FALL 2023 PLANNING PAGE

As the summer is getting started, we wanted to provide you with all the details + expectations you need to know for planning for your fall semester/quarter! One of the best parts of CHAARG is that we are a National organization — present on over 110+ campuses across the United States! While every Chapter has their unique culture + traditions, it’s important that there is a consistent feel + experience across all Chapters. You will find everything you need to know for planning for the fall on this page ✨

IMPORTANT NOTES FOR PLANNING

You should have your schedules fully planned + submitted to your CLC by the deadline of 4 weeks before your semester/quarter begins. It’s important you start planning NOW so you can have everything fully planned by your deadline!

We encourage you to plan events in order of when they are happening — so an event towards the end of your semester/quarter should not be planned before one at the beginning of your semester/quarter. We understand this does not always work with instructor availability, so just keep an eye on the full picture while planning!

Check out the Summer #inCHAARG Checklist for some checkpoints on summer planning!

Want to do something different with your schedules than what is outlined on the Leadership Portal + in the required checklist?

  • Connect with your CLC + RCL to discuss!
  • The structure we have is a baseline — you can always add in new things to try that make sense for your Chapter.
  • For example, do you think students are looking for a way to connect as soon as they’re back on campus? Add in an event during the first week of recruitment!
  • You can always add in more events/activities than the standard, but please have a conversation with your CLC + RCL if you’re looking to change up any of our standards within recruitment or the flow of the semester/quarter.

While planning for your fall semester/quarter, don’t forget about these important guidebooks!

Below are some things we’ve seen Chapters do for best practices in planning this summer!

  • Checking in with each other. Your exec team meetings 1x/month will not be enough communication for planning! Use Slack to ask each other questions + update each other.
  • Communication expectations. Set expectations with each other of what you expect to see/hear from each other + when you expect to hear from each other!
  • Updating schedule. Set up a schedule of when you’re sending updates to your Ambassador on planning [we suggest every other week]!
  • Ask for help or advice when you need it. Your team + CLC will not know if you need help if you do not speak up!

Tabling Best Practices: In order for tabling to be effective, you should be following tabling best practices:

  • Standing at the table — no sitting!
  • Approach people as they’re walking by, do not wait for them to approach you
  • Have your CHAARG pitch practiced + ready
  • Advertise a specific recruitment event while tabling [invite them to your Sample Weekly Workout or Welcome Party!]
  • Have plenty of hotcards // flyers at the table
  • Play music at the table
  • Have an eye catching poster // table decorations
  • Have incentives // free things at the table to attract people to come up to your table
  • Have some type of interactive activity at the table
  • Utilize QR codes for the PNM list at the table
  • Table at different locations throughout campus

Tabling Equivalents: If tabling does not work at your university, talk with your CLC + determine what may be some better alternatives to replace your tabling requirements for recruitment with! It’s important to make sure you’re utilizing best tabling practices prior to ditching tabling + are still tabling during the first week of recruitment, — but if you need some equivalents, try out:

  • Clipboarding [walking around campus with hot cards // flyers + getting people’s email via paper + clipboard]
    • 1 hour of clipboarding = 1 hour of tabling
  • Flyering [putting flyers + hotcards in common spaces/classrooms]
    • 1 hour of flyering = 1 hour of tabling
  • DMing on Instagram [note: you will have to DM almost 10 people to get 1 response — DMing does lead to a lot of unresponses!]
    • 30 DMs sent = 1 hour of tabling
  • Alternative recruitment events — scavenger hunts, tour of campus, coffee chats, meet the exec event, group hikes, attending sporting events, campus run/walk, etc.
    • 1 alternative recruitment event = 2 hours of tabling
  • Talk with your CLC about any ideas you have for other tabling alternatives to get approval to use them on your schedule!

