"How To" for Starting a New SCI Chapter

Rather than hijack another thread I thought I’d start a discussion on the following topic:

How do you go about starting a new SCI chapter?

I’ve read that Skyline has been successful in this with the new Manitoba Chapter and I’m sure some of you others out there might be equally well versed in the subject.
I’m interested in opening either a spinoff of the existing Bavarian Chapter of the SCI or a New “Expatriate Chapter” for all of us Americans living in Germany. The existing Bavarian chapter is a German organization with little or no ties to the expatriate hunters here. They are also a predominately Africa focused chapter, which isn’t in line with the interests of my hunters.
Any information you can provide me on this subject would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Macs,

You can contact SCI Chapter Services and they will send you a package on how to start a chapter. It includes all of the 'evil' paperwork and a list of suggestions that are a result of previous chapter start ups and what has been learned from going through the process. If you check out the SCI website and the Chapter information there are a bunch of contact people listed. I believe you will also have to work through the regional International Representative for Europe and I would imagine the Bavaria chapter has his contact information or again, you could get it directly from SCI Chapter Services.

The single most important thing is that you need to round up a core group of individuals that are willing to run for the chapter boards positions and that you can depend on to get the chapter off the ground. This is vitally important. You should also try to have at least 20 to 25 people who are willing to join the chapter and SCI if they are not already members.

You can then have an initial start up meeting and once you have a consensus to form the new chapter and have elected the new board you will forward the charter and paperwork to SCI to have the chapter approved at an SCI Board Meeting. That is basically how it works and again the initial start up and your success will depend heavily on the group of people you pull together to get things off the ground.

Once your chapter and name have been approved you can move forward to planning and fund raiser and establishing chapter projects that further conservation and hunter advocacy.

There are a lot of other things that I can fill you in on and I would be happy to do so, having just gone through the process, but it would probably be more appropriate via e-mail instead of on the forum. Hopefully this has been of some use.

I couldn't agree more with what Kelly wrote. Running a SCI membership requires hard work, dedicated Board Members and members to open there pocket book for the fundraising events.