HOW TO START A UNIVERSITY CHAPTER OF THE MARS SOCIETY

*NOTE: This is meant to be a rough guide only. Depending upon your specific

situation, you may or may not be able to pursue all of the options listed.

1. Contact the International Organization:

a) Contact HQ (Maggie Zubrin -- Mzubrin@aol.com) for a member list & some

brochures in your geographic area. You must include the appropriate USA

zip-codes or Canadian province or country for Maggie to get you correct information.

Contact the people on

this list first thing with your plan to start a chapter.

b) contact your regional coordinator at

http://home.marssociety.org/outreach/ [none assigned as of this writing]

d) introduce yourself to the Chapter Council:

http://chapters.marssociety.org/council/

council@chapters.marssociety.org or mschaptercouncil@egroups.com

2. Pre-Cursors to First Meeting:

a) speak individually with any engineering or science (general astronomy is

a REAL plus) professors whom you think might be interested in the Mars

Society

b) talk with the leaders of related student organizations at the university

and see if any of their members would be interested in organizing a chapter

c) if you do get others willing to help, enlist their aid -- delegate and

divide the labor to avoid burnout

d) if allowed, provide a brief (5 min) presentation advertising your first

chapter meeting to those interested -- professors' classes, student

organizations, etc.

e) speak with the student organization office at your university about

establishing a recognized student club / also speak with Maggie Zubrin about

the legalities of this

3. Advertising the First Meeting:

a) make up fliers based off material from the Mars Society brochures and

website -- distribute these fliers around campus (posting to bulletin boards

and possible handouts in classes with approval)

b) advertise through other student organizations (see above)

c) advertise through the local student newspaper or even the local radio

station

4. The First Meeting:

a) provide materials to distribute and catch attendees' interest...

* brochures & fliers, signup sheets -->

http://home.marssociety.org/outreach/public/

* copy of the Mars Petition --> http://www.thinkmars.net/petition

* copy of Zubrin's books "The Case for Mars" and "Entering Space" (display

only)

b) if you are a good public speaker, give the introductory Mars Society talk yourself

b.1)available from Society HQ on 35 mm slides,

b.2)or you may print from

http://www.marssociety.org/content/presentations.asp

b.3)or assemble your own presentation from

http://www.marssociety.org/interactive/mars_charts.asp

c) if you are unsure of yourself, see if there is a nearby member in your

region willing to come in and help you kick-start your chapter

5. Follow-Through:

a) before breaking up the first meeting, set the next meeting so all

interested will know

b) set an agenda for the next meeting

* if possible, have a speaker lined up

* have ideas ready to suggest for the next meeting's agenda

c) start an email list AND USE IT!

d) record and post minutes!

GOOD LUCK!!!

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

Assembled for the Mars Society Chapters Council,

CopyRight ( C ) 2000 by Mars Society Chapters Council