The Eugene LGB 20's/30's Social club is based on volunteerism. The success of the group depends on the willingness of individuals to organize and lead social activities. We have no committee or person responsible for planning activities - so things only happen when members decide to make them happen. While this may sound difficult, it's actually quite easy. Here are some things you might consider when planning one.

Choosing an activity

Consider where and when you want your activity. Don't forget to take into account what the weather may be doing at that time of year. Camping in the mountains in January might be a bad idea. Renting heated cabins at that time of year might be a better option.

Decide if you want your activity to last a couple hours, a full day, or over night. If you're planning a long outdoor activity such as backpacking through the wilderness, plan for some break points so if it becomes too much for someone on the outing or there are injuries - everyone has a way out.

Start with a familiar activity and location. If you hike Spenser's Butte on a regular basis that might make a good starting activity - a group hike up the Butte.

If you're not sure you still want to take on an activity - offer to be a co-sponsor with a more experienced member.

Consider whether your activity needs to be RSVP or not. Is it a men/womyn only activity? A co-ed activity? A singles or a couples activity? Do you have to limit the size of it? Say you want to do a backyard BBQ at your house but your yard canít handle more than 20 people - set the limit to 20.

Last but not least, allow plenty of advance notice on the web page and mailing list. Scheduling a month in advance is good for larger activities involving leaving town for a day or more. Two weeks may be fine for a coffee social. When you post to the mailing list, make sure to outline what the plan is, how much it may cost (if anything), RSVP or not, whether there is a limit to the number of people or not, whether it is a men/womyn/singles/couples only event or not, and a way to contact you.

Some Activity Ideas

The following is a small list of ideas for social activities. It can be used to give you - a potential activity coordinator - some ideas. It is not an all inclusive list. Feel free to experiment with your own ideas as well.

Coffee gathering, board-games night, beach trip, hiking trip, ski trip, camping trip, group movie night, back yard BBQ, water skiing, singles night, picnic, beach volleyball, pizza feed, paint-ball, bike riding, wine tasting, or whatever else you can think of!

Running the activity

It's a good idea to start out with a brief introduction of everyone at the beginning. Outline what the plan is whether it's just to sit around and drink coffee and get to know each other better or to layout what trails are going to be hiked, where everyone will meet up and what time everyone should finish the hike. Don't try to scedule every second though... allow for flexibility. Once the plan is established, it's time to have fun!

Activity Etiquette and Policies

Here are some guidlines to make everyone's life a little easier before, durring, and after an activity or social.

Participants should share in the work - meaning that if the social is held somewhere that there is set-up or clean up involved - then lots of hands chipping in for a few minutes makes it go faster than just one or two people doing all the work. Contact the activity leader to find out if there is any set-up involved and if they need help.

Be considerate of those participants who are not as experienced or not in as good physical condition as the others. If the activity is a hiking trip for example, make sure the last people to arive at a resting point also have time to rest.

Please take care of your own trash - use a garbage can or take it with you. Durring outdoor activities, littering is a no-no.

If an event is RSVP - let the person running it know you're attending as early as possible. Some activities can be difficult to adjust to accommodate everyone at the last minute. Also let the person in charge know if your plans change and you can't make it.

These are only some guidlines and are not intended to be comprehensive. Some of this may not apply to every activity. Running a social should be fun and doesn't need to be a chore. Have fun with planning it and it will likely be a great success.