Invite folks who have read the book or are reading the book.
Good sizes for groups are 2-9 folks.
Online groups are safest as of this writing in the USA, in 2020.
The CC would love for all group meetings to be fun for all involved.
We hope that participants get a great sense of belonging and camaraderie from groups, and that the groups spark many interventions in the real world.
Please have fun! Have lots of fun!
Meeting in person if COVID (or other infectious illness) is present in your state or province is strongly discouraged. If you have determined it is safe enough to meet in person, be sure to follow safety guidelines from reputable health authorities. We can’t change norms if people get sick from in person meetings.
Have regularly scheduled meetings. Meetings could be 1 time a month- or they could be 3 times a week, or anything in between. Whatever works best for your particular group is how often you should meet. However often you choose to meet, make a schedule to meet at the same time and day if at all possible.
Create Group Norms for your group during the first one to three meetings- with input from all members. The group norms may vary from group to group. Use your best judgment about what things are most important to your group. Will each person have speaking time or will it be free flowing? Will it be more like a book club or a educational or support group type group? Will people read at their own pace or read certain chapters prior to each meeting?
Group membership and attendance should be FREE. This includes having no expectation that hosts, organizers, or participants will provide snacks or beverages. If meeting in person in a public place, please try very hard to avoid holding meetings in places where a purchase is expected.
If a member or some members are wanting to donate to a group, (in the form of snacks, location fees, copying expenses, flowers, etc) it should be done freely, AND as anonymously as possible, and with no expectation of receiving recognition or special treatment as a group member. This is the CC way!
It is suggested (but certainly not required) that group meetings start out with a written agenda that allows for in depth and free discussion of various topics related to MMR and norm changing strategies.