Remember I mentioned that I belonged to a goth meetup group? Well, we've been having a problem keeping our organizer (basically, the person who pays the monthly fee for keeping the group open). The group's founder turned the group over to someone else, who in turn turned it over to someone else, who stepped down last week without any notice to the group. Every time this happens, a huge banner on the main page announces that there are "only X days left until the group is gone forever." It's like a self-destruct message flashing at the top of the screen. Very depressing, and it makes me feel like something important in my life is being threatened, especially since we've started to get more active members and are actually scheduling and DOING things. We've got several fun events being offered over the next few months.
Well, this time I'd had enough. This group is the ONLY contact I have with goths that are close enough to actually get together with, and I'm not going to lose it! I contacted four people in the group that I've met and like about a takeover. I can't afford to pay the whole thing (I haven't had a salary raise since 2007 but my rent just got raised by $50). However, if we split the $19/month fee between the five of us, it comes to only $3.80 per person per month. I offered to use my card as the means of payment (they take automatic payments only), and the others can pay their shares to my PayPal account. They will become co-organizers, so they get extra privileges on the site, which they should get since they're contributing. So far, two of them have agreed! So today I became the official Organizer of the South Bay Goth Meetup group.
I really don't like running things; I'd rather be one of those that just comes and goes as they please. So why do I always seem to end up in these situations??? I guess it's because I'd rather take control than have things go out of control. But I hate the view from the pedestal... Wish me luck.
Good luck.
ReplyDeleteThanks! :-)
DeleteI feel so related to you. I'm the same kind, doesn't like to be one who run things and involved in to much buissness but I don't have the ability to say no. Because when everyone fails, I'll have to fix it.
ReplyDeleteI hope thought it will give you some benefits and not too much work.
It will probably work out just fine. I only asked people I feel comfortable with to help out, and I can always remove my account info and walk away if I need to. I DO have the ability to say "no" (it comes with age, so don't worry, you WILL get it!), but I just don't want to lose my only goth connections.
DeleteI hope this works out for you. I know that I would not be a happy camper if I suddenly lost contact with the local Goths. I'm curious though, why is it costing so much money to have a group? Room rental perhaps? Would it be less expensive if you all met at a coffee shop, a public library or something similar?
ReplyDeleteThanks! It's not fees for a place to meet, it's the fee for keeping the group's page on the meetup website. If you'd like to take a look, just go to www.meetup.com/gothic. That's us! It's REALLY a convenient, well set-up site and events calendar, which is why we hesitate to let it go and try to do something on our own.
DeleteIf you do take a look, please let me know what you think of both the site in general and of our page in particular. Is there anything you would change/add/delete? (The photo IS going to be changed.) I'd love feedback if you'd care to give it. :-)