All Meet organizers please post here

[truckerofbc]

If I can take a few minutes of everyone's time. Coupon meets since the first one started in Vancouver have blossomed into a weekly thing with events being planned all the time.

If possible, I would like to create a chartered organization of the Vancouver Coupon Group since this was the name we started with and will continue with. However, it is becoming difficult to follow all the threads and different meeting places and times and if possible, I would like to have this whole thing organized to make all the groups successful.

So to start, I will list the cities. If I can have one person to represent each city as the organizer of that city's official coupon group. I would also like the chapters representing each city chartered under the Vancouver Group to make our group and subgroups the only official chartered coupon groups in North America.

By becoming a chartered group, we as members of the Coupon Group will have more power as a unified voice in asking companies and sponsors for products for promotion to it's members. We will have more power and voice in our opinions to companies as a collective voice. We would have more input into companies making coupons as we can put forth our opinion on their brands and marketing concepts including their coupons.

What will set us apart is that we will be the first in North America to represent the average consumer who uses coupons by becoming a single entitied Group rather than an independent coupon user who would only look out for themselves.

A charter of rules governing our members coupon usage would be created based on moral ethics. A charter of rules would be put forth regarding membership ethics. We would ask and invite head office personnel to provide direction in their coupon usage and policies through attendance at our meetings. This is just an idea and I am looking for input...

So what is your opinion? If anyone is for this, I would like to start the ball rolling for the middle of March to have a meeting with all the organizers of the following cities which I need an organizer for.
Ultimately my idea is as follows.

Each city will have a meeting at least 1x per month. It will be a set time and date and day for the whole year.

Each year all members of the groups will get together for a Coupon Grand Trading Event at one location

Each year all cities will have a Christmas party

Each Sub Group will have a set meeting place (i.e. local church)


The Vancouver Coupon Group (Head Group)

Sub Chartered Groups

Burnaby/New Westminster
Surrey/Delta
Coquitlam/Port Coquitlam/Maple Ridge
Langley
Richmond
North Vancouver/West Vancouver

Any ideas??

[misstarbender]

Im in South Delta (Ladner) I would love to rep my area

[MangoFruit]

I don't know if anyone wants to start a Vancouver weekday one. I wouldn't mind starting one if a few can come at 7pm like on Monday of the first week of each month. I'm planning to revive the one that was started a few months back.

[tink30]

I usually organize the Surrey/Cloverdale/Delta one but I will have to read over what you are wanting to do a little more when I get the chance before I step up as anything official.

[truckerofbc]

Im in South Delta (Ladner) I would love to rep my area

mistarbender South Delta/Ladner/Tswassen
Mango/Pmoonie Vancouver Group

I still need the following areas then to cover and then I will set up a date and time for all the reps to meet and hammer out a charter for the groups and the sub groups.

Surrey/North Delta/Cloverdale
New Westminster/Burnaby
North Vancouver/West Vancouver
Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows
Port Coquitlam/Coquitlam
Langley/Aldergrove/Abbotsford

If we can get this done by the end of February I will look for a sponsor for T shirts for each group's rep which will have each club's name and area on it...ie...Vancouver Coupon Group Rep./ Vancouver Coupon Group and hopefully extras to hand out to members who wish to participate. But it won't be as simple as just giving it away, members will have to show dedication by attendance and participation to earn Coupon Group rewards...this is what I envision.

[pmoonie]

i can help mango with vancouver?....

[MangoFruit]

i can help mango with vancouver?....

+1.

[truckerofbc]

Thanks for stepping up. I still need some more reps for those other areas.

[DianneS]

I'm curious to know whether the Vancouver group would "oversee" the subgroups. Would they be the "mother chapter"? It seems to me like we would fall under the Vancouver group and that does raise some questions for me as an active participant in the Surrey/Cloverdale/North Delta group. Just askin'....

[tink30]

I am sorry but I will not be able to stand up as something 'official'. I have a lot on my plate right now between my health, family and work so any added stress would be too much for me. I am very happy with the way our Surrey group runs and I hope it can just continue on how it has. I personally don't want to see anything change. Thank you trucker for all your efforts and ideas.

[truckerofbc]

I'm curious to know whether the Vancouver group would "oversee" the subgroups. Would they be the "mother chapter"? It seems to me like we would fall under the Vancouver group and that does raise some questions for me as an active participant in the Surrey/Cloverdale/North Delta group. Just askin'....

Yes the Vancouver Group as a name would be the "Chartered" head location. And the primary focus is to bring all the meetings under one umbrella.

The problem you see is that there are so many groups being created that people are running to and fro uncertain of where and when the next meeting will be. Threads are being created at the drop of a hat whenever someone feels like hey I need more coupons, my coupon stash is getting low, etc

This group will focus on establishing a set time/date/and hour each week for each group to be published in blogs, on SC on CC and on Zwap. Of course it won't have direct control over how other groups want to run in so far as who attends etc, but the primary leadership is needed with so many couponers out there.

As one entity we can voice our opinion through letterheads as to what we would like to see with companies in regards to their coupon usage and provide them direction as consumers with regards to their current coupon policies or how their staff are trained.

Don't believe me, just take a look through SC and see how many people have b.i.t.c.h.ed about a clerk not accepting a coupon or b.i.t.c.h.ed that a clerk didn't allow them to use a coupon. As one voice we can actively encourage and promote ourselves to companies and stores in regards to this.