Order of Events

All Chapters have the same order of events:

  • First 3 weeks of semester/quarter: Recruitment
  • Week 3 of semester/quarter: Welcome Party
  • Week 4 of semester/quarter: Small Groups start, Weekly Workouts start, + all Chapters must have a New Member Orientation
  • Weeks 5 – Week Before End of Year Party: Weekly Workouts, 2 socials
  • Week Before Finals: End of Year Party

University Dates

As you start planning, outline important dates at your university. These include but aren’t limited to:

  • Homecoming week. If this is a big deal at your university, you won’t want to plan *huge* events during it + will want to see what you can do to be a part of your university’s homecoming week!
  • Football games. If your university is a big football school, don’t plan a social on the same day as a home football game ; )
  • Midterms week. If your university has specific midterms week, this could be a great time for smaller Weekly Workouts or study Small Groups!
  • Fall Break. If Fall Break is on the same day as your Weekly Workout day/time, there is no Weekly Workout for the week. If it’s the day before or Fall Break, we also suggest not having a Weekly Workout that week, as attendance is notoriously low!
  • Thanksgiving Break. We typically suggest not having a Weekly Workout during Thanksgiving Break week unless you have Monday Weekly Workouts + people cannot leave campus anyways until Tuesday night/Wednesday!

CHAARG Bday Week [October 2-6]

During the CHAARG Birthday Week, we’re encouraging all Chapters to have a bday themed social! This is not required, but is highly encouraged [+ would count towards 1 or your 2 socials].

You can see our membership + PNM targets in the Recruitment Guidebook.

Membership Targets + Goals: While we have membership targets as a suggestion based on your university size, your Chapter ultimately can select your own membership goal. Be realistic, set a goal that you’ll be proud of, + we will help you work towards that goal!

PNM Targets: We have set the number of PNMs each Chapter needs to collect during recruitment [this is not something you can set your own goal on]. These targets were collected on years of data on what is realistic for Chapters at universities of different sizes to collect! Without PNMs, you cannot expect to reach your membership goal.

  • We have created PNM lists for you to use to store any PNM emails you collect! Please only collect emails in the doc that has been shared with you + do not store email lists anywhere else. Add this list to your drive + move it to the Recruitment folder by right clicking on the doc + selecting “Add to Drive.” If you do not have your PNM list, reach out to hello@chaarg.com!

What is a good goal of where you should be with PNMs + memberships throughout the summer + recruitment? **Below is only a general suggestion — please work with your CLC to set Chapter specific goals!

  • By July 1st: 30% of PNM Target + 25% of Membership Target
  • By Start of School: 40% of PNM Target + Membership Target
  • By end of Week 1 Recruitment: 65% of PNM Target + Membership Target
  • By end of Week 2 Recruitment: 90% of PNM Target + Membership Target
  • By end of Week 3 Recruitment: 100% of PNM Target + Membership Target

We’ve created some new graphics for you to use on insta/your Chapter Newsletters!

  • Review our DEI Deck to see what our monthly DEI focuses will be — please make sure to interact with these posts on Instagram!
  • Check out our DEI Recruitment Toolkit for ideas on how to keep DEI at the forefront of your recruitment!

CHAARG X LIVELY FALL PARTNERSHIP

This fall, we’ll be partnering with our fav bra, undies, lounge, + swim brand LIVELY from September 17 – 22, where we’ll be offering 25% off to our community! A few tasks to be aware of during this period:

  • September 1 + 15 Exec Newsletters: LIVELY Partnership info to share in your Chapter Newsletters + Instagram will be provided to you
  • September 17: Ambassadors include the LIVELY Partnership info in their Chapter Newsletters
  • September 19: VP Medias post a graphic series on Instagram for the LIVELY discount code

We will also have a National giveaway where you can win a $200 gift card to LIVELY! We’re excited to partner with LIVELY again this fall 💕

POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIP: ON CAMPUS SAMPLING THIS FALL

We are in conversation with a brand to *hopefully* provide you with treats for one Weekly Workout this fall [between October 2-13]! We are planning on having this finalized for the July 15 Exec Newsletter, so we will let you know then if we will have a partner for one Weekly Workout this fall. Stay tuned + cross your fingers!

Fall Planning Support

We want to make sure you feel empowered + ready to take on fall planning! We have a handful of resources that will help you feel ready + confident to plan for the fall…

Position Webinars: All exec team leaders will be required to attend a position webinar between June 15 – July 15. These webinars will connect you with others in your position to brainstorm + go over expectations.

*Sign-ups will be in the June 1 + June 15 Exec Newsletter!

Leadership Retreat: The Leadership Retreat on June 25 will connect you with leaders from across the country, so you can prepare + brainstorm together for the year ahead!

