What we’re about
This group is for outgoing, interested and curious people who enjoy socializing, meeting new people, exploring interesting topics, and participating in group events and activities. Our get-togethers focus on having great conversations, sharing experiences, enjoying good food and wine, and having fun with other like-minded people. Especially welcome are people 60 and over, whether single or in a couple.
Please note that this group is only for those who have been fully vaccinated, and we will meet in person for our events.
Our events include potluck dinners in members´ outdoor spaces, and meeting in both indoor and outdoor venues. We welcome other ideas suggested by group members.
SOME GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THIS MEETUP GROUP
The only requirement for participation in this group is that members be fully vaccinated. Other than that, the only other rules for members to follow are those that one would expect due to common sense and common courtesy. These include:
-- Treat each other with respect, dignity, and kindness.
-- Bring your enthusiasm, friendliness, and good humor to our events.
-- RSVP when you can attend an event, and be sure to change it if you are unable to attend. Since we often have waitlists, if you can´t make an event, please change your RSVP as far in advance as possible so someone on the waitlist can attend in your place. If you are a habitual no-show (neither show up nor change your RSVP to NO) 2 or more times, you will be removed from this group. Keep in mind that Meetup sends email reminders to everyone who has RSVPed YES prior to an event. It's also easy to find out if you've RSVPed for a particular event by just clicking on the attendee list. So there is no excuse that you didn´t know you had RSVPed for it. Changing an RSVP is easy; if you can´t manage to do it, find someone who can help you.
-- We prefer not to impose waitlists unless there are real space limitations.
-- Because of the ongoing problem we have of frequent no-shows to our events, the no-show policy will be changed. When someone is a no-show for an event for which there is a waitlist. they can be removed from our group after their first no-show designation.
-- For potluck events, we prefer not to organize food/drink lists, so bring what you like, as long as you bring something. Everyone is expected to contribute something to share with other attendees. Food should be ready-to-eat -- it is not the host´s job to prepare your food or store it in the refrigerator or freezer for you. And be sure to take your leftovers, utensils and dishes home with you when you leave.
-- Be sure to enable communications on our Meetup page, so you don´t miss important information such as addresses of our event venues. We think this may be the reason why some people don´t receive every communication.
--It would be a good idea to have the phone number or email address of another member so that, in the event you don´t receive necessary information from us for any reason, you can contact another member.
--For privacy reasons, we will provide hosts´ addresses only to those who RSVP, and not sooner than 1-2 days before an event. We will not provide hosts´ phone numbers, only our own. If you plan to continue attending our events, it would be a good idea to keep a record of our phone numbers.
-- We provide our phone numbers only for URGENT reasons. If you have to change your RSVP for an event, you do not need to call us. If you haven't received the venue address, you do not need to call us. If you decide to bring a guest, you do not need to call us. If you feel you need more information about an event, you do not need to call us -- virtually all the information you need is there on the event page or in these guidelines. We receive all messages from members and that is our preferred means of communication, not telephone calls. Also keep in mind that, usually from an hour before an event is set to begin, we are generally not reachable for calls or messages, since we are busy setting up or doing other necessary tasks. Make sure you have the address for an event by the morning of the day it is to take place.
-- We also organize mini-Meetups, smaller-scaled, themed events that can be created by any member. These are usually scheduled on days when there are no regular larger events. They can be one-time events or those that recur on a fixed schedule. These events often have no waitlists and are easier for new members to attend. They are also ideal for those members who prefer meeting in smaller groups. Individual members decide on a date and time, venue, and maximum number of people, and we post it as an event open to all members, up to the maximum number that has been set. Please note that if you want us to post your mini-Meetup event on our pages, it must be open to all members (up to the maximum number) -- you can't invite specific members. If you are organizing something for particular members, please do not ask to post it on our Meetup pages.
