Organizing a Study Group As Part of

The Virginia Beach 9-12 Project Book Club & Constitution Study 

Please use the following check list to be sure you are following the same guidelines as the other groups.  If you are starting a group outside of our area, you can simply alter the information to suit your needs.   

• Choose a location.  It should comfortably accommodate 8 to 10 people, be quiet enough for everyone to hear each other, and be free from interruptions.  This can be your home, office, library, fire station, civic league meeting spot, rec center, etc.  

• Choose a day of the week and time.  We recommend 1-1/2 hour sessions once a week. 

• Decide on a start date.  This should allow time for you and your members to obtain your books.  Some books are taking a while to get, so feel free to start with the Constitution, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, etc.  You can always go back and forth.  The key is to get moving as quickly as possible, especially if you have interested members.

• E-mail Kim Amos (kim@912vabeach.com) with the above information.  Be as specific as possible regarding the location, start date, and any other details members should know.

• Register on the meetup site (http://www.meetup.com/The-Virginia-Beach-Glenn-Beck-Meetup-Group/) so you can track RSVP’s.  You will have a forum on that site dedicated to your specific group.  Use this forum for information you want to pass along to your group members and for general discussion.  There is also a forum for all groups.

• Invite people that you know to join your group.  Please encourage them to sign up on the meetup.com site so you can track RSVP’s, which also helps us if someone would like to join you on a particular week.

• As an Assistant Organizer, you will be responsible for adding your meetings to the calendar on the web site, tracking your RSVP's, and forwarding e-mails to your group members.  It's quite simple and I will walk you through it if you are not "computer savvy".

Please check www.912vabeach.com for book information and discussion topics.  You do not need to teach.  This is a book club and discussion group.  We all read the same books and discuss their content and relevance in today’s society.  All you need to do is organize the group and keep the conversation moving and on topic (see Book Club Guidelines for controlling the discussion, below). 

BOOK CLUB GUIDELINES:

You can e-mail this to your members or edit & print out in Word format to hand out at first meeting.

First and foremost, respect what others have to say. We are not all    going to have the same views, but that does not mean that one perspective is less valuable than another.

Don’t be afraid to voice your opinion. This can help others discover aspects of the book that they may have missed themselves. New insights can ignite new discussion.

It is okay to disagree with others. Without differing opinions, little is left to discuss.

Sometimes the topics we discuss may be controversial. Always keep in mind that the purpose of the book club is not to offend the ideas of others.

During discussion, keep on topic. Use page numbers, links to sources, etc. to accompany your input to avoid confusion.

Digression is okay, but, remember that we are here to discuss the book at hand. Everyone will benefit more from a focused talk. If the conversation gets too far off topic, the facilitator will bring it back.

Be mindful of the allotted time and the number of people. Please show the same respect to other members that they have shown you.

Lastly, enjoy yourself. These rules are established as guidelines, but we are doing this book club to have fun, learn, and appreciate the Constitution and the ability to discuss our ideas with like-minded people.

Keep reading. And we’ll see you at the club!