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[Due to the discontinued Meetup Everywhere platform, this article has been updated. - Feb. 5, 2015] Tips for Starting & Organizing FDR Meetups If you're one of the members of the FDR community who are interested in meeting fellow philosophers in the area in which you live, you may be wondering where to find each other. Up until December 1, 2014, the place to begin checking was on the site at http://www.meetup.com/freedomain-radio; however, since then, the Meetup Everywhere platform was discontinued by Meetup.com. Since then, if you're looking to find and meet FDR members who reside within a geographical area close enough to meet face-to-face, take time to check for FDR Meetup groups in your area. Try searching on the Meet n Greet Section of the forum here on the FDR Board, Meetup, or Facebook. In the meantime, if you don't find a group already out there and are interested in starting one, here are some suggestions to help in starting and organizing an FDR Meetup group: Momentum is key when starting your Meetup group. New members are just as enthusiastic and excited as you are about meeting others. Make sure you've got a Meetup scheduled. Take the initiative to schedule a definitive date, time, and location for the Meetup. Though posting the "does anyone want to meet" type of comments can establish interest should someone respond, results show that these types of posts can linger for weeks, or even months, before a Meetup gets planned, if at all. Choose and post a date and location; if someone is interested in meeting, they can choose to make the commitment to attend or not. Follow-through with your own commitment to attend an event you've scheduled. If nobody else RSVP's, be there anyway, even if only for an hour. It does happen that people attend without ever RSVP'ing. For first-time Meetups, choose a suitable venue. When people are meeting for the first time and getting to know one another, choose a venue where people can easily converse and hear one another, without distracting noise in the vicinity. Conversations should be able to be had without having to shout over loud music or bowling pins. Also, in the beginning, choose a venue where people can easily leave when they're ready (unlike a hike and they're in the middle of the woods). Include info about the venue; address, link to the venue's web site, anything that will help attendees to foresee the setting and become familiar with where it's being held. If the venue is in a metro area, provide info about the parking and/or transportation options (nearest and cheapest parking garage, nearest train station, cost and availability of street parking, etc.). People will come in by car, train, bike, and most recently, even by plane (which is awesome!). Include an explanation in the description stating the specific goal or activity for the scheduled Meetup (meeting for coffee or a meal, hiking, etc.). This helps people know what they need to bring (money/credit card, comfortable shoes for walking, water, etc.). If it's an outdoor event, include rain/shine instructions. Promote the Meetup using social media such as posting in the Meet 'n Greet section of the FDR forum, create a group on facebook, establish an account for your group on Meetup.com, etc. Reach out individually to the people who are already members of FDR in your area by searching on the FDR forum. Do a search on the FDR forum for your city and/or state in both the Forums and Members drop-downs and contact those you find via PM (private message). In your message, introduce yourself and let them know you have a Meetup planned and where to find out more about it. If having the Meetup at a venue with a host/hostess, let them know you are expecting the arrival of others who may ask about a Meetup. If possible, seat yourself where you can see the entryway, so that way you can watch for people as they arrive and who may be inquiring about a Meetup and/or are clearly looking for the group. Place an item on the table or in the vicinity or on your person that can help identify the Meetup. Of course, after the group has met several times and everyone knows each other, this wouldn't be necessary; however, keep in mind that new people may attend that have not RSVP'd and will be looking for the group. Use a table card or put a label on your shirt with the Meetup or FDR logo on it, stand up a copy of the RTR or UPB book on the table, or whatever method you feel would be most effective for the venue in which you're meeting. Some may be comfortable with posting and exchanging their contact information on a group's site; however, keep in mind that if a group's site is set to public that the information posted is viewable by the public. With that in mind, if you wish to keep your contact information private, consider another means of communication to exchange information. Consider taking a group photo during the Meetup. This should be determined by the organizer as to whether it would be appropriate for the group. If it is, consider sharing the photo on the group's facebook page or other social media, but be certain that you have everyone's permission to post it online before doing so. Photos give a reality to the group; one that tells others, we're real, we're getting together, and we welcome you to join us. After the Meetup, leave feedback on the social media where you promoted it, to let others know the Meetup was held and people attended. This helps to confirm to others that the Meetup actually took place and the group is active. Schedule the next Meetup and keep the momentum going. It gives potential members a very compelling reason to join by showing there's activity and it gives current members something cool to look forward to! For those of you who decide to take an active role as an FDR Meetup Organizer, there is a Freedomain Radio Meetup Organizers group on facebook and we welcome your participation. The goal of the group is to provide a forum for those who are active in organizing Freedomain Radio Meetups and to help each other as we develop and promote FDR Meetups in our local communities.

