I think this is a good idea but I think to get it really going good you need to have a social club. The old ethnic, religious an society social clubs all had a common factor of a club house. You could go to the American Legion, or Elks, or Masons, or Knights of columbus or Polish club or whatever at any time when you were a member you had old timers hanging out and doing things regularly. Youe event schedule will also need to be at least weekly to keep up close contact to build up connections.
No, you need regular events, same place twice a month. That's the killer for social clubs like this. Just have a regular date in the diary and if people are free they can drop in.
Then do the more unique events on a different day (and let members suggest/ organise events too).
Friendship is repetition with the same group. Make it easy on people by meeting at the same time, maybe changing venue within a small area.
A group chat can be the clubhouse these days provided everyone meets regularly. I'd revoke membership from frequent no-shows. You want to limit groups to around 70 people too. Some research says above that cliques form.
Its funny because you described liberal Freemasonry: mandatory attendance twice a month. Forcing yourself to go and feeling the honor of being part of a group has been great for me.
I'm sure other groups have that kind of rule too, but the mandatory part is what makes it special.
Well I wasn't suggesting mandatory attendance to every event, but I think if someone doesn't show up for say 2 months their space should be freed up for someone else.
> American Legion, or Elks, or Masons, or Knights of columbus ...
Those all still exist, right? Or did they die off with the WWII generation?
They still exist where I am, and are desperate for members, because their memberships tend to have an average age probably over 60. Some new blood could really invigorate them, but they have trouble finding any.
I sometimes wonder how my grandparents' generation, who were generally hard-working farmers and tradesmen, and who raised large families relative to today, found the time to maintain all those groups along with their churches. Different priorities, I guess, and that was not only before the Internet, but before TV really took over.
I've looked into all of these orgs and every single one of them requires the belief in a "God". That has to be a huge turn off to a lot of younger people who might have been interested in joining for the social parts of the group. All of them lost any interest from me because I'm not going to take an initiation oath claiming to believe in a God that I don't believe in.
If they really want new members, they need to self-reflect on antiquated requirements that might turn off younger people from joining their organization.