listserv: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wmds

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Here are some suggestions for starting a munch in your local area:

Try to attend a munch, just to see how one works. In Northern Vermont, The Vermont Society of Kink will be starting one in the near future. Consider a drive over area munches near you to see how they run their group. There is a strong leadership group in New England who can help you get started.

You don't have to go it alone - ask one of those who have expressed interest to see if they'll help you. The work load can (and should) be shared - and helps bring a group closer together.

Probably you most important decision is: where? If you look at the listing, most are held in the food court of a shopping mall, or a pub-like restaurant. Use a leather rose, balloons or other "symbol" to identify the table.

If no food court type places are available, choose a pub that will let you have an isolated section to yourself (at a slow time). For example, a Tues or Wed night - or a Saturday afternoon - or on Sunday. That way, people entering can just ask for the "Central Vermont Group" - or another innocuous title. People should be willing to take care of the waitstaff - so a drink, sandwich or coffee/dessert isn't too much to ask people to buy.

Ask those you have made contact with "when's a good date to get together"? With that input, choose a date in the future (at least six weeks advance notice) and just say "OK, there will be a preliminary meeting of this group on xx/xx/2002 from x PM to xPM". Not everyone will be able to make it (no perfect date exists). But you can have a roundtable discussion, seek some volunteers, ask what people hope to achieve - and exchange e-mail addresses. And for this first meeting, it doesn't have to be the place you eventually choose as a meeting place - the most important thing is "just do it".

Write to SubStephen at the Boston Dungeon Society for his advice (he was a big help to me when I started). More importantly, should you set-up a regularly scheduled event - getting your group in his listings is the first step. More people will read about it there than from any other source, it's just that it needs to be an on-going event before he'll list it.

That's a mouthful, I know. In the meantime, feel free to contact SubStephen, me or any of the other munch contact people for advice. All of us had to start somewhere, and would be glad to help.