How to charter a new high school Thespian troupe
Thank you for your interest in chartering a new Thespian troupe at your school! It’s a simple process that will set the foundation for rewarding theatre student achievement for many years to come. The Thespian Troupe Handbook provides thorough information on troupe operations and benefits to the troupe director and students. In addition, ten ways ITS will benefit your theatre program explains how a Thespian troupe can be a powerful tool for promoting and growing the drama department as a whole.
Just follow these four steps to charter a new Thespian troupe:
1. Verify your school’s charter eligibility
Any public or private school that provides instruction for students in grades 9, 10, 11, or 12 (or the international equivalent) and has an active theatre arts program may apply to charter a traditional high school Thespian troupe to serve as the honor society for its theatre student artists and technicians. Youth theatre programs that are based in the United States and are organized under a public school district or the private school equivalent may be eligible to charter a non-traditional Thespian troupe. Details are available in Section 1.2.2 of our membership policy.
2. Review the charter application
Download the high school Thespian troupe membership application. The prospective troupe director should review the application and the “terms of membership.” The terms establish the basic relationship between EdTA and the school. By signing the ITS troupe charter authorization on the form, the troupe director and principal indicate their agreement to these terms as well as those in the EdTA code of regulations, code of professional standards, policies, and the Thespian Troupe Handbook. The troupe director should review those resources and share them with the principal prior to signing and submitting the troupe charter.
We also recommend that the troupe director review:
Official high school Thespian point system
Note: The troupe membership term is August 1 through the following July 31 regardless of the charter date. Troupes chartered on August 1 through June 30 will be active through the end of the current school year (July 31). Fees are not prorated for partial years. Troupes chartering late in the school year are still required to pay renewal dues for the following school year by October 15. Troupes chartered in the month of July receive that month as a “bonus” and will be active through July 31 of the following school year.
3. Complete the application form
Fill out the form, sign it, and have the principal or equivalent administrator sign it, too. You will also need to submit the names and addresses of at least six charter inductees with your application. To determine student eligibility, be sure to read the point system and the sample troupe constitution.
If you would like to charter a troupe at this time but can’t determine student induction eligibility, contact the service center at (513) 421-3900 or the membership department. We will try to find a solution if the school or theatre program is new or if the troupe director is new to an existing program.
4. Submit the application along with payment
For the 2011-12 school year, required fees include (U.S. currency):
| One-time charter fee | $70 | ||
| Annual troupe dues | $70 | ||
| One-time induction fee: | $23 per student | $138 | (6 students) minimum |
| Rush service fee (optional) | $45 |
Rush service guarantees processing of your charter materials and delivery of your new troupe packet within five business days of receipt of your application. Be sure to check the “Rush Service” box on your application. Non-rush (standard) delivery service is approximately three weeks.
You can send your charter application by fax to (513) 421-7055 along with payment by Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club, or an official school purchase order (complete with purchase order number and administrator’s signature). If you prefer, you can send it by mail along with a check to the P.O. Box address on the application.
If you wish, you can submit an order for ITS graduation and honor items (or any other catalog items) along with your charter materials, and we will make every effort to deliver your order along with your troupe charter packet.
What happens next?
After we process your troupe charter application, we will send a new troupe charter packet. It will include a charter certificate, a membership roll certificate, basic troupe operation information, induction invitations to notify future candidates that they are eligible to join, your permanent troupe number and charter date, your troupe director log-in ID and password, and one personalized membership card and blank membership certificate for each charter inductee.
If you charter April through July, your inductees will receive the first of their nine scheduled issues of Dramatics magazine with the following September issue. If you charter August through March, the first issues should arrive within four to six weeks.
If you have questions on specific issues, please feel free to contact our service center at (513) 421-3900, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., or by e-mail.
