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Information on starting a munch... - 3/24/2006 8:52:54 PM   
Maam4slavegirl


Posts: 40
Joined: 3/16/2006
From: Iowa
Status: offline
Hi everyone,
     I am wondering where I can find information on how starting a munch in my area. I have recently relocated and there are none that I know of. I have tried looking for local ones with no luck so decided I would begin one. Thanks to anyone for their help.

_____________________________

You must be true to yourself before you can be true to anyone else. If you play games do not play them with other people's time. It is not fair to those truly seeking.

Mz Patti or Patti...depends on who's asking...
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RE: Information on starting a munch... - 3/24/2006 8:55:04 PM   
Maam4slavegirl


Posts: 40
Joined: 3/16/2006
From: Iowa
Status: offline
Sorry, that was supposed to say how to start, not how starting.  Go figure, I am a stickler for typos too.

_____________________________

You must be true to yourself before you can be true to anyone else. If you play games do not play them with other people's time. It is not fair to those truly seeking.

Mz Patti or Patti...depends on who's asking...

(in reply to Maam4slavegirl)
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RE: Information on starting a munch... - 3/24/2006 9:02:35 PM   
EvilGeoff


Posts: 523
Joined: 8/24/2005
Status: offline
If you are still in Des Moines, try Des Moines Area Discussion Group  at http://www.dadgproductions.com/
Near the Quad Cities?  There is Riverbound--Quad Cities BDSM at http://www.riverbound.net/  (Riverbound is an NCSF Coalition Partner too!)

For more information on Iowa groups try: http://www.darkheart.com/usalist.html#Iowa

I'll find my links to starting up a group here shortly....

Hope that helps!
- Geoff

(in reply to Maam4slavegirl)
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RE: Information on starting a munch... - 3/24/2006 9:31:36 PM   
Wildfleurs


Posts: 1650
Joined: 9/24/2004
From: Connecticut
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Maam4slavegirl

Hi everyone,
     I am wondering where I can find information on how starting a munch in my area. I have recently relocated and there are none that I know of. I have tried looking for local ones with no luck so decided I would begin one. Thanks to anyone for their help.


A long time ago I wrote an article on how to start a munch at:

http://www.iron-rose.com/IR/docs/munch.htm

Looking at it, some of the information is outdated (including my email address to contact me) but basically you need to approach it the same way you'd do any sort of event planning - organized and detailed.  Be prepared to see it through or don't bother doing it.

C~


_____________________________

"Just because you've always done it that way doesn't mean it's not incredibly stupid." -despair.com

~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The heart of it all - http://www.wildfleurs.com
~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

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RE: Information on starting a munch... - 3/24/2006 9:36:44 PM   
Maam4slavegirl


Posts: 40
Joined: 3/16/2006
From: Iowa
Status: offline
Thank you Geoff and Wild. I have saved all your info and will check it out. I appreciate your help.

_____________________________

You must be true to yourself before you can be true to anyone else. If you play games do not play them with other people's time. It is not fair to those truly seeking.

Mz Patti or Patti...depends on who's asking...

(in reply to Wildfleurs)
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RE: Information on starting a munch... - 3/24/2006 9:38:57 PM   
EvilGeoff


Posts: 523
Joined: 8/24/2005
Status: offline
HERE we go!  This is the link to the article Black Rose has published on their website about organizing and starting up a new group.

http://www.br.org/group.html

Hope that helps!
- Geoff

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RE: Information on starting a munch... - 3/24/2006 9:41:07 PM   
MrThorns


Posts: 919
Joined: 6/4/2004
Status: offline
I'm not sure where you are located and what media you have available but a suggestion might be to find a reputable leather vendor in the area. Go in one day and develop a rapport with the owner/operators.  Maybe they would be willing to let you put up a few flyers in the shop.  You can also try placing an announcement in some local circular that maintains an "Alternate Lifestyle" section... "New Times" comes to mind. 

Just please keep in mind that there if you plan on doing any form of public-ish announcements via the newspaper or strategically placed fliers in a leather/fetish store... you have no idea about the kind of people who will show up.  Have the munch in a very public place...and secure your personal information.

Good luck...

~Thorns

_____________________________

~"Do you know what the chain of command is? Its the chain I beat ya with when ya don't follow my command."

"My inner child is a mean little fucker"

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RE: Information on starting a munch... - 3/24/2006 11:09:41 PM   
BeachMystress


Posts: 2156
Joined: 4/3/2004
From: Naples Island- Long Beach CA - Southern California
Status: offline

Other links on the subject:
http://www.sexuality.org/l/bdsm/socorg.html
http://www.cufsnorth.org/Old/howtorun.htm
http://www.sensuoussadie.com/sadiescolumns/community/trialstribulations.htm
http://www.sensuoussadie.com/articles/xmentorstartinggroup.htm
http://www.sensuoussadie.com/articles/shadowstartingmunch.htm

You'll want to list the group with the sites that keep track of munches and organizations, such as http://www.drkdesyre.com/  http://www.domsubfriends.com/a-wwwdir/org.shtml   and http://www.darkheart.com/sceneusa.html are three of the more used ones. Good luck. Don't get discouraged when the earlier munches are only lightly attended. At first, think of your munch as having dinner with one or two friends. Anything more than that is icing, anything less.. an enjoyable evening with your one or two friends. It takes time to get the word out. What you might want to do is go to the alt chat room for your state and start talking to people. Because the chat rooms are state targeted, you've more of a chance of having people close enough to come. Good Luck!



