• Introductions of all people present . It may also benefit the group for everyone to identify their address and association with your neighborhood .
• The purpose of the meeting . It ’ s important that you explain why you are interested in forming a neighborhood association to the attendees .
• Areas of concern or importance to the members of the planning committee . This will provide a staging area for discussion by all the citizens in attendance . Be careful not to appear as “ lecturing ” to the attendees . This will turn them off from the entire process .
� Location . Finding a place to hold the meeting . Try to estimate the number of people you expect at your first general meeting and then look for a meeting space to accommodate that number . It is important to keep the meeting place as neutral as possible for all the attendees expected . Possible sites include :
• Schools , both public and private
• Churches , synagogues , temples , or mosques
• Community colleges or local universities
• Private homes
• Community and recreation centers
• City Hall
• Hospitals
• Non-profit centers
� Publicize your meeting . The best-planned meeting can be successful only if you have people in attendance . The way to get people to attend your meeting is to publicize . Just remember to include all pertinent information in your publicity . Remember to answer the questions of what , where , when and why . If possible , include a phone number and email address for people who have questions about the meeting or are interested in future meetings but cannot make the first meeting .
o
o
Make sure to share invitations to your meetings on NextDoor , Facebook , or your association ’ s website .
Encourage people to invite their neighbors , who then invite their neighbors and so on .
Neighborhood Organizational Handbook – Arlington , Texas 6