You’re the host. You aren’t necessarily running the meeting, someone else in your group may be doing that, but you are hosting. It’s your responsibility to make the meeting hospitable and successful. The art of hosting is largely being lost, but you are going to perfect this art and in doing making sure your book group is excellent in every way. I hosted my book group once per month for 6 years, tending to all the details for each meeting. Every meeting was a success, at least as far as the hosting was concerned, sometimes the discussions were lacking, but the hosting was not. The following practices have been selected because of their demonstrated success during hundreds of meetings. I highly recommend you follow them to the letter until your group develops its own personality and traditions.
“Hospitality is the key to new ideas, new friends, new possibilities.”
See below for the recommended hosting checklist.
The Setting. This is not Oprah’s Book Club, so the living room couch is not a suitable place to discuss the Great Books. A table with chairs should do the trick with the Seminar Leader seated in a position to be comfortably heard by all. Be sure all participants know where the bathroom is located so as not to disrupt the flow of conversation.
The Atmosphere: It’s imperative that your guests are not straining their eyes to reference the reading or notes. If meetings are held in the evening hours, your lighting should be bright and suitably positioned to avoid tired eyes, glare, and shadow cast. It is best that your group meets in a location where you can minimize external noise, distractions, and interruptions. Background music is not recommended.
As a side note: If there are other members of your household who will be home but are not part of the group, consider setting ground rules prior to your guests arriving to avoid awkward encounters. Your goal should be to provide a safe and comfortable space to share big ideas. A blaring television or clanging dishes are not conducive to this goal.
The Set Up: If the group readers do not know one another, consider setting out name cards at the table. You would be surprised how helpful this small act of hospitality will be in facilitating a comfortable environment to share big ideas with new and old friends. If not the same person, communicate with the Seminar Leader as to whether they would like you to print out discussion questions or other handouts for the group before the meeting.
The Timing: While the seminar leader is largely responsible for ending the meeting on time, the host can be responsible for ensuring the meeting starts on time. In a larger group, consider ushering your guests to the meeting table at least five minutes before the designated start.
The Food: Have small bites and foods that are easy to consume while discussing a book. (Probably not a good idea to break out a plate of spareribs.) It is perfectly acceptable to serve the same food each time so that participants know exactly what to expect and whether or not they should come hungry.
The Drink. While alcohol is certainly acceptable, if your group’s personality tends to skew overly social while drinking, consider hosting a 30-minute optional happy hour before the seminar is set to start or abstaining altogether. The focus should be on the reading.
As a side note: If not all participants have met before, it’s crucial to facilitate introductions. Or, if you are the odd man out, introduce yourself! The basic protocol calls for introducing the ‘lesser-ranking’ (socially, professionally, by age or seniority) to the ‘higher-ranking’ person. Be sure to offer some details or context about each person, as appropriate, to get the conversation flowing.
Celebrations and Retreats: A truly exceptional host will treat their guests to a delicate balance of warmth and form. Remembering to celebrate birthdays, holidays, and special occasions is a fantastic way to bolster camaraderie. Another idea would be to recommend an annual retreat.
While often taken for granted, the host’s role plays a crucial role in your home group’s long-term success. You’ll find certain people gravitate towards hosting and particularly enjoy the responsibilities. This responsibility should in no way induce anxiety or become overbearing, so setting achievable expectations upfront will be important to avoid burnout. If multiple group members voice interest in sharing the host role, I recommend taking a round-robin approach so the meeting place is always established and keeping all other pertinent elements of the discussion (printouts, meeting time, ect) exactly the same. Whatever you decide, the host location MUST be established before the new month begins.