I put together a list of the FDR Meetup Groups that I know about, along with links to their sites. It can be found at FDR Meetup Groups Worldwide. If you know of an FDR Meetup Group that you'd like added to the list, leave a comment on this thread or send me a message.

[Updated February 5, 2015, to update due to the discontinuation of the Meetup Everywhere platform] One of the first things I did when joining the FDR community online, was to explore every nook of the FDR web site. I was elated to discover FDR was associated with Meetup and eagerly clicked the big blue 'Meetup Groups' button on the Community page. Having been involved in Meetups for over six years, what it meant to me was that there would likely be members of FDR in my geographical area. The prospect of meeting others from FDR face-to-face was both exciting and scary at the same time. At that time in my life, I had been listening to some of Stef's books and podcasts intermittently for about a year, but it wasn't until the fall of 2013 that I delved into it deeper. It had become overwhelmingly clear I had only scratched the surface of what was to come in my life. One of the first changes was the break-up of the 2+ year relationship I had been in and I also began to find it difficult to have the empty conversations with those in my daily round at the office. The only person I had meaningful conversations with at that time (and still do) was the person who introduced me to FDR which is my son. There had indeed been a shift in my thinking and reasoning and understanding of the world. I began to recognize that having people in one's life with whom you can have an honest and trusting relationship, whether it be as friends or romantically, would be the most worthwhile social endeavor. The question became how to meet them. Where were these people out there in the world that I could talk with openly and have meaningful conversations? They were right there...in FDR; in the forum, in the chatroom, opening their hearts on podcasts, and reaching out through Meetup. Each one comes with it's own method of communication and interaction. I embraced each form of interaction, and with each one, my self-knowledge over the months has grown. Learning more about myself couldn't be avoided once I opened my mind and heart and let in the people I began to meet there. Of course, the pursuit of self-knowledge is ongoing and will be a lifelong process. The interaction I've come to embrace the most in the FDR community is Meetup. I had attended several types of Meetups over the past few years, ranging from dance lessons to hiking, and had been a past assistant organizer while living in Texas for a year, so it's something I was already familiar with. At that time, the Meetup Everywhere platform was still in place; however, effective December 1, 2014, Meetup.com discontinued the feature. While people can still set up a Meetup group on the Meetup.com site, it does cost a monthly fee. The other option for those who want to organize an FDR Meetup group has been to use other social media for news and postings about their group such as Facebook. If you're looking to find and meet FDR members who reside within a close enough geographical area to meet face-to-face, take time to check for FDR Meetup groups in your area; using the Meet n Greet section of the forum here on the FDR Board, Meetup, or Facebook. Otherwise, you might not realize an FDR member lives right in your neighborhood. Even if they're not that nearby, how awesome to even have the opportunity to take a drive and get together in person with people who share your enthusiasm for honesty and rational thinking. As one who has taken that drive, I can relate that it's well worth it. Philosophy is about taking action. We, the members of the FDR community are out there. I encourage you to see who's there to greet you. If you don't find a community in your area, consider becoming an Organizer and starting a group. What's required is a commitment to invest your time and effort. Take that important step and be there to greet others who are looking for honesty, personal integrity, and a life where we can connect to make a difference. Stef said it best when he said, “When we connect with each other, we free the world”. If you decide to become an organizer, we have a Freedomain Radio Meetup Organizers group on Facebook and we welcome your participation, as we help each other through the process of developing and promoting FDR Meetups in our areas. “I think that personal integrity and commitment to values and so on is really important, but the people who are around us... Who you surround yourself with is who you're gonna be.” - Stefan Molyneux (FDR2544)

The next FDR Chicago Meetup is scheduled for Saturday, November 8th, 2014. The Meetup will begin at 2:00 p.m. at the Village Tavern & Grill, 291 South Schmale Road, Carol Stream IL. For more info about the venue, visit http://www.villagetavernandgrill.com/#!home-carol-stream/c1nfh.

It's picnic time! The Chicago FDR Meetup 1st Annual Picnic is this Saturday, July 19th, at noon! For details, visit http://www.meetup.com/Freedomain-Radio/Chicago-IL/1162322/. Look forward to seeing everyone!

The next Freedomain Radio Chicago Meetup will be happening on Saturday, June 7th, at 2:00 p.m. We're going to be revisiting The Junction Chicago in Union Station. The address is 222 S Riverside Plaza. It's a nice venue and, though they don't serve food, if we get hungry, we can go to The Metro Deli & Sports Bar which is also in Union Station and right around the corner. Please RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/Freedomain-Radio/Chicago-IL/1162162/. If you don't have a Meetup account to RSVP, please contact me via facebook. More about the Freedomain Radio Chicago Meetup group can be found on their facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/656575817730880/. Look forward to seeing everyone!