START A CHAPTER
Starting a local HOSA chapter is very simple and rewarding! Following the five steps below will ensure a successful start to your new chapter!
Initial Membership Recruitment
Contact Georgia HOSA Headquarters
Chapter Login and Affiliation
Recruit, Recruit, Recruit!
Fine Tune
Initial Membership Recruitment
The first step in starting a local HOSA chapter is to find an adult who will serve as the chapter advisor. More information of Advisor responsibilities is located in Section C of the HOSA Handbook: Guide to Organizing and Managing a HOSA Chapter. Once a chapter advisor has been secured, you’ll need to recruit at least 5 members to get started. Once you have these names, continue to the next step.
Contact Georgia HOSA Headquarters
We want to hear from you and your success in beginning the steps necessary to start a new chapter! We also need to get all of your contact information so that we can ensure you receive all communication from our office. Complete the "Chapter Request Form" in the submenu of this page.
Once we receive your contact information, we’ll send your charter number and password along with what HOSA region you’re in so that the initial 6 members (advisor + 5 students) can be added and of course anyone you recruited along the way! While waiting on this information, we highly recommend to get very familiar with the layout of the Georgia HOSA website. We have a lot of resources on this site for chapter advisors. Don’t forget to sign up for our Georgia HOSA mailing list!
Chapter Login Information and Affiliation
Your chapter ID and password are the two pieces of information you’ll need to access the online affiliation system. The online affiliation system is used to affiliate members, view your account balance, print your membership directory, complete online registration for conferences, add proctors for online testing and much more. In other words, this is where you’ll do almost everything for your chapter. Step by step instructions for adding members to your chapter are available once you log-in. For details on the affiliation system and more help, click here.
Recruit, Recruit, Recruit!
Now that you have been added to our contact list and are set up in the membership affiliation system, you are ready to recruit members and build your chapter. One key thing to remember is that a student cannot experience the benefits of HOSA membership unless they first join. Posters, videos from HOSA events, visits from State Officers or Region Representative all play a huge role in assisting you in the recruitment process. Click here for a General Membership Recruitment Poster you can print. You can use the blank at the bottom to customize the poster by adding who to see to join, cost of joining, etc.
Fine Tune
Now that you have begun to recruit HOSA members, it’s time to start fine-tuning your chapter details to ensure a successful year. You’ll want to start thinking about electing chapter officers, planning for fundraisers, community service projects, looking over the amazing competitive events program, advertising for conferences, etc. Section C of the HOSA Handbook is an absolute vital HOSA publication you’ll want by your side. In addition, Georgia HOSA offers local officer training at our annual JumpStart. Advisor training is provided at HOSA Success Day and is invaluable no matter your level of experience with HOSA. You can also contact the member of the Board of Directors that represents your region.