*If you’re not signed up for the retreat but want to attend, email Tori@CHAARG.com by June 5!

DEI Webinar: On August 9, we will be leading a DEI webinar to connect Chapters on how DEI can be a focus for the upcoming year. Each Chapter must have one representative at the webinar!

*Sign-ups will be in the July 1 + July 15 Exec Newsletter!

Planning Templates: We have created a Chapter Overview Calendar + Recruitment Schedule template that all Chapters should use to streamline planning.

*Find the templates you need to use in your google drive — they were added by your CLC already!

PLANNING TEMPLATES

We have created two templates for you to follow when creating + submitting your Chapter Overview + Recruitment schedules. These templates will allow you to really collaborate + work together as a team rather than individually creating + submitting plans. These checklists will also allow the feedback + approval process be streamlined from your CLC, as your checklists are built into the docs you’ll be filling out + completing!

It is required to use these two templates for planning + approval. Your CLC has added these templates already to your Chapter’s drive. In order to submit these planning docs to your CLC, you must have all appropriate people check off via the checkboxes that the required components are met within the schedules.

Your CLC has added the Chapter Overview Spreadsheet template to your drive in the toolbox folder — above you can see a filled out example!

Your CLC has added the Recruitment Schedule Spreadsheet template to your drive in your recruitment folder — above you can see a filled out example!

Use this calendar to see when your schedules are due + when recruitment dates are! If anything looks incorrect, let your CLC know ASAP.

WHO DOES WHAT DURING PLANNING

  • Ambassador: Overview Tab on Chapter Overview Calendar + Planning Checkboxes prior to CLC submission
  • VP Membership: Recruitment Schedule + Small Group Schedule
  • VP Media: Social Media Posts for Recruitment
  • Secretary: Email Schedule for Recruitment
  • Treasurer: Socials + Budget
  • Event Coordinators: Weekly Workouts

DATES TO KNOW

  • June 1: Memberships Open
  • June 15 – July 15: Position Webinar [Everyone Required To Attend 1]
  • August 9: Diversity, Equity, + Inclusion Webinar [All Chapters Required To Have 1 Attendee]
  • June 25: Leadership Retreat
  • 4 Weeks Before Semester/Quarter Begins: Fall Planning/Schedules Due
  • October 2 – 6: CHAARG Bday Week, all Chapters encouraged to have a bday themed social [highly encouraged but not required]
  • November 11: Spring Memberships Released
  • December 1: Spring Planning Due

FAQS FOR FALL PLANNING

Depending on the weather + where your university is located, outdoor events are going to have different challenges. The major benefit of having outdoor events this semester/quarter include:

  • Higher capacity
  • Ability to stay socially distanced during the workout
  • Reduced exposure to indoor surfaces + no need to *clean up* after the event [disinfect surfaces used, etc]

We believe that many universities will prefer their student orgs to have meetings outdoors as weather permits. Below are a few best practices + tips for having your outdoor events:

  • If available – rent [or purchase] a speaker/microphone for the instructor to use
  • Spread out as much as possible to keep distance between members
  • Be conscious of wet grass — encourage yoga mats or towels for every workout
  • Encourage members to wear sunscreen + bug spray
  • Make sure your members are well hydrated + know their limits if it’s hot out. Have the instructor be mindful of running an outdoor workout + take water breaks

If you are utilizing outdoor workouts, you MUST have a backup plan — Weekly Workouts should never be canceled due to bad weather!

This is totally okay! Many universities are still formulating their plans for fall + most of their plans include multiple pieces. You can still start planning now + estimating that there will be 15 weeks of instruction for a semester + 10 weeks of instruction for a quarter. Your CLC + RCL will work with you to make sure we are supporting you + catering your fall to work with whatever plans your university has.

If you are not doing any online classes but in-person classes are starting later, your recruitment will start when you’re on campus!

If you’re starting with online classes + then moving to in-person classes, you will do recruitment virtually, + move to in-person events once you’re on campus!

If your university is only letting certain students on campus, work with your CLC on how we can make this best for your Chapter!

