By: Christian M. Williams @mypublictweeter
If you had asked me back in November how successful #NDOSC (National Day of Supper Clubbing) would be, I would have struggled to find an answer.
One week ago, on February 6, 400+ people from 30+ cities across the nation met up simultaneously to discuss local government #localgov. Volunteers in our organization led this effort! For me, it was a reminder of the strengths and talents of our membership. When a new opportunity presents itself, we step up to the plate to get things done. In less than two months, our amazing volunteers organized hundreds of local government fans for an evening of fun.
What I love most about Supper Clubs is their informal nature. Supper Clubs add a new, non-threatening and non-elitist way to engage with peers in your region. I asked a few of our event hosts to share some of their takeaways.
• One member told me they had a roundtable discussion, which focused on “your government nerd proudest accomplishment of the last couple years” Responses ranged from, “I submitted my big report TODAY!” to “Scooter-gate 2018.” They “enjoyed the informal opportunity to chat about work stuff and laugh A LOT.”
• Another said they asked everyone to share their, “best “people caring at me loudly” moment and what makes them get up in the morning.” Members in attendance, “loved the encouragement to come celebrate our localgov nerdery”. Rumor has it this group also discovered future government leaders in the emerging class of 2023!
My favorite memory was discussing GovLove, Phoenix area neighborhoods and playing #localgov bingo. Who would have guessed “Lil’ Sebastian” would be a topic of discussion?! And of course “Scooter-gate 2018” came up!
Another theme that emerged, aside from general nerdiness and an interest in local government career paths, was a desire to have more regional events.
Just because #NDOSC has ended, doesn’t mean there is a shortage of events or opportunities for regional meet ups. I encourage everyone to take a look at our new Volunteer page and consider hosting your own Supper Club. If the weather didn’t cooperate with you last week, we have all year to get to know and engage with one another on a local level.
When I was first introduced to ELGL, back in 2014, the slogan I saw was, “Connect, Engage, Educate”. Without our members and their willingness to foster genuine relationship building, ELGL is only a meaningless local government acronym. With active members, like the 30+ who put on #NDOSC, we can make magic!
