Wednesday 28 November 2012

A Tale of Two Green Drinks (or "We'll Regroup in the New Year")

I first learned of Green Drinks when I moved to Toronto five years ago.  There I found a thriving happy hour of 50-100 people.  I got involved, pressed the flesh, but the truth is I never got to know anyone as well as I would have liked.

So upon moving to St. John's, I thought I'd give it a try here.  I thought it'd be great to create a community in which the common denominator is sustainability.  We started with a solid turn-out, tapered off, surged again, and tapered off.  From a turn-out perspective, this chapter of Green Drinks was never successful. 

On the other hand, I've gotten to know many of the attendees quite well.  Some of them I consider friends now, and I've been in their homes.  In that regard, Green Drinks has been wildly successful for me (which admittedly is not the most important thing).

Now, I think we should reconsider our format.  It does seem like people do want to be part of environmental community.  But maybe the monthly format is not best suited for St. John's. Perhaps we go quarterly.  Perhaps, instead of meeting at one location, we could mix it up and sample the many interesting bars in St. John's.  Also, it seems like we'd do well to have some project or goal that's more than just hanging out.  (That was always my intention, but I was always waiting for the group to "solidify.")

So there are some things to think about, and we'll revisit them in the next year.  Until then, have a green, safe, happy holiday season!