--We always welcome ideas and suggestions for other mini-Meetups from our members. If there is something that you think other members might like to do, such as a performance, a sporting event, a museum exhibit, or a themed holiday get-together, we'd love to hear about it. It can be a one-time-only event, or one that occurs on a regular schedule. You set the terms, and we'll help make it happen.
— To clarify, we make the following distinction between our large potluck events and mini-Meetups: large events are for a minimum of 50 people, and are almost always in members' backyards; mini-Meetups are for fewer than 50 people and can be held almost anywhere.
-- Members may also organize supplementary events along with our get-togethers, such as a wine tasting, sporting event, or coffee hour before a large group event. .
-- We are continuously looking for members´ homes, particularly those with large outdoor areas, for our large events, so if you have the capacity to host 50 or more people, please let us know. Since we have members from all over the East Bay, as well as beyond, we may want to arrange carpools for some events.
--As a thank you to those who step forward to offer their backyards, patios and decks for a large event (50 or more people), prior hosts will automatically be moved to "confirmed" and off the waitlist for all big potluck events they wish to attend.
-- Arrive at our events when you can. We would prefer that you come to an event late rather than not come at all.
-- We want to minimize the amount of effort required of our hosts, so please help with setup and cleanup when you can. It's important that we leave our hosts' homes as clean as we've found it.
-- To ensure everyone´s privacy, don´t provide your personal information when you write in the COMMENTS or CHATS sections. If you need to contact another member, click on their name/photo and you will be taken to their member page. Click on MESSAGE and you can contact them privately. If a member posts in COMMENTS or CHATS that they need an address for our events, please provide it only by direct message. Remember that anything posted in COMMENTS or CHATS can be read by anybody, including scammers.
-- Please make sure your photograph is recognizable, to make it easier to know who you are and to ensure the comfort and safety of other members. Every member who signs up for our events must post a fairly current picture of themselves. Group photos or those in which it is not clear who you are are not acceptable. If you don't have a recognizable photo and are confirmed for an event, you will not be able to attend. We also require that our members use at minimum their real first names — calling yourself "user+number" or a nickname is not permitted.
— Several members of this group have more than one profile and occasionally RSVP twice for the same event. This can create havoc when managing attendee lists (and waitlists), so please delete any additional profiles.
-- Keep in mind that this is a Meetup, not a dating app. We do not permit predatory behavior of any kind, including contacting members you do not know. If you receive a message on Meetup from someone you don't know, DO NOT RESPOND, and let us know right away so that that person will be blocked from this group. Most of the women in this group have received unsolicited messages from "members" who are not actually part of this group, use fake photos and names. They are scammers. DO NOT engage with anybody you have not actually met at one of our events.
-- We do not charge any regular dues to belong to this Meetup, nor do we ask for event fees. However, we pay to maintain this Meetup group, as well as for all paper/plastic serving items for our events. If they wish, members can contribute a few dollars to help defray our expenses as cash at our events, or on the event pages by clicking on "Fundraising." There is no fixed amount, and this is totally voluntary. If you choose not to contribute any money, it will not affect your membership in this group. Any contributions are always appreciated.
-- Most of our events have one or more hosts or organizers who handle the details of the event. Occasionally, when we hear of an event that may be of interest to some of our members, we post it as "Unhosted." We provide the details or a link to the details. Those who wish to attend should post under Comments and arrange to meet others who also want to attend. But usually there is no official "host" present at the event. Keep in mind that information given under unhosted events may not be completely accurate, so all who attend need to confirm the details themselves, such as opening hours, availability of tickets, parking, etc.
-- As our membership continues to grow, we have new members coming from a wide range of towns in the East Bay. Initially, most of our events were in the "680 corridor," towns like Concord, Walnut Creek, Danville, and Lafayette. But now we are trying to schedule more events that are convenient to members living in different parts of the East Bay, including Berkeley, Albany, Oakland, Richmond, and Martinez. Suggestions for possible venues or events in various towns are most welcome.