12-13 Branchzone:issue 1 27/8/08 15:29 Page 10
Branchzone
Branching out
– new ways to meet
Ideas for Mothers’ Union branches from training
officer Marian Pope
W
hat is a branch meeting? Has your community centres – as well as on church
branch ever thought of doing it premises. Think about the most appropriate
differently? Most Mothers' Union venue for your meetings. Are there clusters
members will immediately think of a regular of members in a particular location? Some
monthly get together with a short act of branches with a group of members in a
worship, notices, a speaker and local residential home have arranged to
refreshments in the parish hall. That’s hold occasional meetings there. If your
certainly the usual pattern. But does a branch covers a large geographical area,
branch meeting have to be like this? think about moving your meetings to
different places so the same people don’t
Time for a change
have to travel every time.
The most usual change a branch makes to
its pattern of meetings is to change the Would a different venue be suitable for a
time. A growing number of branches have particular type of meeting? A ‘News and
both afternoon and evening groups to Views’ meeting where members meet
appeal to a wider range of people. What together informally to chat and pass on
about a morning meeting? This is often a Mothers' Union news could be held in your
better time for mums and carers. Why not local coffee shop, but this wouldn’t be the
have a meeting that ends with Midday place to have an invited speaker.
Prayers – followed by a ‘bring and share’
style lunch for those who are able to stay?
‘Thousands of members look
There are Mothers' Union branches that
forward to the monthly
meet in the upstairs
room of a pub,
branch meetings’
in each
other’s
homes, in
What are we meeting for?
schools Thousands of members look forward to the
or monthly meeting of their branch, with the
opportunity to become more informed
about aspects of the work and mission of
www.themothersunion.org
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