  • If all exec will be on campus, you could run in-person Weekly Workouts + livestream for those at home
  • If partial exec are on campus, you could run in-person Weekly Workouts + livestream for those at home
  • If no exec are on campus, you could run all events virtually
  • For Small Groups, you can have in-person Small Groups for anyone on campus + virtual Small Groups for anyone not on campus

If your university will not allow groups over a certain size to meet [let’s say 30] + your event capacity is 60, you can…

  • Hold 2 sessions of 30, if your instructor is comfortable with that
  • Reserve 1 room for 30 + another room for 30, with 1 of the rooms having a live-stream from the other room with the instructor
  • Have 1 room of 30 + live-stream the workout for members to do at home!

If your university has a low amount of people that can gather [10-15], we suggest doing fully virtual Weekly Workouts! Small Groups can still meet in person, as Small Groups will only have a max of 9 members.

If you are doing a mixture of in-person events + virtual events, you can have exec rotate who is attending the event in-person or who is attending the event virtually!

If you’re seeing the same members attending each week the in-person events, you can also implement a rotation with your members for attending the in-person events versus virtual events. We suggest doing this by either last name or by Small Group Coordinators — half the SGCs are group “A” + the other half are group “B” — switch weekly who gets to be in-person!

IMPORTANT POSITION NOTES FOR FALL PLANNING

We will be hosting numerous position workshops throughout the months of June + July for everyone to connect + prepare for the fall together. These webinars will review fall planning, recruitment, FAQs, + how to make the best of your CHAARG exec position. Every exec leader will be required to attend 1 webinar.

  • It’s important you stay on top of any university guidelines/restrictions regarding the fall semester/quarter + are communicating this with your team
  • Utilize your “Chapter pod” [other Ambs in your CLC’s group!] to bounce ideas off each other + support each other
  • Create deadlines for your team in terms of planning to keep everyone on track + to make sure everyone is feeling supported
  • Use the Leadership Workshop you’re attending [required for all exec to attend!] to brainstorm more ideas!
  • Utilize your Ambassador Position Leadership Page here!

Recruitment:

  • Work alongside your VP Media to think about how you can virtually recruit + use social media platforms + graphics for recruitment
  • Your university might have adjusted capacities + requirements for activities such as tabling or flyering
  • Some virtual recruitment tactics to utilize: streamed Sample Weekly Workout, steamed info sessions, collecting email listservs from your university, posting in university Facebook groups, DM’ing people on Instagram, refer-a-friend raffles/prizes, mentioning it in virtual classes, etc.
  • Discuss with your Treasurer about using Chapter dues + savings for purchasing Facebook ads or Instagram ads that target students at your university
  • Even if you’re on campus recruiting, you can still implement some virtual ideas [lots of social media!] into your recruitment schedule
  • Use the Position Webinar you’re attending [required for all exec to attend!] to brainstorm more ideas!

Find more about your position in the VP Membership Leadership Page here!

