Building Community Through Connections: Some Advice for New Members

First, attend one or both of the welcome events. Alternating each month are the Welcome Lemonade and Orientation. At the Welcome Lemonade, new members are greeted by a team of established members over lemonade and cookies in someone’s home in a casual exchange. The Orientation meeting at the Village office is more about sharing Village information and opportunities. Then there is the “Plan Your Month” meeting scheduled at the end of each month, again at the Village office. You will hear all about what is coming up, how to sign up, and have questions answered.

Second, try out various groups and activities that appeal to you. Some presentations and events are one-time only. You will likely enjoy the experience and learn something, but it may not foster deeper connections since you may not be with that group again. Likewise, Zoom versus live meetings also affect the possibility of deeper connections.

If building connections is your primary goal, seek out a group that meets monthly. Some examples are:

* The Morning Book Club or the Afternoon Book Club;

* Urban Walkers take a different walk every Friday morning. There are about 60 folks in this, with a norm of 15-22 people. People get to know each other by changing partners along the route. Usually, the walk ends with coffee at a local spot. Julie Sorensen credits the Urban Walkers with helping her connect. “Everyone makes a point of talking to new people.”

* Men’s Brunch meets monthly at Brookside at the Rose Bowl and provides the opportunity to sit at a table of six and get to know your tablemates

* Ladies Who Lunch also meets at Brookside once a month.

* Neighborhood Groups: each Villager is invited to a neighborhood group based on where the Villager lives. If you don’t know which group you are in, connect with the office to find out. Buff Gontier shared that, “The Triple Zips Neighborhood meeting helped us connect because of Gary Smith. He stepped up to say, ‘What can I do?’”

* Great Decisions is a series of classes that is presented by Villagers once a year. You will see the participants and leaders weekly for about 8 weeks.

In short, there is a whole variety of groups that meet regularly. Check out the monthly calendar and see which appeals to you.

Other ways to build connections are volunteer activities. Answering the phone in the office, providing rides to people, helping out at an event are all ways you will come in contact with a variety of people. And a brilliant strategy to connect with others who share your interests is to start your own group! My personal experience in starting a group is that BJ Ledyard and I started a de-cluttering group after viewing a Zoom presentation on same. We now have 12-15 folks who meet and share tips with each other.

So, as you begin your Village experience, take time for introductory activities and learn about the organization. But then invest the time to build those connections that will bind you to our community.

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Building Community Through Connections: Some Advice for New Members