Thriving booster clubs know the key to success is to start each new school year strong. A well planned and executed annual kick-off meeting is just what you need to motivate students and win over their parents.

As the current school year draws to a close, schedule an annual kick-off meeting for all new and returning students and their families. Establish the meeting as mandatory, and require every participating student to be represented. There are not many occasions when all of your parents are together at once, so take advantage of this opportunity to set the tone and create enthusiasm for the new year.

Here are six essentials for an inspiring annual kick-off meeting.

It’s spring trip season for many booster clubs, and the key to fun-filled travel is forward planning. Before you hit the road, be sure that everyone is well prepared and knows what to expect. The best way to communicate your expectations is by meeting with your chaperones and travelers in advance.

Here are the key points for success in each of these meetings.

1. The chaperone meeting. Meet with your chaperones two to three weeks before your trip and tell them what to expect. Here you’ll share guidelines, rules, and expectations for travel.

The chaperone meeting gives them a chance to meet each other and exchange contact information. You’ll have the opportunity to answer questions and to make sure that everyone is “on the same page.” This is where you’ll share room, chaperone, and bus assignments with them. Occasionally, they will identify problem areas or suggest changes to the assignments. Always welcome their feedback and make every effort to implement their suggestions.

Last week, we saw how booster clubs can benefit from a best practice in the workplace: to engage parent volunteers by appealing to a higher sense of purpose. Tony Schwartz and Christine Porath found that “employees who derive meaning and significance from their work were more than three times as likely to stay with their organizations.”

The very essence of a booster club is serve a higher sense of purpose – to make an impact on the rising generation. Booster clubs who communicate this well to their parent volunteers realize significant benefits, and set themselves up to achieve their objectives each year.

In many ways, leading a booster club is like running a small business. As in business, you must attract and engage energetic, motivated people to achieve your booster club’s objectives. Today, let’s look to the workplace for best practices in engaging parent volunteers.

In a recent New York Times article, Tony Schwartz and Christine Porath set out to find Why You Hate Work. They were “curious to understand what most influences people’s engagement and productivity at work.” Through a survey of more than 20,000 employees, they found that people are most satisfied and productive when four of their core needs are met: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.