<p>My main EC is a competitive academic club, similar to Sci Oly or Debate. Last year as a freshman, I won at the national competition in my event. I've also done a lot of member recruiting, training, and volunteering to help the club. However, since I'm still an underclassman, I can't hold leadership positions. </p>
<p>This year, the officers created a new officer selection process, where basically the officers choose their heirs--no interview, no election, nothing. Talk about dictatorship. I know I'll never be a leader in this club now, since the officers have even told me that they hate me because "a freshman doesn't deserve to win at nationals" especially since no one else from my school won last year.</p>
<p>Should I quit this club, since I'll never have a leadership position here? </p>
<p>Certainly I could use some more time to study for school, SAT, etc. But besides this club, I'm only involved in a student-led charity group and a small job on the side. And also, I can't join any others clubs since most club meetings conflict with my work schedule.</p>
<p>Should I put up with the officers (who are all best friends and gossip like crazy)? Should I suck it up and just focus on winning competitions? Forget about leadership?</p>
<p>Please provide some input on this situation. I enjoy this club, but I don't want to put up with all the backstabbing anymore. Thank you!</p>
<p>You’re obviously good at what you do, and your main problem seems to do with the politics of that club, and plus you love the club. </p>
<p>I’d stick with it. I’m sure you know your situation best, but unless you’re really concerned with getting some shoddy leadership position, just ignore those idiots. You’re a sophomore now and things can change, especially once you start making friends, allies, and start playing the politics game yourself. Who knows where you could end up by senior year?</p>
<p>Stuff like this could happen at any point in your life. Eventually, when it comes down to it, sheer competence beats everything.</p>
<p>Stick with it since you enjoy it and are good at it. This also shows passion and commitment. Try to get some leadership in other EC’s, if you don’t end up with an officer position in this EC. You may even think about involving a club advisor (teacher) to lobby on your behalf in a year or so with this club in particular.</p>
<p>So you have options to quit, put up, shut up, and now overthrow? There are ways to be a positive influence in your club without being in a leadership position, and without playing the political game. You are invested insomuch as you have worked hard enough to earn a national award. Do you need a title to go with that? No. Are you wasting your time as far as admismissions goes if you don’t have a title? That’s entirely up to you.</p>
<p>The upperclassmen are not acting like leaders, they are acting like kids. They will graduate. Stay put and play nice. You will clearly be the winner and show others that they can succeed and be welcomed into the club without being in the ‘facebook status of the moment’ club.</p>
<p>These are the very reasons why my kids academic team has no appointed leadership roles. Get a group of very bright young people, a lot of drive, talent, ideas, personalities, and there are going to be clashes. One year the best thing the kids learned was simply how to get along…I am not kidding. By college everyone will be a big fish in a huge pond. There will be thousands of kids with score, grades, awards, just like theirs or better. No longer will they be the chosen few. There are very few places you can go where you don’t have to get along with others. I think Mark Zuckerberg could have done better, but that’s just me…</p>