1.  Contact the school's principal

    a.  Discuss your ideas
    b.  Find a place to meet and decide how often to meet (if you are lucky, your math club could be a regular elective class!)
    c.  Discuss possible funding sources
    d.  Discuss what types of lessons/activities/contests your club would include

2.  Contact local businesses

    a.  As a possible source of funding
    b.  To provide snacks for practices

3.  Contact math teachers for support and assistance

4.  Plan a date and time for your first meeting

    a.  Check for times of other school activities and clubs

5.  Check for availability of meeting place

6.  Determine if you will be participating in math competitions

    a.  Advantages:
          i.  This will help you determine what topics to learn
          ii.  This will supply you with materials to use during practice and as take-home work
    b.  Suggested math competitions:
          i.  Mathcounts (middle school) - for more information on starting a Mathcounts program, click here.
          ii.  AMC (middle and high school)
          iii.  Math League (upper elementary through high school)
          iv.  Mandelbrot (high school - some middle school students compete)
          v.  Rocket City Math League (middle and high school)
          vi.  ARML (high school)
          vii.  Math Olympiads (upper elementary and middle school)
          viii.  Continental Math League (elementary and middle school)

         ix. USA Mathematicl Talent Search (USAMTS)
          x.  Texas Math Competitions:

1. Texas Mathworks has a state-wide competition to determine who is selected to go to the Po Leung Kuk Primary Mathematics World Contest ( upper elementary to middle school)
2. Rice Math Tournament (high school)
3. Texas A & M University High School Mathematics Tournament
4. University of Houston High School Math Contest
5. Texas Competitive Math (upper elementary through high school)

7.  Read Recruiting Students for Math Club by Harold Reiter

8.  Have a presentation or display ready for school registration or schedule pick-up

    a.  This is a great way to inform and raise interest of parents
    b.  Have a sign up for both students and parent volunteers (see samples below)
          i.  For providing assistance
          ii.  For providing snacks (never underestimate the importance of snacks!)
    c.  Have a handout (see samples below)
          i.  Describe your program
          ii.  List practice times
          iii.  List competition dates (approximately if not known)
          iv.  List basic topics to be covered
          v.  Give sample problems
          vi.  Tell parents how they can participate
          vii.  Request corporate sponsorship

9.  Make and display posters around the school (see sample below), possible with:

    a.  Some problems on them
    b.  Time and location of the first practice
    c.  Refreshments will be provided

10.  Remind students on your school's announcements

11.  Prepare a lesson or pretest (if desired) for your first practice