Over the summer I learned to play the ukulele. If you’ve interacted with me at all since then, as I’ve probably told you, it’s a point of very serious personal pride given my complete inability to succeed with any musical instruments in years prior. Given my schedule—and perhaps lack of ability to receive criticism—I chose not to pursue lessons and was left to play solo for quite a while. That was until about a month ago.

I stumbled into school on a Monday morning, ukulele in tow, prepared to play with other “uke” enthusiasts as a part of “Ukulele Club,” a group that met on Mondays at lunch and informally included students who, like me, enjoy the small Hawaiian guitar. It was fantastically laid back, and those present seemed to genuinely have a good time warming Parker’s hallways with renditions of “I Want it That Way” and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”

Our club was made possible not by rigor or form, not by bureaucracy or structure, but rather through small community connections. An informal “everyone knows everyone” approach led not only to the club’s being formed, but also to my feeling comfortable attending. Had it been a formal commitment, I may not have attended, but the relaxed environment inspired a sense of safety and convinced me to give it a shot.

One might imagine my curiosity and nervousness when receiving an email requesting that all club leaders submit a form to ensure that their club is recognized by the “Parker Organization of Clubs and Activities.” The form was relatively boilerplate, but indicative of a larger change lurking in the distance, one that would change the way Parker treats its student groups.

In the days following the email, student leaders gave announcements urging all who had not to submit the form and to begin working on their “Club Charter,” a series of guidelines defining the standard operating procedure for the club itself. I’m a bit opposed to the addition of heavier structures to the present Parker Clubs system.

And the system is developing. Several club leaders have told me there have been discussions of establishing a “Club Board” to oversee and approve all clubs and regulation of membership, setting a standard to specify what one must do to be considered “officially” in a club. The attempts have been systematic in shifting the administration’s relaxed and communal attitude towards clubs in the direction of bureaucratic, with a focus on formalization and clarity.

Don’t get me wrong, bureaucracy has its place in any school– some is necessary in nearly all communities large or small. And I know that the complete club system is not yet final, that details and implementation are still being sussed out.

But Ukulele Club was the brainchild of a few students who simply enjoyed playing the ukulele and wanted to share their love with others. All it was ever meant for was having fun and providing a musical community for those of us who wouldn’t have one otherwise, but putting an approval board, charters, and overt bureaucracy in the way could have serious negative effects.

Taking clubs from a “do as you please” system to one with a more rigid shape can, and likely will, discourage students from starting clubs surrounding casual interest.

The fact of the matter is that interest, no matter how casual, can create fantastic communities. The idea that students with a laid back intrigue in Portugal can start a Portuguese Club or that those who enjoy social justice can found an Activism Club with little more than a room and a few members is beautiful, a small chunk of what makes Parker the beautiful collective that we have today.

I recognize the potential upsides of a formalized system, the advantages of newcomers’ having a straightforward list of clubs to join and a school with provisions in place that generally uphold order. One can argue the benefits of holding club leaders accountable and a process by which next year’s leaders are selected. But the merits far outweigh the drawbacks.

For even the smallest of systems can be intimidating. They can be confusing. They can prevent new members of the community from involving themselves immediately. And they can morph in ways that discourage students from pursuing their passions. Having to answer to student club leaders and the administration can be daunting or disheartening, and it can influence the ways in which students go about their business beyond that which is readily observable.

I’m certain that those who are driving the change have the entire school’s best interests in mind, but I assert that there are innumerable benefits to our current method that may be sacrificed in the coming months and years.

Keeping bureaucracy out of clubs at Parker has inspired a beautifully diverse and unique slate of extracurricular communities that I fear will flounder in a new system. I look forward to seeing the system take shape with the case for community strength and–if any–a flexible bureaucracy in mind.