Starting Your Own Club
Extract from book: Expat Women: Confessions
Q.
Hi there. We are living in a very small village in Finland. We have been here for seven months now and I am still having a hard time meeting people. I know there are foreigners living here, but there seem to be no expat clubs or associations that bring us together. I have joined some online forums, but it is not quite the same as meeting someone for a coffee. What can I do?
A.
Have you thought about starting your own club? Sometimes expat life calls for improvisation and resourcefulness. This is a perfect example of such a time. You feel your community is lacking in clubs for the foreign population, so why not set one up yourself?
You can bet that if you are feeling this lack, others in your community are feeling it too. Speaking from experience, establishing your own club can be a lot of fun, plus a great way to get to know people and get out there in the community. In addition to benefiting future members, such a club can also become a valuable project in which to invest your energy (especially if you are unable to work) and something you can put on your résumé.
Here are some pointers to consider when starting your own club. Feel free to pick and choose which ideas to pursue.
Consider the type of members. Think about what type of people you would like to meet. Other professional women? Mothers and toddlers? A certain nationality? Any foreigner in your community? Expats with an interest in a specific sport, hobby or leisure activity?
Think about the type of organization. After thinking about possible members, decide what type of organization you would like to have and what it will provide for its members. Will your new club have a professional focus, with monthly speakers on work-related issues? Or will it be a group that shares general information in a casual environment? Will it be purely a social group? Will the group have an articulated mission? Will each meeting have a structured agenda? How can new people join the group and what is the benefit of becoming a group member?
Choose a name for the group. International Women's Club of Finland? Professional Women's Group of Finland? Friends of Finland? Make sure the name you choose is appropriate, captures the "essence" of your club and does not duplicate the name of another group. Remember to check whether other associations elsewhere have the same name or aim as your group. You might be able to align your two groups, and even if they are not located in the same area, you might still be able to provide support to each other.
Decide where and when you will hold meetings. Will you find a coffeehouse or hotel meeting room and arrange to meet there the same time each month? Or will you meet at someone's house? Will you meet each week, each month, or every time a certain sports team plays?
Go online and set up an email address. Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo! and similar free providers make good web hosts. They are also very convenient if you have others who will help you check club emails from different physical locations. Ideally, set up the email address in the club's name, so that if you move on, the email address is not attached to your personal name.
Email anyone and everyone. Send a welcome message to all those you have met in your host country who you feel might be interested or know of someone who could be interested, and ask them if they would like to join your group's mailing list. Sometimes a short list of email addresses can grow exponentially in record time. People are often waiting for active people like you to do the work and get things moving. As they say, "Build it and they will come."
Market your club. You may want to approach relevant local organizations whose members might be interested in your new club, such as chambers of commerce, schools, gyms, companies that host expatriates where you live, and so on. Although probably not in your local village, you might also like to inform any embassies or consulates in your region, as they might field inquiries from people who do live in your village.
Set up a website or blog. Setting up a website or blog these days is relatively easy. Perhaps begin with a blog–which is like an online diary–because it is very easy to start and update. Then if you find someone in your group who can help set up a website, you can always migrate your information to a website, or keep both the blog and website active–to increase the chances of a newcomer finding you on the Web.
List your website or blog on expat directories. Once you have a web presence, tell people about it. Get your website or blog listed on relevant expatriate sites and local sites for your village.
Find board members. Give your new club a few months to see how people react and what response you get. If you feel the club is successful, you may want to form a board and thus get a few other people involved to help you run the club.
Get official. Eventually you may want and/or need to develop a constitution and register your organization with the necessary authorities, especially if you choose to take membership money from members. These official measures might not be needed at the beginning, but bear in mind that you may need to consider them down the track, depending on what type of club you decide to run and its activities.
Remember your members. One of the perks of starting your own club is that you are in charge and can take it as far as your inclination, energy and willingness allow. You can also change the direction of the club after you start it. However, if your club grows big or changes direction, do try to remember why your members joined in the first place and how best to gain their support as you move forward.
Give it a go. So, why not start your own club? Even if your club does not survive long term, this is a great short-term opportunity for you to meet more people and for more people to know about you. And like all good networking opportunities, you never know who you might meet and where these introductions might lead!
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