So you want to create a clan, eh? What most people don't realize is that most clans die out within the first month because of a lack of organization. So, let's have a look at the proper process needed to maintain an excellent clan. 5 key steps you need to follow are site building, recruitment, staying active, enforcing rules, and decision making.

A clan site is the first thing you need to tend to, even before recruiting. This is because the clan site offers a place to organize decisions, thoughts, events, and all of the future members. The most popular place to create a clan site is InvisionFree. Just click on the register button, and then fill out the necessary information. Once you have created the site, you can take a look at my Clan Site Maintenance Guide.

Now you can begin to recruit members. It's a good idea to have some of your RuneScape friends committed to joining before you create the site so you can already show some activity on your site. This will encourage members to join. Usually new clan leaders set level requirements to 70+ combat with 65+ magic or ranged so more members can join. A good idea would be to look at some recruitment threads on IceFuzion or other boards and then create your own based on those formats. Later on you can go back and add pictures of clan pking trips or other events to show people that your clan is active. Just post the thread on as many boards as you want and soon the people will start coming. If you have SwiftSwitch, set up a channel to discuss problems and topics quickly instead of having to post them on the forum.

Staying active is pretty much what decides if a clan lives or dies. If you're not active, members will quit and go join other clans that are active. It's most popular to set up weekly pking trips to keep members busy and happy, but you can also do castle wars, pest control, or any other activity you can think of. It's a good idea to take pictures of these events and post them with your recruitment thread, or add them in later. It's paramount that you make sure as many members as possible can attend these events, so post the event about two weeks in advance so members can tell you if they're coming or not. That will also let you edit the time if most members cannot come.

As a clan leader, it is your responsibilty to make sure all members are happy with you. Rule enforcing ensures that you mean business and that anyone who offends you or another member faces punishment. However, before you make any decisions it's important to look at all sides of the offense. Then you can make a non-biased decision. Sometimes it's okay to let offenses happen without punishment, but be careful to make all members as happy as possible by enforcing rules.

Decision making is involved in all the steps mentioned above. As a clan leader, you have the final say so in everything. When planning events, ask members if the time is appropriate for them. Also, remember that they live all around the world, so time zones are going to be an issue. As I said before, always make sure you get all sides of offenses before you make a decision of punishment so the punishment is fair to everyone. Sometimes, ask trusted members for some advise in important decisions. Every decision you make is important, so be sure to plan ahead by looking at the possible outcomes.

Well I hope I've covered the most important parts of creating and leading a clan. I'm a clan leader myself, so I understand that you will suffer stressful nights. Just remember, you are the most important figure in your clan, so try to get clan members to respect you by making everyone as happy as you can.

I'm a clan leader as well and we've been around for 8 months. I had to start my clan 3 times before we could get going. My tip for new clan leaders is actually learn InvisionFree and how to change skins and put codes in >before< starting otherwise you'll fail and feel miserable and may not want to try again.

That's why I made my "Clan Site Maintenance" guide.

well.. heres my fast tips..

1) Never Give up no matter how bad things look... its worth it.
2) Its not about you, its about the members. so always consider your members first before you make a vital decision.
3) Keep a good and uptodate relationship with all your members.
4) Try your best to keep peace in the clan at all cost. you may lose a hell of a lot of sleep but this is vital.
5) If you have a good things going, dont change it, ie elect a new leader or change the site or leave for too long... (talkin out of experience of self and others)
6) if there is trouble within the clan, the culprits should be givern the benifit of the doubt ie, should not take sides.
7)make sure that all the membersa trusts you, the last thing u need is a member thinking that u r dodgy,(if u r.. then u dont deserve the clan)
8)dont start a clan unless u r prepared to do all the above

Those tips cannot run a clan. It helps a leader know how to act but beyond that it is useless. In certain situations you will have to be ruthless, you can't be nice all the time. Of course when you have a position of power you will piss off some people. Don't sweat it to much. If members start arguing then don't let any argument go longer then a day. Figure out who is wrong and reprimand or ban the wrong person. If it is necessary ban them both. Also don't just give co-leader to any old friend of yours. Make sure he is good with leadership. If necessary don't have a co-leader until you find a suitable one.

that seems like an acusation against me.. anyways... u r right but if the leader isnt prepared to do this before u r prepared to be ruthless and ban every single person.... i said i was talkin out of experience, my clan is still going where others have fallen apart, we are down but definetly not out..

and yes hbk u do have some good points there.. basically it just depends on how u wanna run ur clan, like based on rules and strict regulations or on friendship and trust.

Friendship and trust only gets you so far. SE is based alot of friendship. But if someone steps over the line, they get banned. You have to let the members know you will ban them and actually ban them. If your there friend first and there leader second then they will use to keep themselves in the clan.

nice guide, ait was a good read 8/10

thanks, took an hour to write. i appreciate these tips btw.

You can click the link in my signature to go to a website that I help maintain. It isn't that hard after I've run about 10 forums and helped with about 20 others.