Organizing Groups

[LuckyStrikes]

I live in an area where the left leaning individuals are far and very, very few between. I have been thinking for the last few days of organizing some sort of group to have meetings in order to discuss tactics, current events, form relationships, etc. My only problem is how to organize this meeting. I have had only a few thoughts, and I have come up with no way to reach out to the few leftists in my locality. Any advice would be appreciated.

[ellipsis]

Best advice I ever got: hold regular meetings, same time same place every week/month

I have seen it work too. Homes not Jails went from not holding public meetings, to public meetings every other week, to weekly meeting. The meetings are always held and the attendance has jumped from 4-10 people a year ago, to its current levels of 20-30 people meeting for 2+ hours everyweek, with "member's only meetings" happening on a sporadic basis. HnJ is the only (quasi-)anarchist group that holds weekly public meetings in the bay area and has become a focal point for disparate local denizens to connect, share skills and knowledge and organize.

The group is now, IMO a legitimate actor in the bay area political scene; at our last public building occupation the cops were told not to detain people leaving the building and to wait on the other side of the street; they police complied and everybody left the building without incident.

[LuckyStrikes]

I like that alot, really good advice. I'm a little ashamed to admit I never thought of that (I can be such a twit). Now, how would I spread the word, if only for the first meeting. I mean I've got to have someone there the first time, or it just becomes me with a book, forever alone.

[ellipsis]

indy media, social media, fliering at coffee shops, art galleries, cool bars, local colleges etc. you might start by just having contact info like an email and ask folks to write if they would be interested, just to gauge interest.

there is a group, "led" by an ex-revleftist in the salt lake area of utah, called the revolutionary student's union, it started at utah valley university but now has three other chapters in the area at other colleges. i always point to the UVU-RSU as a model for organizing in reactionary areas.