Folks - having over 100 people at a monthly club meeting, including lots of kids, families... and people who want to get together and talk about fish and trade fish is a good thing. Far better than the alternative.
I'm as guilty as the next guy of having noisy kids, chatting with buddies and otherwise not being totally quiet.
But we've got to figure out how to minimize the disruption and let people focus on the speaker. Some thoughts:
I'll start with what I posted before the meeting:
Please arrive in time to take care of business and get settled a little before 2 PM. Doors open at 1 PM and we can always use a hand getting the tables and chairs set-up, setting the food out and otherwise getting set up.
Check out the fish, buy your raffle tickets, do your fish-deals, grab some snacks and get settled before 2 PM...because it's going to be a full meeting.
I know that this isn't totally possible. Busy people need to come late...or leave early. But trying to get stuff done before 2 PM is a great start to minimizing people doing stuff other than listening to the speaker.
The acoustics of our room aren't ideal and our AV system isn't the loudest for such a large room. Hearing in the back can be tough. If there aren't enough tables (or seats) closer (and where it's easier to hear)...add a table or seats to the front. It's really that simple. We establish the layout of the room. Any other ideas?
I feel like meetings are already pretty packed with activities. I'd like to have more open time for people to hang out, do fish deals and otherwise interact. Before most meetings, there are at least a few folks at the Stained Glass Pub near the meeting place. And, again, we have the room starting at 1 PM (until 6 PM). Sometimes folks get together afterward as well. And we just had a club BBQ, which was a great opportunity to hang out...
But time during the meeting itself can be scarce. We ask speakers to keep things to about an hour...but many (in their enthusiasm and because of answering questions...both good things) go long. That's not going to change. We have a lot more items - typically - than most clubs in our monthly auctions (also a good thing).
Finally, the subject of kids. Reality is that many of us with kids aren't able to attend unless we bring them. And it's a good thing that both parents and kids are at the meetings. I try to keep mine as-occupied-as-possible with 1) playing in the (fenced) playground behind the meeting room, 2) playing in the area outside of the meeting room by the gym (They've invented a game called "Angry Teacher", which, best as I can tell, mostly involves chasing / burning energy), 3) eating (I try to get them some snacks before the program...but alas), 4) quiet activities (quiet video games, coloring, etc.). It's all easier said than done and you do your best. In the past I brought paper and art supplies for the kids to play with but it seemed like they were more into doing their own things. We've also gotten the back-up gym (down the hall) opened for kids to play and chase. Bottom line: Having kids and families at meetings is a good thing and we want to be welcome
It's not possible to mute children...try to keep them occupied...take them outside if they're making noise...and let's think of ways to keep them occupied together.
Steve's presentation got me thinking about keeping Peacocks again (and - from surreptitious conversations during his presentation - Sorry
- I know the same was true of several other New World keepers). Thanks Steve for coming all this way and thanks everyone for coming to meetings, supporting the club and being courteous to fellow members. Let's keep this thread constructive...
Matt
