Starting your own group is easy.  Just ask around to find other people in your community - family members, neighbors, coworkers, friends - who want to work on going green too.  Your group can be large (we recommend 8 - 10 people max) or small, whatever feels right to you. You can also look for members in your neighborhood or join a virtual group online.     

Once you've identified the members of your group, choose a date, time and location for your first meeting and let everyone know.  As an example, we held our first meeting with five people on a Wednesday evening at a bookstore cafe.  We're holding our meeting this month at a private home.  As your group evolves, your needs will too.  

Before your first meeting, please feel free to check out our monthly agenda.  This guide can serve as a launching pad for your group by providing structure and content for your monthly meetings.  If you're organizing the first one, it might make sense for you to serve as the initial facilitator.  Once you're up and running, your group may decide to rotate the role of facilitator each month. Here's what the facilitator does:

> hosts the meeting location
> provides the group with a high-level educational overview of that month's topic (provided in the discussion guide)
> walks the group through the agenda
> makes sure all those fascinating people in the room stay on topic
> keeps an eye on the time

Your group may also choose to appoint someone to jot down notes, action plans or other ideas that come out of your meeting. As you continue to meet, your group will find its own identity.   Members may start to focus on one particular area or action over another, or you may find you no longer need the guide.  It's all great!  We hope you'll keep us posted on your group's evolution, and let us know how we can keep supporting your good work.