Breakfasts or similar public meetings These meetings, usually every other Saturday or once per month during the holidays, have been used successfully to attract new blood, provide a forum for a large organization organized into various committees to all get together, provide a sense of belonging and the motivation to go forth and win! 
This page provides a basic overview of the breakfasts.
This is a complete list of all the tasks that need to be done, in the proper sequence. Note that a breakfast should be planned and organized 2-4 weeks in advance.
This is a MS Project version of the above task list, for those of you who are project managers more comfortable using this tool. Note that almost every task can be assigned to volunteers. In particular, distribution of flyers, getting out mailings and making phone calls can and should be done by several people.
This is a an example of a flyer that we have used. Note the use of color to catch they eye, and a graphic or picture that will be immediately recognized by someone who is likely to want to join your organization.
This is an example of a press release we have issued to enlist the assistance of the media in attracting people to our meetings. We actually got our notice posted on the front page of our local newpaper for three meetings in a row! I think the cookies Lisa took them helped. This is the detailed plan for conducting the meeting itself; who does what, when. Since most meetings are not well organized or well managed, following the agenda will help your meeting to be a success. Once your are comfortable with it, you can become more flexible about the timing so that people are better able to participate and thereby energize themselves as well as each other. Our audiences appreciate beginning each meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer. We thought we'd give you a sample opening prayer just in case you haven't done many before. There needs to be "rules of order" behind every meeting, just to help maintain the proper atmosphere for conservative grassroots development. I only remember two occasions when the participants had to be reminded of the rules. In Medina County, I haven't even mentioned them yet. But they are in my hip pocket. As a good general principle, each breakfast should have a specific topic (e.g., an election, school reform, etc.), encourage participation from the attendees, and focus upon the things that unite rather than those which divide. |