Set up a meeting with your principal. You should go to your Principal to get permission to start a CAN-TEENS chapter at your school as an approved extra-curricular service activity. Your principal's support is the key to success for your organization. For each school-wide event you plan, you will need the principals approval, support and cooperation. Remember, everything you do as a service organization must comply with school policies.

Find a Teacher/Advisor

Every chapter must have a teacher-advisor. This is a student-run organization and most of the work will be done by you, other student leaders and club members. To be a success, it’s important to have an active teacher/advisor who will attend meetings, act as an important link to the school administration as well as offer valuable advice and help you with your event calendar.

Start finding your Founders and

Get the Word OUT!

Once you have the principal’s approval and a teacher/advisor, find 4-6 responsible people who want to be co-founders of the club, these will be your officers for the first year. Together have the founders meet with the teacher and discuss a future date for the guidelines for your “can-teens” chapter and first meeting date for the club.

FOUNDERS MEETING

Guidelines for the Chapter

A. Set the Meeting Days
Some clubs may choose meeting once a week, which we recommend.

Pick a time that is convenient to the majority of your members and of

course your teacher advisor. Before school might work out better than

after school, not to conflict with other activities and sports.

B. Food Campaigns
Decide on how and when you would like to have can drives or

fundraisers. Fundraisers sometimes are easier to raise money then buy

the cans to maximize the potential of your student bodies generosity.

(Read “How to create a food drive below” and or "Some Fundraising

Ideas")

C. Member Obligations

1. Decide how much volunteer service each member has to do for your partner food bank. (The member may use this volunteer time to also fulfill any community service requirements for their graduation.) We recommend each member volunteer at least 20 service hours a year to your food bank partner, generally your group will volunteer together.

2. Each member who is not an officer or committee chairperson should participate on a committee for a food drive or fundraiser.

Once you have all these items determined, you must write up a charter for your club (see sample charter in resources). Get the approval of your teacher/advisor and then present the charter to your principal for approval.

Getting Members

Set a future date for your first meeting (at least a 10 days away). Immediately print up flyers (see sample) and get your advisor and principals approval. It’s you and your co-founders job now to get other student leaders at your school interested in Can-Teens (as well as other students). Ask to speak in front of the Student Government, Honors Society, and any other clubs that you can speak to, the more members in every group of school supporting your chapter, the more successful your chapter will be. Write something announcing the Can-Teens in the morning announcements, find the editor of your school newspaper and ask them to write a story on what you are trying to accomplish. Post your flyers all over school (if allowed, if not put in each teachers inbox and add a note asking them to please announce and post in their classrooms).

Talk to as many people as possible about joining, even if you think they “wouldn’t be interested in this sort of thing.” You might be surprised at their responses. Especially if they are looking for ways to get there community service hours.

Your First Meeting

Your first meeting has to accomplish a lot, so it must be well planned out with an agenda. Here is a sample.

1. First you need to review what CAN-TEEN’s is about and why it’s important.
2. Find out from the people who came, who they are, why they are there , what they hope your school’s chapter of CAN-TEENS to do, and how they think they can contribute.
3. Let everyone know what the requirements of being a member of CAN-TEENS are (what you decided in your founders meeting).
4. Find out who is interested in still being a CANTEEN. Announce that everyone who wants to be a part of CAN-TEENS may vote for officers at the next meeting, the founders may be the first years officers any other positions you can vote for and at the end of the year you must run new elections for the next year. The Officers for CAN-TEENS are:

CAN-TEEN OFFICERS

President:
The President is the chief executive officer of the chapter and is responsible for running the clubs meetings and reporting all events to the school’s interclub meetings, and administration. The President will preside over all club meetings and be an honorary member of all committees when he can attend. The President may appoint other officers as the need arises. The President is also responsible for the Food Bank Partnership. The President will first find out what food bank or food pantry organizations are in your area that have needs that are currently being unmet and report back to the club. Then it is your clubs goal to decide which food bank to partner with to fill that critical gap of need to ensure that no one in your community goes hungry. Once the club has voted on which food bank or pantry to partner with, the President will make an appointment with officers to meet with the Food Bank or Pantry to see discuss becoming a CAN-TEEN partner to help them fulfill their food and volunteer needs. During the officers meeting you can assess their needs to create your three campaigns calendar to best fulfill their needs and not conflict with other food drives.

Vice-President:
The Vice President assists the President and is incharge of communicating with all committees prior to each meeting to make sure the committees are on track and makes a report on each to the President. If there are issues with the committees the President and Vice President will assist the committee to help it get on track. The Vice President is an honorary member of all committees when he can attend.

Secretary
The Secretary will keep minutes of all the meetings, make a task calendar based on the meetings and the committee reports and distribute them to each member. The secretary is also incharge of recording all results of food drives and campaigns in a club book, and reporting all results to the CAN-TEENS Web site for national recognition.

