Everything You Need To Plan Club For The Spring Semester
It’s about that time. Any day now your Young Life team is going to lock yourselves in a basement for 8-12 hours straight while you plan clubs for the spring semester. At the end of the day, you’ll probably look like the team pictured here.
Our Monday night Clubs don’t typically start back until the last week in January. We do this to give the college leaders time to get back in town and for our team to have time to plan. The intentional delay also creates excitement and anticipation.
Although we don’t do an official club until January 26th, we do have a tradition of holding an All-Area Wingfest the week before club starts. You can get details on how to run one here. It’s been a great way to kick off the spring semester. I know a few other areas who do All-Area Dodge Ball Tournaments and other big events to get things rolling.
The spring semester for us tends to be up and down in terms of club numbers. Lots of sports, school musicals, etc… In order to keep club fresh, try and mix it up and throw in some ‘field trip events’ to break up the normal club schedule. Here are some potential outings that have worked well for us in the past.
ALTERNATIVE CLUB IDEAS
Tumblebees Gymnastics & Climbing Gym
Bounce U Inflatable Party Zone
‘Find Your Leader‘ event at the local outdoor mall
Bigger, Better, Best
SPRING SPECIFIC CLUBS
Super Bowl Club
The Super Bowl is Sunday, Feb 1st, so you can do ‘Super Bowl Club’ the week before or the week after. If you do it before, you can take kids’ predictions, and film your own ‘Super Bowl commericals’ that can be shown the following week. If you do it after, you can show actual commercials from the Super Bowl and vote on your favorites. You can also do Superbowl trivia before or after. Here are a TON of other Superbowl Club ideas.
Ms. Valentines Pageant or Love Club
Ms. Valentine’s is similar to Mr. Christmas Tree.
St. Patty’s Club (Lucky Club or Green Club or Shamrock Club or Irish Club)
This year St. Patricks Day is Tuesday, March 17th. Here are some ideas for club.
March Madness Club
March 15- April 6. The Final Four is April 4-6. Ideas for March Madness club.
YL’s Got Talent
Most high schools do a spring talent show. We always do one at YL club and it’s become a favorite. Different kids show off their funny and serious talents. Great way to encourage kids who might not get to perform in the school show. This could also be a great All-City ‘Open Mic Night.’
Spring Break Club/ Luau Club
Here are some ideas for a Beach Party club and here are some more from YLHelp.com
Tacky Prom Club
Here are some ideas from YLHelp.com.
Cinco De Mayo Club
It falls on a Tuesday this year, could be a great night to dance the salsa!
Yo Mama Club
Mother’s Day is Sunday May 10, so Monday May 11 may work.
8th Grade Club
Make it a priority to schedule this club in! It doesn’t have to be called ‘8th grade club’ but make sure you have a night near the end of the semester where you invite 8th graders to club. Last year we invited them on our 2nd to last club, the one before Senior Night. It gives them an excitement for what’s coming during their freshmen year.
Senior Night
Have the seniors share. Practice with them what they will share. Ask them to speak of Jesus more than they speak of YL.
Keys Dates For The Spring
- Make sure you look at your school calendar for dates when there’s no school.
- Know when the big school events are and avoid scheduling your cross talk on the night of the big game or chorus concert.
- Know when there is a half/day or early release.
- Daylight Savings Time springs forward on Sunday, March 8th, so after that you’ll have more daylight for club!
- MLK Day is Monday Jan 19th
- President’s Day is Monday Feb 16th
- When is your high school Spring Break? If you have college leaders, when’s your college spring break?
- March Madness is March 15th – April 6th
- Good Friday is April 3rd, Easter April 5th
- Cinco De Mayo is Tuesday, May 5th
- Memorial Day is Monday, May 25th
A Sample Spring 2015 Club Schedule
Jan 10– Saturday Team Club Planning Day
Jan 12– All- School Campaigners & College Football National Championship Party (The game starts at 8:30, so have your key Campaigners kids come at 7 for dinner and a vision cast for how they can be leaders in this upcoming semester)
Jan 18– Do the Campaigners vision cast on this Sunday night if the 12th doesn’t work. Kids don’t have school the next day because of MLK day.
