Influencer II
Okay, as promised in the New England Camping trip thread, here is the thread to discuss getting a few monthly meet and greets going for North East folks. I say a few because the Northeast members are pretty spread out and the best chance of success is to set up 3 or 4 locally centralized meets that make it easier for folks to attend without having to travel far. What is a meet and greet? It's whatever you make it. Most of the time its meeting at a local bar, coffee shop or restaurant to sit down and chat about everything under the sun. Sometimes it's a Saturday picnic at a park to get the whole family out and meet other adventurous families. Sometimes everyone is busy and a month gets skipped. But at it's core it is a very casual way to meet other folks in the community, form friendships and build relationships with others who share the adventurous spirit of Overland Bound. What this does, is causes greater participation in the larger OB sponsored events because the barrier of not knowing folks is gone and you want to have fun with the friends you already have and the ones you know you will make.
There are two schools of thought on choosing a meetup spot. The first is to have the same spot every time as it makes it easy for folks to know where they will be and creates a consistency of folks gathering. In places that have fewer members who are spread out this can be limiting. That is where the second comes into play. A rotation of locations can be helpful in getting the most people possible involved, not everyone can attend every time but the folks on the fringes get a chance to attend sometimes.
I see a couple locations on the member map with a high density of members that would be good areas for a set location (not required but it would work well there). I also see a couple areas where a rotation would probably be required in order to keep the monthly meet going and ensure folks are able to attend at leas some of them.
The greater Boston area looks like a good spot for either a set location or a rotation.
Southern Maine and the NH Seacoast look like a good spot for a rotation.
South Central Mass and Central Conn. look like a good spot for a rotation
You Vermonters seem to be represented mostly in the Burlington area So an either or may work.
I know we have folks in southern VT but they aren't on the map. A rotation with Western Mass might work there.
RI and South East Mass may be able to get a rotation going.
*Note: Not everyone who uses the forum, or even members, are represented on the map. We want everyone involved so if you aren't on the map, get on the map, or if you don't want to be on the map post up where you are located so we can keep you folks in mind if we start planning these meetups.
I obviously can't attend all (or any until I move up there, for that matter) so it would be great for one or two folks, if interest is expressed to even start a meet up, to volunteer to help organize on a local level. I will point out that three locations may not necessarily be enough and I sort of left out New York and Pennsylvania but that is because I've never spent time in NY and only lived in KOP for school so my knowledge of those areas is very limited. That being said, I think starting small and getting some attendance is important before spreading out and spreading too thin to keep it going. A good core group splitting off to form others is, in my experience, a more successful route. When folks know each other already the are more inclined to keep something going and to spread the word.
I know it sounds like I am dreaming big here, and in a way I am, but this is just info from my experiences. Now for the part where you folks chime in and let me know what your thoughts are. Mainly, would you attend a monthly meet up on a fairly regular basis if it was located within a reasonable distance from you home?
I'm going to include a poll. Please use that poll so I can get tangible numbers. And feel free to post ideas, thoughts, concerns. This type of thing happens with participation. I can be the most organized person in the world but nothing happens without you folks.
There are two schools of thought on choosing a meetup spot. The first is to have the same spot every time as it makes it easy for folks to know where they will be and creates a consistency of folks gathering. In places that have fewer members who are spread out this can be limiting. That is where the second comes into play. A rotation of locations can be helpful in getting the most people possible involved, not everyone can attend every time but the folks on the fringes get a chance to attend sometimes.
I see a couple locations on the member map with a high density of members that would be good areas for a set location (not required but it would work well there). I also see a couple areas where a rotation would probably be required in order to keep the monthly meet going and ensure folks are able to attend at leas some of them.
The greater Boston area looks like a good spot for either a set location or a rotation.
Southern Maine and the NH Seacoast look like a good spot for a rotation.
South Central Mass and Central Conn. look like a good spot for a rotation
You Vermonters seem to be represented mostly in the Burlington area So an either or may work.
I know we have folks in southern VT but they aren't on the map. A rotation with Western Mass might work there.
RI and South East Mass may be able to get a rotation going.
*Note: Not everyone who uses the forum, or even members, are represented on the map. We want everyone involved so if you aren't on the map, get on the map, or if you don't want to be on the map post up where you are located so we can keep you folks in mind if we start planning these meetups.
I obviously can't attend all (or any until I move up there, for that matter) so it would be great for one or two folks, if interest is expressed to even start a meet up, to volunteer to help organize on a local level. I will point out that three locations may not necessarily be enough and I sort of left out New York and Pennsylvania but that is because I've never spent time in NY and only lived in KOP for school so my knowledge of those areas is very limited. That being said, I think starting small and getting some attendance is important before spreading out and spreading too thin to keep it going. A good core group splitting off to form others is, in my experience, a more successful route. When folks know each other already the are more inclined to keep something going and to spread the word.
I know it sounds like I am dreaming big here, and in a way I am, but this is just info from my experiences. Now for the part where you folks chime in and let me know what your thoughts are. Mainly, would you attend a monthly meet up on a fairly regular basis if it was located within a reasonable distance from you home?
I'm going to include a poll. Please use that poll so I can get tangible numbers. And feel free to post ideas, thoughts, concerns. This type of thing happens with participation. I can be the most organized person in the world but nothing happens without you folks.
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