Treasurer
The Treasurer will be in charge of all financial matters of the club including keeping record of the members and who has paid dues, and the recorders during any fundraising. The Treasurer will also be in charge of keeping member attendance records to determine who is a member in good standing and records of community service hours to food banks.

Publicity Chairman
The Publicity Chairman will be in charge of communications/publicity committee which is responsible for informing the student body about the need for food and the goals of the food drive. The Publicity Chairman must produce a Task Calendar and who is responsible for each task to the secretary after the first meeting of food drive campaign, and must report each meeting on the progress of the committee and the task calendar.

Food Drive Fundraising Chairman
The Food Drive Campaign Chairman will be in charge of communications and coordination with the food bank on each individual food drive campaign. He will head a committee that will be responsible for setting up a calendar for the drive days and the collection areas. This committee is responsible for making sure there are collection bins in specified areas. That there is a record of who donated the most (class or grade) and a record of how much was donated at each donation site for the end tally. This committee is also responsible for coordinating the food bank pick ups of the items after it has been recorded. The Food Drive Campaign Chairman must produce a Task Calendar and who is responsible for each task to the secretary after the first meeting of food drive campaign, and must report each meeting on the progress of the committee and the task calendar.

How to create a food drive

STEP 1:
Establish the Food Drive Dates and Theme – Food drives can be accomplished at any time of year. Most people think holiday are the best time to do a food drive, but there are people in need in your community year-round.

At least one month is needed to allow proper planning time and enough lead time to run a food drive campaign.

First select dates for your food drive. Remember you need adequate time to organize the food drive and you need to speak with the food bank or food pantry partner to make sure your food drive is good timing for them, and that they will be able to coordinate transportation of the food collected during the drive.

A theme is important with your food drive at school and will be instrumental in communicating and generating enthusiasm about your food drive.

Sample Themes:
Each student who brings 10 cans or non-parishable goods recommended by your food bank/pantry partner to there homeroom on Sept 7,8 or 9 will get a jeans and t-shirt pass for Friday Sept 10. (for schools with uniforms)

Each student who brings 10 cans or non-parishable goods recommended by your food bank/pantry partner to their homeroom on Sept 7,8 or 9 will receive ______(see below for ideas) pass for Friday Sept 10.

SAMPLE IDEAS
Wear school colors (for uniform days)
School team theme clothes
Crazy hat day
Free homework pass from participating teachers
1 extra credit pass from participating teachers
For every 15 cans brought in 1 service hour (make sure principal approves)
The classroom that collects the most cans, each student receives 6 service hours.
$5 off homecoming or prom
Best homeroom wins an assorted donut breakfast served by the CanTeens
The week of Halloween, everyone who brings in 15 cans gets to wear a Halloween costume to school on Halloween.

OTHER THEME IDEAS:
A giant painted empty Thermometer that you paint in with how many cans you have
Is Have inter-grade competitions for most food collected
Hold an event, dance or party where food is admission

STEP 2:
For each food drive you need to create several leadership committees who all will report to the President and Teacher advisor:

Food Drive Coordination Committee:
This Committees Responsibilities include:

1. Communication and coordination with the Food Bank. Once your group chooses a date, you need to call the food bank and find out what they need in non-perishables during that time and find out how they would like to pick up the collected items.

2. Coordinate collection areas – The collection areas you choose should be convenient and highly visible to encourage donations. They can be for 3 days in the home rooms or for 3 days in the auditorium or where ever your Principal and teacher advisor thinks would be best.

3. Making sure that the Publicity Committee knows all the information so they can communicate it effectively to the student body. Remember coordinating food delivery or pick up – Upon completion of your food drive, is very important.

4. Also you need to make a time and day for all classrooms to deliver what they have collected to one central location for the Food Bank to pick it up. Call and remind the food bank at least a week in advance.

5. Collect really large cardboard boxes for each collection area or rubber bins room and either decorate the containers or challenge each class to decorate their container which will also draw attention to the food

Food Drive Communications/Publicity Committee:
This committee is responsible for:

1. Promoting the food drive in at your school, informing the student body about theme of the food drive, the need for a food drive and the goals of the food drive. It’s important that the people on this committee be able to generate a lot of enthusiasm and excitement about the food drive. If this committee has dedicated hard working members on it your drive will be a success. This committee is very important and you need a lot of really good people on it.

2. Spreading the word is the key to your food drive’s success. These are the best tactics for this committee:

3. Make sure there is a really well written announcement in the morning announcements encouraging participation in the food drive.

4. Educate about the problem of hunger.

5. Post Flyers in every class and posters all over the school (with the permission and guidelines of your Principal) (If not allowed put flyers in each teachers inbox and add a note asking them to please announce and post in their classrooms).

6. Have committee members speak infront of the Student Government, Honors Society, and any other clubs that you can speak to, asking for their support and any ideas that they have to make the food drive more successful. Then use there ideas and give them credit for them.

7. Ask the editor of your school newspaper to write a story on what you are trying to accomplish.

What your food drive needs.

Your food bank/pantry partner will tell you what they need most but here is a sample list of needed non-parishables.