  • Social media is so important for engaging with members!
  • Really hold your fellow exec accountable to posting 1x/week on Instagram + utilizing your Chapter hashtag — while this standard is the same if you’re on campus or virtual, that virtual aspect heightens the affect social media has on connection + community
  • Implement monthly social media challenges [bingo, score cards, bucket lists, 30-day challenges, etc.]
  • Focus on engaging with all members’ posts — liking, commenting, etc.
  • With any virtual events — still take a group photo at the end of everyone throwing the bolt ; )
  • Use the Leadership Workshop you’re attending [required for all exec to attend!] to brainstorm more ideas!
  • Find more about your position in the VP Media Leadership Page here!
  • Trouble with booking workouts + instructors not being able to lead? Reach out to your CLC for advice on how to proceed + to brainstorm ideas! Some ideas include:
    • Team up with another Chapter doing a virtual workout at a similar Weekly Workout day/time to host events
    • Work with instructors that are not local for a virtual Weekly Workout
    • A member of Team CHAARG could lead a virtual workout or wellness workshop for your Chapter
  • Plan to host as many workouts as you can outdoors if possible
  • You can host virtual Weekly Workouts with instructors that are not local if you’re struggling to get instructors that are local
  • The easiest way to build schedules would be to have an instructor agree to both an in-person or virtual workout or the same date/time, in case your university switches to virtual events at any point
  • You should still collect studio insurance + liability waivers for any virtual events
  • Streaming workouts would be a great way to increase your capacity + get more members involved!
  • If needed, if you’re struggling to fill events, reach out to your CLC or RCL to see if they or another CLC/RCL would be interested in leading an event for your Chapter
  • You can collaborate with other Chapters to host virtual WW! This is great to plan with schools in your area, as schools in the same area will most likely be following similar policies + guidelines
  • If your in-person events have reduced capacities, implement a rotation of who gets priority to attend an in-person vs virtual event. We suggest doing this by either last name or by Small Group Coordinators — half the groups are group ‘A’ + the other half are group ‘B’, alternating who gets priority to sign up for the in person event that week
  • Make sure to check-in with your studio events frequently — their regulations may change on events they can or cannot do
  • Use the Leadership Workshop you’re attending [required for all exec to attend!] to brainstorm more ideas!
  • Find more about your position in the Event Coordinator Leadership Page here!
  • Even with virtual events, Eventbrites should still be made to see how many people are signed up, + so your team can work on increasing attendance at the event
  • There should still be weekly exec team meetings if you are virtual — feel free to edit the Meeting Minutes/work with your CLC to make sure all questions + topics are relevant to your university/Chapter
  • Attendance should still be taken + recorded at all events, regardless if they are in-person or virtual
  • Membership reports should still be created each month, whether you are in-person or virtual
  • Use the Leadership Workshop you’re attending [required for all exec to attend!] to brainstorm more ideas!
  • Find more about your position in the Secretary Leadership Page here!
  • If your university has restrictions on group sizes that can get together, you can run more than 1 session of a social
  • Virtual social ideas:
    • Murder mystery parties
    • Netflix parties
    • Quiplash
    • Kahoot games
    • Baking/cooking socials or demos
    • Body positivity workshop
    • Simple crafts
    • Chapter dinner
    • Networking events
    • Closet clean-out/virtual auction
    • CHAARGmas white elephant
  • If virtual, you could engage more of your community in events through creating little *sub-groups* such as a book club or podcast club
  • If virtual, you can still order CHAARG gear — just have Kevin ship everything directly to the members house : ) Use the Apparel Order form!
  • Use the Leadership Workshop you’re attending [required for all exec to attend!] to brainstorm more ideas!
  • Find more about your position in the Treasurer Leadership Page here!

Fall Semester Planning

**This page will be updated for fall 2020 planning on June 1st!**

One of the best parts of CHAARG is that we are a National organization — present on over 70 campuses across the United States! While every Chapter has their unique culture + traditions, it’s important that there is a consistent feel + experience across all Chapters! A key component in creating that *CHAARG experience* comes from the training that all Exec Team members receive [through the CHAARG Academy!].

This training it vital to the overall success of your Chapter as well as the *key events* throughout the Semester/Quarter that every Chapter has! The training + key events reinforces the idea that we are *ONE* community + helps girls connect nationwide! In order to help you with planning your Fall Semester/Quarter + these *key events* we’ve put together this resource page that you can refer to while planning as well as throughout the Fall Semester/Quarter! Do you think something’s missing? Email sarah@CHAARG.com your ideas ++ they can be added to the page!

Intentional Planning

It is important that you incorporate all the dates below into your Fall schedule. It’s also important that you practice intentional planning! A reason that we are give you the National aspects of Fall is so you can plan ahead with engaging your Chapter in the National community. 

It’s also important that you look at your University’s schedule to best plan around important dates! For example – if Homecoming week is a big deal at your University, it’s a good idea to not plan a huge Weekly Workout that week + instead do something with smaller capacity. The same goes for midterm week, + your Fall/Thanksgiving break week. Use this as a guide as you look at all aspects while planning your events.

Check out the 2019-2020 Master Chapter Calendar HERE to see all of your dates for the Fall Semester!

As always, never hesitate to reach out if you have any questions//concerns. We are here to help you plan the best Semester/Quarter possible!

Key Events + Planning

  • Recruitment

  • Welcome Party

  • Birthday Week

  • Fall FitPlan

RECRUITMENT

CHAPTER RECRUITMENT [FIRST 3 WEEKS OF SEMESTER/QUARTER] // Every Chapter has their first three weeks dedicated to Recruitment! You can find all the details about having an amazing Recruitment HERE!

