I have been running the Dads group here for 4 years and I feel it is time to pass off the responsibility to someone with more fire. What are your feelings on this? Honestly I feel that if I don't do it no one will. We are in the Greater Charlotte area and maybe I can pass it off to them.
How to pass off group responsibilities
It Depends
A hand off to get a little more spark into a dads group is great, if the person who is taking over has the spark, or drive to do so. Sometimes just maintaining until that person with the right combination comes along is better than a bad handoff. I dads group can die pretty quickly if there isn't someone there to answer questions and approve members at the minimum. You (you the group leader/organizer) don't have to run a weekly playgroup to keep the group going. If the leader/organizer can continue to; nudge, prod, cajole other group members to pick up the ball and start or continue a regular playgroup, then maybe a couple of emails a month and approving the new members is all you need to do. Look to new members for that spark as well. Set up an email in your draft folder ready to go for new members when one joins looking for a playgroup. The email can be designed to motivate the guy to start a playgroup and seek out input for a current member to help. We have a certain number of guys that don't want to start a playgroup, but will help to organize, get the word out, come up with suggestions, etc. I think just trying to get the other members involved and have some ownership for their own activities. It's too easy to fall into the trap of doing it for them and they expect that person to do it. Joining forces with a nearby dads group is great also. No sense in reinventing the wheel, right? If there is another group close by and you join i with them, then your members can see what this group is doing and maybe get some ideas. Or it may spark someone to say, "that's a little to far to go for me, I think I should try and organize something closer". Those are just some thoughts, Mike Stilwell Daddyshome, Inc. DC Metro Dads
Thanks
You make a lot of sense and I need to grab one of the newcomers who still has some fire in the belly. My kids are going to school so that makes my need for a group a bit less. I would let someone in nearby Charlotte take control if I could right now. I would not have said that a year ago.
This is a tough one for groups
Transitions like this can be tough for groups, but they are inevitable - little ones become bigger ones and our priorites as parents shift from focusing on playgroup to focusing on school. I think it really boils down to needing one person with some fire to keep it going. I've been through a number of transitions like this, both in existing groups I joined, as well as in groups I started. Fortunately, all those transitions worked well - in both cases I think the group got stronger as a result. I'd say the bottom line is you need to identify someone or a few people in the group who will keep it going. They may not do it the way you did, but you need to be o.k. with that...but if nobody will do it, I would think about having it become a sub-chapter to another group so it doesn't totally lose momentum. Best of luck to you...let us know how things turn out..
- Andy
____________________________________
14th Annual At-Home Dads' Convention: www.athomedadconvention.com
Joined: 2007-01-02
Dad Points: 39