At Home in New 3D Club

[P3D Erlys Jedlicka <erlys@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Paul Talbott,

You wrote a very good commentary on how it feels to join a new club,
whatever it may be. You said, "I also suspect many new attendees will
not stick it out unless they are helped to feel at home within the first
30-60 minutes, so the fact that even an "out-lier" like Dr. T needed a
couple meetings to feel at home suggests Jon is indeed correct."

It's not easy to feel at home in a new club, particularly if you went
out of your way to get there and are wondering whether you want to
continue. For me the biggest thing that happened when I first went was
that someone in the Vista Camera Club said to me, "I loved your slide of
the ocean. Do you have any more like this? If so, I would like to see
it! Please bring it next time." 

I think the key to making a new member feel welcome is to find a way to
let them look forward to participating next time. I'm saying this from
the point of view of a very shy person who didn't know whether my
contribution would be accepted or rejected the first time I went.

Erlys in Mill Valley


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