"Rules" or "traditions." Whatever you call them, your book group needs some. Here are some of the traditions—regarding actual meetings—that have worked well for groups I've been in over the years:

The group meets on the fourth Monday of each month, unless rescheduled because of holidays such as AEA or Christmas. You might want to meet in the morning, for lunch or in the evening. Do whatever works best for your group. Just have a scheduled time and date, and stick with it!

Except for November and December, the meetings generally follow this agenda: The discussion should begin at 7 p.m. and finish around 8:30 p.m. The book leader keeps the conversation on track. This is perhaps the most important rule of all. Begin the discussion on time all the time! We’ve sometimes gone past the 8:30 ending time, but even then, discussion is wrapped up by going around the room for concluding thoughts and observations. If some folks wanted to stay and continue talking, that was fine.

Members will RSVP to the hostess 24 hours in advance for dinner and the meeting. OK, this is simply good manners, but it is highly appreciated.

In November, the book discussion is preceded by a business session. Major changes, such meeting dates or times, are generally made at this meeting. Members are notified of agenda items before the meeting. Note: Provision is made for “emergency” changes, but everyone MUST have advance notice if “business” will be discussed at a meeting other than November.

The December meeting is a covered dish supper, and members bring children’s books to be given to a local charity. Former members may be invited to this meeting if the host member approves. This has always been a fun gathering. Generally this is a potluck and the hostess provides the main dish. So what if we had more sweets than the usual dinner! Sometimes we would sit around and read from our children’s books or discuss why we like them so much. Essentially, this is a time for fellowship and it comes at a time of year that is sometimes too busy for very much serious reading.

Next time I’ll share some ideas for hosting.