Find your Chapter’s Recruitment Dates HERE! You’ll also be able to see other important dates for the entire Fall Semester too.

CHAPTER WELCOME PARTY + MEET THE EXEC WORKOUT [WEEK 3 OF SEMESTER/QUARTER] // Your Welcome Party // Meet The Exec Workout is the 3rd week of school on the day of your Weekly Workout [you do NOT have a studio event the 3rd week of school – the Welcome Party + Meet The Exec Workout is ONE event].

  • We really want the Welcome Party aspect of your first large Chapter event to focus on sharing a little bit about CHAARG history + National CHAARG!
  • Educating members that they are a part of something so much larger than your individual Chapter is a really awesome way to encourage them to get more involved + even meet girls from other Universities
  • Check out the doc HERE to see some CHAARG history + trivia to share at the Welcome Party

FALL

CHAARG BIRTHDAY WEEK [OCT 1ST-5TH] //During this week, every Chapter should plan to celebrate CHAARG’s 7th Bday!

  • We are encouraging everyone to have a *birthday themed* social during this week
  • You can either keep it small [a treat yo’self night with some cake + cookies!] or go all out + have your own CHAARG birthday party formal
  • Do what works best for your Chapter + remember to have fun with it! We can’t wait to feature your events on Insta ; )
  • Check out a list of Bday Week ideas HERE!
  • You will receive more info in the September 15TH Newsletter

FALL FITPLAN FEATURE WEEK [OCT 7TH-11TH] // During this week, every Chapter should plan: 

  • Fall FitPlan Themed Small Groups or Weekly Workout [using a Fall FitPlan Workout]
  • Fall FitPlan Info Session [either before or after the Weekly Workout that week]
  • Feature journey stories from girls in your Chapter who have done a FitPlan before
  • Fall FitPlan Social // Create FitGoal Cards together to get ready for the Fall FitPlan! This should be a fun social held during the week to set goals together ++ spread the word to girls in your Chapter about the Fall FitPlan!
  • Check out some Fall FitPlan Feature Week ideas HERE!
  • You will receive more info in the September 1ST Newsletter

FALL FITPLAN [OCT 21ST-NOV 22ND] // The Fall FitPlan is the FitPlan that all Exec participate in for the year, as a way to bond + grow your community on campus! Get involved/spread the word by:

  • Sharing about the Fall FitPlan in your October Newsletters – 10/6 + 10/13
  • Sharing about the Fall FitPlan in your Public + Secret Facebook Group
  • Sharing about the Fall FitPlan on Instagram/why you’re excited + previous FitPlan experiences
  • Participating in the Fall FitPlan!
  • You will receive more info in the September 15TH + October 1ST Newsletter

RETENTION BEGINS [NOV 11TH] // Memberships for Spring will be released on November 11TH! This is the time to start focusing on Retention ++ planning for Spring Semester.

  • We will release a Spring Semester Planning Resource page to help you gear up for this  ; )
  • Members must grab their membership by November 20th for access to our CHAARG Shop Sale
  • Members must grab their membership by December 13th for access to our Holiday Wellness Guide
  • Check out the Retention Guidebook for more info!
  • You will receive more info in the November 1ST Newsletter

END OF SEMESTER PARTY [WEEK BEFORE FINALS ] // All Chapters should have an End of Semester Party during their last week of classes ! This should be a relaxing way to end your Fall Semester + get ready for the Holidays. 

Fall Planning Resources

Your Events Schedule, Recruitment Schedule, Socials Schedule, Budget, + Chapter Overview Calendar are all due to your CLC 4 weeks before your Semester/Quarter begins [see those dates HERE!]. Everything then needs to be fully completed/approved by your CLC 2 weeks before your Semester/Quarter begins.

  • Events Schedule // See an example/template HERE!
  • Recruitment Schedule // See an example/template HERE!
  • Socials Schedule // See an example/template HERE!
  • Budget // See an example/template HERE!
  • Chapter Overview Calendar // See the template HERE, + see an example HERE!
  • Summer inCHAARG Checklist // Check out the checklist HERE for suggested timelines for all the things that should be accomplished for each position + as an Exec Team this summer : )