On Sun, 22feb15, Megan Williams wrote: .....I am wondering about starting our own group for local folks.....
I started my main local group (at my local library, 3 mi from home) in 2005, and then a 2nd one (at the next closest library, 19 mi from home) in 2012. I took a low-key approach, since I was doing it on my own and didn't actually want huge groups to show up. I just told friends and acquaintances about it and added them to my monthly email Reminder list, over time. I now have about 50 people on the list, of which maybe 10 have ever shown up and 5 or so have attended more than one meeting. ----- I do have a relationship with the near library such that they post notice of my meeting in their monthly newsletter. I often get one-timers showing up at that meeting, just to see what it's about. I've had as many as 15 people show up for those meetings, which is really too many since I'm the only teacher, usually. But it’s *always* fun. ----- I don’t have a relationship with the far library, yet, so I usually get 1-3 people show up for that one, with a max of 7 or 8 on occasion. Again, we always have a good time. Even if I’m there alone, I enjoy the time to do some uninterrupted folding. ----- I currently have 2 or 3 people who show up regularly at the near library and 1 who shows up regularly at the far library. One of those is someone who looked up “origami” online one day and found OUSA and found my info on the OUSA website. I thought that was pretty cool. ----- What do I do at my meetings? I just show up, put paper on the table and any example models of things I’m prepared to teach that day, and start folding. When/if anyone else shows up, I teach them the models, and if they’re new, tell them about origami and OUSA, etc. A number of times, someone has wandered by, asked me what I was doing, and sat down and folded with me. ----- I also, last few years, have been posting photos of what we fold at the meetings, on a blog page, along with what I know about each model. Just for fun. I enjoy it all, to the max! ..... from Chila /// ------------------------------------------------------- Chilagami - I think, therefore I fold; I fold, therefore I am Folding for Fun in the Mojave Desert Southern California, USA [email protected] www.origamichila.blogspot.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
