• Review your group’s most recent event(s). Share news clippings. What went well? What could you do better next time?
• Openly discuss the group’s dynamics. Every couple weeks it’s a good idea to air out frustrations. Ask people how they feel about the group.
• At the end of the meeting give people a chance to bring up any additional concerns.
• Try regularly sharing a meal (like a potluck) before the meeting or at another time during the week. This will help everyone feel more comfortable and build community.
• The main group meeting should probably not be more than an hour, especially if you want to have committee meetings afterward.
• FINISH ON TIME! This goes hand in hand with starting on time. Starting and finishing on time reaffirms the fact that people’s time is a valuable commodity.

Play with these things to find the right mix. Do what works.

Keep the tone of the meetings positive. Bad meetings completely kill a group, especially for new members. People should not be bored, frustrated, or confused. If things get tense, tell a joke! If there seems to be a problem, be open about it and seek people’s input about how the meetings could be improved. If you’re wondering how the meeting went, ask a new member—they’re the best judges.

The basic question of the meeting should be: OK, what are we going to do?
At the end of the meeting, everyone should know:

• When and where the next meeting is. (Try to hold regular weekly meetings)
• What they’re supposed to do.
• How to get in touch with people if they want to help. (You could write names and numbers on a chalkboard, or pass out sheet with contacts.)
• Who’s going to facilitate the next meeting and how to get in touch with them.