The Host Guru
Do You Have What It Really Takes?
host guru [goo*roo]: noun; The expert in the field of hosting a meeting. Sets the standard and precedent for others to follow.
The sole purpose of a book club is fellowship. We can all read the same book any ol’ time we please, but getting together to talk about it is
the reason you join a book club.
So that means we all get a turn to host a meeting. The goal? To be the host guru of your club!
What does this really mean? Well, if you want to be the world super host you need to know how to host a great meeting. The host guru goes way
beyond the normal meeting design of cheese and crackers followed by a Stouffer’s dinner.
Now don’t get me wrong, there are many of us who are WAY too busy for the kind of effort I’m about to show you. Some of you will be thinking
“girl, host like that? Not in this lifetime!” But for those of you who are ambitious and want to really outdo yourselves, keep on reading and
find out how you can become the host guru of your book club!
How to Host a Successful Book Club Get Together
Full Service Hosts - the key components of your meeting
The main categories of how to host a great book club evening are:
Meeting Structure
There is a definite way you must organize the evenings events if you want the meeting to be a success. The main point you should keep in
mind for meeting structure is that there are two different kinds of book club discussions. The socialization time and the book group
discussion time. Be sure you know how to fit both in. More detail available about the hosting schedule.
Book Club Menu Options
For a paid host, the menu would be the largest part of the job. Even though you’re not paid (but if you’re good you should think about it!)
the menu is the place where you can solidify your status as world super host. Along with the fellowship and reading discussion, book clubs
get together to eat! The options you have are absolutely endless. But don’t worry, we’ve already got them covered for you!
General Menu Process
Themed Menu Process
Book Club Recipes including our Homemade Gourmet Recipe of the month!
Reading Group Activities
The activities are really the meat of how to host a successful book club gathering. The main activity besides eating is obviously the book
club discussion. If you’ve followed the meeting structure guidelines closely you’ve already separated the social and the book talk. Additional
activities that spice up the evening are having your guests come in book theme costume, a book and movie combo,
or creating book favors for your members.
An Example of a Meeting by a Host Guru
Book: Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
How to Host a Great Devil in the White City Meeting
Your guests arrive in period costume. They’ve chosen either the outfit of an 18th century fair worker OR the upper class from that time.
You’ve all been communicating via email for the past few weeks with informational websites and books to help you get ready.
Appetizers begin and are a selection of Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer, Cracker Jacks, and Cotton Candy. You chit chat for a while and then move to
dinner.
Dinner consists of Corn Dogs (on a stick if you can find them!) with Chili-Cheese Fries. You have Funnel Cake for desert. For those members
with dietary restrictions, always keep a salad on hand.
You have asked your group to expect the meeting to run one hour over due to a special activity you’ve planned. Because there is no movie
version of this book, instead you have rented Expo: Magic of the White City, a documentary about the Great Chicago World Fair by Mark Bussler
(from your local library). You watch this first then move into your book discussion.
At the end of the meeting you give out a coffee mug (as that is the drink of choice for your group) with the quote “He broke prevailing rules
of casual intimacy. He stood too close, stared too hard, touched too much and long and women adored him for it” (Pg 36) because you found it
one of the more memorable moments from the Dr. Holmes story in the book.
Your evening ends - you are a total success! Definitely grabbed the number 1 spot in the top 5 hosts for your book club meetings! The other
members are going to have to climb high to equal what you’ve done. But you’ve inspired them. You can be sure that each meeting from now on
will be an attempt to top the last, greatest host. Because you were the host guru, you’ve shown the whole group how to host a great book
club meeting!
Kudos to you!
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