About OIST Registered Clubs

OIST defines a Registered Club as a group of three or more students, staff, faculty or family members thereof who share a common purpose or interest. A Registered Club is entirely operated and organized by those individuals that created the Registered Club. Registered Clubs shall not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, age, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, or disability. The president of the club needs to be an official OIST employee or student with a valid OIST email address. The benefits of forming and becoming a member of a Registered Clubs are explained herein.  However, participants need to be aware there are certain matters that are not benefits. Please read the important details below.

The term Registered Club in this section shall also apply to the individual members thereof. In summary, a Registered Club is not an agent, representative, or employee of OIST and is not permitted to act as an extension of OIST. Therefore, along with any other relevant considerations, participants must contemplate the following:

1. Registered Clubs are not always granted the non-profit nor tax-exempt statuses of OIST. Unless a club does continuous profitable business, it is not subject to taxation. Collecting membership dues or selling mementos at stalls to earn operating costs, etc. is not normally considered doing continuous profitable business. If you require more information, you must contact a certified tax consultant.
2. Registered Clubs receive no insurance coverage of any type from OIST, while any damage resulting from using OIST facilities may be covered by OIST insurance. OIST makes no representation about the ability of a Registered Club to obtain any private insurance coverage. The ability to obtain any type of insurance coverage is at the sole discretion, expense, and risk of the Registered Club.
3. OIST is not responsible for the contracts, indebtedness, obligations, and/or liabilities of a Registered Club. A Registered Club is responsible for the same. The Registered Club is not appointed and shall not act as an agent of OIST and shall have no right, power, or authority, to enter in to any agreement, contract, or other obligation on behalf of OIST or otherwise bind OIST. A Registered Club shall not execute any document or instrument on behalf of OIST and shall not at any time hold themselves out to any third party as an agent of OIST or imply to any third party that they have any authority to so act on behalf of OIST. When you use your club’s name, you must recognize that you are seen as a representative of OIST. You must act with self-awareness as a member of OIST and not harm OIST’s reputation.

Being a part of a Registered Club is only one example of getting involved at OIST and can be one of the most fulfilling aspects of your experience in Okinawa. Making new friends, building relationships, networking, and establishing a strong skill set for the workforce are just some of the many benefits that come from getting involved.  Through your involvement in a Registered Club at OIST, there are great opportunities for you to develop leadership experience, interpersonal relationships, and keep your mental and physical health a priority. Additionally, you can make an impact both on campus and in the larger Okinawa community. The manual provided to Registerd Clubs contains detailed information and resources to aid in the success of your Registered Club.

Making the decision to create a new club can be very exciting and overwhelming at the same time.  Recreation Services will help you apply and charter your group in becoming a registered club. Before beginning the process of forming a new club, it is recommended that the interest group research the existing clubs at Clubs Directory.

If the interest group is unable to identify any existing club that is of interest, then the interest group is encouraged to create a new club.  All Registered Clubs must be initiated and governed by OIST members (students, staff, faculty, family members thereof).

A new Registered Club is defined as an organization that has never previously existed at OIST or has been on campus before but has been considered inactive by the OIST for at least one academic year.

• Here are some questions to consider aiding in creating a new club:
• What is the purpose of the club?
• What are the goals of the club?
• How will the club accomplish its goals?
• What is unique about the club?
• Are there other people who may be interested in joining the club?
• What type of commitment will members need in order to form the club?
• How will the club identify and recruit members? 
• How will the club be governed?
• Is there are club membership fee?

Answering these questions will help an interest group to begin the registration process. If an interest group would like assistance, contact the Recreation Services at recreation-services@oist.jp or by visiting the Recreation Services website.

Registered Clubs are responsible for the management of all funds relating to their club.  Fiscal management and decision-making processes should be outlined within the constitution of the Registered Club.  Registered Clubs should maintain transparency with the membership of the club regarding the management of funds. Clubs cannot act as an extension of OIST in that they are not covered by liability insurance from OIST.

REFERENCE 16.3.7.3 OIST Support of Clubs https://www.oist.jp/policy-library/16.3.7

Funding Opportunities

Registered Clubs are expected to fundraise if the they need funds. OIST does not always provide funds to individual clubs. Please contact Recreation Services to discuss your fundraising ideas so we can assist you in the legalities of fundraising on or off campus.

Bank Accounts

OIST does not specifically encourage or advise Registered Clubs to maintain an off-campus bank account in their personal name.  If a Registered Club chooses to open an off-campus bank account, it is encouraged to utilize the club name.  Please contact local bank branches for more information. Registered Clubs are responsible for any income tax reporting and are encouraged to consult with a certified tax consultant for additional support and guidelines.

Recreation Services budget can store large donations above 100,000 JPY or more for your club’s use. Please make sure the donor provides details on what the donation should be used for. You can have the donation deposited into this OIST account if you set this up ahead of time. Please note that in order to utilize the funds, the accounting section at OIST will need details on the item/ service, vendor, and payment information prior to your purchase. All of this information can be given to you by the Director of Recreation. Please meet before you purchase.

Philanthropy

Philanthropy is the act of donating money, goods, services, time, and/or effort to support a social beneficial cause, with a defined objective and with no financial or material reward to the donor.  Such events also serve as a way to build community among OIST students, staff, faculty, and family members thereof and within the Okinawan community.

Funds raised by a Registered Clubs for an outside entity are to be gifted in their entirety (100%) to the named philanthropy.  Costs incurred to create the philanthropic event must be fully funded by the club before the philanthropy is conducted.  OIST subsidy funds shall not be donated to off-campus interests.

Please report the amount fundraised and delivered to the organization via email to the Recreation Services Section.

Fundraising

Fundraising is considered a normal organizational function.  The funds raised will be managed by the Registered Club and will be managed as directed by the bylaws created by the organization.  If an organization initiative is to donate such funds to a philanthropic organization, they are required to appropriately document all transactions and comply with the OIST - PRP.

Sales

Some clubs have been quite successful in conducting regular concession sales items such as t-shirts, baked goods, flowers, etc.  Please contact Recreation Services for the guidelines if you would like to sell items on campus to fundraise. Items to be sold must be approved by OIST. Please note, a club cannot sell food items without the appropriate Okinawa Food Handling Certification. If having a “bake sale,” you can ask for donation and you must have the liability statement on your advertisements in order to comply with OIST rules and Okinawa rules.

Membership Dues

Registered clubs may collect dues to cover organization expenditures if desired.  Funds collected will be managed by the organization as prescribed by the bylaws created by the club. Contracts, sales, and licensing should always be documented and recorded with Registered Club.

In this manual, you can learn;

• benefits of becoming an OIST registered club
• governance of a club
• on-campus facilities available for recreational activities
• financing your club activity
• what you need to consider and prepare before submitting a club establishment proposal
• tips for creating a club bylaws

etc.