The Sit Down & Speak Up Book Club meets in person in Eugene, Oregon, United States. We’re progressive readers and thinkers. Open-minded and kind humans ages 18+ are welcome to join.

ATTENDANCE AGREEMENT

Membership in the Sit Down & Speak Up Book Club is required to attend discussions and socials and members must RSVP. There are no guest privileges. Members may not bring children, pets, or non-member adults. Members who wish to invite an adult must contact the book club admin to access the Bookclubs invite link.

RSVP spots for book discussions are limited and sometimes have wait lists. A combined total of 3 no-shows or late cancellations (less than 2 weeks prior to a discussion) for a discussion to which a member had RSVP'd will result in membership cancellation.

In the event that you must cancel less than 2 weeks prior to a discussion, please be considerate and update an RSVP of 'YES' to "NO' and send a courtesy message to the book club admin and/or discussion host.

DISCUSSION GUIDELINES

LISTEN ATTENTIVELY WITHOUT INTERRUPTING OTHERS – A compassionate conversation allows for each speaker to complete their/her/his thoughts, free from distractions or disruptions.
ALWAYS SPEAK KINDLY AND CONSIDERATELY– Discourse is often dependent upon disagreement; offer criticism in constructive ways that open a point up for discussion rather than disrespect.
TAKE TURNS, BEING MINDFUL OF TOTAL TALK TIME – Everyone's voice is valued and will be heard; be mindful of how often and how long you speak; a silent timer may be used to ensure equity of voice.
KEEP THE DISCUSSION RELEVANT AND ON TOPIC – Brief digressions happen, as they allow us to share ideas that are relevant to a book, but don't sidetrack or derail a discussion with time-taking anecdotes or off-topic interests.

GROUP AGREEMENTS

Speak for Yourself – Speak from your own perspective and experiences rather than about or for others. Learn from other perspectives and adopt or adapt them, but speak only for yourself.
Step Up, Step Back – If you tend to speak up early and often, consider stepping back. If you tend not to speak up much, consider stepping up.
Elevate Silenced Voices – Center the experiences, knowledge, and voices of those whose intersectional identities are marginalized or unrepresented.
Intent and Impact – Despite our best intentions, we can cause harm to others. Acknowledge the impact and seek to repair the harm.
Courage and Vulnerability – Speak with the courage to hold each other accountable through kind, open, honest conversation, and be vulnerable enough to accept feedback.
We are respectful of healthy boundaries and everyone’s privacy. Boundaries are important and different for everyone, and can change over time or through circumstance. Personal/private information about someone is shared only by said someone. We kindly remind one another whenever we overstep boundaries.
Please be advised: This group has a strict no-solicitation policy. Membership in the group for solicitation purposes is strictly prohibited. Members who market goods and/or services to other members, whether online via the Bookclubs app/site or in-person during events, will be removed from the group.
Sometimes initial interest does not lead to active involvement. Members who have not visited the Bookclubs app/site or attended discussions for six months will be removed from the group and may rejoin at any time.

Organizers are responsible for sharing information and raising concerns, questions, options, and alternatives that affect the collective good of the group. Organizers do their fair share of the work, while also striving never to do for others what they can do for themselves. If you are aware of any violations of our guidelines and agreements, please contact the organizers as soon as possible via an app DM or email to sitdownspeakupbookclub@gmail.com.

The Scenic Route: A Short Story