Peanut Butter
Chunky Style Soup
Powdered Milk
100% Fruit Juice
Canned Fruit Cocktail (or Peaches or Pears)
Tuna
Canned Beans
Canned Green Beans
Canned Corn
Canned Lima Beans
Sweet Green Peas
Pork and Beans
Macaroni and Cheese
Chicken and Dumplings

PLEASE DON’T BRING:
Items that are pas the “use before date”
Items not marked with an expiration date-
Glass items that can easily break (except baby food)
Opened food packages
Items not in their original packaging

SAMPLE CAN-TEENS CHARTER

September 10, 2007

ARTICLE I
NAME
The name of this organization shall be: CAN-TEENS
The organization is a student organization at Sample High School

ARTICLE II
OBJECTIVES
The objective of the organization shall be:

To help end hunger in our community through support of food banks/ food pantries through the generosity of the student body at Sample School by way of collection of food and or funds.

To support food banks/food pantries in our community through community service hours.

ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP
Any student maintaining academic eligibility at Sample High is eligible to be an active member and may hold office. All members must participate in every food drive campaign and must do a minimum of 20 service hours at the partnership food bank/ food panty.

ARTICLE IV
OFFICERS

Election of Officers
a. The officers of this organization are president, vice president, secretary, treasurer,
publicity chairman and food drive campaign chairman.
b. Officers will be elected by written ballot, with each active member casting a vote. A
majority of votes will constitute a victory.
c. Election of officers will take place during the 3rd week of the fall semester after the club has been established for the year. The first election of officers will occur within the first month of the clubs establishment.
d. Officers will assume office for the period of one year.

Recall of Officers.
a. Officers are subject to recall for malfeasance in office by the principal or clubs teacher/advisor and the remaining officers may appoint a replacement.

ARTICLE V
VOTING

This constitution and by-laws may be amended by a 2/3 majority vote of those voting, a quorum being present.

Voting on amendments must be conducted after a minimum notice of 2 weeks.

ARTICLE VI
NOT-FOR-PROFIT STATEMENT
This is a not-for-profit organization.

ARTICLE VII
STATEMENT OF NON-DISCRIMINATION
This organization shall not discriminate on the basis of age, color, ethnicity, gender, national origin, disability or handicap, race, religion, sexual orientation. This policy will include, but is not limited to recruiting, membership, organization activities or opportunities to hold office.

ARTICLE VIII
FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS
A majority of voting members of this organization may determine reasonable dues and fees assessed to each member at the beginning of each semester.

ARTICLE IX
STATEMENT OF COMPLIANCE WITH CAMPUS REGULATIONS

This organization shall comply with all Sample High campus policies and
regulations and local, state, and federal laws.

BY-LAWS

I. Cabinet
A. President
1. Coordinates all activities of the organization.
2. Liaison to Sample community.
3. Official representative of organization.
4. Calls regular and special meetings.
5. Presides at meetings.
6. Prepares agenda for meetings.
7. May appoint other officers as the need arises
8. Must create and establish relationship with the schools Food Bank Partner
B. Vice President
1. Assumes duties of president, when necessary.
2. Assists president in coordinating activities.
3. In charge of communicating with all committees prior to each meeting to make sure
the committees are on track and makes a report on each to the President.
C. Secretary
1. Maintains accurate and current information of the organization and membership.
2. Assists president and vice-president to coordinate organization activities.
3. Keeps accurate minutes of each meeting and forwards copies to other officers.
4. Keeps attendance records for meetings.
5. Makes a task calendar based on the meetings and the committee reports and distribute them to each member.
6. Records all results of food drives and campaigns in a club book, and reports all results to the Can Teens Web site for national recognition.
D. Treasurer
1. Maintains accurate and current records of all financial matters of the club including keeping record of the members and who have paid dues, and the recorders during any fundraising. account of all organizational funds.
2. Responsible for dispensing of funds in accordance with goals and programs established by the organization.
3. The Treasurer will also be responsible for keeping member attendance records to determine who is a member in good standing and records of community service hours to food banks.
E. Publicity Chairman
1. Will lead the communications/publicity committees for each campaign
2. Ensure that the committee is informing the student body about the need for food and the goals of the food drive.
3. Responsible for producing a Task Calendar for each campaign
4. Responsible for reporting each meeting on the progress of the committee and the task calendar.
F. Food Drive Campaign Chairman
1. Responsible for leading the communications and coordination committees of each campaign with the food bank.
2. Head a committee that will be responsible for setting up a calendar for the drive days and the collection areas.
3. Ensure that the committee has placed collection bins in specified areas, set up a record keeping system of who donations, and if a competition is in place for a food drive, ensures that there is a recording system for specific donors.
4. Responsible for ensuring that the committee coordinates the food bank pick ups of the items after it has been recorded.
The Food Drive Campaign Chairman must produce a Task Calendar and who is responsible for each task to the secretary after the first meeting of food drive campaign, and must report each meeting on the progress of the committee and the task calendar.