Article by Keadan Weiler
At Lane Community College there are lots of ways to get involved! One of those ways is to join or start a club. Meet Amelia Hampton, who was the ‘24-‘25 chair of the Council of Clubs (CoC). In a June interview with the Torch, Hampton explained that “we are the main hub for clubs.” She went on to say that the Council tells clubs how to get ratified; how to get funding; and that the Council holds weekly meetings every Wednesday from 4-6pm.
So, how does a club get ratified? Hampton said that a club is proposed when a student or group of students, along with a faculty advisor, declare a desire to start said club. The council then provides the students and advisor with a “ratification packet.” This ratification packet might say the club needs “5 founding members, a constitution, and bylaws.” This may sound like a lengthy process, but the CoC has “templates that can guide you along the way.” The CoC also provides new clubs email accounts to streamline communication. Hampton added that she’s seen a club be ratified in a “couple of weeks,” referring to one of the faster ratifications.
Hampton said clubs get funding by going to “at least 70 percent” of all Wednesday club meetings in a term. “And at the end of the term, they would get funding. Like a hundred dollars in their club account.” We also asked Hampton for a list of current club options. She said “we have 16 to 18 ratified clubs right now,” and provided a few examples: The Sustainability Club, The French Club, and others.
Photo Credit: River Shepherd
As the Chair, Hampton makes the meeting minutes; runs the meetings; sets the agendas; does outreach; responds to emails; plans events; and more. Hampton went on to say “I do the job of 4 people right now.” Hampton estimated she works 30 hours per week for the CoC.
Hampton is not totally without help, and said that Elizabeth “Lizz” Pratt along with Director of Student Life and Leadership Beccah Maley are also resources. Hampton said of Pratt, “she is the work mom, she is the core of student life and leadership.” Hampton introduced Maley as Pratt’s “right hand man,” taking care of other “life and leadership” tasks so that Lizz can do her “sole job.” Hampton added “Liz does a lot of things, but her role is basically, she knows everything.” Hampton went on to mention that Pratt distributes ratification packets, assists clubs when she can’t, and said “she’s a source of knowledge basically.”
Hampton added that the CoC is merging with the Student Government Association (SGA). The CoC Chair is now a senator position. The budgets will be merging, and the Chair will have more support. The merger will be internal: the responsibilities of various positions will remain the same but the titles will be different.
The Council of Clubs Chair position is now part of the Senator 2 role of the Student Government Association. The Council of Clubs Chair for the ‘25-‘26 school year is Michael Bredfield. For more information about clubs on campus and how to get involved, visit main campus, Center Building Room 201 for a full list of clubs, contact information and meeting times.
