Five Year Recap of Bookclub as we know it; shall it continue forever?

So for those of you who have read my last blog; I'm pretty stinkin upset with the situation we are in. I was thinking of not going to bookclub at all. After many discussions with Julie about not just leaving all together I decided to go through our entire past of five years and put it all electronically on one big spreadsheet so everything is easy to find. Also I wanted to bring it to club so I could show you all how much work is actually needed to maintain this level of club we have.

Below I wrote a page for our anniversary speech in SF; it was supposed to be one of my writings that end up making me cry while I'm freading it. It spills of the love and participation we all have for this club.

Since we are lacking in the enthusiasm these days and since there is no anniversary celebration I wanted everyone to read the below writing I did in august to see what we are jeoperdizing if do not stop and change something.

Julie proposes we all have a position with set tasks. This means everyone must tackle their position as if a job. For example if someone is in charge of bdays then its their job to have a list of everyone's bday, know when to have a celebration for a member, talk to the person holding the dues for bday budget, a little planning is involved in every position.

Please all of you decide what position you would like to be. Positions open at this time are: VP, Treasurer, Secretary, Sunshine Keeper.

If more then one person want a position we will have a blind vote.

Please come prepared to this meeting. If I show up and no one knows anything about what we are doing at club I'm probably just going to throw my hands up and leave.

I love you gals and would like us to end up like the last sentences in my writing; old, but still together through it all.

If you think another member might not see this please somehow make it known to them.


2012 Bookclub Anniversary
08-23-12
Five years ago five women sat in the mountains like a tight knit sweater. All woven together in life somehow, brought together by fate as I see it. The beginning should always be remembered, so for the fifth year I am here to remind us of the beginning.
September 2007:
Three women sat in a Bonny soon house chatting about recent books they've read; excitedly trying to sell the other on reading their great book. Each woman backing their book pick as if a salesperson. It was then the idea was born to form a bookclub. Few ideas were thrown around. Things like when would we meet and how would we pick books and how would it work? Some simple rules were put in place; 1) show up, 2) read, by the tyrant president, as the coven called her. The first two rules were formed as such:
1. Must make the meeting a priority;
2. Must read the book;
The members were hand-picked:
1. MERIAH
2. Maren
3. Ali
4. Tristana
The beginning started with four (4). We then had a teen that gained interest in the club, the camaraderie, the tight knit group. She would suggest books for us to read and sit in on the meetings for lack of anything better to do in the hills of Bonny Doon. And so the fifth member was Savannah. Now a group of five, people started to covet our little club. Hearing tales of our meetings and closeness other wanted to join. It wasn't until one night at Henfling’s that Ali bumped into Julie (then known as Meriah’s best friend from Tahoe). Ali was drunkenly describing the club and the reading and as if sober ness slapped her in the face Julie was stone cold serious, "I need to be in your club..." Ali was Ali and told her that the club had to discuss any newcomers and we would discuss her at the next meeting. Meanwhile Julie called MERIAH and started soliciting herself. Needless to say member number six was entered.
Over time with unanimous votes Stephanie Noce was inducted into club. Though she lasted only one month and didn't show up to her one and only meeting, her input on books to read has been priceless. Shortly after the teenager in savannah took over, she no longer valued our club. We went down to the famed five we are today. Rule number 3, CLOSED MEMBERSHIP states its just us and here we stay, five women, five years and a lifetime ahead.
Now we have a closed membership.. Frozen in time so we don't have to share the magic we have with anyone else. We selfishly hoard this coven of love all to ourselves and only let glimpses out to the world through bragging and boasts. We've gone from real books with paper pages that you can turn and flip with your hand to e-readers, iPads and tablets. We've advanced from paper agendas to web blogs and messaging. Libraries now check out e-books.
In short we've grown up ladies holy hell! We have moved past the little punks that dream big dreams and talk of families and futures. We are now in the future, we have our families, we've hit bumps in the road. We have life experience stories to tell. But rest assured we are still the coolest older, wiser, more mature, smart, sassy, book reading bitches around! The best part is we have been blessed with witnessing this beautiful growth. We have watched marriages, babies come into the world, and teenagers grow up to be now mothers themselves. Children grow to teens, babies growing to mini people, hard times, divorces, break ups, death........ It's all the cycle of life and we are together in this growth.
I'll say it always; bookclub for life, if we are blind we can listen, and read Braille. There's no stopping us. I love you girls!!!

October to be or not to be that is the question........

Ok, first off if my tone sounds bitchy it's because I have a lot going on in life and after six months of group decisions it seems that nothing anyone agreed to is now acceptable. I do not have a tone but need to get this out there so we dont spend time in the future planning something that ultimately someone isnt 100% about. This frustrates me as I try hard to keep everyone focused on stupid books and keeping our club together then I end up being the pushy bitch who everyone is annoyed with cuz I'm trying to make things happen.

First, if in the future we come up with a plan, everyone must state their true feelings. If you don't think it'll work for you you need to voice that. If you go along with the plan cuz it sounds fun but it isn't possible then you are leading us all on. For instance if someone knew all along that this sf anniversary just wouldn't work they should have said so so we didn't all get our hopes up to have them crushed in the end. We could have easily planned a less involved anniversary, even though we deserve a night on the town.

Thus far all tasks delegated to others have not happened. This is why I typically just do everything so I know it will get done.

I am contemplating not even coming to this months meeting cuz I don't know if anyone will have read the book besides Tristana and I and I'm tired of being the nazi (no pun reference to our book intended) person who always seem to be bumming the group out. I kind of feel like just letting the meeting happen and whatever happens happens.

I was going to do an agenda but why no one listens and I seem to get flack for trying to refocuse the group.

At this point I don't know what we are doing, how we are doing it and when.

If anyone cares that I feel totally useless to this group then it would be nice to see some participation.

At our last meeting and notated in our last meeting minutes, everyone is supposed to text or email me what they want to discuss at meeting. You all wanted an agenda but again I make one then can't get anyone's attention, so I need all you to tell me what you'd like to discuss possibly give some book ideas or discussion topics for our book. Something that shows I'm not the only one juggling life and club. I know I don't have a kid so you all think I have it easier but that's just not the case.

For now I'm done, I'm gonna read my nazi book and hope to discuss it but unless I get some feedback I'm not even going to do an agenda. I'm also not planning the anniversary anymore. I feel like I put a bunch of effort in with nothing to show. Sorry for being such a downer I am just really depressed right now and knowing that our fabulous anniversary isn't happening kinda put a damper on my sunshine. I apologize if I'm harsh sounding.

October anniversary date

Julie and I are booking the hotel for the anniversary. Does anyone have a problem with going 10/26/12? That's a Friday. Please let me know ASAP if you can not go to sf and spend the night on Friday October 26th. The hotel needs to be booked now for cheaper rates. Please let me know no later then 9/12.