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Local Ishmael Groups

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If your area is not listed in the Find a Local Ishmael Group section, it is rarely due to lack of interest, but usually lack of coordination, so start your own local Ishmael group and others will thank you. There are most likely other readers near you just waiting to hear from you!

This Step-by-Step Guide will help you create and grow your local Ishmael Group:

  1. Find Local Ishmael Readers - There are a few good ways to find other readers in your area:

  2. Set Up a Means for Online Communication - Once you have a group of interested people, no matter how few or how many, it is important to begin the process of communicating as a group. There are tools which can help you do this. One very commonly used tool is the Yahoo Groups forum. You may be asked to register with a Yahoo login and password if you do not yet have one. Then, simply visit the groups page and click on Start a New Group. From there, you may choose a name for your group, such as the Houston Ishmael group or the San Diego Leavers. Once your group has been set up, you can begin adding the names and emails of the members in your group.
     
  3. Set Up a Casual First Meeting - Chatting online is a great way to meet new people, but nothing can replace face to face contact. We suggest first picking one time when the group can meet casually just to get to know each other. It is always a great time to first meet others who understand Quinn's message and are interested. This first meeting can take place anywhere from a member's home to a coffee shop to a library. This gives you a chance to simply meet, as well as to discuss possibilities for more regular meeting times.
     
  4. Set Up Regular Meeting Times and Places - Many folks are busy and cannot make a meeting every week or even month. However, it is often helpful to at least agree on a basic flexible schedule of when meetings can be held. Some groups meet once a month, others more or less often. Some groups meet outdoors and some indoors. There is no one right way to hold a meeting and the individuals in your group should find a time and place that works for them.

    Some examples of places that groups meet are the
    Atlanta Leavers group which often meets outdoors in a park, the Twin Cities Tribe which often meets at a local library, and the Detroit Ishmael Leavers which meets at the local Green Party headquarters. Look for likeminded organizations in your area who might have some space to let you use occasionally.
     
  5. Discuss, Support, Get Active - Once you have your group and your meetings are running, you can use these times to do several things. Meetings are a great place to discuss Quinn's ideas and clear up confusions or questions. They are also a wonderful place to receive support from others who understand how difficult it can be to live in ways that Mother Culture may not approve of. Finally, they are a great place to discuss ways to increase readership of Quinn's books and getting active in other activist organizations. Some groups split their meeting times between times to discuss ideas and time to discuss actions. Groups may also get together at other times to take part in activities ranging from creating signs and banners to promote to more Quinn readers to helping local area charities and organizations.
     
  6. Continue to Grow Your Group - Once your local group is established, you have only begun. There are always new people in your area who are finding Quinn's books and looking for likeminded people for support. There are several ways to find these new readers in order to continue to grow.
     


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