JSA Chapters

JSA chapters are at the core of every successful JSA state. Chapters hold weekly meetings, attend conventions, vote at Spring State Elections and develop an informed body of citizens within schools. If you would like to join the Junior State of America the first step involves creating a chapter. You can do this by working with the Expansion Department and following the steps in the Chapter Start Up Guide below.

The Expansion Department teams up people looking to start chapters with Expansion Agents, who help new chapters every step of the way. If you would like to contact the Expansion Department and be teamed up with an agent, go to the "Contact Us" tab and send an email to the Director of Expansion. It will also be very helpful to you follow the steps below.

Abridged Version of the Chapter Start up Guide (for the full version please visit http://jsa.org/) 

Step One:  

Contact the Junior State National Headquarters to obtain copies of the Junior State Handbook, a tax form, and current literature that describes the organization and upcoming events in detail.  Use these materials when you explain the program to interested students, teachers, and ad- ministrators at your school.  Having printed mate- rial in hand makes it easier to describe and promote the program.  Show this literature to all of your friends, even if you think they “wouldn’t be interested in this sort of thing.”  You might be surprised at their responses. 

Step Two:

Every chapter must have a teacher-advisor.  Your teacher/advisor will accompany your chapter to conventions and attend chapter meetings as well as offer valuable advice.  Your teacher/ advisor is your link to the school administration; teachers can help explain to your administration exactly what your chapter is doing.  Make sure that he or she will actively work with you and not just provide an official signature whenever one is needed. If you are having trouble finding a teacher/ advisor, your social studies department chair, counselor, principal or activites director may be able to help you.  Some teachers may feel they have too little time to devote to the organization. Emphasize that it is a student-run organization and most of the work will be done by you and the other student leaders of the chapter.  Review the Junior State Handbook and skim through the Chapter Binder with potential teacher/advisors and suggest that they contact the Junior State office for any additional information and assistance.

Organize a Founders’ Meeting: Call a well-planned meeting of all interested students to organize your chapter.  This “Founders’ meeting” should include your teacher/ advisor and three or four people who will help you put the chapter together. 

Get approval from your administration Talk with your principal and director of stu- dent activities.  Get their approval for the proposed chapter as an extra-curricular activity.  Once sold on the value of the Junior State, administrators can be very helpful and will often become strong supporters of the organization once they see what it can accomplish and do for the school. Do not make the mistake of trying to work around your administration.  Many chapters have been hampered by principals and other administrators who did not understand the Junior State. Become familiar with school policies, rules, and procedures — whose approval you need, how to get equipment or a place to meet, forms that need to filled out. On most campuses, new clubs must submit their chapter constitution for student government approval. 

Approach your student government officials with your proposed chapter.  Get their support as they are potential members and may be a source of financial support.  You will need a charter as an official extra-curricular activity and a student council that will look out for your interests when scheduling school-wide events.

Step Six:

Get other student leaders at your school interested in the Junior State.  Speak to government, speech, and history classes and tell them about the organization.  Approach the Honor Society, Debate Team, Journalism Staff, ethnic clubs and other groups on campus.  Ask your teachers if they know students who would be interested.  Be sure to not only recruit one kind of member — aim for diversity.  Remember, all students have opinions and can contribute to your chapter, so try to get students of every type to join. Getting rid of the idea that your chapter is only for a certain type of student can be difficult later, so it is best to achieve diversity in your chapter in its early stages.  For a thorough look at chapter publicity, see the section in this binder entitled “Publicity”. members can see that you are organized.

Step Seven:

Writing a chapter Constitution: Every chapter needs to write a constitution. For information on how to write this constitution please refer to the Junior State Handbook, which will provided a detailed explanation. Your Chapter Constitution should be mailed to JSA national office. Unless you hear back quickly, you can assume that it has been approved.

Step Eight:

Organize your First Meeting: Call a well planned meeting of all your potential members.  This meeting should be de- signed to promote your new Junior State chapter and also get the chapter organized for the year to come.  Make sure that this meeting is interesting and productive so that potential members can see that you are organized. 

Step Nine:

Collect and send your annual state taxes of $3.00 per member to the Junior State Office. Send your ratified constitution to the Junior State Office; remember to save a copy for your records. Upon receipt of your taxes for at least eight members, your chapter will be officially a part of the Junior State. Elect your chapter officers and set up a chapter calendar of events. 

Step Ten:

Start Having Chapter Activities: Publicize the establishment and chartering of your chapter in school and community newspapers. Seek community support from organizations like the Kiwanis Club, Optimist Club, Rotary Club, Lions Club and the League of Women Voters. Start recruiting chapter leaders for the years to come.  All of your work thus far will be worthless if the chapter disappears when you graduate.  Encourage underclassmen to attend Junior State conferences and to help in planning chap- ter events.  By training them now, you can count on them to take over the chapter when you leave.