How to Create A Gourdpatch
I stumbled upon a post on the American Gourd Society Facebook page regarding a reader who was moving out of their state, that had a state gourd society (Michigan), http://www.michigangourdsociety.org/ to Utah. Utah at the time of this writing currently doesn’t have a statewide gourd society. Ultimately the discussion became centered around how to create a gourdpatch.
The original poster put out a plea looking for fellow "gourders" in Utah. The poster received some helpful feedback and I thought we might visit the topic as well, not just for those that are relocating, but for any that would like to start a local gourdpatch all the way up to a statewide gourd society chapter.
Before we get into the ins and outs of how to create a gourdpatch – there is one concept that you need to keep in mind throughout the creation and development of your patch:
It takes a crowd to draw a crowd…
Each step we take is executed so as to draw people in, and create interest in your group. A group of 3 people, is well a group of 3 people – but when your group starts to grow beyond that – well that’s something that other people want to be a part of.
Step 1: Talk to other "gourders" you currently know.
Perhaps you are not quite like our friend from Michigan, moving to a new location site unseen, not knowing quite who was there sharing their interest. I would venture it is more likely that you have already a handful of friends who share your passion. Talk to them and see if they have interest in drawing in new people. If you can get your current friends on board, the easier it will be to draw more in. Some may ask why they should form any formal patch/society - Some incentives to forming would be
- Expand network of gourders
- Learn new skills
- Create a statewide society
- Open a Farmers Market booth
- Create a local competition
- Make new friends
You may have some specific ideas as well, and that’s great. – use whatever idea might start to build some cohesiveness with your current members. It doesn't have to be perfect at this point - just enough to build a little momentum and generate some enthusiasm.
Now, if you don’t already have a small network – worry not – simply start at step 2:
Step 2: Create the Patch
Name your patch – This is a fairly straight forward task. What we recommend is using the geographical size of the patch you are creating, to dictate your name. To illustrate that concept - let’s go back to our friend moving to Utah. For the sake of this article let’s just say she is moving to Moab, UT.
If you are going to create a patch with members from a single city – then the name would be <Your City> <Description> for instance:
“Moab Gourders” or “Moab Gourd Patch”
If you are covering a larger area – consider using “County” or another area encompassing name. Again using our Utah example:
“Grand County Gourd Patch” or “Canyonland’s Gourders”
And finally if you are going to create a state chapter -
Utah Gourd Society
Step 3: Create a Facebook Group Page
After you’ve settled on your name – create a Facebook Group Page. The Facebook page is going to be a very important component for the overall success of your group. Say what you will about Facebook, but there simply isn’t a more accessible, easy to use platform, for coordinating and communicating with small groups.
Having a Facebook Group page “legitimizes” your group, and provides an easy mechanism for noting meeting times, member information, shared files, photos, and a number of other helpful resources.
Set the privacy level to Public, but you should require membership approval.
If you’ve got some nice photos of your initial group or gourd displays – use one for your Banner.
Make sure to get your initial members to join right away (you can also add them yourself) – remember – it takes a crowd to draw a crowd…
Step 4: Recruit Additional Members
Here is where the real work begins.
At this point:
- Identified your initial core members (even if it may be just you)
- Named your Group
- Claimed Your Facebook page
Your next move is to introduce yourself to potential new members. Start by creating a short note that states: 1) Who you are, 2) What you are doing 3) Why you are doing it and 4) Ask them if they’d like more info.
For instance:
Hello my name is <Your Name>,
Like you I have an interest in gourds and various gourd crafts. I was hoping that I might be able to gather up a few more like minded people and create our own local “gourd patch.” With a little luck we can all maybe learn a bit from each other, share resources and/or tools, and who knows, maybe we can open a little booth at the Farmer’s Market. At any rate – right now I’m hoping just to see if I can’t round up a few more people. If you’d like to learn more, I created a Facebook page – www.facebook.com/groups/<GroupName>, or just search <GroupName> on Facebook. Feel free to share this with a friend – and we hope to hear from you!
From here we find target members
In the Facebook search bar – simply search for <Your City> Gourds. This will bring up anything having to do with your city and gourds (unfortunately after testing this, Pumpkins come up an awful lot as well). Find the posts/pages/groups that seem to be the most relevant – and send them the private message you drafted above. You may consider filtering by date, just so you get a recent collection of leads.
PINTEREST
Similar to Facebook – search <Your City> Gourds. From here you’ll see various pins. This can be a bit more tedious as generally all that you see initially is a picture and a brief description. You’ll need to visit each pin to see if it might be a good lead. You can then follow up by visiting the person who created the pin – not the person who may have just saved it. You can send them the same message you used for Facebook.
You can also create your own Pinterest Board for your patch, but at this time it probably isn't necessary.
Of course Google is going to generate plenty of leads as well. Google can be a little trickier because it won’t always lead directly back to one person, and sometimes the results can be a little dated. That being said – you may also find some leads that you didn’t even know were there to begin with. Don’t be afraid to dig a few pages in to find some additional members.
CRAIGSLIST
Craigslist usefulness breaks down a little bit in smaller towns, but can still be a valuable resource. Again, using the same tactics simply search Gourds within the city (or closest available city listed) to find listings. The search will default to ”For Sale” items, but also be sure to use the dropdown menu and search within Community and Events. Using the same message as before, you can email each listing with your information about your new group forming.
AMERICAN GOURD SOCIETY
Contact the American Gourd Society as they can provide a list of members that are in your state. While geared toward state wide societies, they will be a good resource to tap into (if you haven’t already) http://www.americangourdsociety.org/How_to_Start.html
Also – you should join the American Gourd Society Facebook Board as well. You can post gourd related posts there, as long as you aren’t spamming them. I would recommend contacting the admins directly just to get their blessing. https://www.facebook.com/groups/AmericanGourdSociety/
CRAFT/HOBBY STORES
Pound the pavement and hit up your local craft and hobby stores. Some have bulletin boards that you can put up a flyer. Your flyer can be fairly similar to your Facebook message you used earlier. In fact – I’m a bit wary of putting up to much personal information on a flyer in a store – stick with just a link on how to get to your Facebook page.
Are you starting a new gourdpatch? Are you having a hard time finding members? Let us know and let us help you on your journey.
This should put you well on your way to gathering your first leads for a local gourd patch. In Part II we’ll talk about setting up your first meeting, where to hold them, and what to talk about.