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| Maybe you want to make friends...with Richard Dawkins! |
The first question you need to ask yourself is: “Why do you want to start a group?” You will likely be asked this by future group members, by the activities office, when you table at events, etc. Thus you should have a great answer ready to go. Maybe you started the group because your school already had twenty religious groups, maybe you or someone you know experienced discrimination because of his/her worldview, or maybe you just want to meet some other nontheists at your school.
Next, what will be your group’s mission? Think about what you would like to be the unifying goals in your group. Here are some examples:
In terms of community…
“MITAAH organizes a variety of social activities throughout the year; such as pizza and movie nights, joint meetings with other groups, study breaks, and retreats.”
– Purpose, MIT Atheists, Agnostics and Humanists
“What unites us is an abiding interest in discussing profound questions from a secular perspective in the realms of religion, philosophy, politics, science and history.”
– About Us, CommonSense of Princeton University
What would you like your group to teach?
“To organize activities, such as forums for discussion, guest speakers, debates, and to educate the U of A and surrounding community about atheism and agnosticism.”
– Our Purpose, University of Arizona Atheists/Agnostics Society
“We think that it's important to correct common misconceptions of freethinkers, and to demonstrate that people can lead moral lives without religion.”
– Purpose, MIT Atheists, Agnostics and Humanists
What would you like to see your group do?
"To secure our freedom of religion and our freedom from religion; to act as a 'watchdog' to challenge any attempted breach of the wall of separation between state and church"
-- Aims and Purposes, Madison Atheists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
“…[A]cting as a focus for atheists, agnostics, and like-minded people who want to see the growth of scientific worldviews and an end to religious privilege in society.”
– About Us, Pittsburgh University Skeptics and Humanists
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| Maybe you want to change the image of atheism, like Don Sutterfield from Ohio State University |
Keep your goals clear and have in mind what actual work is required to achieve your ends. If you plan and act carefully, you may have an amazing group on your hands in no time (well, just a few months, anyhow).
What do you hope your group will eventually be able to do? Here are some common goals for new groups:
- Have a membership of over 400, with more than 100 people attending meetings each week?
- Introduce thousands of new students to the Secular movement each year?
- Hold debates and other events with big name speakers that draw audiences of over 2,000 people?
- Become a universally known presence on your campus?
- Regularly publish op-ed pieces in the campus paper that champion reason and human-based ethics?
- Send members to annual conferences of national organizations every year?
- Change a long instated policy at your school that has religious undertones?
Once you have a clear vision of what you want your group to become, it is easier to stay motivated and inspire future leaders and volunteers. This will keep your group alive long after you have graduated. Realize that the existence of a plan does not mean things will always go according to plan. There are going to be surprises. However, having a plan will help you deal with those surprises more elegantly and quickly.