“From now on, choosing my successor is the most import decision I’ll make.  It occupies a considerable amount of thought almost every day.”

 
There’s a popular story about Sigmund Freud.  It says that some of his admirers asked him if there was any hope for humanity.  Could humanity rise out of barbarism or would superstition, nationalism, and humanity’s love of simple, emotional solutions always reign supreme?  He answered that “The voice of the intellect is a soft one, but it does not rest until it has gained a hearing.” 
The biggest key to the success of your group and our movement is persistence.  Yes, we must be brilliant, too.  But it often turns out that it is more difficult to persist than to be brilliant.  Being brilliant, after all, is a much better rush.

Built to last...

You may be completely revved up to start a legitimate student group at your school. You may have what it takes to create a vibrant community of young freethinkers on your campus. You may even become an active participant in the national movement. But eventually you are going to graduate.

“For years, our movement has had only a vague idea about the number of student groups in existence. Numbers have been inflated, either intentionally or unintentionally, often providing an overly optimistic picture of organized secularism on U.S. campuses; More than 40% of the secular student groups thought to exist were either wholly inactive, had only an online presence, or appeared to be the manifestation of one person's unrealized intentions to start a campus group.”

 
The vital transmission of knowledge from one generation of freethinkers to the next (Camp Quest, ca. 2003)

Generally it is easier to start a group than it is to maintain one in the long-term. Two important things to keep in mind if you want your group to last are:

• Pace yourself. If you are starting out with just a few dedicated leaders keep it simple until you have the manpower to grow. And don’t be disappointed if your group remains small. Freethinkers are a minority after all. Not every school has the potential for a secular student community numbering in the hundreds, but to the big picture small groups make a difference to the movement and can be extremely gratifying to the people who run them. 
• Make friends! Volunteer work is much more gratifying when it is tied to meaningful personal relationships. Many people join student groups because they want to meet like-minded peers.

Keep a look out for young blood!

Any new members are potential leaders. You should approach people who frequent meetings and socials and ask them about doing small tasks. Find out what people are good at and then attempt to utilize those talents.

Don’t hoard power and responsibility. The motto, If you want something done right, do it yourself, does NOT apply if you want your student group to thrive after you are long gone. Instead, live by the motto, if you want something done right, learn how to do it yourself and then teach others.

Cliché but true…