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Passing the Torch

As a leader, there will be a time where you are ready to step down and pass the torch. To set your chapter up for success, it is important that you support your chapter through this transition. Here are some tips from former SafeBAE leaders to help you get started!

First, check your school’s rules. Some schools and advisors already have their own process for choosing club leaders — an election, an application, a GPA requirement, a set timeline. If yours does, follow it. Use everything below for the rest: making sure your chapter’s knowledge, relationships, and materials get passed down along with the title.

A lot of what makes a transition go smoothly happens during the year, well before your last few weeks. These are things you can do now to make next year’s handoff easier.
  • Begin looking before the end of the year. It is helpful to begin looking for potential leaders before the end of the year. This will ensure that your chapter is not rushing to find someone to fill the position. We suggest starting this process at least 4–6 weeks before your last day of school. If you are able to start earlier, that is even better. Choosing someone by early spring gives them time to learn the role while you are still there to help.
  • Share responsibilities throughout the year. Give your members chances to lead before you need them to. You can invite someone else to run a meeting, plan an event, or manage your chapter’s social media. This helps your members build confidence, and it means your chapter is not relying on one person to know how everything works.
  • Encourage your underclassmen to become Certified Peer Educators. If your chapter is mostly juniors and seniors, you may find yourself starting over each year. We suggest encouraging your younger members to complete the free Certified Peer Educator Training. A sophomore who completes the training has three years to use it, while a senior who completes it in the fall only has one semester. Try to have at least three certified members across at least two grade levels.
  • Consider presenting to 7th and 8th graders. Working with your advisor to present at your feeder middle school is a great way to build your chapter’s future. Middle school students often pay attention to high schoolers in a way they do not with adults. It also means the 8th graders in that room will arrive at your school already knowing about your chapter!

Identify potential members that may be interested

If your school or club already has a required process for selecting leaders, follow that instead. These suggestions are for chapters that get to decide for themselves.
  • Encourage your chapter’s members to nominate themselves or their peers. Let your chapter know that leadership is changing at the end of the year, which roles are opening, and that no experience is required. Many members will wait until they are told they are welcome to step up.
  • Ask members directly. Asking the whole group often results in silence, not because no one is interested, but because most people assume someone else is more qualified. It is helpful to think of two or three specific members and ask each of them individually. Being asked personally is often what helps someone feel that they can say yes.
  • If there is more than one candidate, host an election. This will allow your chapter to vote for a candidate. You can do this by having everyone write the name of who they’d like to vote for on a slip of paper. After everyone has submitted their votes, count the number of votes for each candidate. Whoever has the most votes will have won the election!
  • Consider co-leads, and make room for everyone who ran. If leading on your own feels like a lot, two co-leads can share the work, and your chapter keeps going if one of them gets busy. Whatever you decide, make sure that everyone who put their name forward still has a role in your chapter.

Help set them up for success!

When someone has been chosen to fill the role, they will need to learn the ropes. Choosing your next leader is only the first step — the weeks afterward are what set them up to succeed. Try to finish all of it before your last day of school.
  • Invite them to shadow you and assist you with tasks. Bring them along for the things you would normally do on your own, like building the agenda, emailing your advisor, or planning an event.
  • Give them chances to lead while you are still there. We suggest doing this gradually. Have them lead part of a meeting first, and then a full meeting while you are still in the room. This gives them a chance to practice while you are available to answer questions.
  • Invite them to review previous agendas. If your chapter documents each meeting, invite them to review previous agendas. This will help them get a feel of the structure of each meeting.
  • Pass along your chapter’s accounts and materials. Before your last week of school, sit down together and hand over your chapter’s social media logins, shared folders, member list, meeting notes, and event photos. Make sure none of it is saved only in a personal account, or in a school account that will be closed after you graduate.
  • Introduce them to your chapter’s adult allies in person. Walk your successor over to your advisor rather than leaving it as a name in an email, and confirm your advisor plans to continue next year. Connect them with the SafeBAE team by filling out our End-of-Year form.
  • Leave a one-page note on what worked. Which events brought people in, which ones didn’t, what you’d do differently, and which teachers were the most helpful. It’s often the most useful thing you can leave behind.
  • Remind them to re-register in the fall. Chapters re-register with SafeBAE at the start of each school year. It’s free and quick, but if nobody remembers, your chapter loses access to materials and support.