Ultimately, the groups would be run no differently than they are now, with the exception they would be listed for a set time date and place of meeting once a month. Now obviously you have the decision to continue to attend or not but nothing will change in regards to the group. It will just have a representative and a charter of couponing ethics for those who decide to attend the group so that past performances of people wanting to come to get coupons for opening up their own supply and demand chain of stores or gathering coupons to sell on EBAY will stop.

[truckerofbc]

I am sorry but I will not be able to stand up as something 'official'. I have a lot on my plate right now between my health, family and work so any added stress would be too much for me. I am very happy with the way our Surrey group runs and I hope it can just continue on how it has. I personally don't want to see anything change. Thank you trucker for all your efforts and ideas.

You can continue your Surrey group no problem. However the primary difference is that as part of the chartered official Coupon Group representing Surrey, you would have a set time/date/place of meeting so that it can be used for publication purposes and to eliminate constant postings of whenever someone feels like having an impromptu meeting. Rather people will be able to look at a chart and say...oh okay, the Surrey group meets on this day every month at this time. They can't make that meeting they can attend another groups set time and date. Being part of the chartered group will also give us more leverage in our stance against companies shrinking our coupon usage. We can direct our attention and efforts to companies as one voice rather than as a single couponer standing in a line being chastised by an employee for taking too much time or making them do a little extra work.

[DianneS]

Yes the Vancouver Group as a name would be the "Chartered" head location. And the primary focus is to bring all the meetings under one umbrella.

The problem you see is that there are so many groups being created that people are running to and fro uncertain of where and when the next meeting will be. Threads are being created at the drop of a hat whenever someone feels like hey I need more coupons, my coupon stash is getting low, etc

This group will focus on establishing a set time/date/and hour each week for each group to be published in blogs, on SC on CC and on Zwap. Of course it won't have direct control over how other groups want to run in so far as who attends etc, but the primary leadership is needed with so many couponers out there.

As one entity we can voice our opinion through letterheads as to what we would like to see with companies in regards to their coupon usage and provide them direction as consumers with regards to their current coupon policies or how their staff are trained.

Don't believe me, just take a look through SC and see how many people have b.i.t.c.h.ed about a clerk not accepting a coupon or b.i.t.c.h.ed that a clerk didn't allow them to use a coupon. As one voice we can actively encourage and promote ourselves to companies and stores in regards to this.

Ultimately, the groups would be run no differently than they are now, with the exception they would be listed for a set time date and place of meeting once a month. Now obviously you have the decision to continue to attend or not but nothing will change in regards to the group. It will just have a representative and a charter of couponing ethics for those who decide to attend the group so that past performances of people wanting to come to get coupons for opening up their own supply and demand chain of stores or gathering coupons to sell on EBAY will stop.

Given that the Surrey group has been extremely successful and has enjoyed the flexibility of setting meeting dates by consensus, keeping in mind when coupons are released, etc., it seems to me that a group discussion would be in order. There is, of course, nothing to prevent the Vancouver Coupon Group from chartering a sub-chapter in Surrey. However if that sub-chapter were to be the existing Surrey group, then we would need to have reached consensus amongst ourselves to move in that direction. We are a very open group that communicates well with each other so we'll see what transpires. I am happy to support what the group decides, however I do feel it needs to be a group decision.

[Pennypinchers22]

Ultimately, the groups would be run no differently than they are now, with the exception they would be listed for a set time date and place of meeting once a month. Now obviously you have the decision to continue to attend or not but nothing will change in regards to the group. It will just have a representative and a charter of couponing ethics for those who decide to attend the group so that past performances of people wanting to come to get coupons for opening up their own supply and demand chain of stores or gathering coupons to sell on EBAY will stop.

I agree with Tink30 and DianneS, I don't want to see anything change. I don't think that having a representative and a charter of couponing ethics will prevent people from being grabby and gathering coupons to sell on Ebay, and to also bribe people with. I hate to say it, but we DID have that problem, but not anymore.

Our Surrey group runs very smoothly, without any drama, and without grabby vultures. We DO follow a couponing meeting schedule, about every 2 weeks or 3 weeks, depending on coupon expiration dates. We also alternate between 2 locations, to make it fair to those that need to come from the outskirts, and always have it on a Monday, since that seems to work best for people. Tink30, DianneS, ShellLovesDeals, or I will usually start the thread asking if the date works for people, and it usually does. The only times our meeting dates may get bumped, is if it is a long weekend, or if there is an expiration date that just past, and we would like the opportunity to collect more coupons to share. We will also have door prizes, where people would bring small items from their stock piles to give away, by drawing a name. Multiple people will do this per meeting, and it just makes it extra fun.

Often times after the meeting, we will gather up and go for a group shop together. This makes couponing fun and less stressful in the stores. We are usually going in for similar items, and the customer service representative usually only has to check one members coupons for wording. The rest of us then get rung in without any stress of coupons being declined, and the transactions run a lot smoother.
Again, I don't want to see anything change. I agree that there are people that have ruined it for us, but I don't see how the charter of couponing ethics and a representative will make things better. I think it will just open up a door for some people to be controlling and possibly cause some drama. We are Drama Free in Good Ole Surrey.

[truckerofbc]

okay, well that is your groups decision. I will continue to stand by my call for a rep for the Surrey area to create a chartered coupon group in that area and move forward with my proposal. Your group can continue to run as is but will be independent of my efforts.
Thus that should be the end the debate for your groups input into my plan since it is apparent you will not be joining my efforts.