_____________________________

Beach Mystress
*Do not threaten the weak. Intimidate the strong. ~ Stevenson*
http://beachmystress.jigsy.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/beachmystress/

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RE: Information on starting a munch... - 3/25/2006 5:04:35 AM   
TheShadows


Posts: 403
Joined: 9/16/2004
From: Southern Illinois
Status: offline
We started a Munch Group from scratch ourselves.  It was kinda hard and disappointing at first, but well worth it in the end. 

Something that worked very well for us, if you want to keep advertising as discreet as possible...

Make up some little business cards, with your email address or the group's website, on your home printer and deposit them in BDSM-D/s related books at your local Barnes and Noble or Adult Toy Store.  That way, the contact information is limited to those people who are looking into the Lifestyle via those types of reading materials. (Reaching your target audience.)

You can also try posting announcements on those free classified sites like...

www.craigslist.com
www.postaroo.com

...though you may not end up reaching your target audience.

Anyways...I hope your endevour is a huge success.  Best wishes. 

_____________________________

"The reason the mainstream is thought of as a stream is because of it's shallowness." - George Carlin

"Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most..." - Ozzy Osbourne

(in reply to Maam4slavegirl)
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RE: Information on starting a munch... - 3/25/2006 9:51:07 AM   
cravinspankin


Posts: 127
Joined: 10/4/2005
Status: offline
I applaud your desire to start a local munch. So often, people want something, but want someone else to do it, and aren't willing to take that first step themselves.
However, i have to say that it is a lot of work. It takes a lot of time and commitment.
In January i created a local BDSM group. There were many groups in the Dallas area, but most of them had pretty much a single focus: spanking; bondage; femdoms, sub support, etc. There is even a wonderful group that does a monthly munch.
The issue was, there wasn't any group that i could find that anyone, regardless of orientation or kink, could come together and talk about the lifestyle in a broader context.
I was fortunate to have a core group to start with: friends from a yahoo group i was in. We had met each other thru events with that group. But that one was more of a a party group, and more focused on swingers. We wanted a chance to get together with like-minded individuals and talk about the lifestyle, to learn and grow in our Dominance and submission. As a relative newcomer to the lifstyle, i particularly felt a strong need for this.
Our signature event is a monthly discussion group. But now, three months into it, many of us also get together for other things, including going to other lifestyle group meeting and events, or just hanging out and socializing with vanilla activities.
It's very much a work in progress. But there are some things i learned.
1.  Since you'e new to the community, try to find other local groups and get to know people. Though there may not be a munch, exactly, there may be some special interest groups out there, such as some of those listed above. Participate. Get to know people. Find out who the respected members of the community are, and talk to them about the local scene. Make sure there's not a munch that's getting overlooked.
2.  Get to know those respected members of the local BDSM community. Share your idea with them. The support of those people is invaluable in making other contacts, boosting your group's reputation and building participation.
3. Know exactly what it is you want to do. Is it to be just a chance to mix and mingle, or will there be a discussion? Who is your target audience? Just Doms and subs? Master/Mistress and slaves? Heterosexuals? Pansexual? etc.
4. Have someone you can bounce thoughts and ideas off of. I have been blessed to have a friend who was once very active in the local scene elsewhere, in a number of groups. His counsel has been invaluable in helping me get organized, but even more so, to keep me reigned in a bit so as not to get burned out: to focus on the original mission of the group, and to add other events and activities more slowly.
This group is more work than i ever would have imagined. I'm loving every minute of it, but had i jumped off and created some special interest groups as i had considered, i'd be facing burnout right now.
Find others to help plan and organize. This is not MY group. It belongs to all of us. Without not only their attendance, but now some help in planning and organizing, maintaining the group would be difficult.
I'm certainly no expert. Every day is a learning experience.
But if you want to chat, feel free to message me.



(in reply to Maam4slavegirl)
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RE: Information on starting a munch... - 3/25/2006 10:32:08 AM   
Thornoftherose


Posts: 2
Joined: 6/1/2004
Status: offline
Gteetings maam4slavegirl,
First I would start a yahoo group. That way you can see how much interest there is and also it will alow you to get an email list to let people know when, where etc ... then just get the word out that you are starting a munch and give out the group addy .... in the mean time you can go out looking for a Friendly place to hold your munch and make sure to let the people know what kind of group you are bringing in, it's best to be upfront and let them know that there will be a dress code ie: no fetish attire, you dont want to put off the Clampitz now do you lol .....

Take care and best of luck !!!!!!!!

           ... Thorn ...

  PS: you can do a lot of things with a munch ... there are a lot of nonprofit groups that you can support by holding a raffle and or a 50/50, you can also go to local shops and ask if they have things that are just collecting dust and could you take them off there hands for free .... there are a lot of options !!   

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RE: Information on starting a munch... - 3/25/2006 10:38:40 AM   
Maam4slavegirl


Posts: 40
Joined: 3/16/2006
From: Iowa
Status: offline
I can see that I am going to truly enjoy my time here at CM. All of you have been so great with your help. I appreciate each of you for your advice. Thank you all so very much.

_____________________________

You must be true to yourself before you can be true to anyone else. If you play games do not play them with other people's time. It is not fair to those truly seeking.

Mz Patti or Patti...depends on who's asking...

(in reply to Thornoftherose)
Profile   Post #: 12
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