorous financial records anyway. Important points to be included are: - Monies raised or solicited, - Equipment inventoried or owned, - Status of the chapter's treasury, - Make sure that your income reflects your expenses. If you keep the records as you go along in the year, it makes it less of a pain at the end of the year. Also, try to pace your spending to match the year's length, unless you have large events that require lots of money at one time. Bank Accounts It is suggested that your chapter sets up a bank account soon after it is chartered. It is generally a good idea to get a savings account so that the chapter can earn extra money while it sits in storage. At some universities, bank accounts can be set up through the student government or student affairs office. This also helps with bookkeeping, as banks will send you regular statements. XI. Membership Introduction The membership forms the backbone of your chapter and provides a pool of resources and time to draw upon. It is important that as a chapter leader you stay in touch with the membership and make sure they are happy with what the chapter is doing. Students will be the primary membership with older members in advisory positions. You will have to actively seek out members and keep them once you have found them. Member Potential SEDS members can be found almost anywhere you look. Backgrounds Members can be undergraduates, graduates and even post-docs. Most of the members of your chapters will be from the sciences directly involved with space travel and exploration, but there will most likely be a lot of interest from other majors. Be careful not to exclude any of these members accidentally, as they can provide a healthy balance to the chapter and help out in different ways. In a lot of chapters for example, there are political science, biology, art, literature, business, chemistry and engineering majors. Any posters, promotional materials or articles should reflect the diversity of your chapter. Please see Who Should be Allowed to Join? on the next page. Membership Membership drives are useful tools for increasing the size of Drives your chapter. They can be in the form of an event (free, of course) that exposes people to what your chapter does. Pre-existing university events such as a club day or freshman orientation will give your chapter an opportunity to solicit members and develop its image on campus. A specific goal will often help motivate chapter members during any membership drives. Membership When soliciting new members at events, make sure all interested Rosters parties give you their name, a useful point of contact (e.g. e-mail, phone, campus mail), plus any special interests. Remind them that signing in is not an obligation to join. Some chapters have sign-in sheets for every meeting so they don't miss any new people. Keep a similar constantly updated record of all those who attend your chapter's meetings, and inform the entire roster of upcoming events, activities and meetings. Who Should be Although the organization is called Students for the Allowed to Exploration and Development of Space, the general philosophy Join? behind SEDS is that it is open to young people just making their way in the space community. If there are older people that are interested, ask them if they would like to be advising members of your chapter. XII. The First Meeting: Pre-Meeting Organization Introduction The preparations you make before your chapter's first meeting are as important as what happens during the session. The following is a suggested planning outline which has proven successful for SEDS-USA chapters many times in the past. References will sometimes be made to earlier sections, the duplication is for clarity. Distributing Contact a few friends who share your interest in space and Responsi- hold an informal meeting on chapter start up. Introduce them bilities to SEDS, explain what our goals are and invite them to join you in starting a chapter. Show them the materials you have received from SEDS-USA. They will probably volunteer to help out before you ask, but if they don't do your best to enlist their aid with planning the first meeting. Seek out faculty help for the group. Ask them for input on the first meeting and invite them to attend. Meeting Site You and your group of volunteers should carefully decide on a time for your first meeting. Weekdays or weeknights are often best, some universities have an afternoon set aside for student club events. Be sure to avoid conflicts such as class, recitation, other club events, sports events, or parties. Decide on someone among you to find and reserve a room for the meeting. A room in the student union or activities center is ideal. Other alternatives include classrooms or auditoriums. Make sure that the location that you choose is in a central location. Information about room reservations can be obtained from your student union or campus scheduling office. Advertising With a room, date and time in hand, now is the time to begin your first SEDS "Ad Campaign". A successful ad campaign will be the difference between having a small or large turnout and will help to make people aware, interested and supportive of the group. Put posters that you have created (see section