Ten tips for starting your Wednesday Club

Wednesday Clubs encourage fun and meaningful connections.

1.    Decide on a purpose for gathering.

What’s your mission? Purely social? Want to learn something new? Motivate each other? Meet new people? Have a philanthropic purpose? Anything works, but it’s helpful to know why you’re meeting and what you hope to get from meeting.

2.    Encourage diversity.

Consider diversity of ages, backgrounds, experiences, and ethnicity. It’s way more interesting when you’re with people who are not the same as you. Wednesday Clubs can be men’s clubs too.

3.    Think about how large you want the club to be.

Four? Eight? More than 20? Any number can work, but remember that the smaller the group the more intimate it can be.

4.    Pick a regular meeting time and cadence.

If not everyone can make it every time, that’s okay. It’s too challenging to keep trying to readjust to people’s changing schedules. Decide how often you’ll meet, pick an initial date and time that works for everyone, and then stick with it.

5.    Take turns being the organizer.

If one person is always the “leader” it becomes a burden to that person. Share the role.

6.    Decide where you’ll meet.

In a park? A restaurant? Member’s homes? A coffee shop? On the walking trail? Try to find a location that’s convenient for everyone.

7.    Make it easy.

If you do meet in a member’s home, make a vow that having a clean house is the last thing the club members care about. It’s about the connection, not the housekeeping style. (I know this is a challenging one for a lot of us.)

8.    Sharing food and drink is good.

Even if it’s as simple as a coffee and a cookie or a piece of fruit, being seated around a table “breaking bread” together is bonding.

9.    Pick a name for your group.

Wednesday Club. Saturday Sisters. Old Broads. Wineys. Give your group a unique identity that helps to create a bond.

10.  Be willing to experiment.

Take a regular pulse of the group — are members feeling their personal goals are being met? Do you want to increase or decrease the frequency of your meetings? Add new members? Bring in guest speakers or take a field trip? Anything is possible and changing things up from time to time can keep things fresh and fun.

These are just a few of the ideas to get you started. Join the Wednesday Club Facebook group to see what others are doing.