Want to Spend More Time with Friends? Start a Supper Club

Do you wish you spent more time with your friends on a regular basis? Does it seem like your calendar always fills up with appointments before you are able to set aside time to spend with the people that you really want to see?

If you’re finding it challenging to get together with your friends, consider organizing a monthly supper club get-together than can become a standing appointment on everyone’s calendar. It’ a great way to get out of the habit of letting everything else that you do take precedence over bonding with the friends who are near and dear to your heart.

Types of Supper Clubs

There are several different ways to approach organizing a monthly supper club. Three of the most common options include:

• Rotating a covered dish dinner party gathering among the homes of the people who participate with the hostess (or host) providing the main dish
• Meeting at a local restaurant that everyone in the group enjoys one evening or afternoon each month
• Assigning each participant a month to be responsible for and having that person decide what the activity will be for his or her month

1. Choose the Right Participants

The first step in organizing a supper club is to put together the participants. Invite people that you enjoy spending time with who are interested in participating in a regular get-together and who are willing to set aside time to participate. If you plan to have a system where members take turns hosting or choosing an activity, be sure to select participants that you can count on to follow through with what they have agreed to do.

2. Consider Each Person's Scheduling Needs

Once you have a group of people put together, the next thing you’ll need to do is agree on a schedule.

For example:

• Can the group members agree to get together on the second Friday evening of each month – or on some other regularly scheduled interval?
• Do the members have schedules that are too sporadic to allow for a regular appointment. If that is the case, someone will need to agree to be in charge of coordinating schedules and setting dates each month?
• Do several of the participants have unpredictable schedules? If so, choosing to meet at a restaurant (one that everyone can afford) may be the best option as no one will be obligated to host or attend every single time.

Keep in mind that the more you are able to simplify the schedule, while also accommodating each participant’s needs, the better chance your supper club group will have of becoming a long-term get-together. If you can get a regular, recurring date on everyone’s calendar, it won’t take long for the monthly gathering to become a habit that everyone looks forward to participating in

3. Have Realistic Expectations

It’s important to have realistic expectations about participation. There will be times that someone has to miss a gathering with or without notice. When that happens, deal with it without trying to change things for everyone else or make the person who can’t attend feel guilty. After all, the purpose of starting a supper club is to build stronger relationships with your friends, not to cause more stress for you or anyone else.