VII) on buildings all over campus. Using posters or banners is of higher quality than a hastily scribbled note tacked on a bulletin board or blackboard. Be sure to include all information needed to convey your message. Get the poster photocopied on high quality paper; brightly colored paper always helps. Be sure to have the posters up at least 3-5 days before the meeting. See Section VII for more details. Activities Plan some exciting activities to get people to come and enthuse those who are there about space and space exploration. See the list in Section VI. for ideas. XIII. The First Meeting: The Event Introduction When the day of the meeting finally arrives, you will want to have firm ideas in mind about the way it is to be run. The first meeting should not be as much a formal presentation as it should be a chance for people to meet each other, generate enthusiasm, and discuss activities your new chapter might want to pursue. Below are some tips that will save you some frustration and problems with your group. Agenda An important tool for staying on track at meetings is a written agenda prepared beforehand. This prevents two undesirable, possible outcomes: A meeting rambling on without end; or a meeting cut too short with important topics left out. In it, you should include a numbered list of topics you want to cover. Running Time When you write out your agenda, you may want to put in about how long each part will take to discuss. Once you have written out the time estimates for each topic, add them up and see how long your meeting runs. A good running time is 30-45 minutes. If it runs much more than that, people will become disinterested and bored. Attracting When you set up your meeting site and your agenda, it is good People to the consider how to make it attractive to those who attend. A Meeting good idea is to have soda pop and chips or other snacks available after the meeting is over, to encourage potential members to stay after the meeting and talk. You may want to have them during the meeting itself. Another good way to get people to come is to have a movie or other form of entertainment. Make sure there is enough seating for a large number of people. Running the To start off with, you should introduce yourself and the other Meeting members of the group present. Give a short presentation about SEDS and SEDS-USA, perhaps about the personal reasons you have for starting the chapter. You will find that many people at the meeting will share your feelings and enthusiasm. As soon as possible, start getting the attendees involved in the conversation. Ask them what they think the goals of the chapter should be, what activities it could undertake, and so on. Ask what types of speakers and films they want to sponsor. When the meeting is moving along, pass a sign-up sheet around the room and collect everyone's name, address, phone number, major, and class year for future planning and communication. Plans For The It is crucial that, before the meeting breaks up, you have Next Meeting those key individuals who will take on the responsibilities - in essence, the chapter's future leaders and officers. They may be the same group that gathered in the beginning, or they may be a totally different set of people. To do this, ask for a show of hands from those people who would like to help in organizing the next meeting. Ask those interested to list the roles they might like to fill in the group. Decide on the date, time and topic for the next meeting. Adjourn the meeting to the refreshments, but don't cut the meeting short - you may find your most supportive members among those who are willing to stay after the meeting and talk. After the There are many ideas and options you and your fledgling chapter Meeting may wish to consider to keep up the enthusiasm after the first meeting. You may want to utilize some of the resources listed in the next few sections to generate a foundation for your chapter's success. There is no need to "re-invent the wheel" while trying to develop your chapter, so don't hesitate to utilize these resources. At the same time, don't let the ideas here contain you: come up with some of your own original ideas or even modify those listed here to something more suited to your chapter's environment. XIV. SEDS Technical Projects Introduction Many SEDS chapters, as part of their list of activities, work on technical projects. These may be projects that they do in conjunction with a NASA facility, with space-oriented companies, or on their own. They usually involve most of the chapter members in working on the projects, thus bringing the members closer and creating real bonds together. Some are large, others are small, but all share a common advantage of "real-world" experience for the students working on them. Technical projects are sometimes difficult to set up, but they are well worth the time and effort. The following are examples of successful projects run by SEDS chapters. SEDSAT SEDSAT is a project that was developed by the members of University of Alabama-Huntsville SEDS. Their satellite is a joint effort with AMSAT (Amateur Satellite) Corp., and is designed to test the dynamics of tethers used in orbit. The SEDSAT team includes members from Taiwan as well as members from