Students’ associations are as old as the university system itself and they have been an integral part of the learning process. Clubs like the Red Cross Society, Rotaract Club, the Junior Chamber international and the likes have gained international recognition and can be found in almost every University.
The University of Ibadan Students Information Handbook, 2012/2013 reveals that there are 135 registered Students’ Associations on campus. Prominent among them include the Union of Campus Journalists, Sigma Club, Hall and Faculty Press Clubs and literary and debating societies. Many are founded daily while many die and fade away on a daily basis.
These associations have been the platform where many students develop diverse skills necessary for survival in the world, as it is believed that not everything can be taught in the classroom.
The idle hand is the devil’s workshop. Being members of these associations has helped to keep students from vices since they are engaged almost on a daily basis with planning one activity or the other and attending meetings. Therefore, any university that wants to maintain its peace will endeavour to support and encourage the activities of these associations. Again, they have been fertile grounds for friendships and networking in view of the fact that they boast of members from diverse fields of interest.
In recent times, one will be forced to ask, what do many of these associations actually stand for? It appears they are only good at recruiting members. At the beginning of every semester, we see a scramble by these organizations on campus to recruit as many freshmen as possible. However, the only thing that is worth boasting about these organizations is their numerical strength. Many no longer add values to their members.
Some of them have the legacy of holding certain programmes every year even when it is no longer convenient and when the funds are not available. That explains why the only beneficial thing students get from these programmes is the food they share which in some cases are worse than the events themselves.
A very important question that comes to mind is what has made some of these clubs withstand the test of time while many others are fading away. A common denominator of all these enduring clubs is the definiteness of purpose and vision.
They were able to pursue these goals and train people to take over after them. In other words, the organisations were not tied to the heartbeat of their founders and long after their founders were gone, such organizations still existed. On the other hand, some organizations lack continuity and perpetual succession. That explains why after their leaders might have left, the organizations died.
An organization is known by the people it has as members. The members should embody the organisation’s purpose. Many of these people do not even depict what they profess. Worse, some members do not even know the mottos of their associations. Others have seen membership of these organizations as a way to make a name and enrich themselves.
There is a very disturbing trend. Most persons that identify a need in the society or have an idea think the best thing to do is form an association. Without sitting down to assess and plan properly, they assemble a little number of people and begin their associations. Some of these organisations soon die without making any impact because the things they set out to achieve have been done by others. The wisest thing to do will be to join the already existing organizations and help them grow. That will never be the case because some of these founders are inspired by the glamour that comes with founding an organization and are not willing to put in the necessary work that will ensure the survival of the organisations long after they are gone.
This is a call to action. It is high time some of these clubs revisited and redefined their raison d’etre. Stop the proliferation of associations. If you have an idea or a need that is already being met though inadequately, support an already existing association by joining or donating to their cause instead of beginning another club.
Complaints, comments, suggestions, rejoinders and requests should be sent to mellanbypressui@gmail.com
