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WORKSHOP MANAGEMENT (Poetry Society of Virginia Newsletter October 2001) There are a number of things to consider when planning a peer review workshop. Who is invited to attend? If Society members only are invited, you start with a group that already has something in common. If you accept non members as well, you broaden the background of the group. Being open to non members is also a service to the larger community and is an excellent recruitment program for the Society. How many should be in the group? Six members is probably a minimum. If fewer than six, the group lacks diversity and discussions are difficult to maintain. If more than twelve, there will be insufficient time for all to have their say, and there will not be enough time for each reviewed poem to receive a complete reaction from the group members. Large groups also fragment into subgroups and chaos may result. If the group grows too large, they should discuss splitting into two smaller groups. Should there be a leader? Groups I've been in that lacked a competent leader were not successful. They usually petered out as a group. A leader should keep the group focused. Allotting a definite time for review of each poem is advised. The leader is also responsible for letting the group members know when and where the group meets. Where should the group meet? A neutral public place like a public library makes it easier for interested non members to come and size up the group. If a secondary goal is recruitment of new members, meeting in a public facility is probably best. On the other hand, meeting in a private home makes for a more intimate and relaxed interchange. If meeting in a private home there is no problem of having to adjust to the library's schedule. A home meeting may more easily include light snacks and beverages. Members can be encouraged to bring a snack to increase a sense of involvement. What's the best time for a meeting? This will be up to the group to decide. The group I am in at the moment meets from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm on the third Sunday of the month. Your group may want a different time. I think it's a good idea to set a definite time to meet each month so members can plan their schedules. For me there are three time rules to successful meeting management: -stop on time. Members may have plans for later. -start on time. Show respect for those who are on time. -do something useful in between start time and stop time What do we do at the meeting? Your group will have to decide on procedures for itself. In our group we start with fifteen minutes of socializing. No more than fifteen minutes. This allows members to catch up with one another. We have snacks and beverages available throughout the meeting. This gives an intimacy to our group. One member, chosen beforehand, leads a discussion on some aspect of poetry. Next, the leader ascertains how many poems are to be reviewed and figures how many minutes are available for each poem. Poets with a poem to be reviewed bring copies for each member. The poems are handed out one at a time. The poet or another member reads the poem aloud. Then the group members react to the poem, perhaps following the ideas set forth in last month's Newsletter essay titled Workshop Etiquette. The leader keeps track of time. We give a three minute warning when time for discussion is coming to an end. A kitchen timer with an audible beeper helps the leader keep time. The leader assures that all poems have time to be reviewed before the stopping time for the group arrives. STOP ON TIME. Stuart C. Nottingham |
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