This group’s purpose is to provide a place for people to socialize and have fun in an environment where having fun is the main focus and drinking alcohol is not part of the activity. The events are as diverse as the people here: dining, camping, hiking, kayaking, movies, dancing and live music are just a few of the things we do.

The only expectation of participants is that they will not drink alcohol or use mind-altering substances prior to and during any event. (We make exceptions for caffeine and prescription drugs and let’s not nitpick over this.)

Everyone is encouraged to participate in and even lead events. Previously most of events hae been in San Francisco but that we are adding more and more events throughout Northern California.

I welcome you and encourage you to become an active participant in this community.

This group is set to private to respect our members' privacy.

The following was pasted from our discussion board, where I laid out what I expect of our members:

1. We are a place for people to get together, socialize and build friendships in an atmosphere where alcohol is not a significant part of the meetup. Events should focus on something other than drinking. Events should be alcohol-free where possible. (Obviously, if we’re going to the Fillmore, there will be alcohol.) All members should honor this while involved in this group’s activities.

2. Be respectful of all others in the group.

3. Participants are expected to abstain from using alcohol and recreational drugs just prior to and during the event. No one knows or cares if you are a drinker when you are not with the group.

4. Show up on time.

5. Change your RSVP if you are not coming, well enough in advance to let the organizer plan accordingly.

Regarding respect, I hope that common sense works for most people. Respect is a two-way street. Please remember that event organizers are doing this out of the goodness of their hearts. It’s not fair to expect from them the same level of service that you get from an expensive restaurant. Please remember than an oversight on the part of the organizer is not something to take personally.

Having said that, the organizers should follow these guidelines:

1. Make it clear as to when and where and how much $ for an event, and how people can find you.

2. Organizers shouldn’t be making any real profit off an event. The cost of an event has and should continue to reflect the costs. It’s OK for an organizer to charge a small fee to cover hidden costs.

3. Organizers should have a very strong reason if they want to remove someone from an event. "I just don't like that person" is not a good reason. Organizers - let me know if you feel a need to remove someone from an event. Others - let me know if you think you have been removed from an event without a good reason and were not able to get a resolution with the event leader.

Thank you for making this meetup successful. I know most of you didn’t need me to state this, but I just wanted to clarify expectations. If you have questions or concerns, please contact me directly.

And most importantly, HAVE FUN!

Sincerely,

JohnB