Jan 19– Monday Night All-City Wingfest (MLK Day- No School)
Jan 26– First Club of the Spring Semester (Person of Christ talk)
Feb 2– Super bowl Club (Person of Christ talk)
Feb 9– Ms. Valentine’s Pageant (Person of Christ talk)
Feb 16– ‘Merica Club on President’s Day (Person of Christ talk)
Feb 23– 80’s Workout Club at Tumblebees Gymnastics (Need talk)
March 2– Young Life’s Got Talent (Need Talk)
March 9– No club (College leaders on Spring Break)
March 16– St. Patty’s Club or March Madness Club (Sin Talk)
March 23– Cops N Robbers Club (Cross Talk)
March 30– Luau Club – (Resurrection Talk)
April 6– No Club (due to spring break)
April 13– Find Your Leader Club
April 20– Backyard Club (Hangout and bonfire and yard games) (Appropriation talk- Senior Leader speaks)
April 27– Mustache Club- 8th graders invited (Appropriation talk- Senior Leader speaks)
May 4– Senior Club (Potentially could also be Star Wars Club- “May the 4th Be With You’)
121 Theme Club Ideas
- All-City Club
- Anti-Valentine’s Club
- Baby Club
- Bachelor/Bachelorette Club
- Backwards Club
- Bacon Club
- Banana Club
- Battle of the Sexes Club
- Beach Party/Luau Club
- Bigger Better Best Club
- Birthday Club
- Blue Club
- Breakfast Club
- Bubble Wrap Club
- Camo Club
- Camp Reunion Club
- Chick-Fil-A Club
- Christmas Club
- Circus Club
- Clothespins Club
- Clubble
- College Club
- Cookout Club
- Cops and Robbers Club
- Corny Club
- Costume Club (Halloween)
- Couch Olympics
- Crazy Hair Club
- Dating Game Club
- Disney Club
- Dodgeball Club
- Doughnut Olympics
- Dubstep Club
- Duct Tape Club
- 8th Grade Club
- 80’s Workout Club
- Facebook Club
- Fake Injury Club
- Family Feud Club
- 50’s Club
- Fear Factor Club
- Food Olympics Club
- Field Day Club
- Find Your Leader Club
- Flashmob Club
- Freshmen Club
- Game Show Club
- Glee Club
- Guy On A Buffalo Club
- Harry Potter Club
- Hippie Club
- Hot Dog Club
- Homecoming Club
- Hunger Games Club
- iClub
- Insta-Club
- Jock & Jill Club
- Kickball Club
- Kidnap Club
- Little Timmy’s Birthday Club
- Love Club/Valentine’s Club
- Man vs Wyld(life) Club
- Man Crush Monday Club #MCM
- Make a Movie Club
- March Madness Club
- Mean Girls Club
- Merica Club
- Minute 2 Win It Club
- Mountain Man Club
- Mustache Club
- Mystery Dinner Theater Club
- Nerd Club
- 90’s Club
- Old People Club
- Olympics Club
- Peanut Butter Club
- Post-It-Note Club
- Pilgrims vs Indians Club
- Pirates vs Ninjas Club
- Pizza Olympics
- PJ & Pillow Fight Club
- Putt-Putt Tourney Club
- Rave Club
- Red Neck Live
- Restaurant Club
- Road Rally Club
- Rock Star Club/Rock Band
- Roll The Dice Club
- Senior Club
- Shamrock Club (St. Patty’s Day)
- Sharknado Club
- Show and Tell Club
- Sibling Club
- Snapbacks N Tattoos Club
- So You Think You Can Dance Club
- Super Bowl Club
- Super Hero Club
- Surf Club
- Spring Break Club
- Started From The Bottom Club
- Tacky Prom Club
- Taco Bell Challenge
- Teacher Club
- Throw-Back-Thursday Club #TBT
- Tic-Tac-Toe Club
- Toilet Paper Club
- Thanksgiving Club (Turkey Club)
- Twin Club
- Water Club
- Wheel of Misfortune Club
- Whiffleball Club
- White-out Club
- X-Games Club
- X-Factor Club
- Yearbook Club
- Yellow Club
- Yo Mama Club
- Young Life’s Got Talent
- ‘Young Life’ Young Life Club
- YouTube Club
If you’re willing to share your club schedule and ideas for the spring, email us here. -Drew Hill & Stacey Greene
