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Funner Things Club
Let blockheads read what blockheads wrote.
Lord Chesterfield


Mission Statement
Our solitary goal with the Funner Things Club is to indulge in fruitful (if even crass) interactions with peers, guided by thoughtful literature, acclaimed film, and delicious food. In order to accomplish such an admirable task each member must retain the spirit of both generosity and compromise in all matters of the Funner Things Club. Participation through reading, attendance, and input is the lifeblood of the Club. Why funner? Because it is more better than Finer…


General Terms of Membership
There are three facets of our Funner Things Club: Literature, Film, and Food. It has been decided that each deserves one meeting per month. The responsibility of coordinating these meetings will rotate independently (e.g. in a given month one person will take charge and plan the Literature meeting, one person the Film, and again one person the Food). For those not in the role of coordinator for a particular meeting, attendance and input are the simple requirements. Coordinating responsibilities are specific to the type of meeting:


Literature - appointed member submits a selection of 3 books (including brief synopses) to the Club. The Club will vote the most favorable of the 3 and this will be the book. The said member will then
set an appropriate meeting date (usually one month from the day) and place (home, restaurant, gentleman’s club, etc.) for the discussion of the book. Member will also provide a list of guiding questions to initiate conversation in addition to serving as meeting moderator.


Film - appointed member submits a selection of 2 films (including brief synopses) to the Club. The Club will vote the most favorable of the 2 and this will be the film. Member will also select a date (to agree with other meetings) and place to view the film. Member will also provide a list of guiding questions to initiate conversation in addition to serving as meeting moderator.

Food - appointed member submits a selection of 2 types of food/beverage or 2 restaurants or a mixture of the two. Member will serve as host and discussion moderator.


Criteria for Selection
Our spirit of generosity and compromise is extremely important and for that reason we have negotiated some selection criteria for each of the three facets of the Funner Things Club:


Literature - should remain insightful and generally agreeable. The fact that Literature was the focus of study for some Club members in college should not create divisiveness; we are looking for relevant,
thoughtful writing through which we may imbibe the sweet nectar of progressive thought. In compiling the list (of 3) the selected member must provide at least 1 work of fiction and 1 work of non-fiction, again with synopses (from Amazon, Wikipedia, etc.). Suggestions for further criteria will be fielded at the Funner Things Club’s first meeting.

Film - should remain insightful and generally agreeable. Film selection is limited to those nominated for AcademyAwards Best Picture. In compiling the list (of 2), include synopses. Suggestions for further criteria will be fielded at the Funner Things Club’s first meeting.


Food - should be beyond casual… A nice component of the club, but may be the most costly. This can be extremely informal (wine and cheese at the crib, happy hour, grill food) or formal (dinner or drinks out). This meeting can also be combined with either that of the Literature or Film.




The Cutting of the Bullshit
I have never done a book club and think it will be fun. It would be nice to have a constructive social event every once in a while. I did quite a bit of research on book, film, and dining clubs but I say again I HAVE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE. I look forward to a group where no one feels taxed or undervalued and if either occurs it won’t be fun. Please try to make the Saturday meeting, but if you can’t we can sort out the initial stuff by email. Let me know if there is anything being neglected or if something doesn’t make sense.

Ammendments and addtions
via Funner Things Club by Curtis on 10/26/08

Literature

-No more than 500 pages
-Cost should not exceed $20
-Library use is encouraged

Film

-Selections are now opened to films nominated for any award from the following:

Academy Awards
Goya
Sundance
Cannes

Food

-Dues will be collected for all dine in meetings


Events (NEW CATEGORY)

-This is a great idea and we can do different things as much or as little as we like
-We were thinking these could include:
Festivals
Theater
Concerts
Rodeo
Gentleman's Clubs
Sports
Dances
Games
Opera