other US chapters. The satellite will be launched in 1996. ESPY ESPY is a much simpler satellite project which was developed and flown in 1993 by University of Kent SEDS in the UK. The extremely small satellite is designed to transmit simple electromagnetic data readings over amateur band radio using a speech synthesizer. The project is being undertaken jointly with the Russian SOYUZ space society (Samara branch) and with other SEDS chapters in the UK. ASPIRE ASPIRE was SEDS' entry in the July 1992 World-wide Launching Campaign held at Mourmelon, France. The vehicle was developed by four UK based SEDS branches. Following the success of the first Aspire rocket, a more powerful Aspire 2 is on the drawing boards. GAMCIT GAMCIT is a Get-Away Special project for the space shuttle being developed and managed by Caltech SEDS. It is designed to study gamma-ray bursts in the night sky and to see if there are any associated optical flashes. It is due for launch in January, 1995. UASEDS Rocket The UASEDS rocket project is being developed for launch in May, Project 1994 by the UASEDS rocket team. The team is composed of undergraduate engineering and science majors. The rocket system is engineered for practical, low-cost payloads. It is designed for flights into the upper stratosphere and mesosphere. UCCS Rocket UCCS SEDS is working on a part of a rocket project coordinated Project and funded by the NASA/Colorado Space Grant Colleges Program (CSGC). In its current phase, the design team is developing three sounding rockets designed to measure atmospheric properties at various altitudes. The UCCS team designed and built the Altitude Determination System (ADS) for the first and second rockets, and may do so for the third rocket, if approval for the third rocket is received. UCCS Satellite UCCS members are working on a satellite simulator project for Simulator the CSGC. The satellite simulator is a physical structure designed to test the reaction control systems of a satellite in the z axis. The measurements are performed by an optical sensor. The simulator is intended to simulate precise corrective ability, in tracking, and is intended to show the cost-effective potential of a single axis system with minimal complications. UAH CONCIM The Get-Away Special (GAS) team is working on a project to determine the curability of concrete in zero gravity. The GAScan is scheduled to fly in September, 1994. XV. Chapter Constitution Introduction Your chapter's constitution or charter is an important tool for insuring the continued success of your chapter after its founders have left. It should be flexible enough for future changes but remain true to its original purpose. An example constitution is included right after the main text of the Starter Guide. Below are some hints and suggestions for writing your chapter's constitution. We suggest that you get your friends together and write the constitution for approval of the rest of the chapter. Leadership It is important, before writing your constitution, that you Styles and the others who will help you decide on the leadership style you will employ. We suggested that you have elected officers who will take the responsibility for the group's activities. This prevents a floating group of semi-detached leaders who may or may not do their job. The elected president or chair of the executive committee should coordinate the efforts of the other officers. It is important not to pile to much responsibility on one person alone, as they may become overwhelmed and not be able to serve the chapter very well. Continuity The constitution should provide for continuity within the group. The responsibility for the chapter should pass to new leaders continuously. Therefore, we suggest that your chapter have elections near December, with the officers actually taking office in February or March sometime. This way, the new officers get "training" from the old officers, thus giving continuity to the leadership. Other Do not discourage new members from helping out! They can be Interested appointed to leadership positions of your chapter by executive People committee vote for example. These positions increase the ability for your chapter leadership to deliver to the needs of the rest of the chapter. Bylaws Bylaws are the operating procedure as well as the distribution of power and responsibilities among your chapter's leadership. The procedures can be handled by Robert's Rules of Order for the most part. The distribution of power and responsibilities can be handled by the constitution or your bylaws. The length of the constitution can be shortened if you put this in the by-laws. Other Notes The constitution does not have to be very long, and if it is written with a lot of foresight and anticipation, it can last a long time and provide your chapter with a valuable service. Use it as a launch pad for your chapter, don't limit the good possibilities, just the undesirable ones. For example, limit the capability of chapter leaders to take the resources for themselves, but increase the capability for the chapter to get more resources for the chapter. Use common sense and don't be afraid of creating this document. Be sure that the spirit of the constitution does not conflict with SEDS goals.